General and Inorganic chemistry 1

The course aims to provide the basics of General and Inorganic Chemistry as a cultural basis essential for the understanding of the courses later encountered by the students, sequentially, organic chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology.

The course of General Chemistry will also give the student an idea of ​​the role of chemistry in society and in everyday life. In particular, the student, through the study of chemistry will not only be aware of the fundamental role carried out by this discipline in different scientific and technological fields, particularly in the chemistry of bio-systems, but will also learn the fundamental principles behind the scientific method.

The student must acquire, through the study of the fundamental laws that govern them, basic knowledge on the various states of aggregation structure with particular reference to the study of the electronic configuration of atoms and molecules and the chemical dynamics (chemical reactions especially in their stoichiometric, thermodynamic and kinetic aspects). The student will be able to correlate the structure to the chemical reactivity and to perform stoichiometric calculations at the base of chemical measurements.

The course includes 42 hours of lectures + 36 hours of exercises. The latter are useful for the final written exam. Students will also be taken once in the laboratory to carry out an experience useful for the understanding of some basic concepts of the course. An itinere test will be given to the students before the Christmas break.

Basic mathematics, basic physics, basic chemistry. 
To attend the chemistry course in-depth preliminary knowledge is not needed.
However it will be necessary to follow the lessons regarding the various topics consistently, avoiding
to be left behind in the study. Chemistry is a discipline that is built gradually and it will not be
possible to understand it if it is not done a regular and constant study during the course. 
It will be very difficult to prepare it by yourself, because many topics need time to be well received 
and matured. Students are strongly advised to take the zero courses in mathematics, physics and 
chemistry that will be given before and/or during the courses.

Strongly recommended. Attendance at lessons will positively contribute to the student's evaluation.

1. - WHAT CHEMISTRY IS: scientific method, matter, states of aggregation, substances and compounds.

2 - STOICHIOMETRY - Atomic number, mass number - Isotopes - Atomic mass unit. The concept of mole - Laws of stoichiometry - Determination of the formula of a compound - Atomic weight and molecular weight. The chemical equation and its balancing - Identification of redox reactions - Balancing redox reactions - Stoichiometric calculations: quantitative ratios in chemical reactions - Limiting reactant Numerical applications

3 - STRUCTURE OF THE ATOM - Subatomic particles: electron, proton, neutron - Bohr/Rutherford atomic model - Mechanical/wave description of the atom - Atomic orbitals - Quantum numbers - Pauli exclusion principle - Principle of maximum multiplicity

4 - PERIODIC SYSTEM OF THE ELEMENTS - Periodic classification and electronic configuration of the elements – Periodic properties: atomic and ionic radii, ionization energy, electron affinity and electronegativity.

5 - CHEMICAL BOND - Ionic bond - Covalent bond - Theory of valence bond - Electronegativity of atoms and polarity of bonds - Oxidation number - Dative bond - V.S.E.P.R. theory: molecular geometry - Hybrid orbitals - Resonance - Chemical bond and structural formulas of most common inorganic compounds. Intermolecular forces - Van der Waals and London forces - Hydrogen bond.

6 - GAS STATE - General characteristics of the gaseous state - Ideal or perfect gases - Laws of ideal gases - Equation of state of gases - Law of pressures and partial volumes - Diffusion of gases - Real gases. Numerical applications.

7 - CONDENSED STATES AND CHANGES OF STATE - Notes on the characteristics of the solid state as a function of the chemical bond - Characteristics of the liquid state - Changes of state - Vapor pressure - State diagram of water and carbon dioxide - Principle of equilibrium mobile.

8 - AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS - Types of solutions - Concentration units - Solubility (with particular reference to the solubility of ionic compounds) and heterogeneous equilibria - Henry's law - Colligative properties of solutions: lowering of vapor pressure and Raoult's law - Cryoscopy and ebullioscopy - Osmosis and osmotic pressure - Electrolyte solutions. Colligative properties of electrolytes – Degree of dissociation. Numerical applications

9 – ELEMENTS OF KINETICS - Factors influencing the reaction rate - Kinetic equation and order of reaction - Elementary reactions: step limiting the reaction rate - Activation energy - Arrenhius reaction. Catalysts

10 - CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM - Equilibrium in homogeneous systems - Mass action law and equilibrium constant - Factors influencing equilibrium. - Ionic equilibria in aqueous solution - Dissociation of water and pH - Theory of acids and bases: Arrhenius, Bronsted and Lewis Acids and Bases - Ampholytes - pH of saline solutions (hydrolysis) - Buffer solutions - Calculation of pH in solution of acids, bases, salts and buffers – pH indicators. Numerical applications and titrations.

11 – ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Galvanic cells - Nernst equation - Series of standard potentials and its importance - Electrolysis - Faraday's laws.

12 – ELEMENTS OF THERMODYNAMICS - Enthalpy - Hess' law - Entropy - Free Energy - Role of temperature in the spontaneity of chemical reactions

13 – INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Metals and non-metals: general information on chemical and physical properties, natural state and biological relevance. General characteristics of each group of the periodic system. Main oxidation states and compounds of Hydrogen, Alkali and alkaline earth metals, Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Oxygen, Sulfur and Chlorine.

Transition elements: generalities.

The underlined parts, and everything concerning the minimum knowledge for access to the tests for the programmed number (consult the Biological Sciences website), are dealt with in depth during the basic courses that will be held during the first weeks of the course

1.CHEMICAL PRINCIPLES - Atkins, Jones, Laverman

2. Stoichiometry- B I Bhatt-S B Thakore

3. Chemical Reactions and Stoichiometry, R. K. Dave

4. Chemistry: A Molecular Approach (5th edition) Nivaldo J. Tro, Global Edition

5. Chemistry & Chemical Reactivity. Kotz/Treichel/Townsed

Lecture notes

The exam consists of a written and an oral test on the topics covered in both modules of the subject. Both tests focus exclusively on the topics covered in class. All types of exam exercises will be addressed during the course. The written exam consists of exercises and open questions. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO TAKE THE WRITTEN TEST IN AN APPEAL DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE IN WHICH YOU WANT TO TAKE THE ORAL TEST. An Itinere test will be given.

The student must face the written exam with a complete preparation of the whole subject. The minimum grade to pass the written test is 18/30. The correctness of the numerical results, the clarification of the procedures implemented to obtain them, the internal coherence between logically interdependent results and the rigor in the correct use of the units of measurement associated with the physical quantities used constitute elements of evaluation of the written test. Evaluation criteria of the oral exam are the quantitative rigor in the demonstrations, the degree of depth of the arguments, the ability to establish links between different aspects of a chemical phenomenon. The acquisition of the contents of the laboratory experiences is evaluated on the basis of correctness, completeness, conciseness and properties of expression in the drafting of the reports and in the oral test. The knowledge of the CHEMICAL NOMENCLATURE is a particularly important essential requirement without which it will not be possible to pass the exam.