INCHEM

211

Department of Chemical Engineering

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 INCHEM 211:
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Inorganic chemistry is the study of synthesis, structures, reactions as well as
properties of inorganic compounds. Inorganic compounds typically refer to
materials not containing carbon-hydrogen bonds, including metals, salts and
minerals. Its practical applications include the development of catalysts,
surfactants, coatings, fuels, materials superconductors and drugs. At the end
of this course, you should be able to apply appropriate theories, principles,
concepts and skills in Inorganic chemistry to your profession.

To ensure that you will demonstrate the above cited learning outcomes, this
course originally designed to be delivered in 54 contact hours was structured
into eight modules. Each module contains several units with its own topic
learning outcomes and topic outline. Each unit contains activities designed
using the 5E constructivist model of learning, developed by Rodger Bybee
that encourages students to engage, explore, explain, elaborate and
evaluate their learning of topics covered therein. This means that at the end
of each unit, each module, in the course as a whole, you will be assessed on
your progress in attaining the course learning outcomes. Outcomes based
education dictates that only when you can clearly demonstrate the course
learning outcomes by the end of this course, can you be given a passing
mark.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Module 1 Foundations of Chemistry

Unit 1: Introduction: Matter
Unit 2: Energy
Unit 3: Chemical Symbols, Notations and Nomenclature

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 MODULE 1:
FOUNDATIONS OF CHEMISTRY

UNIT ONE - INTRODUCTION: MATTER

ENGAGE ENGAGE ENGAGE ENGAGE ENGAGE ENGAGE

WHY STUDY CHEMISTRY?

Have you ever wondered why ice melts and water evaporates? Why
leaves turn colors and how a battery generates electricity? Why keeping foods
cold slows their spoilage and how our bodies use food to maintain life?
Chemistry supplies answers to these questions and countless others like them.

Chemistry is the study of the properties of

materials and the changes they undergo. One of
the joys of learning chemistry is seeing how
chemical principles operate in all aspects of our
lives, from everyday activities like lighting a match
to more far-reaching matters like the development
of drugs to cure cancer.

Indeed, chemistry lies near the heart of man

matters of public concern: improvement of health
care, conservation of natural resources, and
protection of the environment, provision of our
everyday needs for food, clothing and shelter.

Unfortunately, some chemicals also have the potential of

harming our health or the environment. It is in our best interest
as educated citizens and consumers to understand the
profound effects, both positive and negative, that chemicals
have on our lives and to strike an informed balance about their
uses.

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 WHAT IS INORGANIC CHEMISTRY?
Chemistry covers a wide range of topics that’s why it’s convenient to
classify these topics into branches. Inorganic Chemistry is one of them. To
understand further about Inorganic Chemistry, it is best to start with its opposite
counterpart, the Organic Chemistry.

We hear about organic mostly in terms of food, where it means that

whatever we’re about to eat was grown without the use of pesticides. But in
chemistry, the word organic means you’re dealing with carbon compounds.

Carbon is an element you might be familiar with. It’s an element that is

present in all forms of life and it is the fourth most abundant element in the
universe. Organic Chemistry is basically the study of carbon-hydrogen bonds.

Inorganic Chemistry, on the other hand, is the opposite. It is the study of

the formation, synthesis and properties of compounds that do not contain
carbon-hydrogen bonds. There are around 100 000 known inorganic
compounds, while there are around two million organic compounds. Examples
of inorganic compounds include:

Sodium Chloride NaCl Used as table salt

Silicon Dioxide SiO2 Used in computer chips
and solar cells
Sapphire Al2O3 A well-known gemstone
Sulfuric Acid H2SO4 Chemical widely used in
the production of
fertilizers and some
household products

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 EXPLORE EXPLORE EXPLORE EXPLORE EXPLORE EXPLORE

WHAT IS MATTER?
Chemistry involves studying the properties and behaviour of matter.
Matter is the physical material of the universe; it is anything that has mass and
occupies space. This module (when printed), your body, the clothes you are
wearing, and the air you are breathing are all samples of matter.

MATTER MADE OF
ATOMS

An atom is the smallest unit of matter that retains all of the chemical
properties of a particular substance. For example, a gold coin is simply a very
large number of gold atoms molded into the shape of a coin, with small
amounts of other, contaminating components. Gold atoms cannot be broken
down into anything smaller while still retaining the properties of gold. A gold
atom gets its properties from the tiny subatomic particles it’s made up of.

