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

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.

2) What conditions were/are responsible for the air pollution found in the various regions under

discussion?

3) What legislation has been enacted to alleviate the air pollution condition?

4) Discuss the chemistry of photochemical smog. What is smog? What is the origin of this word?

5) What pollutants are found in the air in these regions being discussed?

6) What are the health effects of air pollutants?

7) Does air pollution circulate globally?

8) Can air pollution affect climate? Can it affect crops? How?

9) What legislation has been enacted in California to lessen the impact of air pollution?

9) Water Quality
1) Select two regions and discuss a history of water pollution. Examples could include regions such

as India, East Coast, Great Lakes, China or the Bay Area.

2) Discuss in detail the history of these regions and how water quality has been a problem and what

has been done to correct the problem.

3) Discuss the various types of pollutants, their origins, and what steps have been taken to clean them from

the water.

4) How do these pollutants affect our health?

5) How is the water tested for various contaminants? Be specific – what chemical methods are used?

6) Compare and contrast well water, bottled water and tap water.

What compounds are found in each? Is bottled water better for you than other water?

7) Discuss hard and soft water. What problems are associated with hard water?

8) Discuss San Jose State’s water. Is it clean? Would you drink it? Why or why not?

10) Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming
1) Discuss a brief history of global warming. Who first came up with this concept? How fast is the

earth heating up? What is causing this heating to occur? Use credible sources as references.

2) Discuss the various gases from man-made sources that are believed to be heating the atmosphere.

How have they changed over time?

3) Why do scientists believe the earth is heating up? What field tests are used to determine this

heating effect?

4) What is infrared radiation and how is this connected to global warming?

5) How is the Federal government planning and acting to deal with this problem?

6) What is happening with the Antarctic Ice sheets? Could sea levels rise?

7) Is California addressing greenhouse gases? What are they doing?

8) Is this a serious problem in your mind? Discuss this and defend your position using scientific

journals, newspaper editorials, government publications etc…

11) Food Additives
1) Food additives (pick two additives such as nitrites, nitrates, BHT, BHA, sodium benzoate, sulfites,

MSG, potassium iodide, calcium propionate, benzoyl peroxide, calcium phosphate, calcium sulfate,

ammonium chloride, magnesium carbonate), discuss history, current usage.

2) Discuss chemical structures (draw them) of these compounds and how they work to preserve food.

3) You may want to select a few foods such as bread, meats, fast foods and various packaged foods and

discuss the additives found there.

4) What are the negative health effects of these additives?

5) What are the positive effects of using food additives?

6) How is your diet? After researching this subject are you planning to alter your diet? How will you do

this?

7) How effective is the federal government (FDA) with respect to keeping us informed about these

various additives? Are the FDA and USDA doing their job? What else could they do to improve

their performance? Do you think that these government agencies should be shut down and that the

food industry should be allowed to regulate itself?

12) Diabetes
1) Discuss the history of this disease. When was it first identified? Discuss this disease on a global basis.

Discuss the current situation in the US with respect to this disease.

2) What causes this disease? Discuss the two major types of diabetes. Be specific with the biochemistry

(insulin) and how the cells operate in a diabetic person.

3) What can be done to cure or minimize the impact of this disease?

4) Which age groups are at risk for this disease?

5) How can modification of diet and exercise help with the control of diabetes? Be specific with your

discussion. Use credible references such as NIH and CDC. These are government agencies. You

may also want to peruse medical publications as well.

6) Which specific foods appear to be most problematic with this disease? Use studies from the

literature to support your answer.

7) If you know anyone with this disease, what do they do to keep this disease under control?

13) Drugs
1) Select a couple of drugs such as morphine, PCP, amphetamines, heroin, ecstasy, marijuana, cocaine,

nicotine, peyote, psilocybin, opiates, methadone, prescription drugs… and discuss the history of these

substances. Write out the structures of the drugs that you are discussing.

2) How do they work? Be specific with where in our bodies these drugs interact.

3) Discuss abuse of these drugs.

4) Do any of these drugs function in a similar manner to naturally occurring compounds already in

our bodies? Discuss endorphins. What are they and when were they discovered? How did the

name come about?

5) Discuss the acceptance by the public and the government of these drugs.

6) Are there any benefits by using these drugs?

7) How do these drugs compare with similar “legal” drugs? Why are some drugs legal and others

are not? What criteria do the federal and state governments use to decide which drugs are legal?

14) Vitamins
1) Select two vitamins and discuss their history. When and how were they discovered and purified? Write

the structures.

2) What role do they play in nutrition?

3) How do they interact with our bodies? Be specific with the biochemical interactions.

4) Discuss food sources of these vitamins. Give actual vitamin content in each food discussed.

5) How does cooking, freezing, baking affect the stability of these vitamins? Are some vitamins more

susceptible to heat degradation and oxidation than others?

6) Discuss vitamin supplements and vitamin uptake in our bodies. Should everyone take vitamin

supplements? What is the NIH opinion on this?

7) Discuss vitamin deficiencies and diseases. Present a brief history of some of these diseases.

8) Discuss RDA requirements and can some vitamins be abused by taking too much? Can these

vitamin supplements actually be toxic?

9) Compare and contrast taking vitamin supplements with just vitamins from natural food.

15) Paper vs. Plastics
1) Discuss the history of plastics and paper.

2) Discuss the chemical composition of each. Include some discussion about structure of these substances

at a molecular level.

3) How is paper made today in the US? How are plastics made?

4) How much energy is required to make paper and compare this to the energy required in the production

of plastic.

5) What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

6) Discuss how each product degrades in the environment. What are some of the products of

degradation?

7) Is one more toxic than the other? Cite references that have done studies which show what

chemical compounds are formed from biodegradation.

