AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide students with the basic knowledge of the structure of matter, the chemical bond and the principles that regulate the chemical equilibrium in homogeneous and heterogeneous systems, with particular attention to the reactions that occur in aqueous solvent. Basic knowledge of the chemical properties of the main elements of the periodic system and their most important compounds are also provided.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course is meant to provide students with basic knowledge on the structure of the matter (atomic structure, chemical bonding, aggregation states) and on the principles governing chemical equilibrium in homogeneous and heterogeneous systems, with particular attention to reactions taking place in aqueous solution. Preliminary knowledge is also provided on chemical properties of the main elements of the periodic system and their most important compounds, and on the regularities of such properties, which will be treated in more detail in subsequent courses.

Therefore, the course aims to provide students with the indispensable tools to understand matter and its chemical transformations and it is a prerequisite to all the chemistry courses of the following years.

The course also includespractical  sessions during which which exercises related to the topics covered in the theoretical part of the course are carried out.

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 course (corresponding to 7 credits) includes frontal lessons and classroom exercises, during which exercises related to the topics addressed in the theoretical part are solved and commented. The explanations, where possible, are supported by short illustrative videos and by the use of interactive websites (for example interactive periodic table, atomic orbitals visualization), for a more immediate understanding of the addressed topics.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

• Homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. Elements and compounds. Solutions.
• Atomic mass. Molecular and formula mass. Mole. Avogadro’s constant.
• Nomenclature in inorganic chemistry. Systematic inorganic reaction chemistry (redox, acid-base, precipitation).
• Atomic structure. Quantum numbers. Atomic orbitals. Electronic configuration of elements in the periodic system. Periodic properties: effective nuclear charge, atomic dimensions, ionization energy, electron affinity energy.
• Introduction to chemical bonding. Lewis symbols. Octet rule. Ionic bond model. Ionic lattices. Metallic bond model (brief outline).
• Covalent bond model. Electronegativity. Apolar and polar covalent bonds. Lewis structures. Formal charges. Resonance. Molecular geometries and VSEPR theory. Polarity of molecules. Valence bond theory. Dative covalent bond. Molecular structures of oxoacids and oxoanions.
• Interactions between molecules. Classification, structure and properties of solids.
• Properties of chemical elements (and their compounds such as oxides, hydrides, and oxoacids) related to the position in the periodic system.
• Introduction to chemical equilibrium: reaction quotient and equilibrium constant. Factos governing chemical equilibrium: Le Chatelier principle. Chemical kinetics (brief outline).
• Ionic equilibria in aqueous solution. Ionic product of water. Acids and bases. pH of aqueous solutions of acids, bases, salts and buffer solutions.
• Heterogeneous equilibria in aqueous solution. Solubility product. Relation between solubility and solubility product.
• Empirical approach to battery operation. Definition of anode and cathode. Galvanic elements. Redox standard potentials. Electromotive force. Electrolysis (brief outline).
• Numerical exercises: inorganic nomenclature, formulas and reactions stoichiometry, completion and balance of reactions, pH of aqueous solutions, solubility.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Educational material provided by the teacher on "AulaWeb"

Suggested books:

"PRINCIPI DI CHIMICA", P.Atkins, L. Jones - Zanichelli- Bologna

"CHIMICA", I. Bertini C. Luchinat F. Mani - Casa Editrice Ambrosiana

"CHIMICA GENERALE" Principi e Moderne Applicazioni”, R.H. Petrucci W.S.Harwood - PICCIN - 6a Ediz.

“PRINCIPI DI STECHIOMETRIA”, P.M. Lausarot, G.A. Vaglio, PICCIN Ed.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

From September 21, 2026, according to the timetable reported here.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

To be eligible to sit the exam, students must have completed the laboratory activities. Each laboratory activity requires attendance at the introductory lecture preceding the experiment and the submission of a laboratory report. Students who did not attend the introductory lecture must, in preparation for entering the laboratory, complete a set of asynchronous lessons and pre-lab quizzes available on dedicated AulaWeb instances. These quizzes consist of a series of questions, primarily multiple-choice. Laboratory reports submitted by students after the practical sessions are assessed by technical and teaching staff before the end of the course.

The exam is joint for both modules and consists of a written test and an oral examination. The written test comprises numerical exercises on topics covered during the course (both Module 1 and Module 2). Only students who achieve a passing score (≥ 18/30) on the written test are admitted to the oral examination. Two partial written tests are held during the course. Students who pass both partial tests are exempt from the written exam. A passed written test entitles the student to three attempts at the oral examination; after that, the written test must be retaken. A passed written test remains valid only for the current academic year.

The oral examination is always conducted by two faculty members with examining experience in the discipline and lasts at least 30 minutes.

The final grade takes into account not only the outcome of the written and oral tests, but also the laboratory reports, the evaluations obtained in the various course activities, and participation in lectures and interactive Wooclap quizzes during class.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The examination assessments are structured so as to accurately verify the attainment of the learning outcomes of both modules.

The written test consists of open-ended numerical exercises and is designed to assess the student's ability to correctly apply the concepts and formulas presented during lectures and classroom and laboratory sessions to concrete problems.

The assessment of laboratory reports is aimed at verifying the correct observation, understanding, and interpretation of experimental evidence, as well as the student's technical and scientific communication skills. The pre-lab quizzes are designed to establish the student's preparation on the theoretical and practical aspects of each specific laboratory session prior to entering the laboratory and following the dedicated asynchronous lessons.

The oral examination consists of a discussion covering both the practical work carried out in the laboratory and the theoretical topics addressed during the lectures of both modules. In this regard, the laboratory reports typically serve as a starting point for discussion. During the oral examination, the examining board assesses the knowledge acquired by the student, including their ability to present the concepts of both modules using appropriate scientific terminology, to argue them, and to correctly relate them to one another.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Compensatory and dispensatory measures Disability/Invalidity/Specific Learning Disorder

Dispensatory measures and compensatory tools are intended to enable students to achieve the same learning objectives as their fellow students, not to facilitate the examination.

The use of compensatory tools and the application of dispensatory measures must be authorised in advance by the teacher in agreement with the Referee.

To take advantage of the adaptations during the examination, fill in the Adaptation request form; the request will be automatically sent by the system to the teacher in charge of the teaching, to the Contact Person of your School/Area/Department and in copy to the Sector; you will also receive a copy of the request sent by e-mail.

The adjustments available to students are as follows:

• Additional time (+30% DSA)
• Additional time (+50% disability/invalidity)
• Additional time during oral exams to organise the answer
• Calculator (programmable and graphing calculators are not allowed)
• Conceptual Maps
• Tables and/or Forms
• Take the exam in written form
• Take the exam in oral form
• Tutor reader (for written tests only)
• Tutor-writer (for written tests only)

Your request for adaptations must be submitted at least 7 working days before the scheduled exam date.

All information for students with disabilities and DSA is available on the webpage: Services for students with disabilities or DSA | UniGe | University of Genoa. Reference for inclusion: Sergio Di Domizio - sergio.didomizio@unige.it