Course content

The theoretical part contains the gas laws, chemical equilibria and the law of mass action, acids and bases, ionic equilibria in aqueous solutions, solubility and complex formation, basic thermodynamics and electrochemistry. Examples and problems related to the UN goals for sustainable development: chemistry in the atmosphere, acid rain, CO2 and carbonate equilibria, energy resources, hydrogen as an energy carrier, electrochemical energy storage. A compulsory safety course, including fire prevention and first aid has to be passed in order for admission to the laboratory course.

Sustainability relevance. Examples and problems related to the UN sustainability goals: chemistry in the atmosphere, acid rain, CO2- and carbonate equilibria, energy resources, hydrogen as an energy carrier, electrochemical energy storage.

Digitalization relevance: Numerical solution in Python for calculating ionic equilibria in water (fixed-point iterations and the bisection method).

Learning outcome

The most important learning outcomes in TMT4115 are associated with quantitative treatment of aqueous equilibria and the relation between Gibbs free energy and equilibrium constants and electrode potentials. After a successfully completed course the student masters the theoretical and experimental foundation necessary for following a second course in inorganic, organic and physical chemistry as well as in chemical process engineering. The student can upon successful course completion

- Name simple inorganic and organic compounds

- Quantitatively relate the number of moles of a substance to its concentration and solution volume

- Calculate theoretical yield and determine the limiting reactant

- Relate pressure, temperature and volume for ideal gas and gases complying with the van der Waal equation of state

- Caluclate the internal energy for an ideal gas

- Describe and identify acid-base reactions, oxidation-reduction reactions and precipitation reactions in aqueous solutions

- Balance such reactions

- Find the equilibrium concentrations in reactions between gases, solids, liquids and solutes based on the law of mass action and activities

- Determine the direction of a reaction.

- Formulate the electroneutrality condition and mass and proton balances for aqueous (dilute) ionic solutions, including polyprotic acids and solutions containing more than one solute

- Establish exact equations for calculation of pH based on these balances

- Calculate pH and solubility based on such balances and adequate approximations

- Calculate pH and solubility based graphical methods

- Calculate pH and solubility for titration experiments and buffers

- Account for the effect of addition of complexes and pH changes on solubility

- Account for the use of solubility principles in qualitative inorganic analysis

- Define central concepts in chemical thermodynamics: Isolated, closed, and open systems, heat, work, state function, reversible vs irreversible processes, heat capacity, the thermodynamic laws (0., 1., 2. og 3.), entropy, enthalpy, Gibbs' free energy, calorimetry

- Make quantitative use of these relations

- Account for the relation between equilibrium constant, Gibbs' free energy, and electrode potential, and for a (simplified) derivation of these relations

- Calculate cell voltages in in electrochemical cells from Gibbs' free energy, from standard electrode potential and from the Nernst equation, including concentration cells

- Asses laboratory safety and plan and perform safe experiments in the lab

- Apply these skills to problems related to the UN sustainability goals

Learning methods and activities

The course is taught through lectures and written exercises. The exercises are compulsory and 70% must be approved together with the laboratory course and several (semester) tests, to give access to the final exam, which may include topics that have been treated in the laboratory course. The problem sets include opportunities for training in the use of digital tools for solution of problems in chemistry as well as application of the theory to problems related to the UN sustainability goals (see description of course contents). The course emphasizes skills in systematic problem-solving and peer evaluation. Note that some of the lectures and exercise classes may be used for these activities. The project work during Teknostart is part of the course, and an approved project work counts as one approved problem set. The assessment in the course is based on a final written exam. The total workload is 200 hours including lectures, problem sets, and self study.

Compulsory assignments

• Exercises
• Laboratory course
• Semester tests

Specific conditions

Recommended previous knowledge

Previous knowledge corresponds to the entrance requirements for the five-year master's degree programme in Chemical Engineering, Materials and Biotechnology.

Required previous knowledge

Admission to the course requires studying at 5-year master's degree programme in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

Course materials

R. H. Petrucci, G. G. Herring, J. D. Madura and C. Bissonnette, "General Chemistry. Principles and Modern Applications", 12. ed., Pearson, Toronto (2023). Previous editions, including the abridged NTNU version of the 11th edition, can be used. A. Blackman and L. R. Gahan, Aylward & Findlay's SI Chemical Data, 7. utg., Wiley, 2014. Printed material and alternative text books are announced at the start of the course. "TMT4110/TMT4115 Laboratoriekurs i generell kjemi" compendium will be made available to the students in the lab. Lecture notes provided by the course responsible.

Credit reductions