General information


Subject type: Basic

Coordinator: Julián Horrillo Tello

Trimester: First term

Credits: 6

Teaching staff: 

Andreu Comajuncosas Fortuño

Teaching languages


This subject has been successfully enrolled by a number of foreign students, most of them from Italy. Classes are taught in Catalan, and students are expected to achieve a basic understanding of spoken Catalan. However, exams and practical reports can be written in Italian or other languages. Public questions in the classroom, and private questions to the lecturer, can also be posed in Italian or other languages.

Skills


Specific skills
  • EC4: Understand and apply the principles of fundamental knowledge of general chemistry, organic and inorganic chemistry and their applications in engineering.

Description


Introduction to general chemistry emphasizing those most useful aspects within electronic and mechanical engineering. Introduction to the scientific method.

This subject has methodological and digital resources to make possible its continuity in non-contact mode in the case of being necessary for reasons related to the Covid-19. In this way, the achievement of the same knowledge and skills that are specified in this teaching plan will be ensured.

Learning outcomes


In general, this subject contributes to the following learning outcomes specified for the subject to which it belongs:

- Predict physico-chemical properties from the composition and structure of a compound.

- Relate the physico-chemical properties of pure substances or mixtures with the composition and molecular and electronic structure of the components.

- Solve problems analytically or numerically.

- Know the use of the material and equipment of a chemical laboratory.

- Know and put into practice the way and dynamics of teamwork.

At a more specific level, at the end of the course the student must be able to: 

- Explain the characteristics of the scientific method, applied to Chemistry and other scientific and pseudoscientific disciplines.

- Describe some social problem of Chemistry as a science, arguing advantages and disadvantages.

- Use and explain the scientific-technical terminology of chemistry.

- Explain chemical phenomena from the microscopic structure of matter.

- Write and match the equations of chemical reactions.

- Make quantitative calculations of chemical processes, using correctly the units of measurement and valuing the correction of the results.

- Distinguish precisely the various energy quantities.

- Relate atomic bonds with the properties of chemical compounds.

- Explain the chemical causes of processes of interest for electronic and mechanical engineering.

Working methodology


The subject consists of six hours a week of face-to-face classes in the classroom, where the presentation of the theoretical concepts, the resolution of exercises and examples of application by the teacher, and occasionally, the resolution will be alternated. laboratory and presentation on the board of some exercise by students.

Time from face-to-face classes will also be devoted to group activity 1.

Students will have to dedicate an additional time, non-contact, to the realization of the activities 1, 2, 3 and 4, and to the preparation of the written proofs.

Contents


1. Introduction

Description

Science and Engineering. Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.

The scientific method.

Subject classes. Pure substance, homogeneous and heterogeneous mixture.

Scattered systems. Alloy, emulsion, suspension, spray, mud, smoke and foam.

Separation of mixtures. Filtration, distillation and chromatography.

Atomic models. Cathode rays. Subatomic particles. Antimatter. Isotopes. Mass spectrometer.

Periodic table. Molecular formula. Conservation of the dough.

Equalization of chemical reactions. Combination, decomposition and combustion reactions.

Too much and too much molar.

Limiting reagent and excess reagent.

Dissolution of ionic and molecular compounds. Strong and weak electrolyte. Net ionic equation.

Introduction to acid-base and redox reactions. Oxidation state.

Concentration of solutions. Molarity. Evaluation.

Internal energy, heat and work. Exothermic and endothermic process. Status functions. Enthalpy of reaction. Specific heat. Hess's law. Enthalpy of standard formation. Energy value of food and fuels.

Related activities

Questionnaire on the scientific method.

Pollution survey.

Exercises.

First partial test.

 

2. Microscopic chemistry

Description

Light models. Electromagnetic spectrum. Photoelectric effect. Spectrum of lines.

Quantization of energy. Wave-particle duality. De Broglie's equation. Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. Wave function. Representation of orbitals. Quantum numbers. Spin. Pauli exclusion principle. MRI.

Electronic configuration. Hund's rule.

