TOPICS AND SCHEDULE: GENERAL CHEMISTRY 1

FIRST SEMESTER

AUG - SEP MATTER AND ITS PROPERTIES

Aug 22 Getting to know you
Matter and its properties
a) Recognize that substances are made up of smaller particles
b) Describe and/or make representation of the arrangement, relative
spacing and relative motion of the particles in each of the three phases
of matter
Physical and Chemical Properties
Distinguish between physical and chemical properties
Extensive and Intensive Properties
a) Distinguish between extensive and intensive
properties and give examples
b) Use properties of matter to identify substances and to
separate them
Ways of classifying matter
a) Pure substances and mixtures
Differentiate between pure substances and to
separate them
b) Elements and compounds
Differentiate between elements and compounds
c) Homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures
Differentiate between homogeneous and
heterogeneous mixtures
d) Describe separation techniques for mixtures and
compounds
e) Compare consumer products on the basis of their
components for use, safety, quality and cost
f) Laboratory: Apply simple separation techniques such
as distillation, chromatography

SEPTEMBER MEASUREMENTS/ ATOMS, MOLECULES AND IONS

Measurements
a) Differentiate between precision and accuracy
b) Laboratory: Determine the density of liquids and solids
Atoms, Molecules and Ions
a) Dalton’s Atomic Theory
Describe DAT
c) Atomic Structure
Differentiate among atomic number, mass number and
isotopes and which of these distinguishes one element
from another
Subatomic particles (protons, electrons and neutrons)
a) Write isotopic symbols
b) Recognize common isotopes and their uses
c) Differentiate among atoms, molecules, ions and give
examples
 a) Represent compounds using chemical formulas,
structural formulas and models
c) Give similarities and differences between the empirical
formula and molecular formula of a compound

OCTOBER STOICHIOMETRY/GASES
Atomic Mass
a) Explain relative atomic mass and average atomic
mass
Avogadro’s Number
a) Illustrate Avogadro’s number with example
The mole concept
a) Determine the molar mass of elements and
compounds
b) Calculate the mass of a given number of moles of an
element or compound or vice versa
Percent composition and chemical formula and its relationship
a) Calculate the percent composition of a compound from
its formula
b) Calculate the empirical formula from the percent
composition of a compound
c) Calculate molecular formula given the molar mass
Use of chemical formulas to represent chemical reactions
a) Write equations for chemical reactions and balance
the equation
b) Interpret the meaning of a balanced chemical reaction
in terms of the law of conservation of mass
Types of chemical reactions in aqueous solutions
a) Describe evidences that a chemical reaction has
occurred
b) Laboratory: Perform exercises on writing and
balancing chemical equations
Mass relationships in chemical reactions
The quantitative relationship of reactants and products in
a chemical reaction
a) Construct mole or mass ratios for a reaction in order to
calculate the amount of reactant needed or amount of
product formed in terms of moles or mass
b) Calculate percent yield and theoretical yield of the
reaction
c) Explain the concept of limiting reagent in a chemical
reaction; identify the excess reagent/s
d) Calculate reaction yield when a limiting reagent is
present
e) Laboratory: Determine the mass relationship in a
chemical reaction
NOVEMBER GASES/ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE AND PERIODICITY
Gases – The mathematical relationship between pressure, volume and
temperature of a gas
a) Define pressure and give the common units of
pressure
b) Express the gas laws in equation form
The Gas Laws
a) Boyle’s Law
b) Charles’ Law
c) Avogadro’s Law
d) Ideal Gas Equation
Use the Gas Laws to determine pressure, volume or
temperature of a gas under certain conditions of change
Use the ideal gas equation to calculate pressure, volume,

