Listed below you will find preparations for Organic Chemistry and the course materials with ISBNs.
Preparation for CHEM 331
Organic Chemistry is NOT an easy course. You will benefit from any preparation that can be done before school starts.
Review: There are several topics in Gen-Chem that will be utilized heavily in Organic Chem. I recommend that you be brushed up on:
- Molecular Structure and Properties
- How to draw Lewis Structures (including formal charge)
- VSEPR
- Electronegativity
- Dipole Moment
- Quantum Mechanics
- Filling Atomic Orbitals for atoms H-Ar
- Valence Orbitals/Electrons
- Bonding
- Acid/Base Chemistry
- Bronsted-Lowry vs. Lewis
- Equilibrium Constants
- pH
- pKa
- conjugate acid/base concepts
- Stoichiometry etc.
- Finding Formula Weights
- Using the Factor Label Method
- Finding Limiting Reagent
- Finding Percent Yield
Get a Head Start: If you'd like to get a head start on learning Organic Chemistry you should pick up the recommended text, a little book by Klein called "Organic Chemistry as a Second Language" (see below) and just work through as many of his problems as you can. If you've mastered the concepts in that tiny book you will surely pass organic chemistry. The book is not a required text because it is a bit costly for a small paperback and so you may want to look for it used or use the copy on reserve in the library.
Near the beginning of the course you will be asked to memorize the important "functional groups" for Organic Chemistry and the prefixes for C1-12 alkanes. Test your functional group knowledge with my HTML flash cards.
If you've got enough time it might be helpful to look at the key chemical concepts used in organic chemistry even if we won't get to some of them for a while.
Course Materials for Organic Chemistry
Required course materials will cost at least $300 for the entire year if everything is purchased new from the bookstore. You will need these things:
- Bruice Bundle:
- The lecture textbook "Organic Chemistry 5th edition" by Paula Bruice (ISBN 0-13-196316-3).
- A website access code (the website has more practice problems and tutorials but is not required).
- A molecular model set (if you purchase the textbook through some other source you can purchase models from the chemistry club for $20-25). Don't purchase the plastic toothpick ball and stick variety available at some bookstores--they do not work for our purposes.
- Lehman Lab Bundle contains:
- A custom booklet of the experiments that we will use throughout the year (Chem 331, 332, and 333),
- A paperback book describing experimental techniques, and
- A lab notebook (extra lab notebooks are available at the bookstore if you run out of pages before you finish the year of Organic Chemistry)
- iClicker RF Remote "Clicker". Note that this is NOT the same as what the chemistry department has used in the past. You must ask for the clicker at the counter--buy it early because we will start to use it right away on the first or second day of classes. The easiest points you will ever get in this course will be those garnered by answering clicker questions on the first day of lecture.
- Chemistry Drawing Software:
- 1st choice: Commerical software, ChemDraw Ltd 9.0 Download Edition. This software is usually available FREE during the month of May (otherwise $190) by registering with the site and giving them a coupon code: e1005 (i'll post a new code here if and when they advertise a new one). Click here to register as a student and enter the discount code then find "ChemDraw Ltd 9.0 Download Edition". Please be careful not to pick any of the other versions of this software.
- OR you may download a free-ware program, ISIS/Draw, that i am much less familiar with and unable to help you with.
Recommended Texts:
- Bruice "Study Guide and Solutions Manual for Organic Chemistry 5th edition" (ISBN 0-13-196328-7). This text is available on reserve in the library but you may want to own your own copy and so it is being ordered as a recommended text at the bookstore.
- "Organic Chemistry as a Second Language" by David R. Klein (ISBN 0-471-27235-3) is small paperback that is an excellent resource for understanding the basics of organic chemistry in a step-by-step procedural way but it is too expensive for me to wholeheartedly recommend. I have placed a copy on reserve in the library. It is particularly valuable early in the quarter or for use before the quarter starts. This will not be available in the bookstore but you may order it online.
If you have approved safety goggles from CSUB bring them in and we will supply you with safety glasses. If you do not have safety goggles we will supply them for you.