Periodic properties. Effective nuclear charge. Atomic radius. Ionization energy. Electronic affinity. Properties of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, chalcogens, halogens, and noble gases.

Chemical bond. Metallic, ionic and covalent bond. Lewis structures. Electronegativity. Dipolar moment. Resonance structures.

Enthalpy of bond. Explosives.

Related activities

Questionnaire on radioactivity.

Exercises.

First partial test.

 

3. Gases and liquids

Description

Pressure. Standard atmospheric pressure.

Barometer and manometer.

Laws of Boyle, Charles and Avogadro. Ideal gas law. Molar volume of an ideal gas.

Density, partial pressure and molar fraction.

Microscopic explanation of pressure. Distribution of the velocities of molecules. Effusion. Dissemination.

Real gases. Dependence on pressure and temperature. Van Der Waals equation.

Intramolecular and intermolecular forces. London scattering force. Dipole-dipole strength. Hydrogen bridge link. Ion-dipole strength. Viscosity. Surface tension.

Phase changes. Heat of fusion, vaporization and sublimation. Critical temperature and pressure. Steam pressure. Volatility. Clausius-Clapeyron equation. Phase diagram.

Solutions in water. Saturated and supersaturated solution. Solubility of solids, liquids and gases. Henry's law. Dependence on temperature.

Concentration of solutions. Collective properties. Osmosis.

Related activities

Exercises.

Second partial test.

 

4. Chemical reactions

Description

Reaction rate. First and second order reactions. Average life. Activation energy. Arrhenius equation. Reaction mechanisms. Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyst. Enzymes.

Chemical equilibrium. Equilibrium constant. Equilibria with solids or liquids. Calculation of concentrations. Principles of Le Chatelier.

Acids and bases. Conjugated pairs. Water self-ionization constant. PH scale. Strong and weak acids and bases. Dissociation constants. Ionization percentage. Polyprotic acids. Acid salts. Hydrolysis by dissolving salts.

Spontaneous, reversible and irreversible process. Entropy. Second law of thermodynamics. Standard molar entropy. Reaction entropy. Gibbs free energy.

Redox reactions. Equalization. Galvanic cell. Semi-reactions. Electrodes. Electromotive force. Standard cell potential. Standard reduction potential. Nernst equation. Concentration cell. Batteries. Fuel cell. Corrosion. Cathodic protection. Galvanized iron. Electrolysis.

Related activities

Exercises.

Second partial test.

 

5. Organic chemistry

Description

Simple, cyclic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Isomers. Properties and reactions.

Functional groups. Alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, amines and amides. Chirality.  

Biological molecules. Proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids.

Related activities

Second partial test.

 

Learning activities


1. Questionnaire on the scientific method (Contents 1)

General description

You will need to read an article about the scientific method and answer a questionnaire individually.

Part of this questionnaire will be delivered before class, and another part will be shared, in the classroom, in groups of four students. 

The teacher will designate a student from each group to present orally, in a very brief way, the conclusions of the group.

Support material

Article on the scientific method available on the web.

Questionnaire provided by the teacher.

Deliverable and links to the evaluation

The two parts of the questionnaire must be submitted, one individually and the other, including the results of the group discussion.

The grade will represent 10% of the course grade.

Specific objectives

Understand, summarize and critically analyze a scientific article.

Explain why Chemistry is a science.

Discuss and argue the application of the scientific method to Chemistry and other disciplines.

 

2. Pollution Survey (Contents 1)

General description

It will be necessary to read information provided by the teacher about a case of contamination, look for additional information on the Internet and present the opinion to moodle in the form of a survey.

This activity will be virtual only, without participation in the classroom.

Support material

Case description provided by the teacher.

Moodle survey.

Deliverable and links to the evaluation

Response to the survey.

This activity will not directly contribute to the course grade.

Specific objectives

Give a critical and well-founded opinion on a social problem related to chemistry.

 

3. Questionnaire on radioactivity (Content 2)

General description

It will be necessary to look for and read information on a topic that will not be exposed in class.

This information must be used to answer, in groups of two students, a standardized questionnaire on radioactivity, nuclear fission and nuclear fusion, with an extension of between three and five pages.

