General Chemistry Course Objectives

Instructors in CHEM 111 agree to cover the following topics. They may choose to cover more, but must not include material that the Department agrees will be reserved for CHEM 112.

Instructors in CHEM 112 cannot assume their students have exposure to topics not on the departmentally approved CHEM 111 objectives. Instructors are free to cover this material in the order they find most convenient.

Objectives for CHEM 111

Fundamentals

Measurements: units, uncertainty
Dimensional analysis, problem solving
Atomic theory
Formulas, masses, the mole
Chemical equations: balancing, stoichiometry, net ionic equations

Thermochemistry; enthalphy, Hess’s law, enthalpy of formation, calorimetry

Laws of thermodynamics

Structure and Bonding

Light and spectroscopy
Bohr model versus Quantum Mechanical model
Orbitals, quantum numbers, periodic table
Periodic trends
Electronegativity; ionic versus covalent compounds
Lewis structures, formal charge, resonance
VSEPR, hybridization, molecular orbital theory

States of Matter

Gas laws
Kinetic molecular theory
Real gases
Intermolecular forces
Liquids and solids
Phase changes

Objectives for CHEM 112

Kinetics

Reaction rates
Rate law
Collision theory
Reaction mechanisms, rate-limiting step
Radioactive decay

Chemical Equilibrium

Dynamic equilibrium; homogeneous versus heterogeneous equilibria
Equilibrium constant and related calculations
LeChatelier’s principle

Chemical Applications

Solutions and solution chemistry
Acid-base equilibria
pH
Titrations
Buffers
Solubilities of ionic compounds
Common ion effect

Energy

Entropy, spontaneity, standard entropy
Gibbs free energy
REDOX
Electromotive force
Voltaic cells
Standard Potentials and the Nernst equation
Radioactivity

Laboratory Skills for CHEM 111 and CHEM 112

Instructors in CHEM 111 and 112 agree to address the following skills in laboratory exercises.

Equipment/Instrumentation

Use of volumetric glassware, including buret
Cleaning glassware
Use of Balance
Use of Bunsen burner
Use of spectrometer
Use of pH meter
Use of basic laboratory equipment

Safety and General Good Laboratory Practices

Safe lab practices
Proper handling of reagents
Notebook skills (data acquisition and data handling)
Spreadsheet skills (tables and graphs)

Specific techniques

Preparation of Solutions
Titrations

In addition, our program introduces experimental design and builds critical thinking skills through project oriented laboratories (at least one project per semester).