CHM 135H: Chemistry: Physical Principles

Course Syllabus: Fall 2024

I CONTACTS

EMAIL [email protected] Please direct all course enquiries to the teaching team email.

INSTRUCTORS
Professor Jessica D’eon (she/her) Professor Aya Sakaya (she/her)
Course coordinator, Instructor first third
Instructor first third

Professor Jennifer Murphy (she/her) Professor Mark Wilson (he/him)

Instructor middle third Instructor middle third

Professor Gilbert Walker (he/him) Professor Dwight Seferos

Instructor final third Instructor final third

STUDENT HOURS: Monday 1:10-2 pm in UC163, Monday 8:10-9 pm over zoom (link on Quercus),
Wednesday 1:10-2 pm in SS1084, Fridays 10:10-11 am in UC163.

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 PRACTICAL INSTRUCTOR COURSE ADMINISTRATOR
Dr. Mima Staikova (she/her) Mr. Giuseppe Bellissimo (he/they)

PRA STUDENT HELP HOURS: see CHM 135F PRA Quercus course tile for details

II COURSE OVERVIEW
Welcome to CHM 135H – Chemistry: Physical Principles! CHM 135H is designed to provide a foundation
in physical chemistry for students who intend to follow a science program, primarily in the Life or Health
Sciences. Along with CHM 136H (Introductory Organic Chemistry I), these are also the recommended
courses for those applying for entry into professional programs. CHM 135H and CHM 136H are also
acceptable for admission to any of the undergraduate programs offered by the Department of Chemistry.
High-school level Chemistry SCH4U and Mathematics MHF4U + MCV4U or their equivalents are pre-
requisites for CHM 135H, and this course is a pre-requisite for CHM 136H.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of CHM 135H, successful students will be able to
• describe macroscopic properties of chemical substances and explain how atomic or molecular
behaviour accounts for those properties, including in everyday situations.
• solve quantitative chemical problems and interpret the solutions in consideration of molecular
behaviour
• appreciate the interdisciplinary nature of chemistry and relate chemical concepts to problems in
other disciplines
• work safely and confidently in the lab using a variety of glassware and equipment
• collect data using a variety of analytical instrumentation and use Excel to transform and visualize that
data
TEXTBOOK:
The required course textbook is "Chemistry: The Molecular Nature of Matter and Change" 10th Edition by
Martin Silberberg and Patricia Amateis. The 9th Edition will also be supported. The textbook is available
either in print or electronically through the U of T Bookstore at a reduced cost. We will not be using
online homework, so you can also purchase a used book without an access code.
Although we aren’t using online homework, we do have a CHM135 ALEKS class that you can join. To do
this go to https://ca.aleks.com/, select “Sign up” and enter the 10-character ALEKS Class Code: UA33C-
4F3GT and click continue. Once you confirm the class information you can access the online textbook one
of three ways: (i) enter your 20-character ALEKS Access Code (from a previous purchase); (ii) purchase
access online; or (iii) start a 14-day free trial using the following code: A292E-5C627-18F88-08BCD. If you
opt for the trial period, you can extend your account with an access code purchased from the bookstore
or directly within ALEKS.
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III HOW THE COURSE IS ORGANIZED

CHM 135H will cover the physical principles important in chemistry:

