FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY I (CHEM 103a)
Learning Objectives
NOMENCLATURE
 Know the IUPAC symbols of the most commonly referenced elements;
 Know the names, formulas, and charges of commonly referenced polyatomic ions;
PROPERTIES OF MATTER
 Describe how matter is classified by state of matter (gas, liquid, solid) and by composition
(element, compound, mixture);
 Explain the difference between chemical and physical changes and demonstrate how these
changes can be used to separate mixtures and compounds into their components;
 Understand the difference between chemical and physical properties;
 Describe and contrast the characteristics of elements, compounds, and mixtures;
 Understand the definitions of mixture, element, compound, molecule, atom, and ion;
 Describe the phase and energy changes associated with different phase transitions;
 Understand a phase diagram and compare phase diagrams of different substances. Identify
the melting point curve, vapor pressure curve, sublimation curve, and triple point;
 Predict boiling point changes based on changes in room pressure;
 Understand the concept of gas pressure;
 Know the basis and importance of the absolute temperature scale and how to convert
between Kelvin and Celsius;
 Understand the relationships that exist among volume, temperature, pressure and number of
particles and be able to apply them mathematically;
 Understand the ideal gas law and solve problems based on it;
 Describe differences between solids, liquids, and gases at the molecular level;
 Use the kinetic molecular theory to explain the states and properties of matter and phase
changes;
 Understand the difference between an ideal and real gas, the assumptions made about an
ideal gas, and what conditions favor ideal behavior for a real gas;
STOICHIOMETRY
 Understand the meaning of mole and Avogadro’s number;
 Convert between grams, moles, and particles of substances using the mole;
 Recognize the difference between atomic mass, molecular mass, and molar mass;
 Explain how the law of conservation of mass forms the basis for balancing chemical
reactions and know what quantities are conserved in physical and chemical changes.
 Use coefficients to balance chemical equations;
 Understand and appropriately use the symbols for state of matter, condition, energy, and
reaction direction ( ,  ) in writing chemical equations;
 Use chemical equations to perform basic mole-mole, mass-mass, and mass-mole
computations;
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Derive quantitative information about reactants and products in a chemical reaction on a
mass, particle, mole, and gas volume level;
Know Avogadro’s law and use it to solve stoichiometric problems;
Solve stoichiometry problems involving gases;
Identify limiting reagents and apply them mathematically to problems of reaction
stoichiometry;
Compute theoretical yield and percent yield;
THERMOCHEMISTRY
 Explain the law of conservation of energy in chemical reactions;
 Describe the concept of heat, and explain the difference between heat and temperature;
 Explain physical and chemical changes as exothermic or endothermic changes;
 Predict the amount of energy released or absorbed during a phase change (appropriate use of
heats of fusion, evaporation, etc.);
 Calculate heat of reaction for a given reaction using information for different sets of related
chemical processes (Hess’s Law);
 Understand the concept of enthalpy and how enthalpy changes determine whether a reaction
is endothermic or exothermic;
 Use standard enthalpies of formation to calculate heats of reaction;
 Understand and apply the relationship for the enthalpy change associated with forward and
reverse reactions;
ATOMIC STRUCTURE AND PERIODICITY
 Understand some of the experimental and theoretical evidence for the quantum mechanical
atomic model (ionization potentials, line spectra, photoelectric effect, wave-particle duality);
 Understand the concept of atomic orbital and recognize basic orbital shapes forhydorgen-like
atoms (s, p, d, f);
 Use the Aufbau process to specify the electron configuration of an atom or ion;
 Describe and explain the organization of elements into periods and groups in the periodic
table based on electronic structure;
 Identify regions (groups, families, series) of the periodic table and describe the chemical
characteristics of each;
 Compare the periodic properties of the elements (metal/non-metal/metalloid behavior,
electrical/heat conductivity, ionization energy, electronegativity and electron affinity,
atomic/covalent/ionic radius) and how they relate to position in the periodic table;
 Use the periodic table to predict the valence electron configuration of the elements, to
identify members of configuration families, and to predict the common valence of the
elements;
 Use the periodic table to determine the atomic number, atomic mass, mass number, and
number of protons, electrons, and neutrons in an atom;
 Compare the characteristics of isotopes of the same element;
 Calculate the average atomic mass of an element from isotopic abundance, given the atomic
mass of each contributor;
BONDING AND MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
 Understand how ionic and covalent bonds form;
 Describe the nature of the chemical bond with respect to the properties of the participating
atoms;
 Explain how ionic and covalent compounds differ;
 Classify solids as ionic, molecular/covalent or metallic;
 Use Lewis electron dot diagrams to represent bonding in ionic and molecular/covalent
compounds;
 Draw Lewis formulas for molecules and polyatomic ions, including those which require
resonance structures;
 Use VSEPR theory to predict the geometries of molecules and polyatomic ions;
 Understand the structural implications of the formation of double bonds and triple bonds
between atoms;
 Determine bond polarity based on the electronegativity of the atoms;
 Describe the relationship between molecular polarity and bond polarity;
 Determine whether molecules are polar or non-polar based on bond polarity and molecular
geometry;
INTREMOLECULAR FORCES
 Predict the nature and strength of intermolecular forces based on molecular geometry and
polarity;
 Understand the concept of hydrogen bonding;
 Describe the unique characteristics of water (i.e. hydrogen bonding, high boiling point, low
density of ice)
 Explain the connection among evaporation, vapor pressure, molecular kinetic theory, and
boiling for a pure substance based on molecular structure and intermolecular forces;
 Predict the relative boiling points and vapor pressures of different substances based on their
molecular structure and intermolecular forces;
SOLUTIONS
 Understand the definitions of solution, solute, and solvent;
 Define the terms saturated, unsaturated, supersaturated, dilute, and concentrated as they
pertain to solutions;
 Give examples of solid, liquid, or gas medium solutions;
 Define and calculate the molarity of a solution;
 Determine the amount of ions of a certain type in an aqueous solution;
 Write ionic equations, identifying spectator ions and the net ionic equation;
 Solve stoichiometry calculations based on reactions involving aqueous solutions;
 Understand the relationship between solvent character and solute character to make
judgments about miscibility and solubility;
 Describe qualitatively the effect of adding solute on freezing point, boiling point, and vapor
pressure;
FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY II (CHEM 103b)
Learning Objectives
KINETICS
 Define mathematically the rate of a chemical reaction with respect to the appearance of
products and the disappearance of reactants;
 Understand rate laws and write a rate law given experimental data;
 Identify the order of a reaction with respect to specific reactants and the overall order of the
reaction;
 Derive the units of the rate constant;
 Derive a rate law using the method of initial rates and use it to make predictions about the
rate of reaction;
 Apply graphical methods for determining the order of a reaction with respect to a given
reactant;
 Describe the meaning of reaction mechanism, elementary process, rate determining step, and
rapid equilibrium.
