Skip to main content
Indietro

General Chemistry Study Guide: Matter, Measurement, and Chemical Quantities

Guida di studio - Note intelligenti

Appunti personalizzati basati sui tuoi materiali, ampliati con definizioni chiave, esempi e contesto.

Chapter 1: Matter and Measurement

Matter: Definition and Classification

Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. It can be classified into two main types: pure substances and mixtures.

  • Pure Substances: Have a fixed composition and distinct properties. They are further divided into:

    • Elements: Substances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means. Examples: Oxygen (O2), Iron (Fe).

    • Compounds: Substances composed of two or more elements chemically combined in fixed proportions. Examples: Water (H2O), Sodium chloride (NaCl).

  • Mixtures: Physical combinations of two or more substances. They can be separated by physical means and are classified as:

    • Homogeneous Mixtures (Solutions): Uniform composition throughout. Example: Saltwater.

    • Heterogeneous Mixtures: Non-uniform composition. Example: Sand and iron filings.

Physical and Chemical Changes

  • Physical Change: Alters the form or appearance but not the composition. Examples: Melting ice, dissolving sugar in water.

  • Chemical Change: Results in the formation of new substances. Examples: Rusting of iron, burning of wood.

Physical and Chemical Properties

  • Physical Properties: Can be observed without changing the substance's identity. Examples: Color, melting point, density.

  • Chemical Properties: Describe a substance's ability to undergo chemical changes. Examples: Flammability, reactivity with acid.

  • Intensive Properties: Independent of the amount of substance. Examples: Density, boiling point.

  • Extensive Properties: Depend on the amount of substance. Examples: Mass, volume.

SI Units and Measurement

  • The seven basic SI units are:

Quantity

Unit

Symbol

Length

meter

m

Mass

kilogram

kg

Time

second

s

Temperature

kelvin

K

Amount of substance

mole

mol

Electric current

ampere

A

Luminous intensity

candela

cd

Temperature Conversions

  • To convert between Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin:

Metric Conversions and Factor-Label Method

  • Use conversion factors to change units. The factor-label method (dimensional analysis) involves multiplying by fractions that represent the relationship between units.

  • Example: To convert 5.0 cm to meters:

Density

  • Density is the mass per unit volume of a substance.

  • Formula:

  • Example: If a block has a mass of 10 g and a volume of 2 cm3, its density is .

Significant Figures and Scientific Notation

  • Significant Figures: Digits in a measurement that are known with certainty plus one estimated digit.

  • Scientific Notation: Expresses numbers as a product of a coefficient and a power of ten. Example:

Chapter 2 & 3: Atoms, Elements, and Chemical Quantities

The Periodic Table: Organization and Families

  • The periodic table was originally organized by atomic mass, but is now arranged by atomic number (number of protons).

  • Families/Groups:

    • Alkali Metals (Group 1): Highly reactive, soft metals (e.g., Na, K).

    • Alkaline Earth Metals (Group 2): Reactive, but less so than alkali metals (e.g., Mg, Ca).

    • Halogens (Group 17): Very reactive nonmetals (e.g., Cl, F).

    • Noble Gases (Group 18): Inert, colorless gases (e.g., Ne, Ar).

    • Transition Metals (Groups 3-12): Metals with variable charges and colored compounds (e.g., Fe, Cu).

Metals, Nonmetals, and Metalloids

  • Metals: Good conductors, malleable, ductile, shiny; found on the left and center of the periodic table.

  • Nonmetals: Poor conductors, brittle, dull; found on the right side.

  • Metalloids: Properties intermediate between metals and nonmetals; found along the staircase (e.g., Si, B).

Writing and Naming Chemical Compounds

  • Ionic Compounds: Formed from metals and nonmetals. Name the cation first, then the anion (e.g., NaCl: sodium chloride).

  • Molecular Compounds: Formed from nonmetals. Use prefixes to indicate number of atoms (e.g., CO2: carbon dioxide).

  • Binary Compounds: Contain two elements (e.g., H2O).

  • Ternary Compounds: Contain three different elements (e.g., NaNO3).

  • Transition Metal Ionic Compounds: Use Roman numerals to indicate the metal's charge (e.g., FeCl2: iron(II) chloride).

Polyatomic Ions: Formulas and Charges

Ion

Formula

Charge

Ammonium

NH4+

+1

Nitrate

NO3-

-1

Sulfate

SO42-

-2

Carbonate

CO32-

-2

Phosphate

PO43-

-3

Hydroxide

OH-

-1

Acetate

C2H3O2-

-1

Percent Composition of a Compound

  • Percent composition is the percent by mass of each element in a compound.

  • Formula:

  • Example: In H2O, %H =

Hydrates: Formulas and Naming

  • Hydrate: An ionic compound with water molecules attached.

  • Naming: Name the compound, then add a prefix for the number of waters (e.g., CuSO4·5H2O: copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate).

  • Math: Calculate the percent water or determine the formula from mass data.

Counting Atoms in a Formula

  • Multiply the subscript of each element by the coefficient (if present).

  • Example: In 2 H2O, there are 4 H atoms and 2 O atoms.

Gram Formula Mass (GFM) or Molar Mass (MM)

  • Molar Mass: The mass of one mole of a substance (g/mol).

  • Sum the atomic masses of all atoms in the formula.

  • Example: Molar mass of CO2 = 12.01 + 2(16.00) = 44.01 g/mol

The Mole Concept

  • One mole contains Avogadro's number () of particles (atoms, molecules, or ions).

  • At STP (Standard Temperature and Pressure), one mole of any gas occupies 22.4 L.

  • Conversions:

    • Grams to moles:

    • Moles to particles:

    • Moles to volume (gas at STP):

Mole Ratios and Mass Ratios

  • In a chemical formula, the ratio of moles of each element is given by the subscripts.

  • Mass ratios can be found by multiplying the mole ratio by the molar mass of each element.

  • Example: In H2O, the mole ratio of H:O is 2:1.

Empirical and Molecular Formulas

  • Empirical Formula: The simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound.

  • Molecular Formula: The actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule.

  • Calculation: Divide the molecular mass by the empirical formula mass to find the multiple.

  • Example: If the empirical formula is CH2O (mass = 30 g/mol) and the molecular mass is 180 g/mol, the molecular formula is C6H12O6.

Additional info: Some explanations and examples have been expanded for clarity and completeness, following standard general chemistry curriculum.

Pearson Logo

Study Prep