B1973 - Foundations of general and inorganic Chemistry P

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be able to: (a) understand the principles of General Chemistry, i.e. the relationship between structure and chemical-physical properties; (b) distinguish the types of reactions: acid-base and redox; (c) write and balance chemical equations; (d) know the principles of thermodynamics and chemical kinetics; (e) understand the general principles of electrochemistry and to explain metal corrosion.

Course contents

Teaching Unit I - STRUCTURE

I.1 - Introduction and Fundamental Concepts. Homogeneous and heterogeneous systems, substances and mixtures, elements and compounds.
Atoms and subatomic particles, atomic symbols, atomic and mass number, isotopes, ions.
Atomic mass and weight, empirical and molecular formula, formula weight and molecular weight, mole.

I.2 - The Atom. Wave-particle duality and quantum model of the hydrogen atom and multielectron atoms.
Electronic shells and sublevels, quantum numbers, electronic configurations.
The periodic table and periodic properties of chemical elements.

I.3 - The Chemical Bond. Covalent bond; Lewis structures, bond length and energy; electronegativity and bond polarization.
Molecular geometry. Valence bond theory, hybrid atomic orbitals, double and triple bonds.
Ionic bond; characteristic properties of ionic compounds.
Metallic bond; alloys.
Intermolecular forces: London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole forces, hydrogen bonding.

I.4 - Gases, Liquids, Solids. Properties of gases: ideal gas laws, partial pressures, real gases.
Liquids: vapor tension, melting and boiling points.
Solids: an overview of the physical properties of solids.
Allotropic forms of major elements. Phase diagrams and phase transitions.

I.5 - Solutions. Concentration and its expressions. Preparation and dilution of a solution.
Colligative properties.
Predicting solubility in solvents.

Teaching Unit II - TRANSFORMATIONS

II.1 - Reactions and Chemical Equations. Chemical equations and their balancing; limiting reagent.
Oxidation numbers; types of chemical reactions: acid-base and redox; balancing redox reactions.

II.2 - Chemical Thermodynamics. Heat and work.
First law of thermodynamics, state functions, enthalpy of reaction; thermodynamic standard state.
Entropy and its meaning. Second and third laws of thermodynamics.
Spontaneous reactions, Gibbs free energy. 

II.3 - Chemical Equilibrium. Gas phase equilibria; complete and incomplete reactions; heterogeneous equilibria.
Equilibrium constant and reaction quotient.
Le Châtelier's principle; the effect of state variables on equilibrium.
Thermodynamic significance of equilibrium.

II.4 - Acid-Base Equilibria in Water. Acids and bases according to Brønsted and Lowry, conjugate acid-base pairs.
Water auto-dissociation; pH; strength of acids and bases.
Calculation of pH for strong and weak acids and bases, degree of dissociation.
Salt hydrolysis and the pH of their solutions; buffer solutions.

II.5 - Solubility Equilibria. Poorly soluble salts; solubility and solubility product; common ion effect.

II.6 - Electrochemistry. Galvanic cells, electrodes, standard potentials.
Nernst equation; concentration cells and glass electrodes. Electrolysis. Fuel cells. Metal corrosion.

II.7 - Chemical Kinetics. Reaction rates, rate law, and rate constant; integrated rate equations for first- and second-order reactions.
Reaction mechanism, reaction order and molecularity, elementary processes, rate-determining step.
Activation energy, Arrhenius equation, an introduction to collision theory; homogeneous, heterogeneous, and enzymatic catalysis.

Readings/Bibliography

The course slides and other teaching material is made available to students before the beginning of the course via the University repository: https://virtuale.unibo.it/

It is advised to consult any of the many chemistry textbooks (basic chemistry, general chemistry, elements/fundamentals of chemistry) at university level. A few suggestions:

• R. Chang, General Chemistry - The Essential Concepts, McGraw-Hill
• N.J. Tro, Chemistry - A Molecular Approach, Pearson

 

It is strongly recommended to attend class lectures, but do not just study on slides and lecture notes; it is important to complete the preparation with the support of a textbook.

Teaching methods

Lectures integrated with exercises and discussion with the students. The lessons are supported with powerpoint presentations and the use of the blackboard.

Assessment methods

The learning assessment takes place with the final exam. The acquisition of the learning outcomes is ascertained by means of a written test to be undertaken in a period of two hours, without the support of notes or textbooks. The periodic table and fundamental constants can be used and will be provided at the exam. Each student should bring a scientific calculator. Registration via AlmaEsami by the indicated deadlines is strictly required.

The written test consists of:

• seven questions on theory, covering all the topics presented in the teaching units;
• three numerical problems, each related to a different topic among the following ones: atomic weight and mole, reaction balancing and stoichiometry, colligative properties, concentration and pH calculations of strong and weak acids and bases, solubility.

Each correct anwer to a theoretical question is given a score of 2; a score comprised between 0 and 6 is assigned to each problem. The mark of the written test is calculated as the sum of the scores obtained in each question and problem.

The maximum score of the test is 32, corresponding to 30 cum laude; a score of at least 18 in the written test is required to pass the exam.

The mark of the final test determines the grade of the exam; no partial tests during the progress of the course are performed.

The exam can be undertaken in english. Students who would like to take advantage of this possibility must send a written request (email) to the professor at least one week in advance.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint slides and other supporting materials are made available to students through the Virtuale platform (https://virtuale.unibo.it/)

Students must login using the account @studio.unibo.it.

Office hours

See the website of Alberto Credi