General Chemistry I: Structure and Properties – Course Syllabus and Study Guide

General Chemistry I: Structure and Properties

Course Overview

This course provides an introduction to the fundamental principles of chemistry, focusing on atomic structure, chemical bonding, molecular structure, and the properties of matter. The course is designed for college students beginning their study of chemistry and covers both theoretical concepts and practical problem-solving skills.

Instructor and Course Information

• Instructor: Professor A. J. Shaka

• Office: Rowland Hall, Room 231A

• Textbook: Chemistry: Structure and Properties by N. J. Tro (Pearson, 2015, ISBN: 978-0-321-83648-3)

• Course Website: https://canvas.eee.uci.edu/courses/76621

Course Structure and Policies

Course Components

• Lectures: Core content delivery, including theory, examples, and problem-solving.

• Discussion Sections: Focused on practice problems and collaborative learning.

• Homework: Weekly "phonework" problems and participation in discussion problems.

• Exams: Two midterms and a final exam, with in-class quizzes and online assignments.

Grading Breakdown

• Midterm 1: 150 points

• Midterm 2: 150 points

• Final Exam: 400 points

• Weekly "phonework" problems: 100 points

• Discussion problems (participation): 50 points

• In-class quizzes: 150 points

• Total: 1000 points

Letter grades are assigned based on total points, with a standard scale (A: 925-1000, B: 825-874, etc.).

Academic Integrity

• All students are expected to adhere to the university's academic honesty policy.

• Cheating, plagiarism, or unauthorized collaboration will result in disciplinary action.

Course Topics and Weekly Schedule

The following is a summary of the main topics covered each week, based on the course timetable and assigned textbook chapters.

1. Introduction to Atomic Structure

• Key Concepts: Evidence for atoms, historical development of chemistry, elements and compounds.

• Example: Dalton's atomic theory and the law of definite proportions.

2. Particles and Waves

• Key Concepts: Dual nature of light, wave-particle duality, electromagnetic waves, quantum mechanics.

• Example: Photoelectric effect and the quantization of energy.

3. Quantization and Electronic Structure

• Key Concepts: Atomic emission of light, quantization of energy, quantum numbers, orbitals.

• Example: Hydrogen atom emission spectrum.

4. Orbitals, Periodicity, and Properties of the Elements

• Key Concepts: Electron configuration, Aufbau principle, periodic trends (atomic radius, ionization energy, etc.).

• Example: Explaining periodic trends using electron configurations.

5. Atomic Size and Structure

• Key Concepts: Valence and core electrons, trends in atomic radii, ionization energy, electron affinity.

• Example: Comparing atomic sizes across a period and down a group.

6. Ions, Ionic and Covalent Compounds

• Key Concepts: Ionization energy, electron affinity, ionic salts, chemical bonds, chemical compounds.

• Example: Formation of NaCl from sodium and chlorine atoms.

7. Lewis Structures

• Key Concepts: Octet and duet rules, chemical bonds, electron sharing, resonance structures.

• Example: Drawing the Lewis structure for CO2 and identifying resonance forms.

8. Lewis Structures, Bond Lengths and Strengths

• Key Concepts: Bond order, bond length, bond strength, resonance, formal charge.

• Example: Calculating formal charges in the nitrate ion (NO3-).

9. VSEPR and Molecular Shapes

• Key Concepts: Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory, predicting molecular shapes, polarity, orbital geometry.

• Example: Predicting the shape of methane (CH4) as tetrahedral.

10. Valence Bond Theory and Hybrid Orbitals

• Key Concepts: Valence bond theory, hybridization of atomic orbitals, sigma and pi bonds.

• Example: Explaining the bonding in ethene (C2H4) using sp2 hybridization.

Key Definitions and Concepts

• Atom: The smallest unit of an element that retains its chemical properties.

• Ion: An atom or molecule with a net electric charge due to the loss or gain of electrons.

• Electron Configuration: The arrangement of electrons in an atom's orbitals.

• Lewis Structure: A diagram showing the bonding between atoms and the lone pairs of electrons in a molecule.

• VSEPR Theory: A model used to predict the geometry of molecules based on electron pair repulsion.

• Hybridization: The mixing of atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals suitable for bonding.

Important Formulas and Equations

• Energy of a photon: $E = h\nu$ where $E$ is energy, $h$ is Planck's constant, and $\nu$ is frequency.

• Relationship between wavelength and frequency: $c = \lambda \nu$ where $c$ is the speed of light, $\lambda$ is wavelength, and $\nu$ is frequency.

• Coulomb's Law (for ionic interactions): $E = \dfrac{kQ_1Q_2}{r}$ where $E$ is the potential energy, $Q_1$ and $Q_2$ are charges, $r$ is the distance between charges, and $k$ is a constant.

• Formal Charge: $\text{Formal charge} = \text{valence electrons} - \text{nonbonding electrons} - \dfrac{1}{2}(\text{bonding electrons})$

Sample Table: Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Points
A	925-1000
A-	875-924
B+	825-874
B	775-824
B-	725-774
C+	675-724
C	625-674
C-	575-624
D	525-574
F	Below 525

Additional Information

• Students are encouraged to attend office hours for additional help.

• All course materials, announcements, and assignments will be posted on the course website.

• Be sure to check enrollment deadlines and university policies regarding course registration and drops.