CHEMISTRY-30A

Term-paper

GUIDELINES FOR CHEM 30A TERM-PAPER

I. General Requirements

This will be a literature research project that each student will work on individually.

You will choose one topic of interest from the list provided (see section II-a), educate

yourself on the topic, and write a 4–6 page paper (maximum 7). In researching your

topic, you will need to use a variety of resources including books, peer reviewed journal

articles, professional society publications, or government sites.

You will sign up for a topic by signing your name on one of the sheets that will be

provided in the lab. Each topic has a sign-up sheet with a particular number set as the

maximum number of students per topic, depending on the topic.

II. Project Components

a) Project Topic Selection

You will choose one topic of interest from the list below and sign up for it in

the lab. Lab instructors will provide more information. It is recommended that

you have 2–3 topics in mind in case you do not get your number one choice.

1) Recycling – plastics 2) Pesticides/Herbicides

3) Solar Energy 4) Alternative Liquid Fuels

5) Wind Power 6) Household Products

7) Organic Food 8) Air Quality

9) Water Quality 10) Greenhouse Gases, Global Warming

11) Food Additive 12) Diabetes

13) Drugs 14) Vitamins

15) Paper vs. Plastics 16) Cholesterol and Fats

17) DNA and crime investigation 18) Endorphins and Morphine

19) Organic Gardening 20) Nuclear Waste

21) Anabolic Steroids 22) Coffee or Tea

23) Vitamin C 24) Aspirin

b) Project Report This project must be typed. Your paper must be 4–6 pages, covering the questions

asked about that particular topic (see section V). The maximum is 7 pages, please

do not exceed this limit. The cover page and reference page does not count as one

of the pages. The required font is Times New Roman (size 12, double spaced, 1-

inch margins). The project report will contain all of the following:

Cover page:

The cover page must include: title of the project, student name, lab section

number, lab instructor’s name, and the date.

Body of Research Report:

The research report will include the following:

• An Introduction (the importance of your topic),

• Results (what you found out),

• Conclusion(s), and

• Future Applications (If you were going to continue this research what would you focus on next).

Use the questions that we have written for each topic as a guide for your paper (see section V). You don’t have to answer them one after the other but are meant to serve as a guide as to what is to be covered for each topic. However, the bold questions must be answered somewhere in your essay.

References:

A minimum of five different references is required. Only two of those

references may be books. Your Citations identifying the source of your

information should be included throughout the report, and on the reference

pages at the end of the report. To indicate references, include the name of the

author, journal or book name, title of the article, and the date of publication.

The references should be used within the report by associating references to a

letter or a number. If you are not sure if a source is suitable consult with your

instructor.

III. Project submission

The project report will be submitted online via Canvas. You will upload your report onto your

lab Canvas. Turnisin.com has been activated on Canvas, so each paper will be evaluated for

plagiarism. Do not submit your paper directly to turnitin.com, that has already been linked and

activated on Canvas. You must use your own words and analysis in all reports for this course and

must include all references. Also avoid using too many quotations, we want you to summarize

and write from your preservative, we want to know what you have learned.

Please keep in mind that points will be taken off if there is no online submission prior to the due

date. Late papers will not be accepted.

Again, this research report must be written in your own words. Any type of plagiarism will result

in zero score for the entire report. Check with your instructor if you are unsure about what

can be considered plagiarism.

IV. Project Tasks This project will be divided into 3 tasks:

http://turnitin.com/
a) Task 1 – Project Topic Selection Determine an area of interest for your research project, select a few topics

from the provided list of topics (see section II-a), and sign up for a topic in

the lab.

b) Task 2 – References/Resources Find at least five sources of information including books, peer reviewed

journal articles, publications from professional societies, and government sites

such as centers for disease control (CDC), FDA, USDA, EPA, NIH.

c) Task 3 – Project Written Report

Prepare a detailed report describing your project and findings as described in

section II-c of this document. The report should be a minimum of four pages

and maximum of seven pages long and double-spaced. Use Times New

Roman, size 12 font, and 1-inch margins.

V. Topic Details and Questions

1) Recycling – Plastics 1) What is plastic? Is it a man-made product or a natural product?

2) Choose a few types of plastics and discuss how they are made. What is a

polymer? Discuss the recycling symbols used for plastics.

3) Toxicity of plastics, both in manufacturing and waste disposal. Are plastics toxic? Do

you drink from a plastic water bottle?

4) How much plastic is recycled in the US, globally (be specific with each type of

plastic).

5) Can plastics be burned safely and used as a fuel? What is the BTU content of plastic when

burned? Give a definition for BTU.

6) Biodegradable plastics –what structural features make it biodegradable?

7) What is the current status of plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean. What is being done to

clean up this mess?

