Foundation Chemistry (CH0CHE):

Course Overview and Intended Learning

Outcomes, 2022-2023
The foundation chemistry course is broken down into twelve interlinked topics. Each topic will
consist of a varying number of lectures and laboratory experiments. The “student view” lecture
slides for each topic will be uploaded to Blackboard 48 hours before the first lecture in the topic. The
“lecturer view” slides, complete with answers, will be uploaded to Blackboard after the final lecture
in that topic.

This guide aims to provide a summary of the syllabus in terms of learning outcomes (things you
should be able to do at the end of each topic) rather than facts you should learn. You should consult
the lecture slides for a comprehensive revision resource.

On each page of this guide you will find:

 Background information explaining the relevance of each topic.
 Areas to revise before starting the topic.
 Intended learning outcomes.
 A list of practical experiments that will require knowledge of this topic.
 Curriculum links to other topics.

The twelve topics covered by this course are:

Autumn Term:
1. Bonding and Properties
2. Atomic Structure
3. Chemical Calculations
4. Redox Reactions
5. Chemical Analysis
6. Biological Chemistry

Spring Term:
7. Rates of Reactions
8. Thermodynamics
9. Equilibria
10. Introduction to Organic Chemistry
11. Introduction to Organic Chemistry Mechanisms
12. Substitution and Elimination Reactions
Bonding and Properties
During this topic you will learn about how atoms come together to form molecules and the factors
that determine the final shape and structure of molecules. Armed with this knowledge, you will be
able to explain and predict trends in physical properties of matter, such as melting point, boiling
point, ionisation energy and electronegativity. You will be able to use this knowledge in later topics
to explain why and how reactions take place, predict the products of reactions and explain relative
rates of reactions.

Before starting this topic you should revise:

 Sub-atomic particles (protons, neutrons and electrons)
 The structure of the atom
 Chemical bonding (metallic, ionic, covalent)

After completing this topic you should be able to:

 Describe metallic, ionic and covalent bonding and use ideas about bonding to rationalise the
physical properties of metallic, ionic and giant covalent structures.
 Explain trends in electronegativity across the periodic table and use these trends to identify
polar bonds within molecules.
 Describe the different types of intermolecular forces and use ideas about intermolecular
forces to rationalise the physical properties (melting points, solubility etc) of simple covalent
molecules and single atoms.
 Use VSEPR theory to predict shapes of molecules.

Practical experiments associated with this topic

Exp 1: Investigating Structure and Bonding
Exp 4: Preparation and analysis of aspirin

Skills covered by this topic will be useful for

 Redox Reactions
 Introduction to organic reaction mechanisms
 Thermodynamics
 Chemical Analysis
Atomic Structure
During this topic we will explore a more detailed model of the structure of an atom. We will discover
the evidence behind this model and be able to describe differences in periodic trends.

Before starting this topic you should revise:

 Sub-atomic particles (protons, neutrons and electrons)
 The structure of the atom
 The history of the atomic model (plum pudding model, gold leaf experiment etc.)
 The development of the periodic table

After completing this topic you should be able to:

 Describe the structure of an atom and give evidence for the existence of energy levels, sub-
levels and orbitals.
 Define what is meant by an atomic orbital, describe the shape and number of s, p and d
orbitals in each energy level.
 Use the Aufbau principle, the Pauli exclusion principle and Hund’s rule to give the electron
configuration of any element or ion using full and Nobel gas notation.
 Use electronic configuration to explain periodic trends

Practical experiments associated with this topic

None

Skills covered by this topic will be useful for

 Redox Reactions
 Chemical Analysis
Chemical Calculations
This topic aims to teach you all of the mathematical and chemical techniques required to access the
chemistry course. The calculations studied in this topic will be useful for any scientific course which
involves planning and carrying out chemical reactions. You will use many of these calculations in
your laboratory course.

Before starting this topic you should revise:

 Names and symbols of the first twenty elements
 Names and formulae of common chemical compounds and ions.
 How to rearrange mathematical equations (algebra)
 How to write numbers in standard form

After completing this topic you should be able to:

 Calculate masses of solids, concentrations of solutions and volumes of gases using moles and
molar masses.
 Assess the efficiency of a reaction via percentage yield and atom economy calculations.
 Calculate an unknown concentration, volume, mass or molar mass by titration.
 Assess the accuracy and precision of experimental results and account for errors.

Practical experiments associated with this topic

Exp 2: Determination of the Relative Atomic Mass of an Alkali Metal M by Titration
Exp 4: Preparation and Analysis of Aspirin

Skills covered by this topic will be useful for

 All quantitative laboratory work
 Redox Reactions
 Thermodynamics
 Equilibria
 Rates of Reaction
 Chemical Analysis
Redox Reactions
In this topic we will start to answer the question of “why do chemical reactions happen?” by
considering redox reactions. We will study characteristic reactions across the s, p and d blocks of the
periodic table and use periodic trends to predict and explain the outcomes of reactions. Finally we
will study redox reactions in the context of electrochemistry in electrochemical cells.

