General Chemistry I topics

Periodic table, ions and ionic compounds, stoichiometry,

concentration, formula weights, interconverting masses
and moles, thermochemistry, enthalpy, wave behavior of
matter, quantum mechanics and atomic orbitals,
representations of orbitals (s,p,d,f), electron spin and Pauli
exclusion principle, electron configurations, effective
nuclear charge, sizes of atoms and ions (trends), electron
affinity, electronegativity, group trends, Lewis symbols,
ionic bonding and energetics, covalent bonding, molecular
geometry and bonding theories, VSEPR, covalent bonding
and orbital overlap, molecular orbitals for simple diatomic
molecules, gas laws.
 Expected knowledge after completing General Chemistry I
Italicized red items may be supplemental information.
Elements
All main group elements, the first row transition metals, and a few other elements: Ag, Au, Hg, and U. Chapters 20
and later we’ll also encounter Tc, Pd, Cd, Pt, Ac, Th, Pa, Np, Pu, Am, and Cm.

Subatomic particles
Electrons, e-, -1 charge. Protons, p+, +1 charge. Neutrons, n0, no charge. α particles are positively charged. β
17
particles are negatively charges. γ particles have no charge. Know how to write atomic notation, e.g., 8 O where
17 is the mass number and 8 is the atomic number.

Group/family names
1A or 1 alkali metals 4d, 5d, 6d elements transition metals
2A or 2 alkaline earth metals 4f and 5f elements f-block elements
5A or 15 pnictogens 4f elements lanthanides
6A or 16 chalcogens 5f elements actinides
7A or 17 halogens elements after U transuranium elements
8A or 18 noble, inert, or rare gases elements after Lr (#103) postactinide elements
1, 2, 13 to 18 main group or representative elements 1, 2 s-block elements
13 to 18 p-block elements 3 to 12 d-block elements

Some periodic facts

Know the trends for effective nuclear charge, ionization energy, electron affinity, electronegativity, metallicity,
atomic radii, ionic radii, and lattice energies.

Metals are solids at room temperature (except Hg), conduct electricity and heat well, shiny, ductile and malleable,
and tend to lose electrons to form cations. Nonmetals come in all phases at room temperature, do not conduct
electricity (except graphite) or heat well, are typically dull or brittle, and tend to gain electrons to form anions. One
definition of semi-metals (or metalloids) is that they have physical properties of metals and chemical properties of
nonmetals; this book lists B, Si, Ge, As, Sb, Te, and At as semi-metals.

Commonly taught allotropes are ozone (O3), dioxygen (O2), diamond (C), graphite (C), cyclooctasulfur (S8).

Alkali metals: chemical reactivity increases going down the group; Na and below form peroxides (e.g., Na 2O2); K
and below form superoxides (e.g. KO2). Alkaline earth metals: chemical reactivity increases going down the group.
Halogens: chemical reactivity decreases going down the group.

There are seven homonuclear diatomic elements: H2, N2, O2, F2, Cl2, Br2, I2

IUPAC nomenclature
An ionic compound is named based on the cation and anion. The “ion” name is dropped. If the metal has only one
common charge (e.g., Al, Zn, Ag, Ba, Li), then the charge is not written.
cation (charge) + anion “ide”, e.g., iron (III) oxide for Fe2O3

A binary molecular compound (not an acid) is named as follows. Typically the least electronegative atom is named
first. Prefixes (mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, hexa-, hepta-, octa-, nona-, deca-) are used except that mono- is not use
with the first named element. Also, prefix endings of “a” and “o” are dropped if the element is oxygen. An “ide”
ending is given to the second element.

In general, acids will have a leading H in the formula (although this will not be true later in the course) and in
aqueous solution, an acid is named as follows:
root anion has “ide” ending hydro____ic acid
root anion has “ate” ending ____ic acid
root anion has “ite” ending ____ous acid
Strong acids and bases
There are seven strong acids: chloric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydrochloric acid, hydroiodic acid, nitric acid,
perchloric acid, and sulfuric acid. The first proton ionizes completely from these strong acids. The strong bases
consist of the hydroxides of the alkali metals and heavy alkaline earth metals (Ca, Sr, Ba).

Common names of some compounds

NH3 ammonia C3H8 propane
H2O water CH3OH methanol
CH4 methane C2H5OH ethanol
C2H6 ethane C3H7OH propanol (organic classes will number it)

Ions
Hg22+ mercury (I) ion NH4+ ammonium ion
CN– cyanide ion CH3CO2 and C2H3O2 –
–
acetate ion
CO3 2– carbonate ion HCO3– hydrogen carbonate or bicarbonate ion
BrO3– bromate ion BrO– hypobromite ion
BrO4– perbromate ion BrO2– bromite ion
ClO3– chlorate ion ClO– hypochlorite ion
ClO4– perchlorate ion ClO2– chlorite ion
IO3– iodate ion IO– hypoiodite ion
IO4– periodate ion IO2– iodite ion
OH– hydroxide ion
NO3– nitrate ion NO2 – nitrite ion
PO4 3– phosphate ion PO3 3– phosphite ion
H2PO4 – dihydrogen phosphate ion H2PO3 – dihydrogen phosphite ion
HPO42– hydrogen phosphate ion HPO3 2– hydrogen phosphite ion
SO4 2– sulfate ion SO3 2– sulfite ion
HSO4– hydrogen sulfate or bisulfate ion HSO3– hydrogen sulfite or bisulfite ion
CrO42– chromate ion C2O42– oxalate ion
Cr2O72– dichromate ion MnO4– permanganate ion