EXPLAIN EXPLAIN EXPLAIN EXPLAIN EXPLAIN EXPLAIN

PART A: STRUCTURE OF AN ATOM

An atom consists of two regions.
The first is the tiny atomic nucleus, which
is in the center of the atom and contains
positively charged particles
called protons and neutral, uncharged,
particles called neutrons. The second,
much larger, region of the atom is a
“cloud” of electrons, negatively
charged particles that orbit around the
nucleus.

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 The attraction between the positively charged protons and negatively
charged electrons holds the atom together. Most atoms contain all three of
these types of subatomic particles—protons, electrons, and neutrons. Hydrogen
(H) is an exception because it typically has one proton and one electron, but no
neutrons.

Atoms can combine to form molecules,

O
which are held together in specific shapes. H
Common example is water. Two hydrogen
atoms and one oxygen atom combine to form
one molecule of water. H

PART B: STATES OF MATTER

A sample of matter can be a gas, a liquid or a

solid. These three forms of matter are called the states of
matter. The states of matter differ in some of their
observable properties. A gas (also known as vapour) has
no fixed volume or shape; rather, it conforms to the
volume and shape of its container. A gas can be
compressed to occupy a smaller volume, or it can
expand to occupy a larger one.

A liquid has a distinct volume independent of its

container but has no specific shape. It assumes the shape
of the portion of the container it occupies. A solid has both
a definite shape and a definite volume; it is rigid. Neither
liquids nor solids can be compressed to any appreciable
extent.

The properties of the states can be understood on the

molecular level. In a gas, the molecules are far apart and
are moving at high speed, colliding repeatedly with each
other and with the walls of the container.

In a liquid, the molecules are packed more closely together, but still move
rapidly, allowing them to slide over each other; thus, liquids pour easily. In a solid
the molecules are held tightly together, usually in definite arrangements, in
which the molecules can wiggle only slightly in their otherwise fixed positions.
Thus, solids have rigid shapes.

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 EXERCISE NO. 1

To test yourself, answer what is asked. Correct answers are found at the
end of this module.

Given the state of matter (gas, liquid or solid) for each of the following
under ordinary conditions of temperature and pressure:
Substance State of Matter
Zinc
Mercury
Ethyl Alcohol
Oxygen
Sodium Chloride

PART C: CLASSIFICATION OF MATTER

Most forms of matter that we encounter – for example, the air we breathe
(a gas), gasoline for cars (a liquid), and the sidewalk on which we walk (a solid)
– are not chemically pure. We can, however, resolve, or separate, these kinds of
matter into different pure substances. A pure substance is matter that has a
fixed composition and distinct properties. For example, water and ordinary table
salt, the primary components of seawater, are pure substances.

We can classify substances as ether elements or compounds. Elements

are substances that cannot be decomposed into simpler substances. Each
element is composed of only one kind of atom. Compounds, in contrast, are
composed of two or more elements, and thus contain two or more kinds of
atoms.

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 MATTER

NO YES
IS IT UNIFROM
THROUGHOUT?

HETEROGENEOUS HOMOGENEOUS
MIXTURE MIXTURE

NO YES
CAN IT BE SEPARATED
BY PHYSICAL MEANS?

PURE HOMOGENEOUS
SUBSTANCE MIXTURE

NO CAN IT BE DECOMPOSED YES

INTO OTHER SUBSTANCES
BY CHEMICAL
PROCESSES?

ELEMENT COMPOUND

Most of the matter we encounter consists of mixtures of different

substances. Mixtures are combinations of two or more substances in which each
substance retains its own chemical identity and hence its own properties.
Whereas pure substances have fixed compositions, the compositions of mixtures
can vary. For example, a cup of sweetened coffee can contain either a little
sugar or a lot. The substances making up a mixture (such as sugar and water)
are called components of the mixture.

Some mixtures, such as sand, rocks and wood, do not have the same
composition, properties, and appearance throughout the mixture. Such mixtures
are heterogeneous. Mixtures that are uniform throughout are homogeneous. Air
is a homogeneous mixture of the gaseous substances nitrogen, oxygen and
smaller amounts of other substances. The nitrogen in air has all the properties
that pure nitrogen does because both the pure substance and the mixture
contain the same nitrogen molecules. Salt, sugar and many other substances

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 dissolve in water to form homogeneous mixtures. Homogeneous mixtures are
also called solutions. Air is a gaseous solution; gasoline is a liquid solution; brass is
a solid solution.

EXERCISE NO. 2

Classify each of the following as a pure substance or a mixture; if a

mixture, indicate whether it is homogeneous or heterogeneous: (a) concrete;
(b) seawater; (c) magnesium; (d) gasoline.

