Lecture 1 Inorganic Chemistry Basics

Question 1

what is INORGANIC CHEMISTRY?

Answer 1

chemistry of elements, reactivity, and atomic relationships that are based on elements and their properties

Question 2

what is ORGANIC CHEMISTRY?

Answer 2

chemistry of CARBON, it’s reactivity and relationships with other elements and the compounds of carbon makes

Question 3

what is the sub division of ORGANIC CHEM?

Answer 3

1. biological

2. non-biological

Question 4

what is HYLOZOISM?

Answer 4

doctrine that all matter has life

Question 5

what is an ATOM?

Answer 5

single nucleus made of protons and neutrons, with a cloud of orbiting electrons

Question 6

what determines the ELEMENT of the atom?

Answer 6

count of protons in a nucleus

Question 7

what are the characteristics of neutrons?

Answer 7

no electrical charge
balances the instability of positively charged protons
(protons + neutrons = nucleus)

Question 8

what is SUB-ATOMIC PARTICLES?

Answer 8

means atomic particles are divisible

Question 9

name the smallest unit –> largest unit

Answer 9

particle –> atom –> element –> molecule –> macromolecule

Question 10

what are the characteristics of HYDROGEN ATOM?

Answer 10

1. 1st element
2. only element normally w/o NEUTRON
3. when it is UNADULTERATED, it has neutral charge [proton (+1) + electron (-1) = 0]
4. it becomes HYDROGEN ION (or H+, or proton) when ELECTRON is stripped away

Question 11

what determines the CHEMICAL PROPERTIES of an element?

Answer 11

of ELECTRONS orbiting nucleus

Question 12

what is VALENCE?

Answer 12

• the characteristic # of electrons lost or gained from the electron cloud of atom
• valence # determines element’s chemical conduct with other elements
• POS VAL: less electrons than protons
• NEG VAL: more electrons than protons

Question 13

how is a molecule formed?

Answer 13

when 2 or more atoms interact and bind together by electron behaviors

Question 14

what gives each element’s its CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS?

Answer 14

the VARIABILITY of electron count (which is the valence)

[ideal atom: electron=protons, but electrons count can vary easily]

Question 15

layers or electron shells

Answer 15

energetic states of electron cloud, which become increasingly complex as # of electrons increase with the # of protons

Question 16

ISOTOPE

Answer 16

varying neutron count

*but never less neutrons than protons, except in hydrogen

Question 17

periodic table

Answer 17

chart of all elements found in nature and synthetic elements created in nuclear reactors

Question 18

periodicity

Answer 18

valence state of each element

Question 19

valence state

Answer 19

charge state
(most common loss or gain of electrons from the electron cloud by a particular element)
ex: NA +1 (it easily looses 1 electron, leaving +1 of atom)

Question 20

ELECTRONEUTRALITY

Answer 20

most important concepts in chemistry

• atoms and molecules are powered by thermodynamic laws of physics and are driven to attain electrically neutral state
• create cellular energy

Question 21

what re 2 STRONG BONDS?

Answer 21

1. ionic bond

2. covalent bond

Question 22

covalent bond

Answer 22

• freely share electrons

- most common bonds in biochemistry –> almost all CARBON compounds are covalently bonded

Question 23

ionic bonds

Answer 23

• charge polarities in molecules create electronic attractions of +/- which link atoms by attraction to their opp charge
• form crystalline structures (most minerals & rocks)

Question 24

hydrogen bonds

Answer 24

• weak bonds
• weak attraction of a covalently bonded hydrogen to any adjacent neg charged atom like oxygen
• sub-par electrochemcial bond
• ex: cellulouse (paper, wood), DNA, RNA

Question 25

what are the 2 weak bonds

Answer 25

1. hydrogen bonds | 2. Van der Waals forces

Question 26

polarity

Answer 26

- having a pos and neg-charged side - asymmetric imbalance of electronic charge [ex: H2O is stable, but has a net off-balanced charge --> H +1, H+1, O-2]

Question 27

non-polarity

Answer 27

symmetrical distribution of its atoms (neutral balanced charge due to the balance of its structure)

Question 28

ion

Answer 28

an atom that is dissolved in water and has either a pos or neg charge

Question 29

molecule

Answer 29

2 or more atoms that are bounded together creating complexity

Question 30

macromolecule

Answer 30

huge # of molecules bonded together to form giant molecules

Question 31

characteristics of WATER

Answer 31

- polarized molecule (has pos & neg region), which make it a powerful dissolving agent

Question 32

dissolution

Answer 32

when ionic compound, like NaCl dissolves in water, the sodium (+1) and chlorine (-1) go into solution, and salt crystals is broken up, the atoms distributed throughout the water, but still electrically neutral

Question 33

dissolution potential

Answer 33

determines how easily or how much of compound will dissolve in water

Question 34

Do covalent molecules dissolve in water?

Answer 34

yes, but they do not dissociate --> their asymmetrical charge distribution, as in glucose, allows the polarity of water to put the molecule into solution

Question 35

solubility

Answer 35

- polar substance dissolve in polar fluids like water | - non-polar substances will dissolve in non-polar fluids like carbon tetrachloride or oils

Question 36

cations

Answer 36

pos charge | ex: Na+, Ca+2

Question 37

anions

Answer 37

neg charged | ex: Cl-, PO4-

Question 38

salt

Answer 38

- ionic compounds, when anions and cations crystalize together - water-based environment of body fluids are salty due to ionizing nature of water creating cations and anions (body needs 2g of sodium per day)

Question 39

pH | pH 7

Answer 39

percent hydrogen ions | percent of hydrogen where acid and base (alkaline) properties are equal on a scale of 1-14

Question 40

acid

Answer 40

simple acid compound is sulfuric acid (H2SO4) -> has 2 hydrogen cations compound with 1 sulfate anion - acid usually has hydrogen as cation readily reacts with other substances in corrosive way, bc their power to ionize can be very strong - DNA & citric acid are examples of an acid

Question 41

hydronium

Answer 41

H3O+ | H+

Question 42

what is the most common anion that produces BASIC solution?

Answer 42

hydroxide ion OH- the more OH- dissociates into water, the more powerful the base

Question 43

what is a simple base (alkaline)?

Answer 43

sodium hydroxide (or lye - ex: draino), an ionic compound NaOH the "basic" part of this compound as it dissolves is the OH- moiety, like H+, OH- is corrosive