Course content

Basic general and inorganic chemistry:

Brief introduction and review of basic chemical concepts; stoichiometry, amount of substance, molar mass, chemical bonding theory, hybridisation and MO theory. Crystal structures. Brønsted and Lewis acid-base theory. Basic organic chemistry and polymer chemistry. Quick introduction to elemental chemistry. See the connection between environmental chemistry and understand how chemical reactions play a role in sustainability and the circular economy.

Chemical thermodynamics:

Basic chemical thermodynamics; internal energy, heat, work, entropy, enthalpy, Gibbs energy. Use of chemical potential in calculations. Chemical reaction kinetics and its use in equilibrium calculations.

Chemical equilibrium:

Calculation of chemical equilibrium from thermodynamic data. Ionic equilibria in aqueous solutions, acid/base and redox equilibria.

Electrochemistry:

Electrochemical series, cell voltage, and use of the Nernst equation to explain concentration cells. Simple calculations with electrolysis and galvanic cells, as well as understanding of the underlying principles. Link between electrochemistry and corrosion.

Laboratory skills:

The laboratory exercises provide in-depth knowledge of the following topics: Chemical principles: Stoichiometry, chemical equilibrium, chemical kinetics, acids and bases, reduction and oxidation. A compulsory safety course, including firefighting and first aid, must be passed in order to start the laboratory course.

Learning outcome

The learning outcomes of the course are related to understanding and calculating equilibria in water, the relationship between Gibbs energy change, the equilibrium constant and electrode potential, as well as the ability to see the connection between theory and specific problems.

Knowledge

After completing the course, the student will have:

• Knowledge of general chemical notation and concepts.
• Basic knowledge of the relationship between electron structure, chemical bonds, and the properties of substances.
• The ability to identify the most important inorganic acids, bases, salts, and ions and know the most important reactions between them.

Skills

Students will be able to:

• Calculate chemical equilibria and use thermodynamic and electrochemical relationships to explain chemical reactions.
• Plan and carry out basic laboratory experiments and interpret the results.
• Explain the shape and names of atomic and molecular orbitals and be able to see their properties in relation to the periodic table.
• Explain basic reaction kinetics and relate this to chemical equilibrium.

General competence:

The student can:

• Use common chemical methods and theories to explain experimental observations
• Understand the relationship between thermodynamic, kinetic, and observable quantities in aqueous equilibria, and use these to explain changes and composition in systems at equilibrium.
• Explain basic chemical principles in electrochemistry, and explain how these relate to thermodynamics, kinetics, and electronic structure.

Learning methods and activities

Plenary activities for theory review (e.g. in the form of lectures), calculation practice sessions with compulsory attendance, compulsory numerical assignment.

The expected workload for students in this course is 216 hours.

• Lectures: 56 hours
• Practical exercises: 40 hours
• Laboratory work: 50 hours
• Self-study: 70 hours

Compulsory assignments

• Laboratory couse
• Exercises

Specific conditions

Recommended previous knowledge

Knowledge of the more important elements and chemical compounds is expected. Also the understanding of chemical formulas and equations, the concepts of atoms and molecules. Calculations with logarithms and exponents should be mastered.

Required previous knowledge

Admission to the course requires studying at 5-year master's degree programme in Physics and Mathematics.

Course materials

R. H. Petrucci, G. G. Herring, J. D. Madura and C. Bissonnette, "General Chemistry. Principles and Modern Applications", 12. ed., Pearson, Toronto (2024).

A. Blackman and L. R. Gahan, Aylward & Findlay's SI Chemical Data, 7. utg., Wiley, 2014.

"TMT4110/TMT4115 Laboratoriekurs i generell kjemi" will be made available to the students.

Credit reductions