Chemistry Courses

A study of the general concepts and basic principles of chemistry.  Topics include stoichiometry, properties of the states of matter, atomic and molecular structure, and bonding theory, with emphasis on problem solving, conceptual understanding and analytical reasoning.  Applications will be drawn from current issues in fields such as environmental and biological chemistry. The laboratory program, which emphasizes the basic principles discussed in lecture, focuses on quantitative measurements and the interpretation of data. This course is the normal entry point for the chemistry and biochemistry curriculum.  Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three hours.  (Credit, full course.) Staff

Continuation of CHEM 101, with emphasis on chemical thermodynamics, equilibria, acid-base chemistry, oxidation and reduction processes, kinetics, and biochemical structures. Laboratory program includes significant synthetic and analytical work. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three hours.  Prerequisite: Chem 101, placement exam, or permission of the instructor. (Credit, full course.) Staff

Both the natural environment and modern society run on innumerable chemical processes. This course examines the natural chemistry responsible for our environment and some of the anthropomorphic processes that have the potential to disrupt it. The course also examines how understanding this chemistry does or does not inform public perception and policy. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three hours. (Credit, full course.) Bachman

Both the natural environment and modern society run on innumerable chemical processes. This course examines the natural chemistry responsible for our environment and some of the anthropogenic processes that have the potential to disrupt it. The course also examines how understanding this chemistry does or does not inform public perception and policy. The course description is the same as for Chem 103 except that this course is a non-lab course. A student who has received course credit for Chem 103 cannot receive credit for this course. (Credit, full course.) Bachman

A study of the chemistry underlying some topics that are of particular interest to artists and art historians. Topics may include: papermaking; pigments, dyes, and binders; photography; glass and ceramics; metals; and printmaking. The course is designed for the general students and meets the laboratory science requirement of the college. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three hours. (Credit, full course.) Bordley

An introduction to the science of food and food preparation. Recent literature in the field of gastronomy as well as controversies about such issues as low-carbohydrate diets and genetically modified foods are considered. The relationship between diet and health is a continuous theme. The course is designed for the general student and serves as a non-laboratory course in partial fulfillment of the general distribution requirement in natural science. Lecture, three hours. (Credit, full course.) Miles

An introduction to the fundamental chemical concepts with emphasis on problem solving, conceptual understanding and analytical reasoning.  Discussion will include an array of topics from fields such as environmental and biological chemistry that illuminate the role chemistry plays in determining the world around us. The laboratory program focuses on collection and interpretation of empirical data.  The course is intended as a one-semester alternative to the one-year general chemistry sequence for students with significant previous background in chemistry. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three hours.  (Credit, full course.) Bachman/Shibata

A study of the nomenclature and the properties of the most important classes of organic compounds with an emphasis on concepts relating molecular structure and properties. Stereochemistry, functional group transformations and reaction mechanisms are studied in depth. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three and one-half hours. Prerequisite: Chem 102 or 111. (Credit, full course.) Staff

A continuation of Chemistry 201. A portion of the course is devoted to the study of important classes of biochemical compounds. Prerequisite: Chem 201. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three and one-half hours. (Credit, full course.) Staff

A series of lectures by faculty, students, and invited speakers. Junior majors give talks on topics agreed upon with a faculty mentor. Talks describing student research are encouraged. Required for junior chemistry majors. (Credit, half course.) Staff

Introduction to the major areas of biochemistry. Prerequisite: Chem 201 and Biol 132, or permission of instructor. Lecture, three hours. (Credit, full course.) Staff

An examination of all aspects of protein science, including protein biosynthesis, protein structure, and the mechanisms of enzyme catalysis, with particular emphasis on the detailed chemical mechanisms of enzyme catalysis. Prerequisite: Chemistry 202 and Biology 132, or consent of instructor. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three and one-half hours. This course is approved for Advent semester of 2008 only. (Credit, full course.) Summers

A detailed examination of the chemistry of the elements, with a particular emphasis on structure and bonding, structure-property relationships, and reaction energetics.  Course topics include organometallics and catalysis, aquatic chemistry of the metals, solid-state chemistry, and the role of metals in biology.  Prerequisite:  Chem 201.  Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three and one-half hours. (Credit, full course.) Bachman

An introduction to the theory and practice of the fundamental principles of chemical analysis and the use of chemical instrumentation in research. Course topics include solution equilibria in acid-base and complex-ion systems; electrochemical fundamentals and electroanalytical techniques; spectrophotometric and spectroscopic methods; and chromatographic and separation methods. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three and one-half hours. Prerequisite: Chem 102. (Credit, full course.) Miles

A one-semester survey of biochemistry which addresses the topics of metabolism and cellular bioenergetics, protein structure and function, enzyme function, nucleic acid structure and function, and selected topics in molecular biology and physiological biochemistry. A student may not receive credit for this course and also for Biol/Chem 306. Prerequisites: Biol 132 and Chem 201. (Credit, full course.) Lively

An introduction to thermodynamics and kinetics. Prerequisites: Chem 102, Math 102, and Phys 101 or permission of the instructor. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three and one-half hours. (Credit, full course.) Shibata

A series of lectures by faculty, students, and invited speakers. Senior majors give talks on topics agreed upon with a faculty mentor. Talks describing student research are encouraged. Required for senior chemistry majors. (Credit, half course.) Staff

Students in this course consider selected topics in modern organic chemistry such as synthetic methods, physical organic chemistry and bioorganic chemistry.  The course surveys relevant primary literature.  Topics may vary from year to year.  Prerequisite:  Chem 202 or permission of instructor.  (Credit, full course.)  Staff

Selected topics in modern inorganic chemistry, such as bioinorganic chemistry, materials chemistry, and organometallic chemistry. The course surveys relevant primary literature in one or more of the these arrays. Topics may vary from year to year, and the course may be repeated for credit, depending upon the topic. Lecture, three hours. Prerequisite: Chem 308 or permission of instructor. (Credit, full course.) Bachman

An examination of the chemical principles that determine how natural systems work and how anthropogenic activities can have an impact on the function of these systems.  Topics include both fundamental chemical principles and case studies of particular environmental systems.  Prerequisite:  Chem 102 or permission of instructor.  Lecture, three hours.  (Credit, full course.) Bachman

An exploration of contemporary issues in biochemistry based largely on primary literature. Topics such as the biosynthesis and mode of action of antibiotics, protein engineering, signal transduction, chemical carcinogenesis, and isotope effects in enzyme kinetics are addressed in detail. Prerequisite:  One of the following:  Biol 306, Biol 316, Chem 306, Chem 307, or Chem 316. Lecture, three hours. (Credit, full course.) Summers

An introduction to quantum mechanics in chemistry and spectroscopy. Prerequisites: Chem 102, Math 102, and Physics 102 or permission of the instructor. Lecture, three hours. (Credit, full course.) Shibata

Students consider selected topics in physical chemistry such as statistical thermodynamics, chemical reaction dynamics, advanced quantum chemistry, and the physical chemistry of macromolecules. Topics may vary from year to year.  Prerequisites:  Chem 352 and 422 or permission of instructor.  Lecture, three hours. (Credit, full course.) Shibata