1. How Do You Know?

Freshman Organic Chemistry (CHEM 125)

Professor McBride outlines the course with its goals and requirements, including the required laboratory course. To the course's prime question "How do you know" he proposes two unacceptable answers (divine and human authority), and two acceptable answers (experiment and logic). He illustrates the fruitfulness of experiment and logic using the rise of science in the seventeenth century. London's Royal Society and the "crucial" experiment on light by Isaac Newton provide examples. In his correspondence with Newton Samuel Pepys, diarist and naval purchasing officer, illustrates the attitudes and habits which are most vital for budding scientists - especially those who would like to succeed in this course. The lecture closes by introducing the underlying goal for the first half of the semester: understanding the Force Law that describes chemical bonds.

00:00 - Chapter 1. Introduction: Logistics
05:37 - Chapter 2. The Goals of Freshman Organic Chemistry: How Do You Know?
15:17 - Chapter 3. Bacon's Instauration: Experimentation over Philosophy
30:17 - Chapter 4. How to Succeed in Chem 125: Following Samuel Pepys
41:56 - Chapter 5. Atoms, Molecules, and Hooke's Law

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://open.yale.edu/courses

This course was recorded in Fall 2008.