School Programmes, Syllabi & Academic Information.

CHEMISTRY

CHEMISTRY (81 hours)

Course Description

Chemistry is the study of the substances of which matter is composed, the investigation of their properties and reactions and the use of such reactions to form new substances.

This course introduces students to chemistry and to its general concepts. Its aim is to impart understanding of how scientific knowledge is acquired and communicated, surveying the history of Chemistry from ancient years to the present time with its momentous achievements. The course syllabus focuses on fundamental chemistry concepts and skills, the nature of materials, including natural and synthetic substances, and the contemporary theories that underpin our understanding of chemistry. Through the principles of Chemistry, students will gain solid understanding of everyday life, nature and technology, and the impact of the daily applications of Chemistry on the well-being of modern human beings.

Aim of the Course 

The course will focus on the basic concepts of General Chemistry:

  1. MATTER AND MEASUREMENT
  2. ATOMS, MOLECULES, AND IONS
  • PERIODIC TABLE
  1. STOICHIOMETRY
  2. ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE OF ATOMS
  3. BASIC CONCEPTS OF CHEMICAL BONDING
  • CHEMICAL KINETICS & EQUILIBRIUM
  • THE CHEMISTRY OF LIFE: ORGANIC AND BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 

Learning Outcomes  

A student completing this course will be able to: 

  • use dimensional analysis to solve problems
  • understand the fundamental properties of atoms, molecules, and the various states of matter with an emphasis on the particulate nature of matter
  • understand the mole concept and use it perform calculations relating quantities of substances to each other in reactions
  • understand the fundamentals of acid/base reactions, redox reactions, combustion reactions, and precipitation reactions
  • explain the relationship among heat, work, internal energy and enthalpy changes to solve problems involving thermochemical concepts
  • understand the fundamental atomic structure and simple quantum mechanical treatments of atoms
  • explain the concept of quantisation as applied to modern atomic theory
  • understand the periodic properties of the elements
  • determine chemical connections between atoms using different bonding theories and determine the three dimensional shape of a substance
  • understand the basic concepts of organic chemistry, the chemistry of life and biomolecules
  • Effectively read, write, speak and understand scientific material

Syllabus

Matter & Measurement

Atoms, molecules, ions, solutions, relative atomic masses, properties of matter, dimensional analysis

Basics of chemical nomenclature

Inorganic compounds and Organic compounds

Chemical equations

Writing equations and prediction of reaction types, balancing equations, molar interpretation of the balanced equation, the mole ratio, mole-mole, mole-gram, gram-gram conversions, examples of equations involving aqueous solutions and gases, precipitates, oxidation number, redox and ionic equations.

Atomic structure

Evidence for atomic structure, subatomic particles, isotopes, mass numbers.

Electronic structure

Evidence for the electronic structure of atoms, shells, sub-shells, electrons and orbitals, predicting electronic structures, ionisation energies, trends across the periodic table, s block metals and their compounds, p block elements and their compounds, transition metals and their compounds.

Acids and bases

Bronsted-Lowry acids and bases, conjugate pairs, amphoterism, polyprotic acids and bases, ionisation equilibrium of water, pH and pKa definitions

The electronic theory and chemical bonding

Ionic bonding, covalent bonding (sharing electrons), determining the shapes of some simple molecules.

Intermolecular forces

Polarity and bonding, Van der Waals’ forces, hydrogen bonding.

Energy changes and bonding

Ideas and language of thermochemistry, standard heats of formation and combustion, predicting whether reactions will occur, uses of bond energies, energy sources for the future.

Equilibria

Equilibria in physical and chemical processes, the equilibrium of a solute between two immiscible solvents, partition coefficient, solvent extraction, equilibrium law and constant, factors affecting equilibria, ionic and heterogeneous equilibria, acid base indicators, pH changes during titration.

Entropy and free energy

Entropy changes and free energy changes.

Reaction rates

Factors affecting the rate of a reaction, catalysis, use of reaction rate studies.

Basics of Organic Chemistry

Isomerism, functional groups, basic reaction mechanisms in organic chemistry, organic nomenclature. Nomenclature, properties and reactivity of: alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aromatic hydrocarbons; halogenoalkanes and halogenoarenes; alcohols, phenols and ethers; aldehydes and ketones; amines; carboxylic acids and their derivatives – halogenoacids, aminoacids, hydroxyacids; acid halogenides, esters, amides, anhydrides; carbonic acid derivatives.

Biochemistry

Saccharides: structure – linear and cyclic formulae, monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides, importance in biochemistry. Lipids: classification, composition, properties, importance in biochemistry. Proteins: basic amino acids (formulae), peptide bonds, composition and function of proteins. Nucleic acids: composition, nucleosides, nucleotides, base pairing, structure and function. Enzymes: characteristics, classification, digestive enzymes. Basic metabolic pathway of saccharides, triacylglycerols and proteins. Energy production.

Resources and booklist suggestions:

  1. Chemistry, the Central Science, Theodore L. Brown et al., 12th edition, 2012
  2. General Chemistry, Ebbin & Gabbon, 9th edition, 2007
  3. General Chemistry – the essential concepts, Chang & Overby, 6th edition, 2011