Department of Earth Science |Northeastern Illinois University

AQUEOUS GEOCHEMISTRY
ESCI 406
Spring, 2005

Course Syllabus

Instructor Contact Information		Outline of Topics		Course Requirements
Evaluation and Grading		What should you bring to this course?		Course Outcomes and Objectives (What will you take from this course?)
Links and downloads		Hints for Solving  Quantitative Problems		Homework

Instructor Contact Information:

Instructor: Dr. Laura L. Sanders              Office: S-146
Phone:      773/442-6051                        Fax: 773/442-5710                      E-Mail: L-Sanders@neiu.edu
Office Hours:     MW 4-5 pm, MW 6:55-8:25 pm
Text:       G. Nelson Eby, Principles of Environmental Geochemistry.  Brooks/Cole-Thomson Learning,  2004.
                Other readings may be assigned from sources such as James I. Drever, The Geochemistry of Natural Waters, 3rd ed.,
                Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1997,  and John D. Hem's Water Supply Paper 2254 (see the Links page), from other aqueous geochemistry texts, or from the web.

Outline of Topics

* This outline will be adjusted at least 1-2 times per week as the semester proceeds.  Check back frequently for updates.
* Reading assignments listed here are for the Eby textbook unless otherwise noted.
   Reading assignments should be completed before coming to class on the day listed.
* To see a list of each day's learning objectives, click on the date.
 

JAN 10  Introduction and review: Atomic and molecular weights.  Expressions of concentration.  Equilibria, reactions, balancing equations.  Read Chapter 1.	JAN 12  The water molecule.    Read: Chapter 1.
JAN 17  Martin Luther King, Jr. Day:  No class.	JAN 19  Quiz #1.  Box models and geochemical cycles.  Equilibrium thermodynamics.  Read: p. 27-31.  Homework #1 due.
JAN 24  Box models, geochemical cycles, and equilibrium thermodynamics, cont'd.	JAN 26  Entropy and enthalpy.   Standard state.
JAN 31  Enthalpy and entropy, continued.  Read: p. 31-36.	FEB 2    Quiz #2.  Enthalpy, entropy, and free energy, continued.
FEB 7    Free energy, continued.  Read: p. 36-40.  Homework #2 due.	FEB 9    Free energy for systems not in standard state.  Chemical activity and concentration.
FEB 14 No class due to instructor illness.	FEB 16  Free energy for systems not in standard state, cont'd.  Read: p. 34-35.
FEB 21  Free energy for systems not at STP.   Read: p. 33-35, 40-41, 49-50.   Quiz #3 (double length--30 minutes).	FEB 23  Equilibrium, equilibrium constant, solubility product constant.  Le Chatlier's principle.  Read: 36-41.
FEB 28   Equilibrium, equilibrium constant, solubility product, constant, continued.	MAR 2   Disequilibrium.  Calculating activity coefficients.  Debye-Hückel model.  Ion activity product (IAP).   Quiz #4.   Homework #3 due.
MAR 7   Ionic strength.  Calculating activity coefficients.  Debye-Hückel model.  Disequilibrium.  Ion-activity product (IAP).	MAR 9  Quiz #5.  Le Chatelier's principle.  Activity coefficients, IAP, and disequilibrium, cont'd.
MAR 14  The carbonate system and pH.  pH of natural waters, carbonic acid.  Acids and bases.  Read:  p. 59-75.	MAR 16  Quiz #6.  The carbonate system and pH.  Mineral -water reactions.  Read: p. 84-90.   Homework #4 due.
MAR 21  Spring Break:  No class.	MAR 23  Spring Break: No class.
MAR 28  The carbonate system and pH.  Read: p. 84-90.	MAR 30 The carbonate system and pH, cont'd.  Read: p. 84-90.
APR 4   The carbonate system and pH, cont'd.  Read: p. 84-90.	APR 6    Quiz #7 (double length).  The carbonate system and pH, cont'd.
APR 11  Geochemical models: PHREEQCI.  Read:  p. 47-48.   Homework #5 due.	APR 13  Quiz #8.  Reduction-oxidation reactions.   Read: p. 94-101.
APR 18 The Nernst equation.  Eh-pH diagrams.  Read:  p. 101-110. Homework #6 due.	APR 20  No class due to instructor's illness.
APR 25  The Nernst equation.  Eh-pH diagrams.  Read:  p. 101-110.	APR 27 The Nernst equation.  Drawing Eh-pH diagrams.  Read:  p. 101-110.
MAY 2  Quiz #10 (double length).  Portfolios due!  Course evaluation and SALG assessment.  Please note the unusual class time: 6:00-7:50 pm.

Course Requirements

E-Mail: Students must have an e-mail account and must check their e-mail at least three times weekly.

Quizzes:  Ten quizzes will be given (no exams).  Most will be about 15 minutes long; but three quizzes will be about 30 minutes long and will carry double the weight of the others.  All quizzes will be given at the beginning of the class period; students who are late to class forfeit that portion of their time for the quiz.  Quiz dates are shown on the outline of topics.  Deviations from this schedule will be announced in advance.

Homework:  Homework will be assigned regularly.  Some assignments will need to be completed in pairs or groups.  Assignments and due dates will be posted on the homework page.  If your homework is not ready on the due date, this must be discussed with me on or before that date.  No homework will be accepted more than one week late.

Portfolio of Analyses: This project will involve the compilation of a portfolio of results of chemical analyses that illustrate various concepts of aqueous geochemistry.  For each analysis, the portfolio will include a written discussion (1-2 pages for each  analysis or set) of the geochemical concepts it illustrates, demonstrating the student's ability to understand and apply the concept.

An analysis set refers to a group of several (three or more) analyses of samples taken from the same general study area, but varying with respect to time, space, geologic conditions, or hydrologic conditions.  For example, samples may be taken from the same location in a lake in summer and winter (temporal variation), from the ocean at the surface and at depth (spatial variation), from water wells that tap a shallow aquifer and a deep aquifer (geologic variation), or from the same spot in a river during low flow and during high flow conditions (hydrologic variation).  The point of this is to allow you to make comparisons of water chemistry in different conditions.  Click here for more information on format of the portfolio.

Assessments: Students must participate in all assessment activities ("green sheets").  I want to learn how well certain concepts are getting across and how the class is feeling about the material and the course as we go along.  At the end of each class period, you will assess this, anonymously.  On these “green sheets”, assessment questions will help me find out how well the day’s outcomes were achieved.  This may be done in the form of an ungraded quiz-type question, a concept map, or survey-type questions.  This information will help me to determine the extent to which the course is meeting its goals.  To provide me with the most information so that I can make the course better, I ask that you give me your most thoughtful, honest feedback-- the more, the better.  A list of course outcomes is linked to this syllabus.  In addition to these outcomes, each class day you will receive a list of expected daily outcomes.  You also can find these daily outcomes from the outline of topics in this syllabus; just click on each date.

Flexibility: As the semester goes along, this outline will be updated frequently.  Please check back often, and allow for flexibility in topics and assignments.

Evaluation and Grading

39%	Ten quizzes, most equally weighted, some double weight		No extra credit will be given.
26%	Homework		In general, 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, 70-79% = C, 60-69% = D, <60% =F
20%	Portfolio of analyses
15%	Attendance and participation.

What should you bring to this course?  Click here to see a list of the skills and knowledge you should already have as you begin this course.

What will you gain from this course? Click here to see a list of the skills and knowledge you will gain from this course.

© 2005 Laura L. Sanders.  Last updated April 24, 2005.