Course Description
Course is designed for non-science majors to stimulate interest in the elementary concepts of chemistry through the lens of forensic chemistry. In each chapter, chemical concepts related to a forensic topic are introduced with a brief description of an analytical instrumentation or methodology used in crime investigation.
Athena Title
Intro to Forensic Chemistry
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- By the end of the course, students will be able to use basic forensic and chemical vocabulary.
- By the end of the course, students will be able to connect chemistry to its role within the crime lab.
- By the end of the course, students will be able to demonstrate critical thinking and deductive reasoning skills by collecting and analyzing mock crime scene evidence and using the scientific method to formulate reasonable conclusions.
- By the end of the course, students will be able to manipulate and analyze scenario-based problems given in lecture.
- By the end of the course, students will be able to demonstrate teamwork and communication by investigating a mock crime scene as part of a team and submit a written report once the crime has been solved.
Topical Outline
- 1. Introduction to forensic chemistry
a) Chemistry, crime and global society
b) Physical evidence: Matter and its forms
c) The Periodic Table
d) Critical thinking and the crime scene: The Scientific Method
- 2. Evidence collection and preservation
a) Reactions, properties, and changes
b) Mass, weight, and units
c) Unit conversions
d) Measurements
e) Significant digits
f) Experimental results: Accuracy and Precision
- 3. Chemical Evidence
a) Nature of chemical evidence: Regions of the Periodic Table
b) Types of Compounds: Covalent and Ionic
c) Names of compounds
d) Types of chemical reactions
e) Balancing chemical equations
f) Mole concept and elementary stoichiometry and limiting reactant
- 4. Structure and Function of Drug Molecules
a) Nature of covalent bonds
b) Lewis Structures, Resonance Structures and VSEPR Theory
c) Polarity of bonds and molecules
d) Molecular geometry of drugs, drug receptors, and brain chemistry
- 5. Solutions
a) Colligative properties
b) Concentration units
c) Acid-Base Chemistry
- 6. Drug Chemistry
a) Introduction to Organic Chemistry
b) Extraction of Organic compounds: Solubility and acid-base properties.
- 7. Chemistry of explosions
a) Heat, temperature, specific heat, and units of energy
b) Endothermic and exothermic processes
c) Gas laws in relation to chemical explosion
Institutional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
