HAWASSA UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF NATURAL AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Course Title: General Chemistry

Course Code: Chem1011

Credit Hours/ECTS: 3(5)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course covers essential ideas in chemistry, measurements and units, classification of matter,
composition of substances and solution, chemical reactions, reactions stoichiometry, electronic structure
and periodic properties of elements, the chemical bond and molecular geometry, concepts of
equilibrium and acid-base equilibrium, basic concepts of organic chemistry and some selected laboratory
activities.

Objective of the course

Upon completing this course, you will be able to:

 Recall and summarize the previous High and preparatory School chemistry concepts
 List out possible chemical units and composition of matter
 Predict the type of compounds formed from elements based on their location in periodic table
 Discuss about stoichiometry of chemical reactions
 Understand the quantum mechanical model of an atom
 Discuss the formation of ionic and covalent bonds
 Predict the molecular structures of simple compounds using VSEPR theory
 Explain the dynamic nature of chemical equilibrium and discuss acid-base equilibrium
 Name and differentiate different organic compounds based on their functional groups
 Describe the structure and properties of hydrocarbons and their derivatives
 Develop the skill of handling and operating some laboratory equipment
 Develop the skill of performing different laboratory activities

COURSE CONTENT
UNIT 1: Essential Ideas in Chemistry

1.1 Chemistry in Context

1.1.1 Chemistry as the central science

1.1.2 The scientific method

1.1.3 The Domains of Chemistry

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1.2 State and classification of matter

1.2.1 State of matter

1.2.2 Classification of matter

1.3 Physical and chemical properties

1.4 Extensive and intensive property

1.5 Measurements and units

1.5.1 SI units

1.5.2 Derived SI units

1.6 Measurement uncertainty

1.6.1 Significant figures in measurement

1.6.2 Significant figures in calculation

1.6.3 Accuracy and Precision

1.7 Conversion factors and dimensional analysis

Unit 2: Atoms, Molecules and Ions

2.1 Atomic structure and symbolism

2.1.1 Chemical symbols and isotopes

2.1.2 Atomic mass unit and average atomic mass

2.2 Chemical formulas

2.3 The periodic table

2.3.1 Historical development of the periodic table

2.3.2 Classification of elements in the periodic table

2.4 Ionic and Molecular compounds

2.4.1 Formation of Ionic Compounds

2.4.2 Formation of molecular compounds

2.5 Chemical nomenclature

2.5.1 Ionic compounds

[Link] Compounds Containing only Monatomic Ions

[Link] Compounds Containing Polyatomic Ions

[Link] Compounds Containing a Metal Ion with a Variable Charge

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[Link] Ionic Hydrates

2.5.2 Molecular compounds

[Link] Compounds composed of two elements

[Link] Binary acids Oxyacids

Unit 3: Composition of Substances and Solutions

3.1 Formula mass and mole concept

3.1.1 Formula mass

3.1.2 Mole concept

3.2 Determining empirical and molecular formulas

3.2.1 Percent composition

3.2.2 Determination of empirical formulas

3.2.3 Determination of molecular formulas

3.3 Molarity and other concentration units

3.3.1 Molarity

3.3.2 Dilution of solution

3.3.3 Percentage (W/W, W/V and V/V)

[Link] Mass Percentage

[Link] Volume Percentage

[Link] Mass-Volume Percentage, Parts per million (ppm) & Part per billion (ppb)

Unit 4. Stoichiometry of Chemical Reaction

4.1 Writing and balancing chemical equations

4.1.1 Writing chemical equation

4.1.2 Balancing chemical equation

4.1.3 Equation for ionic reaction

4.2 Classification of chemical reactions

4.2.1 Acid base reactions

4.2.2 Precipitation reactions and solubility rules

4.2.3 Redox reactions

4.3 Reaction stoichiometry

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4.4 Reaction yields

4.4.1 Limiting reactant

4.4.2 Percent yield

4.5 Quantitative Chemical Analysis

4.5.1 Acid-base titration

4.5.2 Gravimetric analysis

Unit 5: Electronic Structure and Periodic Properties of Elements

5.1. Electromagnetic energy

5.1.1. The Characteristics of Light

5.1.2. Quantization and Photons

5.2. The Bohr Model

5.3. Development of Quantum theory

5.3.1. The quantum mechanical model of an atom

5.3.2. Quantum Theory of electrons in atoms

5.3.3. The Pauli exclusion principle

5.4. Electronic structure of atoms

5.4.1. Orbital energies and atomic structure

5.4.2. The Aufbau principle

5.4.3. Electronic configuration and the periodic table

5.4.4. Electronic configuration of ions

5.5. Periodic variation in element properties

5.5.1. Variation in covalent radius

5.5.2. Variation in ionic radii

5.5.3. Variation in ionization energies.

5.5.4 Variation in electron affinities

Unit 6. Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry

6.1 Ionic Bonding

6.1.1 Formation of Ionic Compounds

6.6.2 Electronic structure of cations and anions

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6.2 Covalent Bonding

6.2.1. Formation of covalent bonds.

6.2.2. Polarity of covalent bonds

6.3. Lewis structures

6.3.1. Writing Lewis structures with the octet rule

6.3.2. Exception to the octet rule

6.4. Formal charges and resonances

6.4.1. Calculating formal charge

6.4.2. Predicting molecular structure using formal charge

6.4.3. Resonance

6.5. Strengths of ionic and covalent bonds

6.5.1. Ionic bond strength and lattice energy

6.5.2. Bond strength of covalent bond

6.6. Molecular structure and polarity

6.6.1. Valence shell electron pair repulsion theory (VSEPR)

6.6.2. Molecular structure and dipole moment

Unit 7. Equilibrium Concepts and Acid-base Equilibrium

7.1. Chemical equilibrium

7.2. Le Chatelier‟s

7.3. Equilibrium calculation

7.4. Concepts of acid-base

7.4.1. Arrhenius concept

7.4.2. Bronsted-Lowery concept

7.4.3. Lewis concept

7.5. pH and pOH

7.6. Relative strengths of acids and bases

7.7. Buffers solution

Unit 8: Organic Chemistry

8.1. Hydrocarbons

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8.1.1 Alkanes

8.1.2. Alkenes

8.1.2 Alkynes

8.2 Aromatic Hydrocarbons

8.3 Alcohols and Ethers

8.3.1 Alcohols

8.3.2 Ethers

8.4 Aldehydes, Ketones,Carboxylic acids and Esters

8.4.1 Aldehydes and Ketones

8.4.2 Carboxylic acids and Esters

8.5 Amines and Amides

8.5.1 Amines

8.5.2 Amides

Assessment Strategies and Techniques:

About 50% continuous assessments (Quizzes, Tests, Assignments, Project Work and/or

Mid-examination) and 50% final examination

References

1. R. Chang, General Chemistry: The Essential Concepts, 5th ed., 2008

2. J.W. Hill and R.H. Petrucci, General Chemistry: An Integrated Approach, 2nd ed., 1999.

3. Patricia Eldredge, R.H. H and, LLC, General Chemistry-Principles, Patterns, and Applications, 2011.
([Link]

4. David W. Ball, Introductory Chemistry, Cleveland State University, 2011, ([Link]

5. J. E. Brady, J. W. Russel and J.R. Holum, General Chemistry: Principles and Structure, 5th ed., 2006.

6. S. S. Zumdahl and S.A. Zumdahl, Chemistry, 7th ed., 2007

7. J. McMurry, Organic Chemistry, 8th ed., 20P