8) How long does it take for plastic to decompose in a landfill? In the ocean?

9) Does this information make you reconsider purchasing things that are contained in a

plastic container?

Cite scientific articles that use actual data. Be specific with information and make sure to cite all

references.

2) Pesticides/Herbicides Select two or three pesticides and/or herbicides that are currently in use today (for example: parathion,

malathion, diazinon, DDT, chloropyrifos, atrazine, lindane, aldicarb, roundup). Use the following

questions to discuss the pesticides/herbicides that you chose.

1) Discuss the history of the compounds that you have chosen. When were they first synthesized?

2) What are their structures? Be specific – draw them out.

3) For what purpose are they used (be specific)?

4) Discuss current farming practices in this country with respect to pesticide and herbicide usage. Discuss

various crops where these pesticides/herbicides are applied.

5) Discuss benefits. How have they impacted crops, animals and humans?

6) Discuss disadvantages, toxicity and health effects (including a discussion about testing these

compounds for causing cancer).

7) Stability of these compounds – how long does it take for these compounds to degrade in the

environment?

8) Discuss the food chain and bio-magnification of these pesticides

9) Which food crops are the most contaminated with pesticides and herbicides? Would you eat food

that has been pesticide/herbicide treated?

3) Solar Energy (Photovoltaic energy) 1) Discuss a brief history of solar energy as used for electrical production.

2) How is sunlight converted into electrical energy?

3) Discuss photovoltaic systems as used for electrical energy production.

4) What are the Federal and State governments doing to encourage the development of solar voltaic

energy?

5) Discuss programs within California and the Bay Area as related to photovoltaic energy

production (what is being done currently, PG&E and other companies)

6) What are the short and long-term plans that the City of San Jose has for solar energy development

(photovoltaic systems)?

4) Liquid Fuels for Energy Production 1) Discuss the organic liquid fuels – ethanol and methanol.

2) Include a brief history of these fuels.

3) When were they first used as fuels?

4) How were they produced 100 years ago and how are they produced today? What starting materials are
s used today for their synthesis (production)?

5) Discuss the energy content of these fuels (use BTU’s when discussing energy content). 6) How efficient

are these fuels when used in automobiles? Discuss octane number.

7) What is some of the current research into the production of these fuels?

8) Why aren’t they used more? Can these fuels solve the energy crisis?

9) Discuss the use of these fuels worldwide and at the local level.

10) What is the Federal government currently doing to promote the use of these liquid fuels?

11) How has the use of ethanol affected the price of corn? What is the situation with ethanol

subsidies and the Federal government?

5) Wind Power 1) Discuss a brief history of wind power. How was it produced and how was it used? You may go back

into history as far as you want to go.

2) What systems are used today to harness the wind and convert the wind into electrical power? How does

wind become electricity?

3) Which countries are leading the way with this form of alternative energy? What are they doing

and are the companies in these countries that are doing this work being subsidized by their

respective governments?

4) What are we doing in California and in the United States? How much electricity is produced by wind

power in California?

5) Can wind power produce a significant amount of electrical power in the California?

6) Can it supply California with all of the electrical needs for the state?

6) Household Products 1) Select two household products such as laundry soap, hand soap, dishwashing detergent, TSP etc. that

contain a significant amount of phosphate.

2) Discuss the chemical formulations (contents) and show chemical structures of the major compounds

found in these products. In what chemical form is the phosphate that is found in these products?

3) Write a brief history of how and when these products were made. Which companies produce these

products?

4) How do they work? Be specific – are they acids, bases, surfactants, water softeners etc?

5) Discuss the environmental problems with phosphate containing products.

6) Why are phosphates used in these products?

7) Discuss wastewater treatment plants, farms and fertilizers, and the problem with

phosphate run-off into natural waters.

8) Do you use phosphate containing household products? If so, will you continue to use these

products or will you try and find an alternative?

7) Organic Food 1) What is organic food? Provide definitions by FDA and other organizations.

2) Discuss the history of the food industry with respect to organic food classification.

3) Why are these foods usually more expensive?

4) Health benefits; are these foods higher in vitamin, mineral content? Be specific – reference

legitimate scientific sources.

5) Cost of production. Consider total cost, pesticide and herbicide usage for most foods.

6) Buying locally produced food vs. food from distant lands. Discuss the cost of production and the

cost of shipping. Also, discuss the risks involved with food from other countries. How is the food

inspected in these countries?

7) Discuss the benefits of growing your own food. Do you already do this? Are you planning to start to

grow your own food? Will you go organic?

8) Does SJSU have an organic garden project currently operating on campus? Report on this and give an

update.

8) Air Quality 1) History of air quality globally. Select a few regions such as L.A. , New York, San Jose, London

or a city in China and discuss their history of air quality.