Chemistry Dept. To Reshuffle Two Key Classes

In a significant curricular change, the Department of Chemistry will eliminate two long-standing, rigorous courses next fall.

The department plans to do away with both Chemistry 10, “Accelerated Course in Foundations of Chemistry,” and Chemistry 40, “Inorganic Chemistry”—merging elements of each to form a new course, Chemistry 15.

The change responds in part to concerns that Chem. 10, a one-semester class, neglected some crucial introductory concepts, said Professor of Chemistry and Physics Eric J. Heller.

“[Chem. 10] was like a whirlwind,” Heller said.

According to Cabot Professor of Chemistry Roy G. Gordon ’61, the new course will be less mathematical in focus than Chem. 10, which included a section on quantum mechanics requiring high-level math.

Unlike Chem. 10—the accelerated introductory chemistry course of choice for 159 undergraduates this fall—Chemistry 15 will not be considered an introductory course, Gordon said.

Undergraduates beginning the chemistry course sequence currently choose between Chem. 10 and a year-long introductory chemistry course.

From this foundation, undergraduates move on to organic chemistry.

But starting next fall, Gordon said, the new course structure will allow more students to enroll directly in organic chemistry without the introductory background.

Chemistry 15 will be available as a start to the chemistry sequence and will also be an option for students to take after the year of introductory chemistry, Gordon said.

But some students said Chem. 10 was valuable for undergraduates who had previously studied a significant amount of chemistry in high school—but were not yet ready to dive into organic chemistry.

Abby T. Berman ’05 said the chemistry department mainstay had its benefits.

“I really loved Chem. 10 in the end,” Berman said, “I thought that it was a great way to go through general chemistry [and] great for freshman year, when you don’t want to go into a totally new subject.”