Mention should be made of the economic and social implications of nuclear fission and fusion as energy sources, both positive and negative, in terms of performance, economic cost, security and energy autonomy.

Support material

Questionnaire provided by the teacher.

Deliverable and links to the evaluation

The questionnaire.

The grade will represent 10% of the course grade.

The use of information sources in foreign languages ​​(English, French, Italian or German) will be positively valued.

Specific objectives

List the advantages and disadvantages of power generation through nuclear fission and fusion.

Describe radioactive phenomena.

 

4. Exercises on chemical processes and reactions (Contents 1, 2, 3 and 4)

General description

Some of the proposed exercises will have to be solved.

Support material

Collection of exercises.

Notes, books and other supporting material.

Deliverable and links to the evaluation

Generally these exercises will have to be solved outside the classroom. Some of them will be solved by the students in the classroom, collaboratively in groups of two or three students, and displayed on the board.

This activity will not directly contribute to the course grade.

Specific objectives

Solve numerical problems in quantitative chemistry.

 

5. First partial test (Contents 1 and 2)

General description

Written test to evaluate the contents developed in topics 1 and 2.

Support material

Statement of the test.

Deliverable and links to the evaluation

Test resolution.

The grade will represent 40% of the course grade.

Specific objectives

Explain theoretical concepts corresponding to topics 1 and 2.

Solve exercises corresponding to topics 1 and 2.

 

6. Second partial test (Contents 3, 4 and 5)

General description

Written test to evaluate the contents developed in topics 3, 4 and 5

Support material

Statement of the test.

Deliverable and links to the evaluation

Test resolution.

The grade will represent 40% of the course grade.

Specific objectives

Explain theoretical concepts corresponding to topics 3, 4 and 5.

Solve exercises corresponding to topics 3, 4 and 5.

 

First partial test: 40% of the mark It will be done ab est in Moodle if health standards and classroom availability require it; in this case its weight will be 20% of the grade
Questionnaire on the scientific method: classroom work in groups of four students.

it will be done with Zoom, with a breakout room for four students, generating a collaborative document for each group. 

 

   

first partial test: it will be done with a test in Moodle if the sanitary norms and the availability of classrooms require it; in this case its weight will be 20% of the grade. 

 

Questionnaire on the scientific method: it will be done with Zoom, with breakout rooms of four students, generating a collaborative document for each group 

Evaluation system


Questionnaire on the scientific method: 10%

Radioactivity questionnaire: 10%

First partial test: 40%

Second partial test: 40%

Recovery exam: 80%

For students who do not pass the assessment during the course, 20% of the grade of the questionnaires will be maintained, and an overall retake exam will be held which will be worth 80% of the grade. In this case, the final grade of the course will be a maximum of 5.

The questionnaire on the scientific method must be delivered on time on the set date.

The radioactivity questionnaire will be accepted even if it is delivered out of time, with a penalty on its qualification.

In the event that the health regulations prevent a first face-to-face examination, the weighting of the evaluable activities will be:

Questionnaire on the scientific method: 15%

Radioactivity questionnaire: 15%

Face-to-face final test: 70%

 

REFERENCES


Basic

Bunge (1958). Science, its method and its philosophy. Laetoli. ISBN 9788492422593.

Brown, LeMay, Bursten, Murphy (2009). Chemistry, the central science. Pearson. ISBN 978-607-442-021-0.

Complementary

Flaqué, Andreu, Cortés, Puig (2008). Chemistry for engineering. UPC editions. ISBN 9788498803556.

Herranz (2009). Chemistry for engineering. UPC editions. ISBN 978-84-9880-333-4.

Sales, Vilarrasa (2003). Introduction to inorganic and organic chemical nomenclature. Reverted. ISBN 9788429175516.

Flaqué, Puig, Cortés, Andreu (2004). Chemistry in questions and problems. UPC editions. ISBN 8483017830.

Chang (2010). Chemistry. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 6071503078.

López (2004). Chemistry problems. Prentice-Hall. ISBN 9788420529950.