CHAPTER:1
SOME BASIC CONCEPTS OF CHEMISTRY
LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND GOALS:
After studying this unit, Students will be able to:
Understand and appreciate the role of chemistry in different
spheres of life;
Explain the characteristics of three states of matter;
Classify different substances into elements, compounds and
mixtures;
Define SI base units and list some commonly used prefixes;
Use scientific notations and perform simple mathematical
operations on numbers;
Differentiate between precision and accuracy;
Determine significant figures;
Convert physical quantities from one system of units to another;
Explain various laws of chemical combination;
Appreciate significance of atomic mass, average atomic mass,
molecular mass and formula mass;
Describe the terms – mole and molar mass;
Calculate the mass per cent of different elements constituting a
compound;
Determine empirical formula and molecular formula for a
compound from the given experimental data
IMPOTANCE OF CHEMISTRY
Chemistry is the branch of science that studies the composition,
properties and interaction of matter. Chemists are interested in knowing
how chemical transformations occur. Chemistry plays a central role in
science and is often intertwined with other branches of science like
physics, biology, geology etc. Chemistry also plays an important role in
daily life.
Chemistry plays an important role in meeting
human needs for food, health care products
and other materials aimed at improving the
quality of life. This is exemplified by the large
scale production of a variety of fertilizers,
improved varieties of pesticides and
insecticides. Similarly many life saving drugs
such as cisplatin and taxol, are effective in
cancer therapy and AZT (Azidothymidine)
used for helping AIDS victims, have been
isolated from plant and animal sources or
prepared by synthetic methods.
NATURE OF MATTER
(i) Solids have definite volume and definite
shape.
(ii) Liquids have definite volume but not the
definite shape. They take the shape of the
container in which they are placed.
(iii) Gases have neither definite volume nor
definite shape. They completely occupy the
container in which they are placed.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
UNITS
PREFIXES:
MASS & WEIGHT:
UNCERTAINITY IN MEASUREMENT
Meaningful ways to handle the numbers conveniently and present the data realistically with certainty to
the extent possible.
SCIENTIFIC NOTATION:
Chemistry deals with both smaller as well as large numbers ,this problem is solved by using EXPONENTIAL
NOTATION.i.e N x10n
n can have both +ve & -ve values.,N is the number between 1.000.. and 9.999…
Ex:
232.508 is written as 2.32508 X 102,moving to left of the decimal exponent value will increase.
0.00016 is written as 1.6 x10 -4 ,moving to right of the decimal the exponential value will decrease.
MATHEMATICAL OPERATIONS
MULTIPLICATION & DIVISION: ADDITION AND SUBSTRACTION
(5.6 X105 )X (6.9X108) 6.65 x104 and 8.95 x10 3
=(5.6 x6.9) x10 5+8 Exponents should made same for both the
numbers.
=3.864 x10 14
-3 4 =6.65 x104 + 0.895 x 104
2.7 x 10 /5.5 x10
-7 =7.545 x104
=0.4909 x 10
-8 2.5 x 10-2 -4.8 x10-3
= 4.909 x10
= (2.5 x 10-2 )-(0.48 x10-2 )
=2.02 x10-2
SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
Precision refers to the closeness of various measurements for the same quantity.
Accuracy is the agreement of a particular value
to the true value of the result.
Significant figures are meaningful digits which are known with certainty. The uncertainty is
indicated by writing the certain digits and the last uncertain digit. Thus, if we write a result as
11.2 mL, we say the 11 is certain and 2 is uncertain
RULES TO BE FOLLOWED:
There are certain rules for determining the number of significant figures. These are stated
below:
(1) All non-zero digits are significant. For example in 285 cm, there are three
significant figures and in 0.25 mL, there are two significant figures.
(2) Zeros preceding to first non-zero digit are not significant. Such zero indicates the
position of decimal point.
Thus, 0.03 has one significant figure and 0.0052 has two significant figures.
(3) Zeros between two non-zero digits are significant. Thus, 2.005 has four significant
figures
.
