COPPERBELT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODES: CH 110 AND NR 130

Course Coordinator: Mr. Mubanga Lupupa

Contacts: 0973195914/0955669988/[email protected]

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GENERAL CHEMISTRY COURSE OUTLINE FOR 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR
1. Course Outline
1.1 Introduction
Students in science based degree programmes should be well grounded in natural sciences to
effectively participate and contribute in ourever-changing scientific world. This foundation is vital in
preparing students in scientific thinking. Natural sciences are a pre-requisite to applied sciences. The
School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has designed courses to assist upgrade students’
knowledge of Mathematics and Natural Sciences to advanced level and hence elevate their scientific
thinking.

Chemistry and chemical knowledge are central to our modern society. Without a good basic
knowledge of Chemistry, a modern scientist is strictly limited in terms of what he or she can achieve.
And it is this fundamental grounding in chemistry that we are trying to achieve for students in
General Chemistry.

1.2 Course Objectives

This course has two objectives. The first one is to provide a firm foundation in concepts and principles
of the following selected GENERAL CHEMISTRYtopics

1. chemical reactions in aqueous solutions, the mole concept and stoichiometry;

2. atomic theory, chemical bonding and molecular geometry;
3. organic chemistry;
4. the gaseous physical state or biochemistry;
5. chemical kinetics, thermochemistry and chemical equilibrium;
6. acids and basesas well as
7. Electrochemistry.
The second objective is to instill in students an appreciation of the usefulness of chemistry in our
daily life.

1.3 CH 110/NR 130 – Course Content and Evaluation

The course comprisesof 12 topics. The course’slearning activities consists of lectures and laboratory
work.Students are advised to take both activities very seriously. Continuous assessment (CA)
comprises of end of term tests (30%) and laboratory work (10%) so that in total CA contributes 40%
to the final course mark. Students should obtain at least 20% out of the total 40% in CA to be allowed
tosit for the sessional (or final) examination. The final/sessional examination contributes 60% to the
final course mark.

Repeaters are to do the whole course which includes laboratory work.

Students are encouraged to work hard and master course material. Concentrating only on
memorizing or mastering past test or examination questions could be suicidal. There are many ways
at the disposal of educators of phrasing questions to evaluate mastering of course material.

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GENERAL CHEMISTRY COURSE OUTLINE FOR 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR
1.4 Learning Resources
Learning resources of the course consist of a prescribed textbook and a list of recommended
textbooks that is not exhaustive. Bolded textbooks are available as electronic copies from class
representatives. Wheneverstudents have challenges in securing learning materials, especially by
the middle of the first week of covering each topic, they should not hesitate to get the help of their
lecturer to access learning resources.

1.4.1 Prescribed Textbook

1. Steven S Zumdahl and Susan AZumdahl, Chemistry, 8th Edition, Brooks/Cole Centage
Learning, Belmont, CA, USA, 2010 (available in bookshop at K275) or
2. Steven S Zumdahl and Susan AZumdahl, Chemistry, 9th Edition, Brooks/Cole Centage Learning,
Belmont, CA, USA, 2013.

1.4.2 Recommended Textbooks

1. Raymond Chang, (2010), Chemistry, 10thEdition, McGraw Hill Higher Education, New York,
USA, 2010. (available in bookshop at K225)
2. Darrell D. Ebbing and Steven D. Gammon, 9th Edition, Brooks/Cole, Centage Learning,
Belmont, USA, 2009.
3. Steven S. Zumdahl, Chemical Principles, 5th Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, New York,
2005 (Electronic Copy given to Class Representatives).
4. David E Goldberg, SCHAUM’S Outlines: Beginning Chemistry, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill
Companies, New York, 2005 (Electronic Copy given to Class Representatives).
5. David E Goldberg, Fundamentals of Chemistry, 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill Companies, New
York, 2007 (Electronic Copy given to Class Representatives).
6. Theodore L. Brown;H.Eugene LeMay Jr.; Bruce E. Bursten and Catherine J. Murphy, Chemistry
– The Central Science, 11th Edition , Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA,
2009.
7. James E. Brady and Gerard E. Humiston, General Chemistry – Principles and Structure, 5th
Edition. John Wiley & Sons, New York, (1990).
8. Philip Matthews, Advanced Chemistry, Cambridge University Press, London, UK, (2008)
9. Internet
10. Chemistry journals

It is the responsibility of each student to prepare his or her comprehensive notes. A copy of teaching
notes that might be availed by the lecturer is just a summary of notes to aid in teaching.

