General Chemistry courses are core science courses that, in addition to serving as the first step towards an undergraduate chemistry degree, also lays the foundation for students to pursue more specialized studies in other fields of science and engineering. The overall goal of General Chemistry courses is to teach students to think about the properties and behavior of the macroscopic world in terms of the structure and arrangement of the constituent molecules and atoms.
Student Learning Outcomes
The Learning Outcomes for General Chemistry are: to understand the molecular nature of all phases of matter, to understand the various ways of depicting chemical compounds and chemical reactions, to develop an ability to solve basic quantitative problems regarding the properties of molecules, chemical equilibria, and chemical kinetics, and to develop the ability to appropriately apply this knowledge to general scientific problems in various fields of science and engineering.
Upon completion, the student should understand:
- The basic structures of atoms, ions, and molecules, and ways to quantitatively describe the properties of atoms and molecules in the various phases of pure matter and in mixtures.
- The reactivity of atoms, ions, and molecules, and the various qualitative and quantitative methods for describing or depicting chemical reactions.
- The concept of chemical equilibrium, and the energies that drive chemical reactions: an introduction to the field of thermodynamics.
- The concept of chemical kinetics and the energy required to initiate a chemical reaction.
- The relationship between the electronic configurations of atoms and molecules and their chemical properties: an introduction to the field of quantum mechanics.
CHEM 131 Preparation for General Chemistry
Prerequisite: None
Description: For students lacking preparation in chemistry, i.e., who have not taken high school chemistry or were not able to pass the chemistry placement exam. All students should attempt the chemistry placement exam before registering for Chem 131. Chem 131 provides background in algebra and elementary concepts of chemistry in preparation for entering the General Chemistry sequence. Students can only count credit for one of Chem 131, 161, 171 or 181A. Most science degrees at UHM require Chem 161 rather than 131.
CHEM 161 General Chemistry I
Prerequisite: C (not C-) in CHEM 131 or C (not C-) in CHEM 151 (survey course available as transfer credit only) or successful completion of placement exam (a score of 16/25 or greater) or AP score of 3.
Description: First general chemistry course for science majors with accompanying lab (Chem 161L). Students can only count credit for one of Chem 131, 161, 171 or 181A. Most degrees require Chem 161 rather than 131.
CHEM 161L General Chemistry I Laboratory
Prerequisite: Chem 161 (or concurrent)
Description: Lab accompanying first general chemistry course Chem 161) for science majors. Introduces techniques and fundamental principles of chemistry.
CHEM 162 General Chemistry II
Prerequisite: C (not C-) in CHEM 161 or AP score of 4.
Description: Continuation of first-year general chemistry sequence (Chem 161/162) for science majors with accompanying lab (Chem 162L). Solutions and colligative properties. Continuation of thermodynamics, including entropy and free energy. Principles and applications of chemical equilibrium, including acid-base chemistry (titrations, buffers). Kinetics. Redox reactions and electrochemistry.
CHEM 162L General Chemistry II Laboratory
Prerequisite: C (not C-) CHEM 161L and CHEM 162 (or concurrent)
Description: Lab accompanying first general chemistry course Chem 162) for science majors. Introduces techniques and fundamental principles of chemistry.
The chemistry department occasionally offers two alternatives to complete the first year general chemistry sequence in the Fall. These accelerated one-semester courses generally do not meet Professional School requirements (Medical, Dental, etc).
CHEM 171 Principles of Chemistry
Prerequisite: Satisfactory Placement Exam score (21/25) or an AP score of 4, and MATH 241 (or concurrent) or MATH 251A (or concurrent)
Description: Principles, theories and elementary analytical methods of chemistry. Lecture course intended for select physical science majors (CHEM, PHYSICS, ICS, MATH) and engineers who have a strong math background. The accompanying lab is Chem 171L.
CHEM 171L Principles of Chemistry Laboratory
Prerequisite: CHEM 171 (or concurrent)
Description: Lab accompanying Chem 171. Laboratory experiment illustrating fundamental principles of chemistry.
CHEM 181A Honor General Chemistry
Prerequisite: High-school chemistry and MATH 215 or MATH 241 or MATH 251A
Description: Rigorous, in-depth introduction to chemical principles with emphasis on experimental and applied aspects of modern chemistry. (Three lecture hours/ week) Fall only. DP (Has not been offered in recent years)