Chemistry 14C: Organic Molecular Structures and Interactions
Winter 2012
Announcements
March 13 and March 14
Finals week office hours
- Monday March 19: 2-3 PM, Young Hall 3077F (Shane)
- Tuesday March 20: 7-9 PM, Young Hall 3069 (Ray)
- Wednesday March 21: 10 AM - noon, Young Hall 3077C (Dr H)
- Wednesday March 21: 7-9 PM, Young Hall 3069 (Ray)
March 1
Tejas' office hour on
Friday March 2
On Friday March 2, Chem 14C TA Tejas'
office hour will be 3-4 PM in Young Hall 3077F (instead of the usual
time of 2-3 PM).
February 23
Extra Office Hour
In order to help you prepare for the
second midterm exam, Chem 14C TA Ray will have an extra office hour on
Sunday February 26, 7-9 PM, in Young Hall 3069.
February 1
Extra Office Hour
In order to help you prepare for the
first midterm exam, Chem 14C TA Shane will have an extra office hour on
Friday February 3, 5-6 PM, in Young Hall 3077F.
January 9
Weekly Course Activities
Schedule
The complete Chem 14C Weekly Course
Activities Schedule is available
here
(pdf).
Start
of Course Announcements
Model Kits in Discussion
Section
It is important that you learn how to
use your molecular model kit. Some problems covered in discussion may
involve models, so please bring your molecular model kit to discussion
section for the next few weeks.
Extra Material on Molecular
Geometry and Hybrid Orbitals
Some of you are having difficulty with
the idea of hybrid orbitals. For another course I prepared a lecture on
molecular geometry and orbitals, which might help you understand the
topic a bit better. Download the
PowerPoint
version or the
pdf
version.
An Essay on Learning
Enrollment Requests
If you are currently on the Chemistry
14C waitlist, your chances of enrollment are high, and you need take no
further action at this time. Enrollments (if any) will be processed
automatically sometime during the first week of the quarter.
Starting Monday January 9: If you are not currently enrolled nor on
the waitlist, but wish to
become enrolled, please
send
an email with your name, student ID
number, email address, and a request to be added to the enrollment
request list. Enrollment requests will processed on Friday January 13,
and
results announced by email.
Enrollment request
emails submitted before Monday January 9 will not be included in
this list.
Several Chem 14C
students have lamented
that they did not get as much depth on molecular conformations in Chem
14B as they would have liked. If you are struggling with this topic,
try these sections and problems from the Vollhardt and Schore textbook,
and Organic Chemistry as a Second
Language (Klein):
Vollhardt and Schore 5th edition Chapter 2: Read sections 2-7 and 2-8,
and do
problems 18, 19, 36, 37, and 49.
Vollhardt and Schore 5th edition Chapter 4: Read sections 4-1 to 4-5,
and do
problems 1, 3, 5, 9, 22, 23, 25, 28-30, and 47-49.
Klein Chapter 6: Read the entire chapter and do all the problems it
contains.
Chem 14C Discussion Board
The Chemistry 14C
discussion board is
now
available.
It is a great place to post or answer questions about course material,
and engage in general chat. Please email Dr. Hardinger if you have any
problems or suggestions.
(Please note that you must register at the message board web site
before
you can post messages. Once you receive the confirmation email you
will be able to login to the discussion board and post messages.)
Discussion board participation is not mandatory, but its frequent and
thoughtful use might earn you
as much as ten points
extra credit. Check
the
discussion board rules for
more information.
The Chem 14C discussion board password
in chem14c.
Use
of Model Kits
Three-dimensional
structure is a very important component of introductory organic
chemistry, and you need to master its intricacies!
As
you may have discovered by now,
sometimes it can be rather challenging to visualize the
three-dimensional structure of a molecule. This is especially
true when considering conformations and stereochemistry. Some --
but not all -- of you have also discovered the value of using your
molecular model kit to visualize and explore organic structures in
three dimensions.
You are allowed -- and strongly
encouraged -- to use your model kit during an exam. (Experience
suggests that students who do not use their models are at a
disadvantage.) Therefore it is very strongly recommended that you
practice the use your model kits with Thinkbook, OWLS and textbook
problems, and that you bring them to discussion sections, bring them to
office hours, sleep with them, and in general make them your best
studies buddies. To know and use your model kit is to love your
model kit!