(4) Zeros at the end or right of a number are significant provided they are on the right
side of the decimal point. For example, 0.200 g has three significant figures. But, if otherwise, the terminal
zeros are not significant if there is no decimal point. For example, 100 has only one significant figure, but 100.
has three significant figures and 100.0 has four significant figures. Such numbers are better represented in
scientific notation. We can express the number 100 as 1×102 for one significant figure, 1.0×102 for two
significant figures and 1.00×102 for three significant figures.
(5) Counting numbers of objects, for example, 2 balls or 20 eggs, have infinite significant figures as these are
exact numbers and can be represented by writing infinite number of zeros after placing a decimal i.e.,
2 = 2.000000 or 20 = 20.000000
In numbers written in scientific notation, all digits are significant e.g., 4.01×102 has three significant figures, and
8.256 × 10–3 has four significant figures
ROUNDING OFF RULES:
1. If the rightmost digit to be removed is more than 5, the preceding number is
increased by one. for example, 1.386 If we have to remove 6, we have to round it
to 1.39
2. If the rightmost digit to be removed is less than 5, the preceding number is not
changed.
For example, 4.334 if 4 is to be removed, then the result is rounded upto 4.33.
3. If the rightmost digit to be removed is 5, then the preceding number is not
changed if it is an even number but it is increased by one if it is an odd number. For
example,
if 6.35 is to be rounded by removing 5, we have to increase 3 to 4 giving 6.4 as the
result. However, if 6.25 is to be rounded off it is rounded off to 6.2.
ATOMIC MASS
Today, ‘amu’ has been replaced by ‘u’
which is known as unified mass
MOLECULAR MASS:
Molecular mass is the sum of atomic masses of the elements present in a molecule. It is
obtained by multiplying the atomic mass of each element by the number of its atoms and
adding them together. For example, molecular mass of methane which contains one carbon
atom and four hydrogen atoms can be obtained as follows :
Molecular mass of methane,
(CH4) = (12.011 u) + 4 (1.008 u)
= 16.043 u
FORMULA UNIT MASS:
Formula mass instead of molecular mass as in the solid state sodium
chloride does not exist as a single entity.
Thus, formula mass of sodium chloride =atomic mass of sodium + atomic mass of chlorine
= 23.0 u + 35.5 u = 58.5 u
MOLE CONCEPT:
One mole is the amount of a substance that contains as many particles or entities as there are atoms
in exactly 12 g (or 0.012 kg) of the 12C isotope. It may be emphasized
that the mole of a substance always contain the same number of entities, no matter what
the substance may be. In order to determine this number precisely, the mass of a carbon–
12 atom was determined by a mass spectrometer and found to be equal to 1.992648 × 10–23 g.
Knowing that one mole of carbon weighs 12 g, the number of atoms in it is equal to :
= 6.022 X 1023 atoms/mol .
This number of entities in 1 mole is so important that it is given a separate name and symbol. It is
known as ‘Avogadro constant’,
The mass of one mole of a substance in grams is called its molar mass.
23
1 MOLE OF ANY SPEICES=6.022 X10
NUMBER OF THAT SPECIES=MOLAR MASS IN
GRAMS.
NOTE: Species can be atoms, molecules and
ions.
MASS PERCENTAGE:
Empirical Formula for Molecular
Formula:
STOICHIOMETRY AND
STOICHIOMETRIC CALCULATIONS
CH4 (g) + 2O2 (g) −− CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (g)
Limiting Reagent:
The reactant which is present in the lesser amount gets consumed after sometime and after that
no further reaction takes place whatever be the amount of the other reactant present. Hence,
the reactant which gets consumed, limits the amount of product formed and is, therefore,
called the limiting reagent.
REACTIONS IN SOLUTIONS
The concentration of a solution or the amount of substance present
in its given volume can be expressed in any of the following ways.
1. Mass per cent or weight per cent (w/w %)
2. Mole fraction
3. Molarity
4. Molality
MASS PERCENTAGE:
MOLE FRACTION:
MOLARITY:
MOLALITY:
THANK YOU
