Contenuti e programma del Corso
1) The atomic structure and the Periodic Table of the elements (10 hours)
Atomic and mass number. Isotopes. Energy quantization. Bohr’s atomic model for hydrogen atom. Electron wave properties and de Broglie’s equation. Heisenberg indetermination principle. Schrödinger wave equation and the quantum numbers. Electronic configuration: Pauli’s principle and Hund’s rule.
The Periodic Table of the elements: blocks, groups, periods. Periodic properties.

2) The chemical bond (10 hours)
Ionic and covalent bond. Bonds and molecules polarity. Molecules shape: VSEPR theory. Sigma- and pi-bonds. Multiple bonds. Molecular orbital theory: application to diatomic molecules of second period elements. Intermolecular forces.

3) Mole and molar ratios (4 hours)
Pure substances (elements, compounds) and mixtures. Chemical formulas. The mole and molar mass. Percentage composition of the elements in a compound. Use of molar ratios in chemical reactions: limiting reagent and reaction yield.

4) Ideal gases (4 hours)
Ideal gases model. Avogadro’s principle. Ideal gases Laws. Ideal gases mixtures: Dalton’s and Amagat’s laws.

5) Solutions (4 hours)
Expressing concentrations of solutions. Solutions’ dilution. How to deal with solutions in a chemical reaction.

6) Chemical kinetics (6 hours)
Reaction rate and kinetic equation. Reaction order. Elementary reactions and reaction mechanisms. Brief introduction to collision theory and transition state. From kinetics to equilibrium.
7) Thermochemistry and equilibria (10 hours)
The energy and its types. First principle of thermodynamics. Internal energy. Enthalpy. Hess’s law. Entropy and the second principle of thermodynamics. Gibb’s free energy and chemical reactions spontaneity. Third principle of thermodynamics. Homogenous gaseous equilibrium. Equilibrium constant and reaction quotient. Le Chatelier’s principle. Heterogeneous equilibria.

8) Chemical equilibria in aqueous media (8 hours)
Ionic water product. Acids and bases: definitions and theories from Arrehnius, Brønsted and Lewis. Definition of acidity and basicity constants for weak acids and bases. Aqueous solutions of acids and bases: pH definition and calculation. Buffer solutions. Acid-base titrations.

9) Electrochemistry (8 hours)
Oxidation-reductions reactions (redox). Electrochemical potentials. Standard reduction potentials. Electrochemical cells: Nernst’s law. Electrolysis processes: molten salts and aqueous solutions of salts. Quantitative aspects of electrolysis: Faraday’s laws.

Tipologia delle attività didattiche
Classroom lectures (with PowerPoint presentation).