Before starting this topic you should revise:

 Atomic structure
 Bonding, intermolecular forces, electronegativity.

After completing this topic you should be able to:

 Write half equations and overall redox equations
 Solve redox titration problems
 Use oxidation numbers to identify oxidation, reduction, oxidising agents, reducing agents
and disproportionation reactions.
 Describe and explain trends in oxidising/reducing power and reactivity
 Describe what happens in an electrochemical cell
 Use electrode potentials to evaluate the reducing/oxidising power of a species and predict
spontaneous reactions
 Calculate the EMF of an electrochemical cell

Practical experiments associated with this topic

None

Skills covered by this topic will be useful for

 Thermodynamics
 Equilibria
 Rates of Reaction
 Chemical Analysis
Chemical Analysis
How do we know the structure of an unknown substance? In this topic we will discuss analytical
techniques and discover how a step-wise approach can help you determine the structure of a
molecule.

Before starting this topic you should revise:

 Calculation of moles, mass Mr
 Functional groups and homologous series
 Drawing organic molecules
 Isotopes

After completing this topic you should be able to:

 Calculate the empirical formula of a substance from elemental analysis
 Describe the process of mass spectrometry and use this to determine the molecular mass
and information about isotopes in a sample
 Describe infra-red spectroscopy and use this to identify functional groups within a sample
 Use NMR spectroscopy to identify the structure of an organic molecule.
 Use spectroscopic data, reactants, reagents and conditions to identify products of a
reaction.
 Use UV-vis spectroscopy to determine the concentration of a solution

Practical experiments associated with this topic

Exp 4: Preparation and analysis of aspirin
Biological Chemistry
In this topic we will take many of the skills and information we have learnt and apply them to
biological systems. We will learn about amino acids, optical isomerism, peptides, proteins and
enzymes

Before starting this topic you should revise:

 Drawing organic molecules
 Isomerism
 Intermolecular forces
 Nucleophilic addition-elimination reactions
 Rates of reaction
 Catalysis

After completing this topic you should be able to:

 Describe the properties and reactions of amino acids and peptides
 Identify chiral centres in organic molecules and explain the significance of different
enantiomers in food and pharmacy.
 Use the addition-elimination reaction to describe the formation of peptides from amino
acids.
 Use intermolecular forces to describe the structure of proteins
 Discuss the importance of pH and temperature for enzymes, with reference to changes in
the protein structure.
 Describe transition metal complexes and describe the role of transition metals in
biochemistry

Practical experiments associated with this topic

None

Kinetics
What controls the speed of a reaction? How can you increase the rate of a reaction in the most
energy and cost efficient way? These questions are very important for scientific industry. In this topic
we will investigate the factors behind the rate of reaction. We will use rate equations to quantify the
rate of reaction and to help us understand the type of reaction (e.g. SN1 or SN2) that is taking place.
We will discuss catalysis and how catalysts can increase the rate of reaction in industry.

Before starting this topic you should revise:

 Mathematics: rearranging equations, converting units
 Oxidation states and redox equations

After completing this topic you should be able to:

 Describe methods by which you can monitor and determine the rate of a reaction
 Describe methods of increasing the rate of reaction, using a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution
to support your reasoning.
 Write rate equations from experimental data and use these rate equations to calculate rate
constants and make predictions about reaction mechanisms.

Practical experiments associated with this topic

Exp 3: Writing a rate equation for the reaction between iodine and propanone

Skills covered by this topic will be useful for

 Equilibria
 Biological chemistry

Thermodynamics
In this topic we will discuss why reactions happen by discussing the energy changes associated with
reactions. We will discuss why some reactions are exothermic (give out heat) whereas some
reactions are endothermic (absorb heat). We will calculate the expected energy change of a reaction
in a variety of different ways. Finally we will briefly consider entropy and its role in predicting
spontaneous reactions.
Before starting this topic you should revise:
 Calculations, rearranging equations, converting and cancelling units.
 Writing balanced reaction equations
 Types of bonding in molecules

After completing this topic you should be able to:

 Discuss exothermic and endothermic reactions with reference to enthalpy change and
energy profiles.
 Perform calculations using bond dissociation enthalpies.
 Draw and perform calculations with the appropriate energy cycle from the reaction given:
enthalpy of formation cycles, enthalpy of combustion cycles, Born Haber cycles, enthalpy of
hydration cycles.
 Critically discuss the accuracy, strengths and weaknesses of each calculation method.
 Predict whether a reaction will be spontaneous, considering both enthalpy and entropy.
 Discuss energetic factors that determine stability and solubility of ionic substances.

