CH 221 Chapter Guides

Chapter Guide Two: Overview | Resources | Practice

  Overview of Chapter Guide Two

The goal of this assignment is to learn about the true "building blocks" of Nature - the elements. The smallest division of an element that still has properties of the element is called an atom, and we'll be exploring what constitutes the atom in this chapter. We'll also look at the periodic table; how it is organized, names of families, etc.

Chapter 2 Part 1 introduces us to the physical nature of the atom. We will look at the subatomic particles within the atom (such as the proton, electron, and neutron); we will also see that the periodic table is organized around the number of protons in the atom. The mole will be introduced in this chapter, and we'll also explore the history of chemistry as it relates to the origin of modern atomic theory.

For a complete list of important concepts, see the Chapter 2 Part 1 Study Guide.

  Resources for Chapter Guide Two

For this module, you should read Chapter 2 and Chapter 3.1 in your textbook.

The following screencasts and Complete Lectures might prove useful to you as you study this chapter.

The Chapter Two Part 1 Lecture notes which accompany this lesson will be helpful to you when going through this section. These are Web versions of the notes I use in my "normal" CH 221 class and should let you see what is important to me in this chapter. You can also view the Lecture Notes in presentation software: Keynote, PowerPoint

A variety of handouts are available from Chapter Two. Feel free to explore all of them or just the ones which give you difficulty.

Once you have mastered the concepts listed above, check out the Chapter Two Part 1 Concept Guide for a series of worked problems relating to this chapter. They will help you to ensure the mastery of the knowledge from this chapter.

Finally, test yourself (and get extra-credit in the bargain!) on the following chemistry concepts. If you get 9 out of 10 correct (or some multiple thereof), submit the information to me to receive extra credit.

  1. Protons, Electrons and Neutrons

  Practice the Concepts of Chapter Guide Two

Please complete problem set #2 to further explore the ideas in our introductory chapter. Problem set #2 covers several questions from Chapter 2 and Chapter 3.1, and it can be found here. We will discuss problems like these during recitation, so come prepared to ask and answer questions.

For additional practice, try completing practice problem set #2 (with answers included at the end) and/or the non-assigned problems in Chapter 1 (which have many answers provided at the end of the textbook.) Additionally, try this self-graded practice quiz relating to the use of significant figures and math in our textbook.

If you need assistance on these problems, you have several options. You can visit the AVID / Learning Success Center located above the MHCC library on the Mt. Hood Community College campus; they have tutors available to help you with your chemistry homework. You can also contact me if you have any questions.

Test your mastery of the subject matter by trying the self quiz for Chapter 2 Part 1. This is an ungraded test that you can use to gauge your comfort level with these concepts. This sample Quiz #2 (answers) (which was given during a previous year's CH 221 class) will help you understand the kind of questions that will be asked on the quiz.

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The Chapter Guides:

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Questions? Contact me!