Weekly Bulletin

WEEKLY BULLETIN

CHEM351 F2025

WORK IN PROGRESS
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THIS NEWSLETTER IS UPDATED ON FRIDAY EACH WEEK DURING THE SEMESTER WITH ITEMS THAT RELATE TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN CHEM351F25:

Here is a link to the big picture view of the semester as a whole : course calendar (remember that teaching is a dynamic process and sometimes things have to change!)

CHEM351F25 wk06, Oct 3-10 2025

CAL TUTORIALS (SA204)

This week write CAL assignment 2 "Organic Foundations 2". See link for coverage details and content links.
You are required to write at your registered tutorial time unless you have pre-approved special permission from Dr Hunt (course coordinator).
"Exam conditions" = individual work, closed book, no cheat sheets, don't access other websites / online materials etc., no devices, no communicating with other students etc. Simple calculator and model kits are allowed.
Please have picture ID (e.g. UCID, drivers license) on the desk next to your PC (the tutorial instructor will be checking ID)
Scrap paper will be provided for rough work. If you use it, please put it in the recycling box at the front of SA204 before you leave.
For more information see the CAL tutorial section of the course website.
The full F25 CAL assignment schedule is here (including dates and coverage).

LABORATORY

In week 6, you'll be measuring melting points and boiling points of organic compounds.
Make sure you complete the pre-lab quiz (Moodle, available from 06:00 the day before until 30 mins before your laboratory session) and submit the 100 word pre-lab summary (pdf file) to the appropriate D2L Dropbox by the start of your scheduled laboratory section, see the CHEM351F25 student laboratory manual for more details.
The report for this experiment is the 1 page template (due by the start time of your laboratory session next week, Oct 13-17)
Laboratory safety : remember the dress code, and that you need laboratory safety coat and glasses (Bookstore).
For more information see the laboratory section of the course website.
The full F25 experimental schedule is here.

LECTURE topics (with etext links & including review list of previous weeks):

This is written based on L02 in-person progress but this will help also L01 students keep track of where they should be. Dr Causton's L03 might be navigating a slightly different path in his "story".

Wk 6 (Oct 6-10)	Rationalising acidity and basicity at the molecular level by looking at factors that affect these properties contd : the nature of the atom the H is attached to (electronegativity, size, charge, effect of hybridisation), stabilisation due to resonance and / or inductive effects. Minor factors: solvation and steric effects. Application of acidity / basicity principles to reactions based on pKa. Corresponds to content video modules 07A, 07B, 07C (D2L content folder, videos/templates will added when they are available and keeping pace with in-person L02)
Wk 5 (Sept 29-Oct 3)	Mastering mechanisms : Curly arrows : make them talk to you !The families of reaction mechanisms. Formal charges (assigning and recognising based on structures and curly arrows). Acidity and basicity : review definitions, Ka and pKa etc. The Henderson-Hasselbalch equation. The acidity ladder. Rationalising acidity and basicity by looking at factors that affect these properties at the molecular level : The nature of the atom the H is attached to (electronegativity, size, charge, effect of hybridisation), stabilisation due to resonance etc. Corresponds to content video modules 06A, 06B, 07A, 07B (D2L content folder)
Wk 4 (Sept 22-26)	Bonding in alkanes, alkenes and alkynes. Resonance - implications of structure, recognising and ranking resonance contributors Resonance - contd: examples of "resonance in action" Mastering mechanisms : Curly arrows : make them talk to you ! Corresponds to content video modules 04B, 05, 06A (D2L content folder)
Wk 3 (Sept 16-20)	Continue: bond properties, molecular geometries, acidity and pKa, molecular geometries (using VSEPR) What happens at the molecular level when atoms interact to form bonds ? Electron density animation of 2 interacting H atoms -> H₂ How do covalent bonds form and what are molecular orbitals ? Bonding and anti-bonding orbitals. Why no He₂ ? Bonding in organic systems : hybridisation for hydrocarbons, and then heteroatom systems. (Flash animation for visualising hybridisation). Corresponds to content video modules 03B, 03C, 03D, 04A (D2L content folder)
Wk 2 (Sept 9-13)	Chemistry 351 concept map (the big picture connecting the concepts together). The language of organic chemistry: "text and symbols", examples. Definitions of key terms: functional group, nucleophile, electrophile, leaving group, electronegativity, resonance. Drawing line diagrams. Curly arrows. Structure and Bonding: etext Ch1 : The relationship of structure and function. Atomic structure and terminology. Bonding, bond types. Corresponds to content video modules 02A, 02B, 03A (D2L content folder)
Wk 1 (Sept 3-6)	Introduction to Organic Chemistry I. Overview of course components, using TopHat etc. What to expect, what to do, what not to do etc. How to work for your personal success. Our expectations. What is organic chemistry ? What makes it difficult, how are we going to tackle it ? CHEM351F25 lectures start Wed Sept 3rd 2025. Corresponds to content video modules 00 & 01 (D2L content folder)

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