Please ensure you have access to at least one textbook (electronic or hardcopy)

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GENERAL CHEMISTRY COURSE OUTLINE FOR 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR
1.5 Course Coverage

TERM ONE
1. INTRODUCTION TO CHEMISTRY 1(Chapters compounds
1 & 2) ii. Names and formulas of binary
a. Motivational talk on Chemistry molecular compounds
i. Defining chemistry iii. Names of acids
ii. Role of chemists in society
iii. Chemistry and development
2. STOICHIOMETRY (Chapter 3)
b. Scientific method
c. Classification of matter a. Counting by weighing
i. States of matter b. Atomic masses
ii. Pure substances, elements, i. Atomic mass unit (amu)
compounds and mixtures ii. Average mass of an element
d. Properties of matter c. The mole
i. Physical and chemical changes d. Molar mass of a compound
ii. Separation of mixtures e. Percent composition of a
e. Units of measurement compound
i. SI units f. Determining the formula of a
ii. Unit prefixes compound
iii. Derived units i. Empirical formula
iv. Temperature ii. Molecular formula
f. Uncertainty in measurement g. Chemical equation
i. Precision and accuracy i. Balancing chemical
ii. significant figures equations
iii. significant figures in ii. Meaning of chemical
calculations
equations
iv. Standard form or scientific
h. Stoichiometric calculations
notation.
i. Amounts of reactants and
g. Dimensional Analysis
products
i. Conversion factors
ii. Limiting reactant
ii. Using two or more conversion
iii. Combustion analysis
factors
h. Dalton’s atomic theory
i. Early Experiments to characterize the
atom
i. Electron
ii. Radioactivity
iii. Nuclear atom
j. Modern view of atomic structure
i. Atomic number
ii. mass numbers and
iii. isotopes
k. Introduction to periodic table
l. Molecules and molecular compounds
m. Ions and ionic compound
n. Naming simple compound
i. Names and formulas of ionic
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GENERAL CHEMISTRY COURSE OUTLINE FOR 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR
3. REACTIONS IN AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS 4. GASES (Chapter 5)
(Chapter 4)
a. Pressure
a. General Properties of aqueous
i. Definition
solutions
ii. units
i. Water as a solvent
b. The gas laws
ii. Strong, weak and non-
i. Boyle’s law
electrolytes
ii. Charles’ law
iii. Composition of solutions
iii. Avogadro’s constant
(molarity)
iv. The ideal gas law
iv. Dilution
c. Gas stoichiometry
b. Precipitation reactions
i. Molar volume
i. Reactions between strong
ii. Gas density
electrolytes
d. Dalton’s law of partial pressures
ii. Net ionic equations
i. Mole fraction
iii. Solubility rules
ii. Collecting a gas over water
iv. Gravimetric analysis
e. The Kinetic molecular theory
c. Acid-base reactions
(KMT) of gases
i. Arrhenius acids and bases
i. Postulates of KMT
ii. Strong and weak acids and
ii. Accounting for the gas laws
bases
using KMT
iii. Neutralization reactions
f. Effusion and diffusion
iv. Proton transfer reactions
i. Effusion
v. Acidic and basic character
ii. diffusion
of periodic table
g. Real gases
vi. Acid-base titrations
i. Deviations from the ideal gas
d. Oxidation-reduction (redox)
behavior
reactions
ii. Van der Waals equation
i. Defining oxidation and
reduction
ii. Oxidation numbers
iii. Redox reactions
iv. Oxidizing and reducing
agents
v. Balancing redox reactions in
acidic and basic media