PART D: PROPERTIES OF MATTER

Every substance has a unique set of properties – characteristics that allow
us to recognize it and to distinguish it from other substances. The properties of
matter can be grouped into two categories: physical and chemical.

We can measure physical properties without changing the identity and

composition of the substance. These properties include color, odor, density,
meting point, boiling point and hardness. Chemical properties describe the way
a substance may change or react to form other substances. For example, a
common chemical property is flammability, the ability of a substance to burn in
the presence of oxygen. Another example is iron, when it combines with oxygen
in the presence of water, forms rust.

Properties of matter can also fall into one of these two categories. Some
properties – such as melting point and density – do not depend on the amount
of the sample being examined. These properties, called intensive properties, are
particularly useful in chemistry because many can be used to identify
substances. Temperature is another example of intensive property. If the gallon
and cup of milk are each at 20oC, when they are combined, the temperature
remains at 20oC.

Extensive properties of substances depend on the quantity of the sample

and include measurements of mass and volume. Extensive properties relate to
the amount of substances present. For example, a gallon of milk has a larger
mass and volume than a cup of milk.

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 EXERCISE NO. 3

Identify the following properties as either extensive or intensive:

Property Category (Extensive or Intensive)

Volume
Temperature
Humidity
Heat
Boiling Point

PART E: PHYSICAL CHANGES AND CHEMICAL CHANGES

As with the properties of a substance, the changes that substances
undergo can be classified as either physical or chemical. During physical
changes a substance changes its physical appearance but not its composition.
The evaporation of water is a physical change. When water evaporates, it
changes from the liquid state to the gas state, but its composition does not
change; it is still water. All changes of state (for example, from liquid to gas or
from liquid to solid) are physical changes.

In chemical changes (also called chemical reactions), a substance is

transformed into a chemically different substance. For example, when hydrogen
burns in air, it undergoes a chemical change in which it is converted to water.

Chemical changes can be dramatic. The following account describes a

young man’s first experiences with chemical reactions. The writer is Ira Remsen,
author of popular chemistry text published in 1901.

While reading a textbook of chemistry, I came upon the statement “nitric acid
acts upon copper”, and I determined to see what this meant. Having located
some nitric acid, I had only to learn what the words “act upon” meant. In the
interest of knowledge I was even willing to sacrifice one of the few copper
cents then in my possession. I put one of them on the table, opened a bottle
labelled “nitric acid”, poured some of the liquid on the copper, and prepared
to make an observation. But what was this wonderful thing I beheld? The cent
was already changed, and it was no small change either. A greenish-blue liquid
foamed and fumed over the cent and over the table. The air became colored
dark red. How could I stop this? I tried by picking the cent up and throwing it
out the window. I learned another fact: nitric acid acts upon fingers. The pain
led to another unpremeditated experiment. I draw my fingers across my
trousers and discovered nitric acid acts upon trousers. That was the most
impressive experiment I have ever performed. I tell of it even now with interest. It
was a revelation to me. Plainly the only way to learn about such remarkable
kinds of action is to see the results, to experiment, to work in the laboratory.

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 EXERCISE NO. 4

Label each of the following as either a physical process or a chemical

process:

Process Type of Change

Corrosion of aluminium metal
Melting of ice
Pulverizing an aspirin
Digesting a candy bar
Explosion of nitroglycerin

ELABORATE ELABORATE ELABORATE ELABORATE

Formative Assessment (Graded Assignment) is already available on

Google Classroom. Further instructions are already provided there.

EVALUATE EVALUATE EVALUATE EVALUATE

You have reviewed some important concepts of matter and acquired

additional and new knowledge on some important advancement. You should
be able to apply these concepts.

Module 1 Evaluative Assessment on DATE via Google Classroom

References:
Brown, Le May & Bursten. (1997). Chemistry, The Central Science, 7th Ed.
USA: Prentice Hall International.

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means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited.
 ANSWERS TO EXERCISES:

EXERCISE NO. 1:
1. solid
2. liquid
3. liquid
4. gas
5. solid

EXERCISE NO. 2:
1. Mixture – Heterogeneous
2. Mixture – Homogeneous
3. Pure Substance
4. Mixture – Homogeneous

EXERCISE NO.3:
1. Extensive property
2. Intensive property
3. Intensive property
4. Extensive property
5. Intensive property

EXERCISE NO.4:
1. Chemical change
2. Physical change
3. Physical change
4. Chemical change
5. Chemical change

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