General Chemistry at Adrian College JAMES B. SCHROYER Adrian College, Adrian, Michigan
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The atmosphere; nitrogen; carbon dioxide; the rare gases ONSIDERABLE evidence has appeared recently Adds and bases, and their relation to water to md~cate that professors in charge of instruction . . Particles of matter; the gas laws, the laws of chemical comin general chemistry in colleges are considering probination and their interpretation found changes in the courses, or are, to say the least, The concept of atomic and molecular weights not entirely satisfied with the conventional course in Symbols, formulas, valence, and equations; chemical mathematics general chemistry. Standen' has described a course Gay-Lussac's Law, Avogadeo's Law, and the diatomic molewhich represents a marked departure from convention. cule Keighton2 discusses the relation of general chemistry Gram-molecularvolume; more mathematics to the liberal arts program in the college, and calls for Classification of the elements; the Periodic System Radioactivity; atomic structure; the electron theow of a reorganization of to~ics. Wakeham3 ~ o i n t sout the folly of too enthusiasiic assigpment of supplementary Metals and nonmetalsa definitivestudy reading, and suggests changes in textbooks. And the chemical reactions in terms of ions perennial problem of what to do with the students who Rate of reaction and eauilibrium have, and with those who have not received credit It will be noted that the arrangement of topics is for high-school chemistry is still getting its share of atdifferent from that usually followed. The purpose of tention from many quarters. The first year of instruction in chemistry a t Adrian this arrangement is to use water and the atmosphere, College has been organized for several years on the plan two materials with which everyone is somewhat fadescribed below; this plan has proved very satisfactory, miliar, as a basis for the pmvocation of thought and and i t may therefore be of interest to other colleges. motivation of study. The student is informed, a t the The plan approaches the problems mentioned above, beginning, of the plan of the course, and he usually as well as some others, in a manner which is, in part, takes an interest in the development of the topics. Intense emphasis is placed on the scientific method, original. and, indeed, the arrangement of the topics is that of During the first semester, fundamental topics in the descriptive chemistry of water and the atmosphere facts and laws followed by the need for explanation are studied, together with elementary theory of matter which leads to theory. Electrons, atoms, and molecules and the principles of chemical change. All students are never mentioned by the instructor until a fair backin the course, whether presenting credit for high-school ground of descriptive fact and a personal laboratory chemistry or not, study identical topics. Sectioning acquaintance with changes in substances are achieved of the class is based on inherent scholastic ability rather by the student. A standard textbook is used, but the real outline for than on previous chemical training or occupational obthe student's work is a series of comprehensive "study jectives, and students are shifted from one section to another if and when advisable. Since the sections are questions and problems" which is issued in multismall, individual attention can he paid to the students' graphed form. The laboratory manual is a multivarying backgrounds and interests. In some cases this graphed one, with experiments prepared to parallel is the terminal course in chemistry, especially for the the topics listed above, and with specific instructions to fit the laboratory setup a t Adrian College. Individual person who elects chemistry "for credit." In the second semester, two distinct courses are of- variations of the experiments are encouraged and are fered; one is a terminal course for the nonspecialist in closely supervised by the laboratory instructor. Labchemistry, the other is a preprofessional course for the oratory "problems" are assigned periodically, and these chemist. eneineer, medical student. etc. The term serve to encourage initiative in developing a spirit of "cultural" isavoided in the description of the courses, investigation. The course in the second semester since it is felt that any fundamental course should be of disciplinary and dtural value. Details of these three might be designated as "civic chemistry." The topics vary somewhat from year to year, but are currently as courses follow. The first course is built on the following topics, which are only b r i d y designated : The halogens
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Sulfur and sulfuric acid Nitrogen compounds Carbon and hydrocarbons; fuels, petroleum, rubber F d s , textiles, paper, detergents, medicines, etc. Metals and alloys; metallurgy Representative metals; important metallic compounds The ceramic industries
Physical properties; gas laws; change of state Characteristics of chemical change Water; hydrogen and oxygen; solutions ' STANDEN, A., THISJOURNAL, 21, 555 (1944). W. B., Tms JOURNAL, 22,45 (1945). KEIOHTON, ' WAKEHAM, G., THISJOURNAL, 21, 546 (1944).
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Water supplies and treatment Surface protection (paints, metal dlps, rust-proafing, etc.) Plant nutrition; fertilizers; insecticides Chemical warfare
In this course also the student's progress is guided by. study questions and problems. Topics include the following:
Selected nonmetals Study questions and problems again provide the basis Ionic equilibrium; pH for the student's work. The laboratory work includes, Equilibrium calculations (ionic and nonionic) in addition to some of the conventional experiments, Energy of chemical change; electrochemistry certain group projects such as the synthesis of nitric Inorganic preparations, and an abridged system of qualitative acid, fractionation of petroleum, preparation of a simple analysis plastic, one or two fool-proof organic syntheses, analysis No topics in organic chemistry are studied since and treatment of hard water, reduction of simple ores, practically all students electing this course will elect the rust-proofing of iron, recovery of tin from cans, etc. Some recourse is had in this course to collateral read- regular course in organic chemistry within a year. Laboratory work closely parallels the listed topics, with ing, much of the material appearing in THISJOURNAL. A running bibliography is issued to each student. Local a sprinkling of quantitative experiments which are field trips to chemical industries have been limited by usually not included in first-year chemistry. Some of wartime restrictions. Visual education is especially these are reaction rate (decomposition of hydrogen applicable in this course, a number of good films being peroxide), measurements of pH by indicators and the pH meter, a simple colorimetric analysis, and measureavailable from industrial organizations. The preprofessional course in the second semester ment of fuel values and electrode potentials. No discussion of teaching methods has been atincludes topics designed to build a 6nn foundation for later courses in analytical, organic, and physical chem- tempted, since it is felt that these are individual things; istry. College algebra is a prerequisite, and a math- each teacher has his own methods for getting results. ematical approach is maintained throughout the course. However, the course in general chemistry a t Adrian The student must have previous or concurrent work in College is first and foremost a laboratory course. Other physics. Those with a record of less than "B" in the modern techniques are used, but the work here begins in first semester are discouraged from taking the course. the laboratory.
