Chemistry in Society

Course Description

CHM1020C – Chemistry in Society is a 3-credit-hour combined lecture and laboratory course designed for non-science majors who need to satisfy a natural-science general-education requirement. The course presents the foundational concepts of chemistry through the lens of contemporary social, environmental, health, and consumer issues — emphasizing chemical literacy and scientific reasoning rather than the rigorous quantitative problem-solving emphasized in CHM1045C (General Chemistry I) for science majors.

Topics typically include atomic structure and the periodic table, chemical bonding, chemical reactions, the chemistry of air and water (atmospheric pollution, climate change, water quality), energy resources and the chemistry of fossil fuels and renewables, food chemistry and nutrition, household chemistry, drug chemistry, plastics and polymers, and consumer products. The "C" lab indicator denotes integrated lecture and laboratory components, with hands-on experiments illustrating concepts and developing scientific reasoning.

CHM1020C is a Florida common course offered at approximately 32 Florida institutions and satisfies general-education natural-science (with laboratory) requirements at most Florida public colleges and universities. It transfers as the equivalent course at all Florida public postsecondary institutions per SCNS articulation policy. The course is appropriate for liberal-arts students, education students (other than science education), business students, and others not pursuing science-major or pre-health professional pathways. Students intending those pathways should take CHM1045C (General Chemistry I) instead.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Apply the scientific method to chemistry-related questions, including hypothesis formation, experimental design, evidence evaluation, and the difference between scientific and pseudo-scientific claims.
• Apply foundational atomic theory, including atomic structure (protons, neutrons, electrons), atomic number, mass number, isotopes, and electron arrangement at the introductory level.
• Apply the periodic table, including periods, groups, the major families (alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, halogens, noble gases), metals vs. nonmetals vs. metalloids, and the predictive power of the periodic table.
• Apply chemical bonding at the conceptual level, including ionic bonding, covalent bonding, and basic Lewis structures for simple molecules.
• Apply chemical reactions, including writing and balancing simple chemical equations, types of reactions (synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double replacement, combustion), and the conservation of mass.
• Apply principles of solutions and concentration, including solute vs. solvent, solubility, basic concentration units (percent, ppm), and the difference between acids and bases (pH at a conceptual level).
• Analyze atmospheric chemistry and air quality, including the composition of the atmosphere, the major air pollutants (criteria air pollutants, greenhouse gases), the ozone layer, climate change at a conceptual level, and air pollution control.
• Analyze water chemistry and water quality, including the unique properties of water, water as a solvent, water pollution (point and non-point sources), water treatment, and Florida-specific water issues (springs, aquifers, harmful algal blooms).
• Analyze energy resources from a chemistry perspective, including fossil fuels (combustion, CO₂ emissions), nuclear energy basics, and renewable energy (solar, wind, biofuels).
• Apply food chemistry and nutrition at the introductory level, including macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats), vitamins, minerals, food additives, and food safety.
• Apply principles of drug chemistry, including how drugs interact with the body, drug classifications, OTC vs. prescription medications, and the chemistry of common drug categories.
• Apply principles of plastics, polymers, and materials chemistry, including the structure of polymers, common plastics, biodegradability, and recycling.
• Apply chemistry to household and consumer products, including soaps and detergents, cleaning products, cosmetics, and food packaging.
• Read and interpret chemistry-related information in news media, including correctly understanding chemical risk communication, evaluating health and environmental claims, and recognizing common chemistry-related misconceptions.
• Demonstrate laboratory skills appropriate to non-science-major chemistry, including measurement, data recording, observation, basic chemical safety, and graphical interpretation.

Optional Outcomes

• Engage with contemporary chemistry topics in the news, including pharmaceutical issues, environmental incidents, and consumer product concerns.
• Engage with green chemistry principles and sustainability in chemical practice.
• Engage with chemistry careers exploration at the introductory level.
• Apply basic forensic chemistry at a conceptual level (introduction).
• Engage with Florida-specific chemistry topics in greater depth (Florida environmental chemistry, Florida agriculture, Florida industrial chemistry).

