OVERVIEW

The second module of General and Inorganic Chemistry consists of lectures and laboratory demonstrations that are mostly run on an individual basis. The material covered is closely related to the content of the first module and enables a deeper understanding of the basic chemical concepts, besides a practical learning of laboratory handling practices along with a critical interpretation of the experimental results.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course introduces learners to experimental practice in the chemical laboratory, allowing them to learn how to correctly carry out the most common operations: handling of chemical reagents, preparation of solutions, crystallization, filtration, etc. It also proposes a concrete approach to theoretical concepts learned: experimental observation of spontaneous and non-spontaneous chemical reactions, their physical consequences and practical exploitation for diagnostic purposes. The course also aims to develop the ability to conduct experiments in groups and to write reports on laboratory activities with particular attention to the awareness of errors related to experimental measurements, the interpretation of experimental observations and the critical treatment of the results obtained.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this module, the student will be able to:

• Recognise the experimental and logical foundations of the scientific method.
• Measure autonomously masses, volumes, temperature and pH, paying attention to their uncertainties.
• Identify experimentally and represent graphically a functional relationship between variables (e.g. solubility vs. Temperature and electromotive force vs. concentration).
• Monitor, take note e comunicate meaningful physical phenomena related to evolving chemical systems (e.g. a release of heat or a variation of colour, turbidity, odour, refractive index).
• Interpret the experimental observations attributing meaning to them, i.e. discern whether chemical reactions occur or not, esteemating qualitatively their spontaneity based on the observed reactivity (e.g. determination of the electrochemical series by critical interpretation of the experimental observations).
• Exploit the acquired knowledge for diagnostic purposes, estimating semi-quantitatively the presence and concentration of specific substances as part of mixtures (e.g. qualitative tests of anions and cations).
• Plan a series of coordinated operations and phsical/chemical processes with a minimum of discretion for the purpose of synthesize and purify laboratory compounds.
• Solve numerical problems based on the theoretical concepts and illustrate orally such concepts.

PREREQUISITES

This is the first chemistry course, so it is not necessary to have any prerequisetes at university level. The basic knowledge of mathematics and physics acquired at high school  are sufficient to understand the addressed topics. 

TEACHING METHODS

The module foresees lectures at the Chemistry Department and/or through Microsoft Teams interspersed by interactive quizzes through Wooclap, lectures and quizzes to be attended asinchronously on moodle (Aulaweb) (pre-lab participant pace sections that are mandatory before each experimental activity) and laboratory activities to be performed alone or within groups. The laboratory activities pertain topics that are both closely related and complementary to those discussed during the first module aiming at practicing some of the basic concepts taught.

The following experimental activities are forseen:

1. Determination of the solubility curve of a highly soluble salt.
2. Fractional cristallisation of NaCl e KNO3.
3. Qualitative inorganic reactions (precipitation, acid-base, complexation).
4. Redox reactions and determination of the electrochemical series.
5. Preparation of BaCl2*2H2O.
6. Preparation of CuSO4*5H2O.
7. Determination of the solubility constant of AgCl.

Attendance to all seven experimental activities is mandatory, and is, therefore, a necessary condition to sit the final examination. Such activities are to be considered completed only upon submission of the corresponding essays within seven days, according to the procedures described in each respective section on Moodle. A maximum of two absences are allowed; in any case, these must be communicated beforehand and are subject to catch ups during dedicated sessions. Dates and procedures for the catch up sessions will be published on Moodle, and the concerned people will have to confirm their intention to catch up by sending an email to Dr. Walter Sgroi: walter.sgroi@unige.it.