Week Lecture Topic Guide to Textbook Sections Tutorial Content
Covered in Lecture
Week 1 Welcome to CHM135 and Highschool review (Ch. 1-4 No tutorial
Sept 3-5 beginning of atomic structure (parts only, see Tutorial 1)) and
Arrive Ready content
Week 2 Quantum Theory and Atomic Ch. 7 all Tutorial 1
Sept 9-13 Structure Ch. 8 all except 8.4 Ch. 1-4
Week 3 Bonding, Intermolecular Ch. 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 9.5 Tutorial 2
Sept 16-20 Forces, Gases Ch. 10.2, Ch. 10.3, Ch. 7, 8
Ch. 12.1 (12.3 in the 9th)
Ch. 5 (not 5.6)
Week 4 States of Matter, Solids, Ch. 12.1, 12.4, 12.6 Tutorial 3
Sept 23-27 Liquids, Phase Changes, Ch. 13.1, 13.3, 13.4, 13.5, 13.6 Ch. 9, 10, 12, 5
Solutions
Week 5 Kinetics (part 1) Ch. 16.1, 16.2, 16.3 Tutorial 4
Sept 30 – Oct 4 Ch. 12, 13
Week 6 Kinetics (part 2) Ch. 16.4-16.7 Tutorial 5
Oct 8-11 Test 1 Prep Quiz
Week 7 Equilibrium Ch. 17 Tutorial 6
Oct 14-18 Ch. 16
th
Term Test 1 Wednesday Oct 16 6:30-8:00 pm
Week 8 Acids and Bases Ch. 18 (no polyprotic acids) Tutorial 7
Oct 21-25 Ch. 17
Fall Break Oct 28 – Nov 1
Week 9 Buffers, Titrations, Solubility Ch. 19.1, 19.2 (no polyprotic Tutorial 8
Nov 4-8 acids), 19.3 (no separation of Ch. 18
Ions)
Week 10 Thermochemistry Ch. 6.1-6.6 Tutorial 9
Nov 11-15 Ch. 20.1 Ch. 19
Week 11 Thermodynamics (part 1) Ch. 20.1-20.3 Tutorial 10
Nov 18-22 Ch. 6
th
Term Test 2 Wednesday Nov 20 6:30-8:00 pm
Week 12 Thermodynamics (part 2) Ch. 20.4 Tutorial 11
Nov 25-29 Electrochemistry (part 1) Ch. 4.4, Ch. 21.1-21.4 Ch. 20
Week 12+ Electrochemistry (part 2) Ch. 21.5, parts of 21.7 Tutorial 12 (video)
Dec 2-3* Ch. 4, 21
Note: The above schedule is approximate. The textbook chapters are a rough guide to the material. We
will not cover all parts of each chapter section and some material may be covered in class that is not in
the textbook.
* Last class for all LEC sections in on Tuesday, Dec. 3rd.

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CLASS
The first class for the daytime sections (LEC0101, LEC0201 and LEC0301) will take place on Wednesday
September 4th, the first lecture for the evening online section (LEC 5101) will take place on Thursday,
September 5th. All lecture sections are designed to be attended live – in class, you will be an active
participant in your learning through problem-solving, asking and answering questions and discussions
with your peers. Brief class notes will be available on the CHM 135H course website on Quercus ahead of
each class. Many of the problems will be done as a class and do not appear in the notes. Be prepared to
make notes on the material discussed in class as this is a key component of active learning.
Please attend the LEC section that you are registered for. The rooms are at capacity and there will not be
enough seats for students not registered in the section.
Class recordings of each of the Zoom evening lectures will be provided to all lecture sections through
Quercus and are intended to help students with unexpected absences – we understand that it may not
be possible to attend every class. The recordings are only a partial substitute for the learning that occurs
in class, so it is in your best interest to make every effort to attend class. We have found in the past that
providing the recordings for the entire semester leads students to procrastinate and fall behind in the
course. Based on this and feedback from past CHM 135 students, we will be offering each recording for
1 week to support those with unexpected absences while also encouraging all students to keep up with
the course material. Please note that watching the recordings multiple times is not a good way to learn
chemistry – it is much better to do problems and actively engage with the material.

