Week 3

Topic: Solubility

Introduction

The term solubility refers to the maximum amount of material that will dissolve in a given amount of solvent at a given temperature to produce a stable solution.

Saturated and Unsaturated Solution

A saturated solution of a solute at a particular temperature is one which contains as much solute as it can dissolve at that temperature in the presence of undissolved solute particles.

A given volume of water can only dissolve a certain amount of salt in it at room temperature. If more salt is added to such a solution, the salt will remain undissolved. Such a salt solution is said to be saturated. On the other hand, an unsaturated solution can continue to dissolve more solutes, if added, until the solution becomes saturated. In a saturated solution, the dissolved solutes and the undissolved solutes are in equilibrium at a particular temperature. To learn more, Click here.

Week 4

Topic: Mass and Volume Relationships

Mass and Volume

 Mass is the amount of ‘stuff’ inside an object; the more stuff there is, the more mass.

Matter is made up of atoms and molecules, and the more of them we have, the greater the mass of an object is. We measure mass in units like kilograms, ounces, and pounds. In science, we prefer kilograms, which are the SI (Standard International) unit of mass. Your bathroom scale is calibrated to tell you your mass, but it only works properly on Earth. If you took it to the moon, the weight on the scale would change, but of course, your mass would not.

Volume is how much space something takes up. To learn more, Click here.

Week 5

Topic: Acid base Reactions

Acid – Base Titrations

During a titration, there is a change in pH as the acid is added to the alkali. This change in pH may be studied using a pH meter or by using an indicator (a universal indicator). The change in pH during the course of the titration depends on the strength of the acid and alkali used.

An acid–base titration is the determination of the concentration of an acid or base by exactly neutralizing the acid or base with an acid or base of known concentration. This allows for quantitative analysis of the concentration of an unknown acid or base solution.

Week: 6

Topic: Introduction to Organic Chemistry – Hydrocarbons

Organic chemistry originally meant the chemistry of compounds obtainable from plants and animals – living organisms. Organic chemistry is a branch of chemistry that deals with the structure, properties, and reactions of compounds that contain carbon. In another word, organic chemistry is defined as the chemistry of carbon compounds.

Organic molecules = Molecules containing carbon.

Vitalism = Belief in a life force outside the jurisdiction of chemical/physical laws.

Early 19th-century organic chemistry was built on a foundation of vitalism because organic chemists could not artificially synthesize organic compounds. It was believed that only living organisms could produce organic compounds. To learn more, Click here.

Week 7

Topic: Saturated Hydrocarbons – Alkanes

Alkanes

The alkanes are aliphatic hydrocarbons. They form a homologous series of saturated hydrocarbons which can be represented by the general molecular formula C_nH_2n+2. In each alkane number, all the carbon atoms are tetrahedrally bonded to the hydrogen and other carbon atoms. These hydrocarbons  contain only C-C single bonds in their molecules are called alkanes. These include open chain as well as closed chain (cyclic) hydrocarbons. For example, ethane, propane cyclopentane.

Alkanes are further divided into:

• Open chain or acyclic (simple alkanes not having any closed chains). They have the general formula C_nH_2n+2. Examples are methane (CH₄), propane (C₃H₈) and butane (C₄H₁₀).

• Cycloalkanes or cyclic alkanes (having a closed chain or rings in their molecules). They have the general formula C_nH_2n. Examples are cyclopropane (C₃H₆) and cyclobutane (C₄H₈). To learn more, Click here.

Week 8

Topic: Unsaturated Hydrocarbon – Alkenes

Alkenes

These are hydrocarbons that contain at least one carbon-carbon double bond C=C. Another series of compounds is called the alkenes. They have a general formula: C_nH_{2n where n is a positive whole number whic is equal or greater than 2}

Alkenes have fewer hydrogen atoms than the alkanes. The extra valencies left over occur as double bonds between a pair of carbon atoms. The double bonds are more reactive than single bonds making the alkenes chemically more reactive. They contain 2 hydrogen atoms lesser than the alkanes. Ethene, propene, but-1-ene and but-2-ene are colourless gases at ordinary temperatures and pressures, the next thirteen (C₅H₁₀ to C₁₇H₃₄) are liquids while he higher ones are solid. To learn more, Click here.

Week 9

Topic: Unsaturated Hydrocarbon – Alkynes

ALKYNES

An alkyne is a molecule made up entirely of carbon and hydrogen where on or more carbon atoms are connected by triple bonds. The general formula for an alkyne is C_nH_2n-2 where n is the number of carbon atoms in the molecule. Alkynes are named by adding the the -yne suffix to the prefix associated with the number of carbon atoms present in the molecule.

The first three are:

C₂H₂ – Ethyne   

C₃H₄ – Propyne  

C₄H₆ – Butyne To learn more, Click here.

Week: 10

Topic: Alkanols

Alkanols (or alcohols) are a homologous series of organic compounds with the general formula C_nH_2n+1OH or simply ROH. Their molecules consist of a functional group — the hydroxyl group (—OH) joined to an alkyl group (R—). They can be used to fuel cars as they are flammable. Unlike alkanes, alkenes and alkynes, alkanols are not hydrocarbons as, in addition to carbon and hydrogen atoms, they contain oxygen atoms.

 The two simplest alkanols are methanol and ethanol. To learn more, Click here.