Essential Ideas, Chemistry Introduction
It may be that you apply yourself to the study of Chemistry in order to satisfy an academic requirement; yet, should you reflect upon your daily pursuits, you may well find the subject of interest for more profound reasons. Verily, almost everything which you undertake or encounter throughout the day involves the principles of Chemistry. The preparation of coffee, the cooking of eggs, and the toasting of bread are all chemical operations. The commodities you employ—such as soaps and shampoos, the fabrics in which you are clothed, the electronic apparatus that maintains your connection to the world, and the spirit which propels your motor-car—all these, and more besides, involve chemical substances and processes. Whether you be conscious of it or not, Chemistry is an integral part of your everyday world. Within this course, you shall learn many of the essential principles which underlie the chemistry of modern-day life.
Chemistry in Context
Upon the conclusion of this module, the student shall be enabled to: Render an account of the historical progression of Chemical Science from its origins; Adduce examples demonstrating the profound significance of Chemistry within the conduct of daily life; Explicate the tenets of the Scientific Method; Distinguish with precision between Hypotheses, Theories, and Scientific Laws; Furnish examples illustrative of the Macroscopic, Microscopic, and Symbolic domains of the science.
Phases and Classification of Matter
At the close of this section, the student shall be enabled to: Elucidate the fundamental properties characteristic of each physical state of matter: namely, the Solid, the Liquid, and the Gaseous; Define, and furnish appropriate examples of, the Atom and the Molecule; Classify matter as an Element, a Compound, or a Mixture (whether Homogeneous or Heterogeneous), with due regard to its physical state and constitution; Discriminate with exactitude between the concepts of Mass and Weight; Demonstrate the application of the Law of Conservation of Matter.
Physical and Chemical Properties
At the close of this section, the student shall be enabled to: Discern whether the various properties and mutations of matter be of a physical or a chemical nature; Distinguish between the extensive and intensive properties of matter, according to their dependence upon the quantity of the substance present.
Measurements
At the close of this section, the student shall be enabled to: Explicate the fundamental process of measurement as a means of quantitative comparison; Identify the three essential components of a physical quantity; Describe the attributes and standard units of length, mass, volume, density, temperature, and time; Execute fundamental calculations and the conversion of units within the Metric and other established systems of measurement.
Measurement Uncertainty, Accuracy, and Precision
At the close of this section, the student shall be enabled to: Define with clarity the concepts of Accuracy and Precision in experimental observation; Distinguish between those numbers which are exact and those which bear a degree of uncertainty; Represent with due propriety the uncertainty inherent in quantities through the judicious use of Significant Figures; Apply the established rules of rounding to all such quantities as may be derived by calculation.
Mathematical Treatment of Measurement Results
At the close of this section, the student shall be enabled to: Explicate the Method of Dimensional Analysis (otherwise known as the Factor-Label approach) as a systematic means of performing mathematical computations involving physical quantities; Employ the principles of Dimensional Analysis to effect the conversion of units for a specific attribute, and to conduct computations wherein two or more distinct properties are involved.