TUTORIALS
Tutorial sessions will meet each week in person starting on the week of Sept. 9th. It is essential that you
have enrolled in a tutorial section through ACORN. The location of your tutorial can be found on Acorn.
The objectives of the CHM 135H tutorial are (i) to re-visit the course content seen in class; (ii) to solve
problems in smaller groups and with your teaching assistant; and (iii) to give you an opportunity to work
in a smaller group environment. These smaller tutorial sessions will also provide a chance to meet your
peers and build a community within the larger course. In your CHM 135H course tile in Quercus, you will
find the following information:
1) Weekly practice problems and solutions to textbook problems
2) Links to TeamUp! group quizzes (Tutorial 1 will be a practice TeamUp! to review high school
material)
3) Content to refresh your high school background
The TeamUp! group quizzes will be completed during tutorial and only your best 7 of 10 TeamUp! scores
will count towards your final grade (Tutorial 1 is a practice quiz). There will be no make-up TeamUp!
quizzes. Dropping the lowest three scores will account for any necessary absences.
Active student participation in problem solving through completion of homework is linked to success in
learning chemistry: the assigned textbook problems will provide you an important opportunity for self-
assessment, and help you make sure you are keeping up with the course materials and are essential
preparation for tutorial. During your tutorial sessions, your tutorial teaching assistant (TA) will discuss
any questions that you may have concerning the assigned exercises and assist you in understanding the
important concepts of the course material.

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Chemistry is an area of study that relies on problem-solving. In order to learn chemistry and be
successful on the course assessments, you need to practice. Remember that you are the best judge of
your own learning (if you are honest with yourself!)

PRACTICALS
Every CHM 135H student must be enrolled in a laboratory section through Acorn. There are no labs in
the first two weeks of classes. Each lab section meets every other week. Which weeks your lab session
meets depends on the last number of your PRA section:
• PRA section numbers that end in 1 will be taking place on the weeks of: September 16th,
September 30th, October 14th, November 4th and November 18th.
• PRA section numbers that end in 2 will be taking place on the weeks of: September 23rd, October
7th, October 21st, November 11th and November 25th.
Please ensure that the PRA section that you chose fits with your schedule. If you plan to take both
CHM135H1F and BIO120H1F labs on the same day, please select PRA sections that end in the same
number.
The CHM135 lab experiments are designed to complement the content discussed in class and teach you
important lab skills and techniques that will be useful in subsequent chemistry classes and many other
areas of science. To succeed and learn in the lab, good preparation and time management are essential.
We hope that you will find the CHM 135H lab an enjoyable learning experience!
Before attending your first lab period you will need to purchase a CHM135 Laboratory Manual, personal
protective equipment (PPE) in the form of a lab coat, indirectly vented goggles and at least 5 pairs of
gloves, and a hard cover lab notebook (example from the U of T bookstore). Detailed information
regarding each of the five experiments and all lab policies, including preparation, late penalties and the
lab schedule, are available in the lab manual. All these required materials are sold by ChemClub outside
their office in LM 203, a schedule of their sales hours is posted in Lash Miller and is available on Quercus.
The lab manual is ONLY available from ChemClub but all other materials can be purchased elsewhere.
You need to come to lab prepared. If you do not adequately prepare for the experiments, you will not
be allowed to stay in the lab and will receive zero for that experiment. Full details on how to prepare
for lab, including a short “how to” video, is available on the Laboratory Information page on Quercus.
Before your first lab period details, including your lab room, demo group and workstation number, will be
available on Quercus. This information will tell you exactly where to go for your lab session and how to
prepare for it. Be sure to record your lab room, demo group and workstation number at the front cover
of your Lab Notebook in addition to the other required preparations for your lab session.
A lab report for each experiment is due two weeks after your lab session and will be submitted online
using MarkUs, a software built and maintained by the Department of Computer Science at U of T. Details
on how to access MarkUs are available on Quercus. Late reports will be accepted but a penalty of 10%
per day will be applied. We know that there are sometimes things beyond your control that make it
difficult to get your report in on time and so you can apply for a 48-hour “Life Happens” extension on
your lab report using the MS form available on Quercus.

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If you miss a lab session you cannot complete the subsequent lab report. The only exception to this rule
is lab 1, which can be completed even if you miss the in-person lab component for a reason beyond your
control. If you miss a lab, you should report it to the teaching team using the MS form available on
Quercus. When you fill in and submit the Missed Lab MS form you will receive details on how to
complete the lab 1 report or how to request consideration for missing any of labs 2-5 by providing
appropriate documentation. Acceptable documents include, Acorn absence declaration, Verification of
illness form, or Registrar’s letter, etc. This documentation needs to be received as soon as possible and
within one week of the missed lab. If you receive consideration for the missed lab, your overall lab grade
will be calculated using the grades for the other completed labs. The 25% practical grade requires
completion of at least three experiments. If a student couldn’t complete three of the lab experiments for
reasons beyond their control, a portion of the lab grade will be moved to the final exam.