Week One
Discussion Sections and Office Hours
Discussion
sections and office hours do not meet until after lecture on Wednesday
January 11.
Why Should I
Bother With Discussion
Section?
Check
out these statistics that show a strong
correlation
of exam score with number of discussion sections attended.
Organic
Chemistry Web Site Link List
Use this list
of web sites to aid your understanding of organic chemistry.
Although it is organized according to a different textbook, it should
still
be a valuable resource.
Some thoughts
to consider:
I am a teacher ... The life I lead is
the most agreeable I can imagine. [In the] classroom ... here
await
me a group of intelligent and curious young ... [people] who read the
books
assigned them with a sense of adventure and discovery, discuss them
with
zest, and listen appreciatively to explications I may offer. What makes
the process most satisfying is the conviction that ... education is
mankind's
most important enterprise. --- an
American
college teacher, 1962
We lead students to the fountain of
knowledge.
Some will drink deeply, some will take a few swallows, and some will
just
sip. An increasing number will, as at the dentist, merely rinse before
spitting out.
--- an
American
college teacher, 1995
Are you a 1962 student or a 1995
student?
Read more about studying and student performance from this
essay.
Known
Typographical Errors List...and a
reward for finding new errors!
A list of known
textbook and web site errors
and information of an extra credit point
bounty
for
finding such errors is available.
Online
Tutorials
To see your current standing, consult the Grading
Scale.
Want to do better next time?
Learning
Manager
- Dr. Steven A. Hardinger
- Office: Young Hall 3077C
- Send
E-mail to Dr. Hardinger
- Chem 14C Office Hours (winter 2012 quarter):
- Monday and Wednesday 10:00-10:50 AM
- Or just drop by my office. Outside of normal office
hours, there
is a very good chance I will be able to answer your questions. If the door is closed, please
feel free to knock!
Chemistry
14C Teaching Assistants...Your Guides to Knowledge!
The Weekly
Course Activities Schedule (a printable schedule including all
discussion
sections and office hours) is available here
(pdf). <---
Posted January 11
Help!
I am having trouble opening pdf files!
Discussion sections and office hours do
not meet until after lecture on Wednesday January 13
Teaching Assistant
|
Office Hours (WGYoung 3077F)
Campus map
|
Discussion Sections
Campus map
|
Ray
Gipson
rgipson@chem.ucla.edu
|
|
Tuesday
2:00-2:50 PM*
Thursday 9:00-9:50 AM
|
D:
Tuesday 9 AM, Boelter 5419
E: Wednesday 9 AM, Boelter 5280
H: Friday 9 AM, WGYoung 3069
|
Tejas
Shah
TejasShah@ucla.edu
|
|
Tuesday
2:00-2:50 PM*
Friday 2:00-2:50 PM
|
C:
Tuesday 8 AM, WGYoung 3069
G: Thursday 8 AM, WGYoung 3069
I: Friday 1 PM, WGYoung 3069
|
Shane
Stone
shanewstone@ucla.edu
|
|
Monday
2:00-2:50 PM
Tuesday
2:00-2:50 PM* |
A: Monday
11 AM, Geology 4645
B: Monday 1 PM, WGYoung 1044
F: Wednesday noon, Pub Aff 1222
|
*TA for the Tuesday 2:00-2:50 PM
office hour varies.
Discussion
Section Activities:
OWLS Sessions
Weekly discussion sessions will feature OWLS (Organic
Workshop
for Learning Success) problem sets, written by the
instructor. These are intended to develop your mastery of organic
chemistry
concepts
by emphasizing problem solving skills. These problems sets will
be
used as determined by the Instructional Associates, based upon their
perceptions of your
learning
needs. |
 |
Problem sets will be covered in discussion after the topic is
introduced
in lecture. Each lecture topic has its own associated problem
set. The problem sets are in your Thinkbook, whereas the answers are available
on-line only. So that you have an incentive to actually work
through the problems on your own, solutions will be posted about one
week
after the lecture discussion on the topic is complete.
"Why should I bother with discussion
section?"
A fair question! You may be tempted to skip discussion,
especially
at 8 AM, but note that the OWLS problems sets are written by the same
person
who also writes the CFQ & PP and exams, suggesting OWLS problems
should
be excellent exam practice. In addition, course grade statistics
suggest that persistent use of OWLS problems leads to grade success. Discussion
section attendance is not mandatory, but is very strongly suggested.
