66907 - General Chemistry (A-L)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students should be able to possess the basic chemistry knowledge and apply them to problem solving. Students should also acquire the adequate scientific language and understand chemistry as an interdisciplinary science, particularly useful in biology.

Course contents

Knowledge:

• Introduction: Matter and measurement. Atoms, molecules and ions.
• Formulas, equation and moles. Stoichiometry. Main classes of chemical reactions.
• Periodicity and atomic structure. Ionic bonds and some main-group chemistry. Covalent bond theories and molecular structures.
• Gases: their properties and behaviour. Liquids, solids and phase changes. Solutions and their properties. Reactions in aqueous solution.
• Chemical equilibria: Le Chatelier principle, acid/base equilibria, ionic equilibria in water and their applications. Buffer solutions and hydrolysis.
• Electrochemistry: redox reactions, electrochemical cells and cell potentials.
• Chemical thermodynamics.

Abiity:

• problem solving for the main chemical problems of biological significance.

Readings/Bibliography

• Chemistry, McMurray and Fay Prentice Hall, sixth edition
• Chimica, Kotz, Treichel, Townsend, Treichel EdiSES sixth edition
• Chimica, Silberberg, Amateis McGraw-Hill fourth edition 
• Fondamenti di Chimica generale, Atkins, Jones, Laverman Zanichelli second edition
• Any recent university textbook

 

Classrooms notes and IOL didactic material. Tests related to the main teorethical aspects will be opened sequentially in the IOL platoform, following their explanation in class.

In the teacher website sample questions for the final exam are reported .

Teaching methods

Classroom lectures, based on the theorethical aspects of the chemical processes, will be given followed, in due course, by typical samples of chemical problems solved together in the classroom, in order to apply the related notions and make practise in problem solving.

In addition, each student can make his own practice by using the PC tests that will be proposed sequentially.

Lessons attendance is strongly recommended in order to make learning more easy and will be taken into account in the final evaluation.

Assessment methods

The final written evaluation will consist in at least four questions with open answers on the theoretical aspects  of the chemical processes, to be answered correctly and completely, and at lest six chemical problems based on the whole course program. The applicants will be allowed to use only their periodic table and scientific calculator during the examination, which will last two hours.

Both parts of the exam (theory and problems) must reach sufficiency in order to pass it; lessons attendance will be taken into account.

Students may apply for a single examination when their relative dates will  be published in Almaesami.

The final vote for the whole course integrated with the laboratory part will be calculated as the arithmetic average of the two single votes, averaged on their respective CFU numbers. 

 

Teaching tools

PC and videoprojector for Powerpoint presentations of  each subject. Integrative didactic material and progressive tests on the IOL platform. 

Office hours

See the website of Piera Sabatino

See the website of Simone D'Agostino