8) Discuss paper vs. plastics choices in local businesses. You may want to ask them if they have

eliminated plastic from their stores and why they did so.

9) What choices have you made concerning this problem?

16) Cholesterol and Fats
1) History of cholesterol, when was it identified? Write out its structure.

2) What are its functions in the body? Why do we need it?

3) What are normal and abnormal levels?

4) What are some of the connections with heart disease?

5) Discuss the drugs that are prescribed to keep cholesterol under control. How do they work?

6) Also discuss omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and how they are connected to cholesterol levels.

7) Discuss the “good” and the “bad” cholesterol (HDL and LDL). Just what does “good” and “bad”

mean with cholesterol? Do we need both in our bodies?

17) DNA and Crime Investigation
1) Discuss the history of DNA. When was it discovered? Who published a paper in 1953 in Nature

describing the structure of DNA?

2) What is the structure of DNA? What are the building blocks of the double helix? Write out the

structures of these nucleotides.

3) What role does it have in living systems? Where is DNA usually located in the cells?

4) How is it used in crime investigation? Discuss DNA fingerprinting.

5) How accurate is this technique?

6) Discuss some recent court cases where DNA has either upheld or overturned a court decision.

7) Can DNA fingerprinting be used to re-investigate old cases? Give some examples.

18) Endorphins and morphine
1) What are endorphins and when were they discovered? Write out the structures of some of these

compounds.

2) How do they function in our bodies? What are opiate receptor sites?

3) What is morphine and when was it discovered? Is it still cultivated today? Where?

4) How is it similar to endorphins? Do they both work on the same parts of the nervous system? Explain

in detail.

5) Discuss other compounds such as heroin, methadone and codeine and their connection with

endorphins. When was methadone developed? Why was it developed?

6) Discuss addiction with these compounds. What takes place at the molecular level?

19) Organic Gardening
1) What is organic gardening? Be specific with definitions citing government sources.

2) Discuss various types of chemical and organic fertilizers. Write out their structures and explain why

they are used in farming practices.

3) What kinds of nutrients are needed for healthy soil?

4) What is compost? Discuss composting methods.

5) Discuss how you could change nutrient depleted soil into rich healthy soil.

Include soil amendments and how to adjust the pH of soil. Define pH and discuss acid/base

conditions in which crops grow best.

6) Discuss crop rotation and soil management. Include practices that have been used for hundreds

of years.

7) Do you have an organic garden? What do you grow?

20) Nuclear Waste
1) What is nuclear waste? Where does it come from?

2) What are the various types of nuclear waste? Be specific.

3) Where are nuclear wastes stored in this country today?

4) Where is nuclear waste stored in other countries, such as France, India and Japan?

5) What are the problems with long-term storage of nuclear waste?

6) What are some current proposals to deal with this problem of storage?

7) Can some of this waste be recycled and reprocessed?

8) Discuss nuclear waste and weapons grade materials.

9) What international agreements have been made to deal with nuclear waste and nuclear

proliferation?

10) How serious is the nuclear situation today?

21) Anabolic Steroids
1) What are they? Discuss chemistry of these substances. Write out the structures.

2) How are they used and abused? Can they be beneficial?

3) How are these detected in the body? Discuss in some detail, the instrumentation used to detect various

types of steroids (Gas chromatography, HPLC etc…).

4) Discuss some specific cases and ongoing investigations.

5) Discuss their abuse in Olympic competitions both past and present. What was the outcome of

these investigations?

6) What is your opinion about their use in athletics, medical practices, other…?

Are you for or against these drugs? Be convincing with your discussion. Use editorials from

reputable newspapers and medical-scientific journals to support your case.

22) Coffee and/or Tea
1) Discuss the history of Coffee and/or Tea with respect to its cultivation and commerce.

2) Global consumption of coffee and/or tea globally and also in the US.

3) Caffeine content of various teas and coffees. How do chemists determine the amount of caffeine in a

tea or coffee sample?

4) Caffeine – discuss various health effects- good and bad of this compound.

5) Green teas vs. black teas, discuss chemical composition and health benefits. Write out the

structures of the most important compounds found in coffee and tea.

6) Decaffeinated teas, coffee – describe the process of decaffeination and the health effects (good/bad) of

these beverages.

7) Discuss diseases or negative health effects associated with over-consumption of coffee and tea.

23) Vitamin C
1) Discuss the history of this vitamin.

2) When was it discovered, what disease does it prevent?

3) Does it help to prevent or minimize other diseases? Be specific when referencing this connection

between Vitamin C and disease. There are many unsubstantiated claims and therefore, find

reputable sources and cite them in your paper.

4) What are antioxidants? How do they work? How does Vitamin C act as an antioxidant?

5) Discuss various sources of vitamin C.

6) Effect of cooking, baking storage, sunlight etc. on stability of vitamin C. Find references that have

done studies to show how Vitamin C levels are easily changed by various external factors.

7) How much do we need? Discuss various references.

8) Discuss any controversies regarding this vitamin.

9) Can it cure the common cold or cancer? Who was Linus Pauling?

24) Aspirin
1) History of this compound. When was it discovered and what were its uses?

2) What is its structure and how does it work in the body?

3) How is it produced today?

4) Discuss aspirin and heart disease prevention. Cite specific studies. How were these studies performed?

Has the perception of heart disease prevention by aspirin changed during the last 20 years?

5) Discuss some aspirin alternatives, how they work and why they were developed. Write out the

structures of these compounds.

6) If aspirin was discovered today how difficult would it be to get FDA approval for over-the-counter

sales of this product?

7) Is aspirin potentially dangerous? Can you overdose on aspirin?