 Predict the rate law given the reaction mechanism;
 Explain the collision theory of reactions;
 Analyze factors affecting reaction rates in relation to the kinetic theory;
 Understand the meaning of activation energy and activated complex, the relationship
between temperature and formation of the activated complex, and the relationship between
temperature and the rate constant;
 Use Arrhenius equation to calculate rate constants and the effect of temperature and
activation energy on reaction rates;
 Relate reaction mechanism, rate determining step, activated complex, heat of reaction,
activation energy to reaction kinetics;
 Understand the meaning of catalyst and the effects of catalysts on reaction rates;
EQUILIBRIUM
 Understand the relationship that exists between reaction kinetics (rates) and chemical
equilibrium;
 Describe the conditions which define equilibrium systems on a dynamic molecular level and
on a static macroscopic scale;
 Apply LeChatelier’s principle to explain a variety of changes in physical and chemical
equilibria;
 Understand the law of concentration (mass) action and write equilibrium expressions for
chemical equilibria;
 Write equilibrium law expressions in terms of pressure for gas phase equilibria;
 Manipulate the equilibrium law expression to calculate: equilibrium constants,
concentrations, partial pressures, and total pressure at equilibrium;
 Understand the concept of reaction quotient and apply it to the prediction of reaction
direction in chemical equilibria;
 Understand at a qualitative level the effect of temperature on the equilibrium constant;
THERMODYNAMICS
 Understand the definition of entropy, the role of entropy in determining the directionality of
chemical and physical changes, and the changes that favor increases in entropy;
 Describe the concepts of enthalpy favored, entropy favored, enthalpy driven, entropy driven,
enthalpy disfavored, and entropy disfavored;
 Understand the relationship between spontaneity and the signs of H and S;
 Understand the concept of Gibbs Free Energy and its importance;
 Calculate Grxn from values of Ho and So and use the results to predict spontaneity;
 Understand the relationship between temperature and Grxn.
SOLUBILITY AND PRECIPITATION
 Given a solubility equilibrium system, determine solubility product constants from
solubilities and vice versa;
 Understand the definition of Ksp and manipulate Ksp to predict solubility;
 Use Ksp to calculate the concentration of an ion necessary to cause precipitation and to
predict the concentration of an ion after precipitation;
 Understand the common ion effect as it relates to solubility and calculate solubilities given
various concentrations of common ions;
 Use Qsp to predict whether a precipitate will form;
ACID AND BASES
 Understand the nature and interactions of acids and bases;
 Describe the hydronium ion and the concept of amphoterism;
 Describe Arrhenius and Bronsted-Lowry acids and bases;
 Identify conjugate acids and bases in reactions;
 Understand solvent interactions and the definitions of acidic solution and basic solution;
 Describe the difference between strong and weak acids and bases, and know how to identify
which acids and bases are strong and which are weak;
 Understand the concept of percent ionization, Ka and Kb and their relationship to acid/base
strength;
 Calculate hydronium ion concentration, hydroxide ion concentarion, pH, and pOH for acidic
and basic solutions;
 Calculate the pH of solutions of salts of acids, bases, and key transition metal ions;
 Calculate the pH of a solution of acids and bases with common ions present in the solution;
 Write and balance simple equations for neutralization reactions;
 Qualitatively understand the behavior of a buffer and explain why buffer solutions maintain
pH upon dilution;
 Use the Henderson-Hasselbach equation to compute the pH of a buffer solution;
 Predict the pH of a buffer solution after quantities of acid or base have been added.
REDOX REACTIONS AND ELECTROCHEMISTRY
 Understand the concepts of REDOX reaction, oxidation, reduction, oxidizing agent, and
reducing agent.
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Know common oxidation states of elements, assign oxidation numbers (states) to reaction
species, identify the species oxidized and reduced, and the oxidizing agent and reducing
agent in a REDOX reaction;
Balance REDOX reactions by the ion-electron and half-reaction method;
Diagram and explain the operation of an electrochemical cell;
Understand the concept of standard reduction potential and compute cell potentials;
Determine the net voltage Eo obtained when standard half-cells are paired to form a voltaic
cell and use this information to predict reaction spontaneity;
Compute the equilibrium constant given Eo;
Describe how cell voltage depends on concentration, understand the Nernst equation and
apply it to estimate cell potentials under non-standard conditions;
Understand the operation of an electrolytic cell and compute amounts and masses for the
products and reactants given the electric current (Faraday’s law);