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GENERAL CHEMISTRY COURSE OUTLINE FOR 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR
 TERM TWO
iv. Electron affinity
5. THERMOCHEMISTRY(Chapter 6)
g. Periodic table and chemistry
a. Energy
i. Alkali metals
b. Enthalpy and Calorimetry
ii. Metals, non-metals and
i. Enthalpy
metalloids
ii. Calorimetry
iii. Halogens
iii. Enthalpy of physical change
iv. Noble gases
iv. Enthalpy of chemical change
c. Standard reaction enthalpies 7. CHEMICAL BONDING AND MOLECULAR
i. Hess’s law GEOMETRY (Chapter 8)
ii. Standard enthalpy of
a. Ionic bonding
combustion
i. Lewis symbols and formulas
iii. Standard enthalpy of formation
ii. Formulas of ionic compounds
d. Enthalpies of fuel and food
iii. Variable valence
6. ATOMIC STRUCTURE AND PERIODICITY iv. Lattice enthalpies-Born Haber
(Chapter 7) cycle
b. Covalent bonding
a. Electromagnetic radiation
i. Quanta and photons i. Octet rule and Lewis structures
ii. Polyatomic species
ii. Photoelectric effect
iii. Multiple bonds
iii. Atomic spectrum of hydrogen iv. Resonance
iv. Wavelike properties of v. Formal charges
electrons c. Exceptions to octet rule
b. The Bohr model of the atom i. Radicals and biradicals
c. The quantum mechanical model of the ii. Expanded octets
atom iii. Compounds with less than an
i. Quantum mechanics octet
ii. Quantum numbers d. Lewis acids and bases
iii. Orbital shapes and energies e. Ionic versus covalent
iv. Electron spin and Pauli principle i. Electronegativity
v. Polyelectronic atoms-orbital ii. Polari ability and polarizing
energies power
d. Aufbau (building-up) principle f. Molecular structure – VSEPR model
i. Electron configurations of i. Valence shell electron pair
atoms repulsion (VSEPR) model
ii. Electron configurations of ions ii. Molecules with multiple bonds
e. The periodic table revisited iii. Molecules with lone pairs
i. Electronic structure of periodic iv. Polar bonds and polar
table molecules
f. Periodic trends in atomic properties v. Bond strengths
i. Atomic radius vi. Bond lengths
ii. Ionic radius g. The strengths and lengths of bonds
iii. Ionization energies i. Bond strengths

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GENERAL CHEMISTRY COURSE OUTLINE FOR 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR
 ii. Bond strengths of polyatomic
molecules
iii. Bond lengths
h. Intermolecular forces
i. London forces
ii. Dipole-dipole interactions
iii. Hydrogen bonding
8. ORGANIC CHEMISTRY (Chapter 22)
a. Introduction to organic chemistry
i. Hybridization
b. Classification of hydrocarbons-alkanes,
alkenes, alkynes, aromatic
compounds, cyclic compounds
c. Alkanes
i. Formulas, structures and
isomerism
ii. Nomenclature
iii. Cycloalkanes
iv. Reactions of alkanes
d. Alkenes
i. Formulas and structures
ii. Geometric isomerism
iii. Nomenclature
iv. Reactions of alkenes
e. Alkynes
i. Formulas and structures
ii. Nomenclature
iii. Reactions of alkynes
f. Aromatic hydrocarbons
i. Formulas and structures
ii. Nomenclature
iii. Reactions of aromatic
hydrocarbons
g. Functional groups
i. Alcohols
ii. Ethers
iii. Aldehydes
iv. Ketones
v. Carboxylic acids
vi. Esters
vii. Amines and amides

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GENERAL CHEMISTRY COURSE OUTLINE FOR 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR
 TERM THREE
i. pH of strong acid or strong base
9. CHEMICAL KINETICS (Chapter 12)
a. Introduction to Kinetics ii. pH of water
b. Reaction Rates d. Dissociation constants of weak acids
i. Definition of reaction rate and weak bases.
ii. Instantaneous rate e. Calculating pH of weak acid or weak
iii. Initial rate base
c. Rate Laws f. Polyprotic acid and bases
i. Order of a reaction g. Effect of added anions and cations on
ii. Determining the reaction order pH
d. The Integrated Rate Law h. Factors affecting acid strength
i. First order reaction
i. Common ion effect
ii. Second order
j. Buffers
iii. Half-lives
e. The effect of Temperature on reaction i. Henderson-Hasselbalch
rates Equation
i. The Collision Model for ii. pH range
Chemical Kinetics 12. ELECTROCHEMISTRY (Chapter 18)
ii. The Arrhenius Equation
a. Electron transfer, oxidation numbers,
iii. Activated complex
redox reactions (review)
f. Catalysis
b. Voltaic cells
i. Classification
c. Electromotive force (emf)
ii. Enzymes i. Cell potential
10. CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM (chapter 13) ii. Units
a. The concept of equilibrium. d. Standard reduction potentials
b. The equilibrium constant i. Standard hydrogen electrode
c. The equilibrium expression involving (SHE)
pressures ii. Standard cell potentials
d. Heterogeneous Equilibria e. Oxidizing and reducing agents
e. Interpreting and working with
equilibrium constant The indicated chapters are the
i. Extent of reaction corresponding chapters from Steven S
ii. Reaction quotient Zumdahl and Susan A Zumdahl, Chemistry,
iii. Equilibrium calculations 8th Edition, Brooks/Cole Centage Learning,
f. Le Chatelier’s principle. Belmont, CA, USA, 2010
i. Effect of change of
concentration
ii. Effect of change of pressure
iii. Effect of change of temperature
iv. Effect of catalyst
11. ACIDS AND BASES (Chapters 14 & 15)
a. Properties of acids and bases
b. Acid strength
i. Conjugate acids and bases
ii. Autoionization of water
c. pH

