GENERAL AND INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2016/2017
- Teacher
- PAOLA BERGAMINI
- Credits
- 9
- Didactic period
- Primo Semestre
- SSD
- CHIM/03
Training objectives
- Educational goals:
Knowledge goals: the students are expected to acquire the basic concepts of chemistry, to get used to chemistry language and substances representation. Atomic nature and properties of the matter, its transformations (qualitative, quantitative and energetic aspects of chemical reactions).
Skill goals: Students are expected to learn how to apply general concepts to problem solving and to perform calculations related with simple general chemistry problems and simple laboratory operations (weighting, volumetric glassware, pH meters) . Acquisition of awareness to safety, to resources saving and to responsible management of lab waste. Prerequisites
- Prerequisites:
Basic physics concepts usually learned in high school, use of the most common measure units. Fundamentals of mathematics (e.g. first and second grade equations, logarithms properties, exponential notation, use of a bidimensional diagram).
Fundamentals of general chemistry. Course programme
- PART ONE: the structure of matter (24 hours, 3 credits).
The language of chemistry: matter, elements, compounds, mixtures. Homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. Matter constituents (atoms, molecules, ions) and their representation. (symbols, formulae, names, chemical equations).
Mole – absolute and relative atomic masses, molecular mass, formula weight, Avogadro number. Mole concept, quantitative meaning of formulae and chemical equations.
Inorganic nomenclature – from the formula to the name and from the name to the formula.
Atomic structure: atom constituents: electrons, protons, neutrons. The nucleus, atomic number and mass number. Isotopes. Recent models for the hydrogen atom. Orbitals and quantic numbers. Polyelectronic atoms. Aufbau. Electronic configuration and position in the Periodic Table, periodic properties.
Chemical bond: - What is a chemical bond? Ionic and covalent character, electronegativity. Bond order: simple, double and triple bonds. Bond polarity, bond length, bond energy.
Lewis structure, hybridization, VSEPR, resonance. Representation of common molecules, molecular geometry and properties. Fundamentals of molecular orbitals theory, some examples. Dative bond and coordination compounds. Metallic bond. Intermolecular interactions. Hydrogen bond and its influence on the properties of some substances.
Physical states of the matter. Gases, laws of gases, state equation of ideal gases, Avogadro principle, mixture of gases, partial pressures and Dalton law. Real gases. Basics on solid and liquid state. Phases equilibria, state diagrams of water and CO2 .
Solutions – Kind of solutions, solubility. Concentration and various ways to express concentration. Aqueous solutions, electrolytes properties. Preparation of solutions and dilution problems. Colligative properties.
SECOND PART: how matter transforms (32 hours - 4 credits)
Reactions – chemical and physical transformations.
Chemical reactions: qualitative aspects: acid-base reactions, redox. Ionic equations.
Quantitative aspects – balancing, stoichiometric ratios, excess-defect of reagent, limiting reagent, yield.
Reactions in gas phase. Reactions in solutions. Equivalent and normality. Titrations.
Energy in reactions and spontaneity - primers
Energy in chemical reactions, first principle, enthalpy, entropy, third principle, free energy. Second principle and spontaneity of the reactions.
Kinetics - primers
Rate of reaction. Reaction order and its determination. Reaction rate control. Catalysis.
Equilibrium
Definition, equilibrium constant, mass law, Le Chatelier principle. Homogeneous equilibria in gas phase. Equilibria and temperature. Free energy and equilibrium.
Acids, bases and equilibria in solution.
Ionic dissociation of water. Ionic product of water, pH. Acids and bases: various definitions, strength, dissociation constants and their use, dissociation grade. Polyprotic acid, salt hydrolysis, amphoterism, buffer solutions. Acid-base titration. Indicators.
Heterogeneous equilibria
Solubility product constants. Precipitation reactions.
Electrochemistry
Electrochemical cells. Nernst equation. Spontaneous and non-spontaneous redox reactions. Standard electrod potentials table. Equilibrium constants determination.
Electrolysis, Faraday law, some applications.
THIRD PART: INORGANIC CHEMISTRY (8 hours – 1 credit)
The periodic table and the information therein.
For some elements of the representative groups: natural state, industrial and lab preparation of the elemental state, properties; main compounds and their preparation and properties. Primers of inorganic pollutants chemistry.
Chemistry of d-block elements: some examples mainly related to coordination chemistry and organometallic derivatives.
PRACTICAL WORK IN THE LAB: 4 sessions , 3 hours each ( = 12 hours, 1 credit)
SESSION 1: the lab, chemicals, mole, density.
SESSION 2: chemical reactions
SESSION 3: solutions
SESSION 4: acids, bases, pH Didactic methods
- Teaching methods: lectures, applied calculations, lab sessions, individual tutorials.
Learning assessment procedures
- Learning assessment procedures: Written and oral examination.
Before the exam, the student must present all the 4 reports of the 4 lab sessions.
In the written exam 5 numeric problems and a question about the lab experiments must be solved in 2 hours.
The use of books and tables during the written exam, as well as calculator and periodic table, is encouraged.
There is no mark for the written exams, which is considered passed with 4/5 problems correctly solved. A passed written exam is valid for one year, during this time the student must pass an oral examination about the topics of the lectures.
There are generally 7 exam session (both written and oral) in a year and no limitation of access.
The final score is based on the valutation of the oral exam going from 18 (minimum) to 30 cum laude (maximum) . In order to obtain the maximum score, the written exam must be perfect (5 out of 5 exercises and lab question) Reference texts
- J. C Kotz, P. M. Treichel, J. R. Townsend - CHIMICA- Edises
or
I. Bertini, C. Luchinat, F.Mani - CHIMICA materia tecnologia ambiente - Ambrosiana, Milano
I. Bertini, F.Mani - Stechiometria - Ambrosiana, Milano