Types of reactions
Combustion: heating a substance with oxygen produces oxides of each element.
Combination: two or more reactants produce a single product.
Decomposition: one reactant (with or without heating) produces two or more products.
Metal hydrogen carbonates, upon some heating, will produce metal carbonates, water, and carbon dioxide.
Metal carbonates, upon heating, will produce metal oxides and carbon dioxide.
Single-replacement: AX + B → A + BX
Redox (oxidation-reduction): electrons are transferred between reactants.
Metathesis (or exchange or double-replacement): AX + BY → AY + BX
The reaction proceeds if a precipitate forms, a weak/non-electrolyte (e.g., water) forms or a gas forms.
Precipitation: a metathesis reaction where an insoluble product forms.
Neutralization: an acid and a base produce a salt and water.
Gas formation reactions:
carbonate or hydrogen carbonate compound + acid → salt + water + carbon dioxide gas
sulfite or hydrogen sulfite compound + acid → salt + water + sulfur dioxide gas
sulfide compound + acid → salt + hydrogen sulfide gas
ammonium compound + strong base → salt + water + ammonia gas
Writing molecular equations, complete ionic equations, and net ionic equations. Identifying spectator ions.

Solubility table: Ionic compounds containing

 acetates, nitrates, alkali metals and/or ammonium are always soluble.
 chlorides, bromides, and iodides are soluble except with silver, mercury (I) and lead (II).
 sulfates are soluble except with mercury (I), lead (II), strontium and barium.
 sulfides and hydroxides are insoluble except with calcium, strontium, barium, alkali metals and ammonium.
 carbonates and phosphates are insoluble except with alkali metals and ammonium.
Thermochemistry terminology
energy (E), work (w), heat (q), surroundings, system, universe, internal energy, enthalpy (H = qp), state function
exothermic, endothermic, 1st law of thermodynamics, constant pressure calorimetry and bomb calorimetry (constant
volume), heat capacity (J/°C), molar heat capacity(J/mol·°C), specific heat capacity (J/g·°C), Hess’ law, enthalpy of
formation, standard state, bond enthalpies (D)

The electronic structure of atoms

Dalton’s atomic model: mainly identical, indivisible and indestructible atoms
Thomson’s atomic model (plum pudding) – after his cathode ray tube experiment
Rutherford’s atomic model – after his gold foil experiment
Bohr’s atomic model – used to explain (only) hydrogen emission spectra (the Balmer series)
Quantum mechanic atomic model – based on quantum mechanics
Other: c = λ ν, E = h ν wave-particle duality, photoelectric effect, photons, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle.
Schrödinger’s wave equation: HΨ = EΨ that gives a statistical method of locating an electron.
Four quantum numbers: principle quantum number, n = 1, 2, 3...
azimuthal or angular momentum quantum number, l = 0, 1, ... n-1
magnetic quantum number, ml = -l, -l+1, ... 0, ... +l-1, +l
(electron) spin magnetic quantum number, ms = +½, -½
Pauli exclusion principle: the four quantum number may not be the same for any two electrons (which results in the
fact that no more than two electrons are allowed per orbital).
Aufbau principle: electrons are placed in the lowest energetic available orbital.
Hund’s rule: the lowest energy is attained with the number of electrons with the same spin is maximized (i.e.,
degenerate orbitals will fill up singly before any pairing begins).
Electron configurations and condensed (or noble gas or core) notation configurations.
Core vs valence electrons. Lewis symbols.
Paramagnetic (unpaired electrons) vs diamagnetic (paired electrons).

Chemical bonding concepts

Ionic vs covalent vs metallic bonding.
Lewis structures: octet rule, resonance. Exceptions to the octet rule:
odd number, less than 8 (primarily Be and B), and more than 8 (with a 3rd row or lower element, such as P).
Bond lengths and bond dissociate energies (or bond enthalpies).
Bond polarity, dipole moments, and molecular polarity.
Valence shell electron-pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory.
Electron-domain geometry, molecular geometry, and bond angles.
linear, trigonal planar (angular/bent), tetrahedral (trigonal pyramidal, angular/bent), trigonal bipyramidal
(seesaw, T-shaped, linear), octahedral (square pyramidal, square planar).
Valence-bond theory: σ and π bonding, hybrid orbitals, sp, sp2, sp3, sp3d, sp3d2
Delocalized π bonding.
Molecular orbital (MO) theory: bonding and antibonding molecular orbitals. molecular orbital diagram, bond order,
decreasing 2s-2p interaction across the 2nd period (so σ2p is above π2p* for O2, F2, Ne2).

Other concepts
The scientific method: observations, experiments, hypotheses, theories, and scientific laws.
Matter has three states: gas, liquid and solid. Matter can be classified into pure substances (compounds, elements),
solutions/homogeneous mixtures or heterogeneous mixtures.
The base SI units are kg, m, s, K, mol, A, and cd. Know the prefixes: centi-, milli-, nano-, kilo-, etc.
The uncertainties in measurements require the usage of significant figures.
Understand the difference between precision (repetition) and accuracy (correctness).

Dimensional analysis is a very important tool. Master it.

Density is mass per volume.
Empirical formulae can be found from mass percentages or combustion data.
Atomic weights can be found using isotope abundances and weights (and vice versa).
Molarity is moles of solute per liter of solution.
Stoichiometry, limiting reactant, and percent yield concepts.