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CHEM 107 Chemistry, Society and the Environment

Principles of chemistry as they apply to important environmental and societal issues. Topics will be drawn from: energy sources, alternative fuels, radioactivity, global warming, ozone, pollution, acid rain, plastics and polymers, drug development, nutrition and genetic engineering. Includes lab. Intended for students preparing for Chem 111 General Chemistry as well as students seeking a general education science course with lab.

Prerequisites

Special information

First day attendance is mandatory.
4 Undergraduate credits

Effective August 14, 2011 to present

Meets graduation requirements for

Learning outcomes

General

  • Propose and assess alternative solutions to environmental problems.
  • Articulate and defend the actions they would take on various environmental issues.
  • Explain and apply knowledge of the nature of matter and energy, atoms, molecules, chemical reactions, chemical bonding, the periodic table, solid, liquids, gases and chemical solutions and use that knowledge in problem-solving in chemistry
  • Understand and apply knowledge of measurement, and use that knowledge in the proper conduct and interpretation of laboratory investigations.
  • Demonstrate quantitative reasoning skills and competency with arithmetic and statistics at a level appropriate for graduates of bachelors degree programs.
  • Demonstrate mastery of the chemistry concepts and vocabulary necessary for success in a General Chemistry course for science majors, and for informed citizenship.

Minnesota Transfer Curriculum

Goal 3: Natural Sciences

  • Demonstrate understanding of scientific theories.
  • Formulate and test hypotheses by performing laboratory, simulation, or field experiments in at least two of the natural science disciplines. One of these experimental components should develop, in greater depth, students' laboratory experience in the collection of data, its statistical and graphical analysis, and an appreciation of its sources of error and uncertainty.
  • Communicate their experimental findings, analyses, and interpretations both orally and in writing.
  • Evaluate societal issues from a natural science perspective, ask questions about the evidence presented, and make informed judgments about science-related topics and policies.

Goal 10: People and the Environment

  • Explain the basic structure and function of various natural ecosystems and of human adaptive strategies within those systems.
  • Discern patterns and interrelationships of bio-physical and socio-cultural systems.
  • Describe the basic institutional arrangements (social, legal, political, economic, religious) that are evolving to deal with environmental and natural resource challenges.
  • Evaluate critically environmental and natural resource issues in light of understandings about interrelationships, ecosystems, and institutions.
  • Propose and assess alternative solutions to environmental problems.
  • Articulate and defend the actions they would take on various environmental issues.

Summer 2024

Section Title Instructor books eservices
01 Chemistry, Society and the Environment Zebulun, Humphrey O Books for CHEM-107-01 Summer 2024 Course details for CHEM-107-01 Summer 2024