DISCUSSION BOARD
In addition to tutorial and student hours, we will be using Piazza, a free platform that facilitates online
Q&A discussions. Information on Piazza can be found in your CHM 135H Quercus tile. We highly
encourage you to ask your content questions on the discussion board where all students can benefit and
collaborate on responses to these questions. Let’s all learn together! A member of the teaching team
will occasionally monitor the discussion board; however, it is considered a student-driven learning tool
where students are expected to help one another. If you have in-depth questions about lab or other
course material, please attend student hours, so we can assist you!
Note that sharing solutions to report sheet, quiz, and TeamUp! questions (through the discussion board
or through other means) is in violation of University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters
(see Academic Integrity section of syllabus.)

IV GRADING SCHEME
Tutorial Quizzes (TeamUp!): 5% (best 7 of 10 count towards your mark)
Practical: 25%
Term Tests: 35% (lower test: 12.5%, higher test: 22.5%)
Test #1: Wednesday, Oct. 16, 6:30 - 8 pm
Test #2: Wednesday, Nov. 20, 6:30 - 8 pm
Final Exam: 35% (TBA, during the examination period, Dec. 6th – 21st*)
*The actual date of the exam will be set by the Faculty of Arts & Science and could occur on the last date
mentioned.
Note: if you have a course conflict with the term tests, you will be given the opportunity to write at a
different time.
Tests and exams in CHM 135H will include a mix of multiple-choice and short answer questions.
Students who miss a test must provide documentation (e.g. Acorn absence declaration, verification of
illness form, registrar’s letter, etc.) using the appropriate MS form on Quercus as soon as possible and
within one week of the absence to get consideration for a missed test. Consideration for one missed
test will result in the other term test accounting for 22.5% of the final mark and the final exam
accounting for 47.5% of the final mark. For students missing both term tests the mark for the missing
tests will be replaced by the final exam.

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V COURSE POLICIES
Each member of this course is expected to maintain a:
(i) professional and respectful attitude during all course activities, including classes, laboratories,
tutorials, and other activities.
(ii) personal calendar/schedule/organizer to ensure that all course activities are completed, and due
dates are met.
(iii) collection of notes recorded independently based on concepts covered in course activities
(students registered with Accessibility Services requiring a class note-taker will have access to
this accommodation)
(iv) familiarity with the university policy on Academic Integrity

The University of Toronto is committed to equity, human rights and respect for diversity. All members of
the learning environment in this course should strive to create an atmosphere of mutual respect where
all members of our community can express themselves, engage with each other, and respect one
another’s differences. The CHM 135 Teaching team will neither condone nor tolerate behaviour that
undermines the dignity or self-esteem of any individual in this course, and we wish to be alerted to any
attempt to create an intimidating or hostile environment. It is our collective responsibility to create a
space that is inclusive and welcomes discussion. Discrimination, harassment, and hate speech will not be
tolerated. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, we encourage you to reach out to the staff
in our Equity Offices.

E-mail and Getting Help

• For any course-related communication, please only use [email protected]. Do not send
messages through Quercus.
• For course content questions, please ask during your tutorial, during the weekly instructor
student hours or post your question on the course discussion board. Please keep in mind that
email is not the mechanism to receive explanations of course material.
• Any questions on laboratory content can be directed to your TA during regular lab time, asked
during the PRA help hours, or posted on the discussion board.
• When you e-mail the teaching team at [email protected], please include your full name and
student number, making sure to use your UTORONTO email address. Keep the language and tone
of your email professional. We will forward the e-mail to the correct person if necessary.
• Most emails will receive a reply within 24 hours of being sent (except on weekends) but keep your
expectations reasonable as to the degree of detail that an email reply to your enquiry can
realistically provide.
• Note that the tutorial and practical teaching assistants (TAs) cannot provide any assistance via
email.