Check out these statistics from a previous
quarter
that show a strong correlation of exam score with number of discussion
sections attended.
OWLS Problem Sets Solutions
Solutions will be
posted here about one week after the topic is covered in lecture.
Topics not included here do not have OWLS problem sets.
Help!
I am having trouble opening pdf files!
Required
Texts and Materials
- Organic Chemistry: Structure
and Function (Vollhardt and Schore; 6th
edition) and Study Guide
- Chemistry 14C Lecture Supplement,
Fifth edition. Old
Thinkbook
versions not
useful.
- Chemistry 14C Thinkbook,
Ninth edition: Includes concept
focus questions, OWLS problems, and practice problems. Old Thinkbook
versions not
useful.
- Molecular model kit (Chemistry 14A kit, or any other kit, ok)
Ancillary
Materials
VERY STRONGLY RECOMMENDED
- Organic Chemistry as a Second
Language (buy at Ackerman bookstore)
- General chemistry text as needed for review
- Four-color pen
Grading
Scale
Read
the
Grading
Instruments and Policies statement. It
explains the format of the final exam, plus other issues concerning
grades and exams.
Use this scale to determine your
current course
grade. The numbers
are based on exam scores and grade statistics for over 70 past
Hardinger courses. Even though these past courses used a sliding grade
scale, the exam
averages
and course grades were fairly consistent, so this scale is on par
with past course grades. Important
clarification: After
the final exam has been graded, averages for all exams will be
calculated and compared to the grading scale shown below. An adjustment
to the grading scale may then be made, if warranted by
the exam averages. This adjustment, if necessary, will lower the
cutoffs (make grades easier to get) and not raise the
cutoffs. Therefore this grading scale really is an estimate
of the final scale curved in the traditional sense, and not a fixed,
immutable scale. If the grade scale changes, then the modified
scale will be posted here. The grading scale has only changed a few
times in
the past decade, so it is reasonable
to assume it will remain fixed this quarter as well.
Student
Progress Assessment Tools and Their Point Values
Exam 1 (100 points) + Exam 2 (100
points) + Final Exam (200 points) = 400 possible points
Extra credit is added after the grade
scale is set, and does not influence the grade scale.
Exam
Statistics for the Current Quarter
Posted after each
exam's grading has been completed.
Standard
deviation is not calculated because it does not control the grade
distribution for this course.
Includes all score adjustments due to regrades.
|
Exam
1
|
Exam
2
|
Final
Part A
|
Final
Part B
|
Discussion
Board*
|
| High
score |
96
|
96
|
94
|
100
|
10
|
| Average
|
66.5
|
67.3
|
66.5
|
74.7
|
4.6
|
| Low
score |
27
|
21
|
19
|
30
|
01
|
Project Final Course Grade
Scale
Any consideration for
adjusting the final grade scale cannot be made until after the final
exam is graded.
The
grade scale and final course grades are not open for discussion,
debate, bargaining, or negotiation.
|
A+
|
400 - 380 points
100 - 95.0%
|
|
B+
|
339 - 320 points
84.9 - 80.0%
|
|
C+
|
279 - 252 points
69.9 - 63.0%
|
|
D+
|
199 - 172 points
49.9 - 43.0%
|
|
A
|
379 - 360 points
94.9 - 90.0%
|
|
B
|
319 - 300 points
79.9 - 75.0%
|
|
C
|
251 - 224 points
62.9 - 56.0%
|
|
D
|
171 - 144 points
42.9 - 36.0%
|
|
A-
|
359 - 340 points
89.9 - 85.0%
|
|
B-
|
299 - 280 points
74.9 - 70.0%
|
|
C-
|
223 - 200 points
55.9 - 50.0%
|
|
D-
|
143 - 120 points
35.9 - 30.0%
|
Exams 1 and 2 will be
returned in the discussion section or office hours of the TA's name
that you select on the exam cover page. The
final exam will be available in my office (Young Hall 3077C) when the
final exam
averages are posted, usually no earlier than one week after the
exams
are taken. For questions concerning regrades, please read the
Regrade Policy
Statement.
 |
<--- This student did not pass Chemistry 14C
|
 |
| This
student earned an A in Chemistry 14C ---> |
| Are you an Einstein or an amoebae?
