PREPARATORY COURSE ON GENERAL CHEMISTRY

The objective of the course is to provide students with the fundamentals of chemistry, revisiting topics previously introduced during High School, so that they will be able to successfully attend the 'General Chemistry and Laboratory' courses.

To provide fundamental knowledge of chemistry in order to unify the educational backgrounds of students from various types of High Schools.

No specific pre-requisites are required besides those already provided by High Schools.

1) Fundamentals; what is chemistry?; measures and role of the International System of measurement; accuracy and precision; significant digits; scientific (exponential) notation; calculations with significant digits. (2 hours)

2) Matter: aggregation states of matter; chemical and physical transformations of matter; changes in aggregation states; density; pure substances and mixtures; concentration of solutions; methodologies for the separation of mixtures. (1 hour)

3) Ponderal laws and chemical formulae: elements and compounds; symbols of elements; ponderal laws (Lavoisier, Proust, and Dalton); Dalton’s atomic theory; interpretation of chemical formulae. (2 hours)

4) Fundamentals on the structure of atoms: electrical charge; subatomic particles and related experiments; Model of Thomson; Experiment and model of Rutherford; atomic nucleus; ions; atomic mass; isotopes. (1 hour)

5) Mole, chemical reactions, and introduction to chemical calculations: atomic and molecular masses; mole; molar mass; Avogadro’s law; ;classification of chemical reactions (synthesis, decomposition, simple exchange, metathesis, acid/base, precipitation, and redox); balancing simple chemical equations; fundamentals of chemical calculations. (4 hours)

6) Introduction to the chemical bond: energy and bond distance; covalent bond (homo- and hetero-polar); ionic bond; electronegativity. (1 hour)

7) Nomenclature of inorganic compounds: oxidation number; traditional and IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic compounds (oxides, anhydrides, peroxides, hydroxides, hydrides, hydracids, oxoacids, salts derived from hydracids, and salts derived from oxoacids). (3 hours)

8) Redox reactions: redox transformations; common oxidising and reducing agents; balancing of redox reactions. (2 hours)

All High School-level textbooks are suitable.
The following textbook is particularly suggested for the theory:
• Tarasco S., Tibone F., “Chimica Sostenibile”, Zanichelli (Bologna) 2024.

For the exercises::
• Ciucci D., Toncelli F., “Stechiometria”, Zanichelli (Bologna) 2013.

Being an introductory course, no final test with mark is scheduled. A self-evaluation test is scheduled at the end of the course.

Lectures with the support of exercises.

Italian

Accessibility, Disability and Inclusion
Accommodation and support services for students with disabilities and students with specific learning impairments:
Ca’ Foscari abides by Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support
services and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). In the case of disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters) please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.
STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF THE COURSE COULD CHANGE AS A RESULT OF THE COVID-19 EPIDEMIC.

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Climate change and energy" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development