Major Topics

Required Topics

• The Nature of Chemistry: Chemistry as the central science; the scientific method in chemistry; matter and energy; the states of matter; physical vs. chemical properties; physical vs. chemical changes; mixtures vs. pure substances.
• Atomic Theory and Atomic Structure: Brief history of atomic theory (Dalton, Thomson, Rutherford, Bohr, modern view); subatomic particles (protons, neutrons, electrons); atomic number; mass number; isotopes; electron arrangement (electron shells, basic Bohr-style picture).
• The Periodic Table: Organization (periods, groups); the major families (alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, halogens, noble gases, transition metals); metals, nonmetals, metalloids; trends across the table (atomic size, ionization energy at conceptual level); the predictive power of the periodic table; understanding why the table works as it does.
• Chemical Bonding: Ionic bonding (electron transfer, ions, ionic compounds, naming and formulas at introductory level); covalent bonding (electron sharing, molecules, simple Lewis structures); polar and nonpolar bonds; basic molecular shape (linear, bent, tetrahedral at introductory level).
• Chemical Reactions: Reactants and products; balancing simple chemical equations; conservation of mass; types of reactions (synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double replacement, combustion); endothermic vs. exothermic reactions; reaction rates at conceptual level.
• Solutions, Acids, and Bases: Solutions (solute, solvent, solubility); concentration units (percent, ppm); aqueous solutions; acids and bases (Arrhenius and Brønsted-Lowry definitions at conceptual level); the pH scale; common acids and bases in everyday life; neutralization.
• Atmospheric Chemistry: Composition of the atmosphere; the layered atmosphere; major air pollutants (CO, SO₂, NOx, particulate matter, ozone, lead — the criteria air pollutants under the Clean Air Act); the chemistry of acid rain; the ozone layer (stratospheric ozone, the chemistry of ozone depletion, the Montreal Protocol); the chemistry of climate change (greenhouse gases, CO₂ and the carbon cycle, methane, water vapor); air pollution control technology.
• Water Chemistry: Unique properties of water (hydrogen bonding, density anomaly, high specific heat); water as the universal solvent; the hydrologic cycle; water pollution sources (organic, inorganic, biological, thermal); water treatment (coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, disinfection); the chemistry of water purity (hard water, water softening); Florida-specific water issues (the Floridan Aquifer, springs, harmful algal blooms, saltwater intrusion).
• Energy and Chemistry: The chemistry of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas — combustion reactions, CO₂ production); nuclear chemistry at the introductory level (radioactive decay, nuclear power, nuclear weapons); renewable energy chemistry (solar cells, biofuels, hydrogen fuel); the energy transition.
• Food Chemistry and Nutrition: Macronutrients — carbohydrates, proteins, fats — at the chemical level; vitamins and minerals; food additives (preservatives, colorants, flavorings); food safety (foodborne pathogens, food preservation); food labeling.
• Drug Chemistry: How drugs interact with the body (receptors, enzymes); drug classifications (analgesics, antibiotics, anti-hypertensives, etc.); OTC vs. prescription; the chemistry of common drug categories (acetaminophen, aspirin, antibiotics); drug development and FDA approval; addiction and the chemistry of substance use.
• Plastics and Polymers: Monomers and polymers; common plastics (PE, PP, PVC, PS, PET); biodegradability; the recycling code; the plastics pollution crisis; alternative materials (bioplastics).
• Household and Consumer Chemistry: Soaps and detergents (the chemistry of cleaning); cleaning products and their hazards; cosmetics and personal care products; food packaging; pesticides and herbicides; common household chemical safety.
• Risk and Toxicology: The dose-response relationship (Paracelsus's principle: "the dose makes the poison"); LD50; risk assessment; common chemical risk misconceptions; managing chemical risks rationally.
• Laboratory Component: Basic chemistry laboratory skills — measurement, mass and volume; observation; safe chemical handling; representative experiments illustrating course concepts (acid-base reactions, density, pH determination, solution preparation, simple chemical changes).

Optional Topics

• Green Chemistry: The 12 Principles of Green Chemistry; greener manufacturing; consumer choices supporting sustainability.
• Forensic Chemistry: Chemistry in criminal investigation; toxicology in forensics; arson investigation chemistry.
• Florida-Specific Topics: Florida industrial chemistry (phosphate mining, citrus processing, sulfur recovery); Florida agriculture chemistry (fertilizers, pesticides for citrus, cattle); Florida environmental incidents.
• Contemporary Issues: PFAS ("forever chemicals"); microplastics; emerging contaminants; the COVID-19 chemistry context (mRNA vaccines, disinfection chemistry).
• Career Exploration: Chemistry-adjacent careers; chemistry literacy in non-chemistry careers.