VI TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS
This course, particularly the lab, requires the use of computers, and technical issues are possible. When
working on an assignment, students are responsible for scheduling enough time to allow for reasonable
delays due to technical difficulties to be overcome, so such issues will not be acceptable grounds for
deadline extension. Particularly, maintaining an up-to-date, independent backup copy of your work is

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strongly recommended to guard against hard-drive failures, corrupted files, lost computers, etc. We
encourage you to spend a moment at the start of the semester to make a plan for what you would do if
you lost access to the computer that you primarily intend to use, which will help ensure that you are
prepared for this unlikely possibility. To help you prepare we suggest reading through the Getting Setup
for Success section of the Online Excel Resource used in the CHM135 labs. A link to this resource can also
be found on the Experiment 1 page of your PRA Quercus shell.

VII INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES AND SUPPORT

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic integrity is essential to the pursuit of learning and scholarship in a university, and to ensuring
that a degree from the University of Toronto is a strong signal of each student’s individual academic
achievement. As a result, the University treats cases of cheating and plagiarism very seriously. The
University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters
(governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/secretariat/policies/code-behaviour-academic-matters-july-1-2019)
outlines the behaviours that constitute academic dishonesty and the processes for addressing academic
offences. Potential offences include, but are not limited to:
In laboratory reports:
1. Using someone else’s ideas or words without appropriate acknowledgement.
2. Submitting your own work in more than one course without the permission of the instructor.
3. Making up sources or data.
4. Obtaining or providing unauthorized assistance on any report. Please note that both the use of
websites (such as Chegg.com or the course discussion board) to post laboratory report
material/questions or to post/access answers to questions and the use of ChatGPT or any other
form of generative artificial intelligence tool in the writing of lab report sheet answers is an
academic offence under the University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters.
Alleged instances of this nature are forwarded to the Faculty of Arts & Science Student
Academic Integrity office.
On quizzes and term tests:
1. Using or possessing unauthorized aids.
2. Looking at someone else’s answers or collaborating/discussing answers during a quiz or term test.
3. Misrepresenting your identity.
In general academic work:
1. Falsifying institutional documents or grades.
2. Falsifying or altering any documentation required by the University.
All suspected cases of academic dishonesty will be investigated following procedures outlined in the Code
of Behaviour on Academic Matters. If you have questions or concerns about what constitutes appropriate
academic behaviour or appropriate research and citation methods, you are expected to seek out
additional information on academic integrity from your instructor or from other institutional resources
(see www.academicintegrity.utoronto.ca/).

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COPYRIGHT
If a student wishes to copy or reproduce class presentations, course notes or other similar materials
provided by instructors, he or she must obtain the instructor's written consent beforehand. Otherwise, all
such reproduction is an infringement of copyright and is absolutely prohibited.

NOTICE OF VIDEO RECORDING AND SHARING

The evening section (LEC5101) of this course, including students who participate, will be recorded on
video and will be available to students in the course for viewing remotely. Course videos and materials
belong to your instructor, the University, and/or other sources depending on the specific facts of each
situation, and are protected by copyright. Do not download, copy, or share any course or student
materials or videos without the explicit permission of the instructor.

ACCESSIBILITY NEEDS
Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. The University of Toronto is
committed to accessibility: if you require accommodations for a disability, or have any other accessibility
concerns about the course, please contact Accessibility Services as soon as possible.

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES

Following the University's policies, reasonable accommodations will be made for students who observe
religious holy days that coincide with the due date/time of an assignment, tutorial, class or laboratory
session. Students must inform the teaching team via email ([email protected]) before the
session/assignment date to arrange accommodations.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES & SUPPORT

The following are some important links to help you with academic and/or technical service and support:
• General student services and resources at Student Life
• Full library service through University of Toronto Libraries
• Resources on conducting online research through University Libraries Research
• Resources on academic support from the Centre for Learning Strategy Support
• Learner support at the Writing Centre

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TRADITIONAL LANDS

We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years, it
has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca and, most recently, the Mississaugas of
the Credit River. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle
Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.