Dalton’s Law of partial pressure – the partial pressures of gases in a

mixture
a) Use Dalton’s law of partial pressures to relate mole
fraction and partial pressure of gases in a mixture
Gas stoichiometry – quantitative relationships of reactants
and products in a gaseous reaction
a) Apply the principles of stoichiometry to determine the
amounts (volume, number of moles or mass) of
gaseous reactants and products
Kinetic molecular theory of gases – the behaviour and
properties of gases at the molecular level
a) Explain the gas laws in terms of the kinetic molecular
theory of gases
b) Relate the rate of gas effusion with molar mass
c) Laboratory: Demonstrate Graham’s law of effusion in
an experiment
Electronic Structure of Atoms – the quantum mechanical description of
the atom and its electronic structure
a) Describe the quantum mechanical model of the atom
b) Describe the electronic structure of atoms in terms of
the main energy levels, sublevels and orbitals and
relate this to energy
c) Use the quantum numbers to describe an electron in
an atom
d) Laboratory: Perform exercises on quantum numbers
Quantum numbers/ Electron Configuration
a) Aufbau Principle
b) Pauli exclusion principle
c) Hund’s rule
d) Diamagnetism and Paramagnetism
e) Orbital diagrams
 Electronic Structure and Periodicity – the arrangement of elements in the
periodic table and trends in the properties of the elements in terms of
electronic structure
a) Explain the periodic recurrence of similar properties
among elements in the periodic table in terms of
electronic structure
b) Relate the number of valence electrons of elements to
their group number in the periodic table
c) Compare the properties of families of elements
d) Predict the properties of individual elements based on
their position in the periodic table
e) Laboratory: Investigate reactions of ions and apply
these in qualitative analysis
f) Laboratory: Determine periodic properties of the main
group of elements

DECEMBER CHEMICAL BONDING AND IONIC BONDS/ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

Ionic bond formation in terms of atomic properties
The properties of ionic compounds in relation to their
atomic structure
a) Relate the stability of noble gases to their electron
configuration
b) State the octet rule
c) Determine the charge of the ions formed by the
representative elements and relate this to their
ionization energy or electron affinity, valence electron
configuration and position in the periodic table
d) Draw the Lewis structure of ions
e) Predict the formula of the ionic compound formed by a
metal and non-metal among the representative
elements
f) List the properties of ionic compounds and explain
these properties in terms of their structure
a. Laboratory: Perform exercises on writing Lewis
structures of ions/ionic compounds and
molecules
Covalent Bonds – covalent bonds in terms of atomic properties and the
properties of molecular covalent compounds in relation to their structure
a) Formation of covalent bonds – describe covalent
bonding in terms of electron sharing
b) Apply the octet rule in the formation of molecular
covalent bonds
c) Formulas of molecular compounds – write the formula
of molecular compounds formed by the non-metallic
elements of the representative block
d) Lewis structure of molecules – draw Lewis structure of
molecular covalent compounds
e) Molecules of elements/compounds – explain the
properties of covalent molecular compounds in terms
of their structure
f) Electronegativity and bond polarity – determine the
polarity of a bond based on the electronegativities of
the atoms forming the bond
 g) Geometry of molecules – describe the geometry of
simple molecules
h) Polarity of compounds – determine the polarity of
simple molecules
i) Laboratory: Determine and/or observe evidence of
molecular polarity
Organic Compounds – the properties of organics compounds and
polymers in terms of the structure
a) The carbon atom – describe the special nature of
carbon, list the general characteristics of organic
compounds
b) Bonding patterns in hydrocarbons – describe the
bonding in ethane, ethane (ethylene) and ethyne
(acetylene) and explain their geometry in terms of
hybridization and carbon-carbon bonds
c) Properties and reactivities of common functional
groups – describe the different functional groups
d) Cite uses of representative examples of compounds
bearing the different functional groups
e) Describe structural isomerism, give examples’
Polymers – describe the formation and structure of
polymers.
a) Give examples.
b) Explain the properties of some polymers in terms of
their structure
Biomolecules
a) Describe some biomolecules: proteins, nucleic acids,
lipids and carbohydrates
b) Describe the structure of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids
and carbohydrates and relate them to their function

SECOND SEMESTER
JANUARY INTERMOLECULAR FORCES AND LIQUIDS AND
SOLIDS
FEBRUARY PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SOLUTIONS
MARCH THERMOCHEMISTRY/CHEMICAL KINETICS
APRIL CHEMICAL THERMODYNAMICS/CHEMICAL
EQUILIBRIUM
MAY ACID-BASE EQUILIBRIA AND SALT EQUILIBRIA