Foundations of Chemistry

(1 Credit Hour) · Undergraduate

This course is designed for incoming college students who will be taking introductory chemistry in the fall semester ( CHEM 10171 : Introduction to Chemical Principles). The purpose of this course is to review topics that have been taught in high school that are believed to be prerequisite knowledge and essential for success in CHEM 10171 . Such topics include: the properties of matter, certainty in scientific measurement, conversion factors and dimensional analysis, the mole and molar mass, organization of the periodic table, types of bonding (ionic and covalent), balancing chemical reactions, and stoichiometry calculations. Course content will be presented in an in-person lecture format, will be practiced collaboratively during class, and will be reinforced individually through online homework. Students will receive guidance in developing problem-solving strategies for multi-step calculations and questions containing integrated concepts. Upon completion of this course, students should feel more confident approaching topics that will be broader in scope, or discussed in more depth in the CHEM 10171 course.