When an exam is returned to you, consider the following thought
(attributed
to Karl Popper, an educational philosopher): "The difference between
the
amoebae and Einstein is that, although both make use of the methods of
trial
and error or elimination, the amoebae dislikes erring while Einstein is
intrigued by it. He consciously searched for his errors in the
hope
of learning their discovery and elimination." |
Extra Credit
Concerned about your grade? Looking for some extra
credit? Check out discussion board
participation and error bounty
extra credit points. Additional extra credit projects may be announced during the quarter.
Discussion
Board Rules
Discussion board can be accessed here.
- You can earn 0-2 points per two week period for your
participation in the course discussion board. These are extra credit
points. Submissions are evaluated and points awarded at the end
of each even-numbered week (week 2, week 4, week 6, week 8, and up to
the final exam.)
- Submission are evaluated on quality and (to a lesser extent)
quantity. Submissions that are more relevant, more detailed, more
correct, more precise, and overall more useful to other students in the
class will have a greater chance of earning credit. Spelling and
accurate use of vocabulary words count as well. As the quarter goes on
(and your mastery of the course material, in theory, improves), the
standards used to judge the quality of discussion board posts becomes
more strict. In other words, as the quarter goes on, strive to improve
the quality of your posts.
- One submission = one question or one answer. One submission is
worth at most one point. Not all submission will earn a point.
- Any thread or reply that contains a significant conceptual or
vocabulary error cannot earn credit.
- Some discussion board questions may be used as exam questions,
regardless of their credit worthiness. Therefore it is useful to read
all discussion board posts, even if you do not post any yourself.
- When you copy part or all of an answer from another source, you
must cite the source. (A web link is useful for this.) As is true in
any other circumstance, copying someone else's words without giving
credit is plagiarism. Plagiarism is an act of significant academic
misconduct, and carries appropriate penalties.
- Profane, disrespectful, or inappropriate postings will be
removed. Penalties depend upon the nature of the infraction and are
decided by the discussion board moderator. Treat others as you
would like to be treated.
- For the purposes of this project, the two-week period starts
Monday 12:01 AM (as determined by the discussion board clock) and runs
fourteen calendar days. The last period begins Monday of week nine and
runs until the moment the final exam begins.
- You must be registered at the discussion board web site in order
to make submissions.
- Please include the page number and problem number in the title of
your new thread when asking a question concerning Thinkbook problems
and solutions. Example: Thinkbook page 105 CFQ 1(a). Similarly, please
include the problem number, exam number, and quarter in the title when
asking about an old exam. Example: Spring 2008 Exam 1 Question 6.
- The Chem 14C discussion board password in chem14c.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes for a good post?
Accuracy, detail,
and precision. General interest. Insightful questions. Feel free to ask
for explanation of a fundamental idea that is well-covered in lecture
or the textbook, but such questions are not worthy of discussion board
participation points. Limit each post to a single question or single
answer. If you have more than one question, please submit multiple
posts.
How many points have I earned this
week, or so far this quarter?
Think of the
discussion board as a project that lasts all quarter, but isn't graded
until it is complete (like a ten-week long quiz). Just like a quiz, you
can't stop in the middle and ask your score. Your discussion board
participation point total will be written on the front of your final
exam (after the exam is graded), so you can see your score when you
collect your final exam. Like exam scores and course grades, discussion
board participation scores cannot be revealed by email, IM, or phone.
Lecture
and Exam Schedule
Download
the Chemistry 14C Lecture and Exam Schedule (pdf).
- Suggested reading and exercises from the
textbook are listed in the Chemistry 14C Thinkbook
Exam
Dates, Times,
and Locations
Campus map |
Exam
1
|
|
Monday
February 6
5:00 - 6:50 PM
|
|
Topics:
Introduction and Review
through
Carbohydrates
|
|
Last name A
- M in CS50
Last name N- Z in CS24
|
|
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|
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Exam
2
|
|
Monday
February 27
5:00 - 6:50 PM
|
|
Topics: Mass
Spectrometry
through
Solving Spectroscopy Problems
|
|
Last name A
- Pi in Haines 39
Last name Pl - Z in Kinsey 1220B
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Final
exam
|
|
Thursday
March 22
8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
|
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Part A
topics: 13C-NMR through DNA
Part B topics: Entire course
|
|
Everyone in
CS50
|
