PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY - 1

The course is one of the compulsory educational activities of the Bachelor Degree Programme in Physical Engineering [CT8] and essential for Environmental Enineering for Ecological Transition [CT10], and allows the student to acquire knowledge and understanding of the fundamental and applicative concepts of chemistry. The specific training objective of the course is to provide knowledge of the main chemical concepts. The approach to the most relevant chemical-physical phenomena is historical or descriptive, to then obtain or present the mathematical expression of the laws of chemistry. Complementary to this is the teaching of stoichiometry intended as a practical numerical calculation of variables in real chemical systems, or as a result of different analytical techniques.

Knowledge and understanding
- Knowing the basics of chemistry
- Knowledge of the atomic and molecular structure, of the properties and chemical behavior of atoms and molecules and how these behaviors can determine the macroscopic properties and the reactivity of elements and compounds.
- Knowledge of the basic principles concerning chemical kinetics, chemical balance and reactions between acids and bases.
- Knowing the methods to perform some simple syntheses.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
- Knowing how to use the laws and chemical concepts learned to solve theoretical and practical problems in a logical and deductive way.
- Knowing how to calculate concentrations, pressures, etc for the species involved in (also) redox reactions.
- Knowing how to correlate the macroscopic properties of substances to atomic and molecular properties, depending on the type of bonds present in molecules.

Judgment autonomy
- Knowing how to evaluate the structure and reactivity of compounds in general
- Knowing how to solve, with scientific and logical reasoning, stoichiometry problems using the chemical knowledge acquired.
- Being able to interpret experimental facts in the light of chemical theory (atomic structure, bond, balance etc).

Communication skills
- Knowing how to communicate the knowledge learned and the result of their application using appropriate terminology, both in the oral and written fields.
- Knowing how to interact with the teacher and classmates in a respectful and constructive way, particularly during work carried out in a group.

Learning ability
- Knowing how to take notes, selecting and collecting information according to their importance and priority

Knowledge of mathematics and science at the high school level.

Fundamentals of chemistry: atoms, elements, molecules, states of matter, units of measurement (SI). Laws of Lavoisier, Dalton etc. Chemical formulas, atoms and ions, atomic weight, formula weight, isomerism. Mole concept. empirical formulas and their calculation from elementary analysis data.

Stoichiometry of reactions and their balance, oxidation number and balance of redox reactions. Units of concentration, molarity etc. Equivalents and volumetric analysis with reactions: calculations and exercises.

Periodic properties: electronic affinity, ionization energies, electronegativity (Pauling), atomic and ionic radius. The chemical bond, the molecular structure, the hybridization of orbitals, molecular orbitals and metallic bond.

Gas and kinetic theory: perfect gas model, gas laws (Boyle, Gay-Lussac, Charles, Avogadro, general state equation); real gas. Chemical calculations on gases; ideal gas mixtures: Dalton's laws and molar fraction. Condensed states: liquids and solids. Ionic and molecular solids and liquids. Intermolecular forces and state transitions, surface tension. State diagrams (T/P).

Solutions and their laws: Raoult's law and fractional distillation. Colligative properties and related calculations (molecular weight, van't Hoff coefficients). Chemical thermodynamics: temperature, heat, work, internal energy (First law). Exothermic and endothermic processes. Thermodynamic functions: enthalpy and its calculation for a reaction.

- Whitten-Davis-Peck-Stanley, Chimica Generale, Piccin, Padova, ISBN:978-88-299-2033-4 Petrucci-Harwood-Herring, Chimica Generale, Piccin, Padova, ISBN: 88-299-1671-4
- M. S. Silberberg, Chimica, McGraw-Hill, Milano, ISBN: 978-88-386-6423-4
- T.L.Brown, et alia, Fondamenti di Chimica, EdiSES, Napoli, ISBN: 978-88-7959-692-3

The achievement of the teaching objectives is assessed through participation in the activities and exercises assigned during the course and a final written exam.
The final mark for the course will be entirely from the final written exam, out of a maximum of 30.
The final written exam consists of problems similar to those carried out in the classroom, and on Moodle. During the exam, the use of notes, books and other teaching materials is not allowed.
The final written exam will be two hours, in which the student must answer three questions from a choice of four questions. Each question is worth 20 marks, and the number of marks for each part of the question (a, b, etc.) will be given in [square brackets]. The total marks will be the sum of those from the three questions answered (20 marks each, so out of 60 in total) divied by two to give a mark out of 30. Marks will be rounded up where appropriate, e.g. 27.4/30 = 27/30 but 27.5/30 = 28/30. Lode will only be given if full marks are obtained (30/30). Students will be given a periodic table in the exam.

The students will be offered the opportunity to sit a mock/simulated exam during the course, under exam conditions, to practice for the exam and see the form of the questions. The answers and feedback will be given to the students who choose to take this option. It does not count towards their final marks.

Frontal lessons and exercises.
Students must attend at least 80% of all taught lessons in person.

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