Academic year: 2022-23
Course: Foundation Course Science – CHEMISTRY
Credits 6
Period Second Semester
Number of hours 48
Teacher Sandro Francesconi (sandro.francesconi@unipi.it)
Language of instruction English
Learning outcomes
Knowledge
Students at the end of the course will have acquired a good knowledge of the concepts of atoms and chemical bonds. They will be able to understand and use the fundamental principles which characterize the properties of matter and how it reacts. Moreover, they will have acquired knowledge on the chemical equilibria and on the acid/base properties of the substances.
Assessment criteria of knowledge
Written tests
Skills
The student will become aware of the experimental work and safety issues in the laboratory.
Assessment criteria of skills
Laboratory report
Behaviors
Teamwork, problem solving.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of mathematics.
Syllabus
Theoretical part:
Fundamentals of chemistry. Definition of Chemistry. Periodic table of the elements. Atomic number, mass number, isotopes. Bohr model. Definition of atomic orbital. Quantum numbers and energy levels. Electronic configurations. Atomic radius, first ionization energy, electronic affinity. Covalent bond. Lewis formulas and molecular geometry according to VSEPR. Valence bond theory (VB) and hybridizations. Molecular orbital theory (MO). Ionic bond and the properties of ionic solids. Metal bonds and the properties of metals. Electrolytes and ions, acids, bases and salts. State of aggregation of the matter. Definitions of solution, solvent, solute and concentration. Chemical formulas and percentage composition. Definition of mole. Balancing of chemical equations. General information on carbon compounds: bonds, chains,functional groups and classes of compounds.
Practical part:
Laboratory lessons, seminars and visits. The student will participate in some simple practical laboratory experiments. Some seminars will be based on the practical and advanced aspects of chemistry and materials. These seminars will be connected to a visit to the research labs of the Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry (DCCI). A further visit to the Department of Chemical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry and Materials Sciences (DICCISM) will also be planned.
Bibliography
- The lecture slides can be downloaded from the course website.
- Additional materials can be found on the web site The Chemistry LibreTexts library (https://chem.libretexts.org) which is a US multi-institutional collaborative venture to develop open-access chemistry textbooks.
Assessment methods
Written tests
Laboratory report
Oral presentation of an argument of the Course (not mandatory, for improve the mark)