"POLITEHNICA" UNIVERSITY OF TIMISOARA
SYLLABUS
for the course:
“GENERAL CHEMISTRY”
(“CHIMIE GENERALĂ”)
FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
DOMAIN CIVIL ENGINEERING
Year of study: I
Semester: 1
Course coordinator: Conf.dr.ing. Andrea KELLENBERGER
Collaborators:
Asist.dr.ing. Angela Magda, Assist.dr.ing. Liviu Costea
Number of hours / Examination / Credits
Course
Seminar
Practical works
Project
28
28
Fundamental 
In the domain  Speciality 
Course
status
Compulsory: Imposed 
Optional 
Examination Credits
E
5
Complementary 
Facultative

A. COURSE OBJECTIVES
The aim of this lecture is to initiate the student in the basics of general and physical chemistry
required for a better understanding of construction materials. The practical works are intended
to develop precise abilities in manipulating instruments and devices in a chemical laboratory.
After completion of the course, students should be able to understand the relationship between
atomic structure and properties, to analyze solutions and to determine their aggressive nature.
B. COURSE TOPICS
Introduction (2 hours): Space and matter. Substances. International System of Units
Atomic structure of the substances (10 hours): Atom structure. Atomic models. Atomic number,
mass number and chemical element. Electronic configuration of the atoms. Periodic table of the
elements. Periodic properties of the elements.
Chemical bonds and intermolecular forces (2 hours): Ionic bond. Covalent bond. Metallic
bond. Van der Waals forces. Hydrogen bond.
Gas laws (2 hours): Boyle’s law. Charles’s law. Gay Lussac’s law. Dalton’s law of partial
pressures.
Solutions (4 hours): The thermal effect of dissolving. Concentration of the solutions. Solubility.
The vapor pressure of solutions. Osmosis and osmotic pressure.
Chemical reactions (6 hours): Classification of chemical reaction., Thermal effects.
Stoichiometry.
Chemical equilibrium (2 hours): The law of mass action. Le Chatelier’s principle. Electrolytic
dissociation of water.
C. APPLICATION TOPICS
Laboratory glassware. Weighing a liquid, powder or granular substance. Measuring a volume of
solution. Preparing chemical solutions (2 hours). Qualitative analysis: identification reactions of
ions (2 hours). Quantitative analysis: ion determination by atomic absorption spectroscopy (2
hours). Acid-base titration (2 hours). Water hardness and water softening (4 hours). The
determination of the viscosity using the Höppler viscosimeter (2 hours). The determination of
penetration using the Richrdson penetrometer (2 hours). Measuring the conductivity of solutions
(2 hours). Measuring the pH of solutions (2 hours). Corrosion of metals and alloys (4 hours).
Water aggressivity towards concrete (4 hours).
D. EDUCATIONAL METHODS EMPLOYED
 Course: lecturing, conversation, explication, demonstration
 Practical works: explication, example, experiment, analysis of experimental results
E. EVALUATION PROCEDURE
Written examination with partial examination after the first 7 lectures. The exam is composed of
4 theoretical subjects (2 from the first part, 2 from the second part of the lecture) and 4
applications of the theoretical principles (2 from the first part, 2 from the second part). The final
record is calculated as 66.66% of the written exam and 33.33% of the practical works.
F. REFERENCES
1. J.W.Moore, C.L. Stanitski, P.C. Jurs, Chemistry – The molecular Science, 3rd Edition,
Thomson Brooks/Cole, 2008.
2. Ralph H. Petrucci, William S. Harwood, F. Geoffrey Herring, General Chemistry: Principles
and Modern Applications, 9th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2006.
3. Duward F. Shriver, Peter Atkins, Inorganic Chemistry, 3rd Edition, Oxford University Press,
1999.
4. S.S.Zumdahl, Basic Chemistry, DC Heath Co., Lexington – Massachusetts, 1996.
G. INTERNATIONAL COMPATIBILITY
- Technical University München – Germania (http://www.tumuenchen.de/)
- Technical University Dresden – Germania (http://tu-dresden.de/)
- University of Innsbruck – Austria (http://www.uibk.ac.at/)
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne – Elveţia (http://www.epfl.ch)
- Czech Technical University in Prague – Cehia (http://www.cvut.cz)
Date: 01.04.2011
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
Prof.dr.ing. Cornelia PĂCURARIU
COURSE COORDINATOR
Conf.dr.ing. Andrea KELLENBERGER