00130 - General and Inorganic Chemistry

Learning outcomes

Objectives

To provide students with a basic grounding in chemistry to prepare them for subsequent studies in specialised areas of chemistry.

 

Knowledge and skills to be acquired:

Students will acquire basic knowledge about the structure of atoms and molecules, which will lead them to a thorough understanding of the nature of the intra- and intermolecular forces underlying the principal chemical reactions. They will subsequently address the principles of the chemistry of solutions, the laws of chemical equilibrium, the thermodynamics of solutions, reaction kinetics and a few simple examples of electrochemical applications. Students will moreover demonstrate their understanding of the quantitative laws of chemistry by performing simple stoichiometric calculations.

 Finally, students will study the chemistry of several fundamental groups of inorganic compounds and explore their relations with the periodic system.

Course contents

Elements and compounds

Atomic structure, atomic symbols, atomic and mass numbers, isotopes, ions, periodic table and periodicity of physical magnitudes.

Atomic mass, moles, molarity and other forms for expressing the concentration of solutions, dilutions, chemical reactions, chemical equations and equation balancing.

Structure of atoms

Waves and particles, the shell model and periodic table, electron configurations, sizes of atoms and their ions, orbitals, quantum numbers and meaning, Hund’s rule and the Pauli principle, ionisation energies.

Chemical bonding

Valence electrons, covalent bonds, Lewis structures, bond lengths, electronegativity, partial and formal charges, orbital shape, molecular shape, polarity, the valence bond theory, hybrid atomic orbitals, double and triple bonds, molecular orbital theory, ionic bonds, introduction to metallic bonds, oxidation numbers.

Gases

Temperature as a property of matter, states of matter, properties of gases, the ideal gas law, Dalton’s law of partial pressures, molecular kinetic theory. Deviation from a perfect gas.

Bond formation and breakage

Energy and heat, the first principle of thermodynamics, state functions, reaction enthalpy, standard states, Hess’s law, enthalpy of formation.

Liquids and solutions

The structure of liquids, intermolecular forces, kinetic theory of liquids, vapour pressure, melting, freezing and boiling points, colligative properties, osmotic pressure, solubility.

Solid state

Basic notions of solid state chemistry and the physical properties of solids.

Introduction to chemical equilibrium

Reactions that go to completion, velocity of a reaction, collision theory of gaseous reactions, equilibrium constant expression, reaction quotient, temperature effect, Le Châtelier’s principle, calculation of the equilibrium constant.

Acids and Bases

Properties of acids and bases, definition according to Brønsted-Lowry, conjugated acid-base pairs, dissociation of water, pH, strength of acids and bases, pH calculation for weak and strong acids and bases, amphoteric compounds, salts and pH thereof, buffers and buffer capacity, titration curves, indicators.

Oxidation-reduction reactions

Recognising redox reactions, reaction stoichiometry and balancing, oxidating and reducing agents, voltaic cells, standard potentials, batteries, electrolytic cells, Faraday’s law, electrochemical cells in non-standard conditions, Nerst’s equation.

Chemical thermodynamics

Spontaneous processes, entropy and what it means, the second and third principle, standard entropy, Gibbs’ free energy, standard free energy, relationship between free energy and the equilibrium constant, dependency of equilibrium constants on temperature.

Chemical kinetics

Reaction rates, instantaneous velocity, kinetic laws and velocity constant, kinetic law and stoichiometry, order and molecularity, zero-, first- and second-order reactions, integrated form of first- and second-order rate laws, activation energy and its determination, catalysts.

Systematic chemistry

The periodic table and periodic chemical properties, oxygen and hydrogen compounds, notions regarding the elements of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh group.

Readings/Bibliography

All of the topics covered, being fundamental for an introductory level university course, may be found in any university Basic Chemistry textbook.

 

Examples:

Bertini, Luchinat, Mani "Chimica" Edit. Ambrosiana

Spencer, Bodner, Rickard "Chimica" , Edit. Zanichelli

Manotti Lanfredi, Tiripicchio "Fondamenti di Chimica", Edit. Ambrosiana

Teaching methods

Classes will consist in presentation and discussion of course topics and practice in stoichiometric calculations.

Assessment methods

Written test on stoichiometric calculations plus an oral examination.

The written test will entail solving 4-6 stoichiometric problems.

The oral exam will consist in a discussion of the written test and a series of questions designed to ascertain the student’s knowledge of the course topics covered.

In order to be admitted to the oral exam, students must achieve at least a mark of 18/30 on the written test. The written test has a validity of 365 days.

Teaching tools

Overhead projector, transparencies, PC, blackboard.

Office hours

See the website of Fabrizio Bolletta