10533 - Lab-based Course in General and Inorganic Chemistry

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to become familiar with the basic equipment and techniques of the chemical laboratory. In particular, students will be able to: read safety data sheets, use chemicals safely; use the IUPAC nomenclature and SI units; perform stoichiometric calculations and prepare solutions of known concentration; collect and process experimental data; correlating experimental data with the principles of chemistry.

Course contents

The course requires attendance at least 75% of the lessons and laboratory activities. To access the laboratory exercises, it is necessary to have attended 4/5 of the General Chemistry lessons held up to the beginning of the laboratory. It is also mandatory to have participated in the safety training courses.

The following topics will be covered during the course:

- Safety in chemical laboratories.

- The laboratory equipment.

- Fundamental laboratory techniques.

-Execution of laboratory experience and data analysis.

The experimental part of the course is based on the following laboratory exercises:

1. Purification of benzoic acid
2. Chemical reactions, redox and reducing power scale
3. Preparation of double salts
4. Solubility of silver acetate
5. Acid-base titrations
6. Solution equilibria: buffer solutions
7.Determination of an equilibrium constant with spectrophotometric measurements
8. Redox titrations
9. Stoichiometric verification: copper reactions
10. Determination of equilibrium constants with electrochemical measurements

NB: depending on the availability of reagents and instrumentation there may be small variations on the experiences.

 

Readings/Bibliography

The professor distributes the laboratory manual where the laboratory experiences are described.


The theoretical treatment of the topics was dealt with in the general chemistry course and is reported in any university chemistry textbook.

Kotz, Treichel, Weaver, "Chemistry", EdiSES

Atkins, Jones "Principles of Chemistry," Zanichelli editor.

Teaching methods

As concerns the teaching methods of this course unit, all students must attend Module 1, 2 online, while Module 3 on health and safety is to be attended in class or on Microsoft Teams according to the modality chosen by the teacher. Information about Module 3 attendance schedule is available on the website of your degree programme.

The course includes:

Lectures to prepare the student for laboratory exercises. The lessons will therefore focus on numerical exercises useful for solving stoichiometric problems; classroom demonstrations of the exercises that will then be carried out in the laboratory; presentation of work procedures.

The student's preparation and understanding of the experiences will be tested through the ongoing evaluation of the reports prepared by the student.

The exercises are individual and have the purpose of making the student acquire the basic skills that are necessary to perform the laboratory activities.

The exercises will be programmed so that within each of them the student can practically verify the solutions of the problems outlined in theoretical form during classroom lessons.

The student will have to draw up a report for each laboratory experience to be delivered to the teacher

Assessment methods

The student must produce a written report for each practical laboratory exercise.

The reports will be evaluated in progress by a vote out of thirty (x/30).

There is no final exam, passing the course will be conditional on attending at least 75% of the entire course and obtaining a positive evaluation of at least 75% of the reports.

Teaching tools

Teaching activity in the room:

blackboard, PowerPoint presentations, multimedia material

For the exercises, the didactic laboratory of general and inorganic chemistry of the Interdepartmental Center for the Chemistry and Pharmacy Teaching Laboratories - CILDIC will be used.

To access the laboratory, one must wear a laboratory coat, which each student must procure independently. At the same time, protective goggles and latex/nitrile gloves will be available in the laboratory.
Access to the laboratories is carried out in compliance with the protocols approved by the "Giacomo Ciamician" Department of Chemistry.

Online courses on safety and health in study and research areas. Modules 1 and 2 in e-learning mode

Module 3 Information on the dates and methods of attendance of module 3 can be consulted in the specific section of the degree program website.

Office hours

See the website of Simone D'Agostino