General Chemistry

Module code: CH1200

This module will reinforce your knowledge of fundamental principles and theories within chemistry, such as the nature of atoms, molecules and chemical bonds, physical and chemical properties of chemical compounds, basic concepts of quantum chemistry and spectroscopy. This will provide you with a solid foundation for the more specialised disciplines and modules you will subsequently cover. The theories taught are all essential for understanding the key advancements in various chemical research fields, many of which you will encounter from day one of your time at Leicester.

Topics covered

• The principles of atomic structure, electron configuration, energy quantisation, wave-particle duality, molecular orbital theory and coordinate bonding
• The shapes of covalent molecules using Valence-Shell Electron-Pair repulsion theory
• Predicting the Lewis acidity or basicity of a molecule
• Chemical equilibria on both molecular and mathematical levels
• The underlying principles of spectroscopy and the application of quantitative relationships (e.g. Beer-Lambert law, Rydberg equation) to analyse spectra
• How to use these spectra to determine the identities of unknown molecules and those that you have made in the laboratory.
• Drawing and naming organic molecules, explaining their structure, shape and possible isomers and the importance of these skills in determining reactivity and suitability for drugs, forensic analysis and industrial use
• Using curly arrow notation to rationalise represent how molecules react and to predict the products of reagents you combine in the lab.