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GENERAL CHEMISTRY COURSE OUTLINE FOR 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR
1.6 Schedule of course lectures, tests, Tutorials and Exams

1.6.1 Term One Test [25 MARKS PER QUESTION & Two (2) QUESTIONS PER EXAMINATION TOPIC]

Topic Contact hours (week) Tutorial Topic Name/Test topics Dates Lecturer
1 12 (weeks 1-3) Introduction to chemistry Mr P Mubambe
2 8 (weeks 4-5) Stoichiometry Dr T Ahmad
3 8 (weeks 6-7) Reactions in solution Mr Lupupa
4 8 (weeks 8-9) Gases Dr Nanja
4 ( week 10) Revision & wrapping up of Term 1 work
1–4 2 TEST 1 (TOPICS 1 TO 4)
Mr Lupupa
2 DEFERRED TEST 1 (TOPICS 1 TO 4)

1.6.2 Term Two [25 MARKS PER QUESTION &Two (2) QUESTIONS PER EXAMINATION TOPIC]

Topic Contact hours (week) Tutorial Topic Name/Test topics Dates Lecturer
5 8 (weeks 1-2) Thermochemistry Dr Ahmad
6 12 (weeks 3-5) Atomic structure and periodicity Dr Nanja
7 8 (weeks 6-7) Chemical bonding & molecular geometry Dr M Dadi
8 8 (weeks 8-9) Organic Chemistry Dr A J Banda
4 (10) Revision or wrapping up of Term 2 work
5–8 2 TEST 2
Dr M Dadi
DEFERRED TEST 2 (TOPICS 5 TO 8)

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GENERAL CHEMISTRY COURSE OUTLINE FOR 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR
1.6.3 Term Three

Topic Contact hours Tutorial Topic Name/Test topics Dates Lecturer

9 8 (weeks 1-2) Kinetics Dr A J Banda
10 8 (weeks 3-4) Chemical Equilibrium Mr P Mubambe
11 12 (weeks 5-7) Acids and bases Dr M Dadi
12 8 (weeks 8-9) Electrochemistry Mr M Lupupa
4 (10) Revision or wrapping up of Term 3 work
N/A

1.6.4 Preparations for Final Examinations [20 MARKS PER QUESTION & 3 QUESTIONS PER EXAMINATION TOPIC]

No Name of Lecturer Topic Number of Questions

2020/2021
1 Mr. Lupupa Reactions in solution & stoichiometry 1
2 Dr Nanja Gases & Chemical Kinetics 1
3 Dr. T Amhad Thermochemistry & Electrochemistry 1
4 Dr. A Banda Organic Chemistry 1
5 Dr. M Dadi Chemical bonding & molecular geometry 1
6 Dr Nanja Chemical Equilibrium & Acids Bases 1
7 Mr. P Mubambe Introduction to chemistry & Atomic structure 1
and periodicity
EXAM 1 Dr. A J Banda COMPILE THE SESSIONAL EXAM 7 QUESTIONS ALL TOGETHER
EXAM 2 Dr T. Ahmad COMPILE THE DEFERRED SESSIONAL EXAM 7 QUESTIONS ALL TOGETHER
EXAM 3 Mr P Mubambe COMPILE THE SUPPLEMENTARY EXAM 7 QUESTIONS ALL TOGETHER

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GENERAL CHEMISTRY COURSE OUTLINE FOR 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR