Spring Term 2007 Course Announcements

CHEM480: Why Things Work: Everyday Chem, (T-R, 2:00 pm -3:20 pm)

The Chemistry Department announces a course that will be offered in the spring term 2007. In the style of "How Things Work", offered by the Physics Department, "Why Things Work" will focus on the chemical explanations of everyday items and phenomena. Sample topics include the chemistry behind cooking, fireworks, glowsticks, global warming, hot packs/cold packs, air bags, and differences between generic and name-brand drugs. The focus of the course will be conceptual understanding of the topics, rather than quantitative treatment. The class will meet twice a week for 1.5-hours each day. Lectures will incorporate demonstrations and active student participation, through the use of personal response systems (“clickers”). The target audience for this class includes humanities students, who wish to develop a basic scientific understanding of the world around them, and science students, who wish to understand how the topics covered in class apply to everyday items. The only pre-requisite is a desire to better understand the world around you.

For more information, please contact Dr. Daniel King, Chemistry Department, daniel.king@drexel.edu, 895-0571.

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