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CH334

Organic Chemistry ( CRN 10195 )

Course Outline
Exams
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Email Dr. Gable
Organic Chemistry

CH 334 is the first term of a year-long sequence (Ch 334, 335, 336) intended to provide an in-depth overview of the properties, reactivity and transformations of carbon compounds.  The focus of CH 334 in to provide an understanding of bonding and structure in organic molecules, illustrate concepts surrounding the electronegativity and its impact on structure, and to introduce nucleophilic and electrophilic reaction mechanisms as applied to nucleophilic substitution and electrophilic addition reactions.

Lectures:  11-12 MWF, Gilbert 224
Instructor:  Prof. Kevin P. Gable
Contact information:  kevin.gable@oregonstate.edu
Office:  Weniger 341
Office Hours:  Monday 3-4 p.m. or by appointment.

Required resources:
Text:  Wade, "Organic Chemistry," 7th Edition.  (Note that any edition from 5-7 will be adequate, though you risk missing correct problem assignments with anything except the 7th Edition.)  The Solutions Manual and Study Guide is recommended.
A molecular model kit is required.
Access to Blackboard is required for weekly quizzes; referral to Web pages used in course lectures is recommended but not required.

News Items:
  • 11/18 Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, Quiz 9 will be left open until 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30. You are, of course, welcome to complete it at any time before Monday if you have objections to graded work during Dead Week. (Quiz 10 will make it up but will be formally ungraded: everyone will get 10 points for it.)
  • Quiz 8 Key
  • Quiz 7 Key
  • A copy of the exam and the key are posted.  Please see the Exams page.
  • Quiz 6 Key
  • 11/3: We will have a review session in Gilbert 224 this Friday, November 6 at 5 p.m.
  • 11/3: Midterm 2 is delayed until Friday, November 13 based on class discussion over time lost to illnesses and the Physics exam on Wednesday.  Coverage remains the same (Chapters 4, 5).
  • Quiz 5 Key
  • Quiz 4 Key
  • A copy of the exam and the key are posted.  Please see the Exams page.
  • Quiz 3 Key
  • I have reserved Gilbert 224 this Friday from 5-6:30 for a review session.  I will answer questions and work problems that you request, but I have no more structure planned and no new information will be given out.
  • Quiz 2 Key
  • 10/7:  The Valley Library has informed me that my copy of Wade, 7th Ed. is now available with the call number VR 325.
  • Quiz 1 Key
  • 10/1:  I have placed a personal copy of Wade's 7th Edition on reserve at the library.  I am told it may not be available for a week.  It will be on 2-hour reserve; since there is only the one copy please respect others' desire to consult it.
  • 9/29.  The Help Desk has been able to solve the problem with Quiz 1.  It should be visible to you.  Please let me know ASAP if there are remaining technical issues with it.
  • 9/28.  I'm aware that Quiz 1 is not visible (at least for some):  I'm trying to get Help Desk resolution of the problem.

How to succeed in Organic Chemistry

Course Schedule

Course Grading Policy:
There are three contributors to the final letter grade:
  1. Weekly quizzes on Blackboard (10 points each; 100 points total).  Questions will be designed to be similar to assigned exercises from the text.  You may use your book, class notes, or the Web for reference; you may change answers as often as you wish before the completion deadline; you are expected to submit your own work.  Submission will close at 5 p.m. the Friday of each week; after that, answer keys will be visible and no additional submissions will be accepted.  The goal of the quizzes is to ensure you are able to apply the material from class to problems you are likely to see on an exam.  (Note:  because of Dead Week restrictions, the final quiz will be practice for the final only; all students will receive 10 points.)
  2. Midterm exams (2; 100 points each; 200 points total) will cover material discussed in class and the chapters supporting that in the text.  You should expect problems to take a similar format to assigned problems from the text.  Questions will assess your mastery of the Learning Goals listed for each chapter.
  3. Final Exam (200 points).  This will be comprehensive.  Material not covered on Midterms 1 and 2 will receive heavier emphasis.
Your letter grade will be based on the total number of points earned.  The grading scale will be curved; the average score will represent the B/B- cutoff.

Makeup policy:  No makeup work will be allowed.  If you are unable to complete a quiz or attend an exam, you are expected to contact Dr. Gable as soon as reasonably possible.  If your reason for missing the quiz/exam is judged legitimate (at my sole discretion) I may excuse you from the quiz or exam.  In that case, your total score will be prorated according to the percentage out of the points possible (500 less the excused exercise).

Regrades:  You should always ask me to clarify how exams were graded and make a careful comparison between posted answer keys and your answers.  You may request exams be regraded at any point prior to the end of Dead Week, but at that point all grades except the Final Exam become permanent. 

The final exam must be taken for a student to earn credit.

Academic honesty.  Students are expected to follow OSU regulations concerning academic honesty.  Violations (including but not limited to: collaboration on a graded exercise, use of unauthorized material during exams, or submission of altered exams for regrade) will be handled according to procedures laid out in the Academic Regulations and may include penalties up to failure in the course.

Students with special needs:  Accommodations are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and Disability Access Services (DAS). Students with accommodations approved through DAS are responsible for contacting the faculty member in charge of the course prior to or during the first week of the term to discuss accommodations. Students who believe they are eligible for accommodations but who have not yet obtained approval through DAS should contact DAS immediately at 737-4098.
Last updated: 9/28/2009