CHEM 237 B: Organic Chemistry

Autumn 2024
Meeting:
TTh 11:30am - 12:50pm / BAG 131
SLN:
12553
Section Type:
Lecture
Instructor:
Syllabus Description (from Canvas):

"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."

Albert Einstein


CHEM 237B Canvas Site Home Page

Course Meeting Times

Lecture

T/TH 11:30am - 12:50pm
BAG 131

Lectures are recorded via Panopto, and available as live streams (links in Course Schedule)

The best learning happens when as many students as possible participate in our large group lecture sections! Attendance is not monitored in lecture and you only need to attend in person for the 3 midterms and the final exam. If you need to miss an exam for any reason, please submit a response to this absence form.

Discussion Sections

Mondays (times and locations per the UW Time Schedule)

Discussion sections are not recorded and in-person participation is expected. You are allowed to miss two discussion sections without penalty. If you need to miss discussion section for any reason, please submit a response to this absence form. 


Teaching Team

To contact us, see Course Communication & Contact Information (includes Office Hours information).

Instructor

Dr. Samantha Robinson (she/her) | sjconnel@uw.edu

Office: BAG 202D (above the front doors of Bagley Hall)

(Office Hours held in Chemistry Study Center)

Teaching Assistants

Jennifer Zhou, Corvo Tran, Eli Jaffe


Course Materials

  • Organic Chemistry, 7th edition (Loudon & Parise, Macmillan) (ebook embedded in Achieve Homework)
  • Study Guide & Solutions Manual for Organic Chemistry, 7th edition (recommended, Loudon & Parise, Macmillan - also available on course reserve in Odegaard Library)
  • Achieve Online Homework (Macmillan)
  • Molecular Model Kit (recommended)
  • Non-graphing calculator

(More information is available on the Textbook Information Page)

Internet & Instructional Technology

  • Access to a computer or tablet

Need a device? Try Student Technology Loan Program funded by Student Technology Fees

  • Daily online access
    • Canvas (canvas.uw.edu)
    • Achieve Online Homework
    • Gradescope (gradescope.com)
      • You will be enrolled in the Gradescope course via Canvas; course code is not required.

Learning Objectives

Students who successfully complete CHEM 237 will be able to:

  • Describe the core physical and chemical principles that explain bonding in organic molecules

  •  Convert between names, two-dimensional representations, and three-dimensional structures of organic compounds

  •  Identify acids and bases using both the Lewis and Bronsted frameworks

  •  Use the Lewis acid-base framework to describe organic reactions using curved-arrow mechanisms and use those mechanisms to predict the specific results of those reactions

  •  Describe how the three-dimensional shape of organic molecules can lead to chirality and different conformations
  •  Predict the major product of organic reactions based on reactant structure and reaction conditions for alkene & alkyne reactions

See a more specific breakdown of objectives & skills per chapter on the Course Learning Objectives page in Canvas.


Course Components & Grading

The course consists of:

  • 2 in-person class sessions per week - Recordings will be available in Panopto in Canvas
  • 1 in-person discussion section per week with a teaching assistant (sessions are not recorded)
  • Daily work in the Achieve online homework platform
  • In-person exams (3 midterms and 1 final exam) administered in BAG 131
  • Various participation assignments: exam reflections, reading assignments, etc.

You can find more specific information on the percent of your grade earned from each task on the Grading Policy page.

Some additional notes on grading:

  • The final median GPA in Chemistry 237 generally falls between 2.6-2.9. (Historically the class total average percent is ~75% at the end of the quarter)
  • It is the Chemistry Department’s policy not to make grade changes of 0.1 after final class grades are submitted to the UW Registrar.
  • Your scores for the various assignments and exams will be recorded using the online Gradebook in Canvas.

Additional Resources in Canvas

Course Schedule Summary (Topics, Reading Assignments, and Due Dates)

Course Objectives by Unit

Course Communication & Contact Information

Classroom Climate

Access & Accommodations

Academic Ethics & Integrity

Help Resources

Course Policies (Absences & Late Work, Exams, Grading Policies)

Catalyze Your Success Program

Catalog Description:
First course for students planning to take three quarters of organic chemistry. Introduction to physical properties, structure, nomenclature, and stereochemistry of organic compounds. Reactions of alkenes and alkynes. No organic laboratory accompanies this course. CHEM 237; CHEM 238; and CHEM 239 (or equivalents) must be completed in sequence. Course equivalent to: B CHEM 237. Course overlaps with: CHEM 220; CHEM 223; CHEM 257; and T CHEM 251. Prerequisite: a minimum grade of 1.7 in either CHEM 153, CHEM 162, or CHEM 165. Offered: AWSpS.
GE Requirements Met:
Natural Sciences (NSc)
Credits:
4.0
Status:
Active
Last updated:
December 3, 2024 - 9:56 am