The order of topics for the course is below, as is instructions on how to carry out the assignments. , and links to suggested solutions to end-of-chapter problems.

Lecture topics

Here is the schedule of chapters and pages in the texts and the corresponding assigned problems. We will cover the follwing five areas this semester.

  1. Chemical reactions: ACS Chemistry chapter 6 and the following pages of Notes on General Chemistry/3e:
    • pages 106–108 of chapter 4 (Lewis structures, formal charge, VSEPR)
    • pages 120–123 of chapter 4 (relative AO energies and electronegativity)
    • pages 271–275 of chapter 11 (oxidation numbers, balancing redox equations)
  2. Chemical energetics: ACS Chemistry chapter 7 and the following pages of Notes on General Chemistry/3e:
    • pages 221–226 of cahpter 9 (language of thermodynamics, heat and work, temperature leveling)
    • pages 226–236 of chapter 9 (first law of thermodynamics, enthalpy, bond enthalpies, enthalpies of formation, Hess's law, enthalpies of reaction)
    • pages 131–144 of chapter 5 (pressure, ideal gas law, partial pressure, vapor pressure, pressure-volume work)
  3. Entropy and molecular organization ACS Chemistry chapter 8 and the following pages of Notes on General Chemistry/3e:
    • pages 237–252 of chapter 10 (energy dispersal, entropy)
    • pages 255–258 of chapter 10 (free energy change, spontaneity, equilibrium)
    • pages 266–270 of chapter 10 (colligative properties)
  4. Chemical equilibrium: ACS Chemistry chapter 9 and the following pages of Notes on General Chemistry/3e:
    • pages 157–165 of chapter 6 (dynamic equilibrium, reaction quotient, equilibrium constant, direction of change)
    • pages 166–169 of chapter 6 (approximations in equilibrium calculations)
    • pages 182–193 of chapter 7 (pure strong and weak acids, buffers, hydrolysis)
    • pages 171–176 of chapter 6 (response to disruption of equilibrium: Le Chatelier's principle)
    • pages 259–265 of chapter 10 (equilibrium, Le Chatelier's principle)
    • pages 207–213 of chapter 8 (solubility)
    • pages 213–220 of chapter 8 (precipitation, effect of common ions and pH on solubility)
  5. Reduction-oxidation: electrochemistry: ACS Chemistry chapter 10 and the following pages of Notes on General Chemistry/3e:
    • pages 276–290 of chapter 11 (harnessing electron flow, half-cell potentials, Nernst equation, concentration cells, effect of pH)
  6. Reaction pathways: ACS Chemistry chapter 11 and the following pages of Notes on General Chemistry/3e:
    • pages 291–296 of chapter 12 (rate expressions, rate versus concentration)
    • pages 297–308 of chapter 12 (concentration versus time, half-life)
    • pages 308–310 of chapter 12 (mechanism and rate versus concentration)
    • pages 310–317 of chapter 12 (rates and equilibrium, rates and temperature)
    • pages 317–320 of chapter 12 (rates and thermodynamics)

How to carry out assignments

Each class meeting will cover approximately four sections of the text.

You should work in detail through the textbook sections and related pages of Notes/3e, and do the problems pertaining to those sections, both in the main text and in Notes/3e, and at the end of the chapter of the main text, before the lecture meeting on those sections.

Read the last sentence again. If you do as it says, you will greatly enhance what you learn in lectures and so speed your progress toward mastery.

Suggested solutions to all problems will be provided below.  You can also raise questions about any uncertainties in e-mail messages, in discussion sections, and in lecture.

Suggested solutions to end-of-chapter problems