Access to the laboratory occurs not later than at 14.00 and is allowed only to those people who have attended the relevant asynchronous lab class lecture and have answered to the questionnaire available under the "Pre-lab" sections in Moodle. The pre-lab sessions require approximately one hour to be completed; as such, they have to be completed well in advance, at the latest 24 hours before the access to the laboratory.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The syllabus includes the following topics (grouped according to relevance in non-chronological order). Introduction to the scientific method, bias and metascience. Measurable properties and errors. Measurement operations, measuring instruments, sensitivity and range. Measurement uncertainties: outlier and bias errors. Absolute and relative errors. Meaningful digits and error propoagation.
Gaseous state and phase transition. Properties of the gaseous state. Perfect gases. Classical laws of ideal gases. Ideal gas equation. Real gases, van der Waals equation. Gas mixtures and Dalton law of partial pressures. Roles of gases in chemical reactions. Phase transitions and p-T phase diagrams. Concepts of equilibrium, non-equilibrium and metastability. Solutions and colligative properties. Methods to express solution concentrations. Solubilisation and crystallisation processes, van t’Hoff coefficient and dissociation degree. Vapour pressure of solutions: Raoult law. Fractional distillation. Colligative properties of non-electrolyte solutions, and strong/weak electrolytes. Practical applications. Methods for the determination of molar masses.
Basic laboratory operations. Measurements of masses. Technical and analytical scales. Volumetry. Phase separation techniques: simple and fractional crystallisation, recrystallisation, decantation and filtration (by gravity and in vacuum through Büchner funnel). Observation of typical inorganic chemical reactions in aqueous solution and in the solid state: precipitation, acid-base, complexation, redox. Qualitative tests: flame test and determination of chlorides and nitrates. Experimental determination of the electrochemical series. Synthesis of two inorganic salts (barium chloride and cupric sulphate) including the corresponding purifications and crystallisations. Potentiometric determination of the solubility constant of a poorly soluble salt.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The teaching material consists of the lectures recorded through Teams, the lecture presentations, the supplementary informative material and all the material present on moodle (Aulaweb) that is available to the students through the digital channels of the module. The students are encouraged to consult the following sources for a more in-depth study of the topics, including additional numerical problems.

Stechiometria per la chimica generale - Michelin Lausarot, Vaglio – Piccin, Padova.

Stechiometria - Bertini, Luchinat, Mani, Ravera.

Stechiometria - Caselli, Rizzato, Tessore.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

From September 25, 2023

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

In order to access the examination, the students need to have completed the experimental activity.

Each lab activity requires the student to answer a pre-lab quiz and to supply a lab report. The pre-lab quizzes have to be answered as preparation to enter the lab and are available on dedicated moodle (Aulaweb) entries. Such quizzes consist of a series of questions (mainly with multiple choice) to be sit following asynchronous lectures. The lab reports delivered by the students following the lab activities are graded by the technical and academic personnel by the end of the module.

There is a single exam for the two modules, consisting of a written examination and an oral examination. The written examination consists of numerical exercises on the topics taught during both modules. The written examination is considered passed if the grade is ≥18/30, giving access to the oral examination. During the course of the two modules the students have the option to sit two written examinations covering only one part of the taught material. The students who pass both partial written examinations may choose not to sit the written examination that covers the whole programme. Written examinations that are passed are considered so until the end of each academic year.

The oral examination has a duration of at least 30 minutes and is always led by two lecturers with experience at running examinations in the discipline.

The final evaluation takes into account the grade obtained on the written examination, the performance demonstrated at the oral examination, the evaluation obtained for the lab activities and the engagement demonstrated during lectures through the interactive Wooclap quizzes.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The examination tests are structured in such a way as to accurately verify that the student has reached the learning outcomes foreseen for both modules.

The written examination consists of solving open-ended numerical exercises and has the purpose of certifying the students’ ability to correctly apply the taught concepts and formulae to concrete hypothetical examples.

The pre-lab quizzes have the purpose of assessing the students’ preparation on the theoretical-practical aspects related to each specific laboratory activity before entering the lab and following the dedicated asynchronous lectures. The evaluation of the lab reports is aimed at examining the correct interpretation of the experimental observations.

Exam schedule