Learning objectives
The student must demonstrate the knowledge and understanding of the basic concepts of general chemistry and applying them both in solving problems (stoichiometry, balancing of reactions, thermodinamic calculations) and in the description of the subjects under consideration. The student must demonstrate an adequate knowledge of the fundamental laws of general chemistry and learn about their application to real cases; this knowledge is a prerequisite for understanding the biochemistry fundamentals which are implemented in the curriculum of the degree program.
Prerequisites
Basic mathematics: equations, inequalities, logarithms
Course unit content
In the first part, the fundamental laws of general chemistry will be explained, such as the law of conservation of mass and then the description of atomic structure, further a description of the periodic table of elements, the element properties and classification according to their properties.
Then, the course will focus on the theory of the valence bond with examples and analysis of the nature of the ionic, covalent and polar covalent bond. It will be provided some hints of inorganic nomenclature and then conventional stoichiometry problems (molar mass, the balance of reactions) will be discussed and solved.
The main fundamentals of chemical thermodynamics will be widely explained; state functions, first and second law of thermodynamics, exothermic and endothermic reactions, definition of entalpy, entropy and Gibbs free energy, spontaneity of a chemical reaction.
Then, the course will consist in the description of the main features of the states of aggregation gaseous and liquid matter. For the liquid state it will be introduced the fundamental laws of intermolecular forces and then the characteristics of the solutions and colligative properties. Afterwards the chapter related to the definition of acids and bases will be address whitin the theory of Brønsted-Lowry with explanation of concepts such as strong acids and bases, weak acids and bases, buffer solutions. The main concepts of chemical kinetics theory are introduced.
Several examples will be illustrated in the form of exercises to exemplify the application of the illustrated theoretical concepts. Additional exercises will be solved with the support of a second lecturer.
At the beginning of the course the students will attend a short test with questions on basic topics of chemistry. The students that will not pass the test will be asked to attend mandatorily the tutor lectures.
Full programme
Bibliography
P. Atkins, L. Jones, L.Laverman - Fondamenti di chimica generale – Ed. Zanichelli
R. Chang, K. Goldsby - Fondamenti di chimica generale – Ed. McGraw-Hill Education
N. J. Tro - Introduzione alla chimica. Edizione mylab - Ed. Pearson
Teaching methods
The lessons will be held in attendance with projection of summary slides of the contents covered in the course. Interaction with students (even if connected remotely) will be encouraged to:
- check the acquired knowledge and one's degree of understanding of the proposed topics;
- verify the ability to apply theoretical knowledge and understanding to the proposed problems;
Each lesson is videotaped and uploaded to the Elly portal of the course together with the relevant slides.
The student is then required to resume and understand the contents conveyed during the lectures with the help of a textbook (chosen from those recommended), and to apply them independently through the execution of the exercises proposed in class and those present in the textbook.
The teacher is available for clarification on the topics covered in class and on the exercises performed individually by appointment (agreed by e-mail) remotely via Teams or during office hours.
Each lesson will be videotaped and uploaded to the Elly portal of the course together with the slides used during the lectures, as well as a large number of exercises and written tests proposed in previous academic years to be used for practical purposes.
The supplementary educational material (slides) is not to be considered a substitute for the use of a textbook to be chosen from those recommended.
Assessment methods and criteria
The evaluation procedure consists on a written test with ten open questions including theoretical and practical exercises. Each question will be ranked for a maximum of three points. The test is overcome if the overall evaluation of the written exam will reach the score of 18 upon 30 overall points.
Other information