Practical experiments associated with this topic

None

Skills covered by this topic will be useful for

 Equilibria
 Kinetics

Equilibria
Some reactions proceed in only one direction, other reactions are reversible. The amount of product
obtained from a reversible reaction depends on a variety of experimental conditions. In this topic we
will consider different types of reversible reactions, discuss how it is possible to increase
experimental yield and carry out calculations to quantify the reactions. We will then apply this to the
discussion of acids and bases, discover what pH actually means and discuss why different acids have
different pH values.
Before starting this topic you should revise:
 Writing balanced reaction equations and determining molar ratios
 Calculating concentration of solutions
 Calculating volumes of gases
 Mathematics: rearranging equations, converting and cancelling units.
 Mathematics: multiplying and dividing powers
 Mathematics: logarithms

After completing this topic you should be able to:

 Use le Chatelier’s principle to predict changes to the yield of a chemical reaction when
external changes are made to the reaction system
 Describe the position of an equilibrium and quantify the position of an equilibrium using an
equilibrium constant
 Calculate equilibrium constants KC, Kd, Ksp and Kp
 Define weak and strong acids and bases.
 Calculate the pH of strong acids, weak acids and strong bases, using Ka where necessary.
 Discuss the relative strength of acids and bases.

Practical experiments associated with this topic

None

Skills covered by this topic will be useful for

 Organic reaction mechanisms

Introduction to Organic Chemistry

This topic aims to familiarise you with the structures and names of organic molecules so that you can
study their reactions further in future topics. Organic compounds are an extremely important class
of molecules, encompassing nearly every part of life on earth including the cells within living
organisms, food and drink products, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, fuels, explosives, plastics and many
more.

Before starting this topic you should revise:

 Periodic Table and bonding
After completing this topic you should be able to:
 Identify and name functional groups from their structures and general formulae.
 Name a molecule from its structure using IUPAC rules.
 Draw a molecule given its IUPAC name.
 Draw molecules using displayed and skeletal structures.
 Define the different types of isomerism and draw structural and geometric isomers of
organic molecules.
 Give the products and reaction conditions for characteristic organic reactions.

Practical experiments associated with this topic

Exp 4: Preparation and Analysis of Aspirin

Skills covered by this topic will be useful for

 Introduction to organic reaction mechanisms
 Equilibria
 Chemical Analysis
Introduction to Organic Reaction Mechanisms
In this topic we will continue to address the question of “why do reactions happen?” by investigating
how organic reactions proceed. You will use your knowledge of chemical bonding and intermolecular
forces to predict the outcomes of organic reactions and be able to draw a stepwise explanation
(mechanism) of how most of the reactions encountered in “introduction to organic chemistry” take
place.

Before starting this topic you should revise:

 Bonding and Intermolecular forces
 Shapes of molecules
 Drawing organic molecules
 Functional groups and homologous series
 Isomerism

After completing this topic you should be able to:

 Identify electrophiles, nucleophiles, polar bonds, partial charges and full charges in
molecules.
 Draw reaction mechanisms for addition, elimination and substitution reactions.
 Predict the most probable reaction mechanism by considering the identity of the starting
material, the transfer of electrons and the reaction conditions.
 Predict the relative rates of nucleophilic substitution reactions.
 Name the type of reaction mechanism and explain the meaning of the name.

Practical experiments associated with this topic

Exp 4: Preparation and analysis of aspirin

Skills covered by this topic will be useful for

 Advanced Organic Reaction Mechanisms
 Kinetics
 Chemical Analysis
Substitution and Elimination Reactions
In this topic we will continue studying organic reaction mechanisms, looking at the two most
common types of organic reactions: substitution and elimination.

Before starting this topic you should revise:

 Introduction to organic chemistry: functional groups and homologous series, drawing
organic molecules, drawing skeletal formulae.
 Introduction to organic reaction mechanisms – what is a mechanism, what is a nucleophile
and electrophile, what does substitution, elimination and addition mean, how should arrows
and charges be drawn?
 Structure and bonding – shapes, number and orientation of s and p orbitals.

After completing this topic you should be able to:

 Draw the mechanism for SN1 and SN2 reaction pathways
 Explain the difference between SN1 and SN2 reaction pathways
 Draw the mechanism for E1 and E2 reaction pathways
 Explain the difference between E1 and E2 reaction pathways
 Discuss what promotes each of these mechanisms over the others and how each pathway
determines the final product.

Practical experiments associated with this topic

Exp 4: Synthesis of aspirin

Skills covered by this topic will be useful for

 Biological Chemistry