Resources & Tools

• Common Textbooks: Chemistry in Context (American Chemical Society — designed specifically for this audience), Chemistry for Changing Times (Hill/McCreary), The Sciences: An Integrated Approach (Trefil/Hazen — broader sciences but often used), Chemistry: A Conceptual Approach (Suchocki)
• Open Educational Resources: Chemistry: Atoms First by OpenStax (free; can be adapted for non-major use); American Chemical Society resources for educators
• Online Platforms: Connect (McGraw-Hill), Mastering Chemistry (Pearson), MindTap (Cengage)
• Lab Equipment: Standard general chemistry lab equipment scaled for non-major use — balances, beakers, graduated cylinders, pH meters, indicators, simple chemical reagents; lab safety equipment (PPE, ventilation, eyewash station)
• Reference Resources: American Chemical Society (acs.org) — particularly the "Chemistry for Life" resources for non-scientists; PubChem (free chemical database); EPA chemistry-related resources; FDA chemistry-related resources; Florida Department of Environmental Protection
• Multimedia: Crash Course Chemistry; Periodic Videos (University of Nottingham, free YouTube series); American Chemical Society Reactions video series

Career Pathways

CHM1020C is primarily a general-education course developing chemical literacy applicable across many fields. While not directly preparatory to chemistry, biology, or pre-health careers (which require CHM1045C and beyond), CHM1020C strengthens scientific literacy for:

• Education (Non-Science) — Elementary education, secondary education in non-science subjects; chemical literacy supports interdisciplinary teaching.
• Communications, Journalism, and Public Policy — Chemical and environmental literacy supports informed reporting and policy analysis.
• Business and Economics — Chemical literacy supports understanding of industries and markets affected by chemistry (pharmaceuticals, energy, agriculture, materials).
• Liberal Arts and Humanities — Chemical literacy is part of broad scientific literacy expected of educated citizens.
• Personal Decision-Making — Helps every student make informed decisions about consumer products, food choices, environmental practices, and personal health.

Students considering science majors, pre-health professional pathways, engineering, or other fields requiring rigorous chemistry should plan to take CHM1045C (General Chemistry I) rather than CHM1020C. CHM1020C is generally not accepted as a prerequisite for higher-level chemistry courses; it is a terminal general-education course.

Special Information

General Education and Transfer

CHM1020C is a Florida common course number that satisfies general-education natural-science (with laboratory) requirements at most Florida public colleges and universities. It transfers as the equivalent course at all Florida public postsecondary institutions per SCNS articulation policy.

Course Selection Guidance

Florida offers multiple chemistry options for different student needs:

• CHM1020C – Chemistry in Society: Conceptual chemistry for non-science majors (this course).
• CHM1025C – Introduction to Chemistry: Preparatory chemistry for students who need foundational coverage before CHM1045C; some institutions require this for students with weak chemistry backgrounds.
• CHM1045C – General Chemistry I: Rigorous quantitative general chemistry for science majors and pre-health professional students.
• CHM2210/CHM2210L – Organic Chemistry I: Required for many science majors and pre-health pathways.

Students unsure of their major should consult an academic advisor before choosing between CHM1020C and CHM1045C, as the choice has significant downstream consequences for major and pre-health pathway eligibility.

Course Format

CHM1020C is offered in face-to-face, hybrid, and fully online formats. The applied, conceptual nature of the course translates well to online delivery; many Florida institutions offer fully asynchronous online sections. Online versions typically use virtual lab supplements; some use take-home lab kits.

Connection to Contemporary Issues

CHM1020C is particularly well-positioned to address contemporary chemistry-related issues — climate change, environmental incidents, emerging contaminants (PFAS, microplastics), pharmaceuticals (the opioid crisis, medication safety), consumer product safety, and the chemistry context of recent events (COVID-19 vaccines, hand sanitizer chemistry). The course's flexibility allows instructors to update content with current events while building chemical literacy that supports lifetime informed decision-making.