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GENERAL AND INORGANIC CHEMISTRY (Partizione B)

Academic year and teacher
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Versione italiana
Academic year
2018/2019
Teacher
MIRCO NATALI
Credits
9
Didactic period
Secondo Semestre
SSD
CHIM/03

Training objectives

The course aims at presenting the theoretical and experimental fundametals of the Chemical Sciences and to give a basic introduction on the importance that chemistry has towards the interpretation and understanding of biological phenomena. The student will be able to understand the properties of chemical elements, the structure and properties of molecules, the properties of gases and solutions, and the basic principles of chemical reactivity.

Prerequisites

Fundamentals of algebra and physics are required.

Course programme

Atomic and molecular theory. Scientific method and fundamental concepts of classical physics. Chemical elements and compounds. Laws of chemical combination of elements. Dalton’s atomic theory. Relative atomic weights of elements. Atoms and molecules. Empirical formula. Molecular formula. Molecular weight (mass). Mole. Molar weight (mass). Rutherford’s atomic model. Elementary particles. Proton. Neutron. Electron. Atomic number Mass number. Isotopes.
Types of chemical compounds. Binary compounds with hydrogen. Oxides. Acid and basic oxides. Amphoteric oxides. Peroxides. Salts. Formula weight. Oxidation states (numbers).
Chemical reactions. Acid-base reactions. Redox reactions. Law of mass conservation. Law of charge conservation. Balance of a chemical reaction. Stoichiometric calculations. Balance of a redox reaction.
Black-body radiation. Planck’s hypothesis. Energy quantization. Bohr’s atomic model. Photoelectric effect. Elementary introduction to quantum mechanics. De Broglie’s hypothesis. Wavelike model of hydrogen atom. Quantum probability. Quantum numbers. Atomic orbitals. Electron spin. Pauli’s exclusion principle. Multi-electron-atom configurations.
Periodic Table of Elements. Periods and groups. Metallic and non-metallic elements. Chemical bond. Valence. Lewis’ theory. Electronic pairs. Lewis’ structures and resonances. Formal charges. Exceptions to octet rules. Molecular geometry. Valence-shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) model. Electronegativity. Polar molecules. Fundamentals of valence bond theory. s e p bonds. Hybrid orbitals. Molecular geometries and hybridization.
States of matter. The gaseous state. The PVT variables. Ideal gases. Absolute temperature. Avogadro’s hypothesis. State equation of ideal gases. Real gases. Van der Waals’ equation. Solid state. Ionic and molecular solids. Covalent solids. Metallic solids. Structure of solid water. Hydrogen bond. Interpretations of the hydrogen bond. Liquid state. Polar and non-polar liquids. Solutions. Concentration of solutions. Evaporation. Vapor pressure. Ideal solutions. Raoult’s law. Real solutions. Phase transitions. Phase diagrams. Phase diagram of water and carbon dioxide. Critical temperature. Colligative properties of solutions.
Chemical reactions. Chemical reactions. Chemical equilibrium. Self-ionization of water. Ionic product of water. pH and pOH. Acids and bases. Broensted-Lowry definition. Acid and base dissociation constants. Buffer solutions. Solubility of salts. Solubility product. Calculations of the solubility of salts.
Thermodynamic and electrochemistry. Introduction to thermodynamic theory. Heat and temperature. Conservation of energy. First principle of thermodynamic. Internal energy. State functions. Reversible and irreversible transformations. Isothermal processes. Adiabatic processes. Isobaric processes. Internal energy of an ideal gas. Enthalpy. Hess’ Law. Conversion of heat into mechanical work. Reversible thermal machine. Carnot’s cycle. Efficiency of a thermal machine. Entropy. Time-reversible and -irreversible processes. Spontaneous and irreversible processes. Second principle of thermodynamics. Interpretation of entropy. Clausius’ inequality. Thermodynamic interpretation of temperature. Molecular interpretation of entropy. Statistical thermodynamics. Boltzmann’s equation. Third principle of thermodynamics. Gibbs’ free energy. Van’t Hoff’ equation. Standard free energy. Free energy and electrical work. Electrochemical cells. Electrochemical potential. Nernst equation. Standard hydrogen electrode. Electrolysis. Electrolytic cells.

Chemistry laboratory. Observation of the course of selected chemical reactions. Preparation of solutions. Measuring the pH of aqueous solutions. Titrations. Instrumental methods for pH determination.

Didactic methods

The course is based on theoretical lectures, resolution of numerical problems, and laboratory experiments

Learning assessment procedures

The purpose of the examination is to ascertain the level of understanding and deepening of the arguments developed during the course. It is also intended to evaluate student's ability to follow a logical reasoning and to draw consistent conclusions from abstract principles underlying the chemical theory, and to employ correctly the scientific language. The exam consists of a written test, possibly followed by an oral discussion on the results of the test, to be held on different days.

Reference texts

"Modern chemistry" by David W. Oxtoby, H. P. Gillis, Alan Campion(Thomson Brook/Cole)

"Chemical principles - the quest for insights" by Peter Atkins, Loretta Jones(W. H. Freeman and Co.)

"General chemistry: principles and modern applications" by Ralph H. Petrucci, F. Geoffrey Herring, Jeffry D. Madura, Carey Bissonnette (Pearson Education Canada, Inc.)