GENERAL CHEMISTRY

By: Alyssa Marithe

MODULE #1:

The word science comes from the Latin word “scientia” that means having
knowledge, and refers the knowledge of how the physical world operates, based on
objective evidence determined through observation and experimentation

CHEMISTRY is the study of the properties of matter and the changes it undergoes. It is
largely an experimental science, and a great deal of knowledge comes from laboratory
research.
-branch of science that deals with:
a. Properties of matter
b. Composition and structure of matter
c. Changes that matter undergoes
d. Energy that accompanies these changes

Elements and compounds are substances that take part in chemical transformation.

MATTER
-is anything that occupies space(volume) and has mass (the quantity of matter in
material). *whatever that can occupies space and can be perceived by our senses
-It includes all things you encounter in daily life, like food and clothes, and even the
moon or the stars that are light years away.
NON-MATTER
-There are two simple tests you can perform to tell if something consists of matter. If it
fails either test, it’s non-material.
a. Could the phenomenon be weighed on any scale? Matter has mass.
b. Does the phenomenon occupy a volume? In other words, does it take up space?
All matter has physical dimensions.

PARTICLE THEORY OF MATTER- is a theory that describes matter. It explains the

behavior of solid, liquid, and gas.
1. All matter is made up of particles. These particles are either individual atoms or
groups of atoms called molecules.
2. All particles of one substance are identical. Atoms of the same element are the
same. Atoms of different elements are different. All of the atoms in carbon are
the same. But carbon atoms are different from the atoms in nitrogen and oxygen.
3. The particles of matter are in constant motion. Particles of matter move
constantly at any temperature above -273.15 degrees Celsius. But the human
eye can’t see them move.
4. Temperature affects the speed at which particles move.
5. Particles have forces of attraction between them. It is greatest in solids, which is
why they are strong and do not change their structure. It is very low in gasses
due to which it can be compressed.
 6. There are spaces between particles. In a gas, there are large spaces between
them. In a liquid they are closer together. In a solid, the particles are packed
close enough together they can hardly move.

MODULE #2:

PLASMA
-can be defined as gaseous mixture of positive ions and electrons
-Plasma temperature and densities range from relatively cool to very dense and hot
PHASE- It is the state at which matter exists in relation to the surrounding temperature
(energy present) and/or pressure.
What are the common PHASES OF MATTER?
-Solid
-Liquid
-Gas
-Plasma
-Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC)

STATES OF MATTER:
SOLID
-Particles are tightly packed and close together
-Particles do move but not very much
-Definite shape and definite volume (because particles are packed closely and do not
move)
LIQUID
-Particles are spread apart
-Particles move slowly through a container
-No definite shape but do have a definite volume
-Flow from one container to another
GAS
-Particles are very far apart
-Particles move very fast
-No definite shape and No definite volume
PLASMA
-Particles are extremely far apart
-Particles move extremely fast
-Only exists above 3000 degrees Celsius
-Basically, plasma is a hot gas
-When particles collide, they break apart into protons, neutrons, and electrons

BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATE
-Particles extremely close together
-Particles barely move
-Only found at extremely cold temperatures
-Basically Bose-Einstein is a cold solid
-Lowest energy of the 5 states/phases of matter
*Even though the particles of a liquid are moving, they are attracted to each other so
they don’t just spread apart to become gas. But some do when they evaporate.
*Water molecules are very attracted to one another.
*Water molecules are n motions

MODULE #3:

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
-are properties that can be measured or observed without matter changing to a different
substance.
-things you can see, hear, smell, or feel with your senses
-Physical property of matter is one that can be observed without changing its
composition. As for chemical property, it is one which is observed when matter
undergoes a transformation that results in a change of composition

 Examples of physical properties: Color, HArdness, Electrical conductivity, Heat

conductivity, Melting point, Boiling point and phase change.
 Physical properties of matter are categorized as extensive and intensive
 INTENSIVE PROPERTY are properties that do not depend on the amount of
matter present. Examples:
1. COLOR
2. ODOR
3. TASTE
4. LUSTER- how shiny substance is
5. MALLEABILITY- ability of a substance to be beaten into thin sheets
6. DUCTILITY- ability of a substance to allow the flow of energy of electricity
7. CONDUCTIVITY
8. HARDNESS
9. MELTING/FREEZING POINT- the temperature at which solid and liquid
phases of a substance are in equilibrium at atmospheric pressure
10. BOILING POINT- the temperature at which vapor pressure of a liquid is
equal to the pressure on the liquid (generally atmospheric pressure)
11. DENSITY- the mass of the substance divide by its volume
 EXTENSIVE PROPERTY are the properties that do depend on the amount of
matter present. Examples:
1. WEIGHT- measurement of the gravitational force of attraction of the earth
acting on an object
2. VOLUME- measurement of amount of space a substance occupies
3. LENGTH
4. WIDTH
5. MASS- measurement of amount of matter in an object
6. SURFACE AREA
 Chemical properties describe how the composition of a substance changes or
does not change when it interacts with other substances or energy forms. They
 are “reactive”, “inert”, “unstable”, and “combustible”. Observed when a substance
changes composition
 Physical change occurs when physical properties of a substance are altered, but
the composition remains the same. No new substance is/are formed
 Chemical change, also called chemical reactions, are the result of the chemical
properties of matter. Changes that do alter the identity of a substance.
Composition is no longer the same.

Diffusibility- Jill likes waking her children up by cooking scrumptious and delicious-
smelling food every morning
Brittleness- Hazel easily broke her ceramic piggy bank to buy a birthday present for her
sister
Thermal- Emma used a stainless steel kettle to boil water
Compressibility- Scuba divers use air tanks to breathe underwater
Elasticity- Mitch and Tin always stretches a garter, but it always go back to its original
state
Capillarity- Christine went to a hospital to donate blood. She was amazed at how her
blood was able to pass through small tubes.
Ductility- Karla used a machine to transform copper into wires for her crafts
Malleability- Diane hammered metal sheets to create a sword for her warrior princess
costume
Viscosity- Anna had a hard time pouring condensed milk into the mixing bowl
Flexibility- Jenny likes playing with her rubber pencil. She is fond of bending it in
different angles and tying it to make a knot.

MODULE #4:

ACID- substance that yields hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolved in water.
BASE- substance that yields hydroxide ions (OH-) when dissolved in water
COLLOID- a dispersion of particles of one substance throughout a dispersing medium
made of another substance
COMPOUND- substance composed of atoms of two or more elements chemically
united in fixed proportions
ELEMENTS- substance that cannot be separated into simpler substances by chemical
means
HETEROGENOUS MIXTURE- the individual component of mixture remain physically
separated and can be seen as separate components
HOMOGENOUS MIXTURE- the composition of mixture, after sufficient stirring, is the
same throughout the solution
INORGANIC COMPOUND- compounds other than organic compounds
MATTER- anything that occupies space and has mass
METAL- element that are good conductor of heat and electricity and have the tendency
to form positive ions in ionic compound
METALLOID- element with properties intermediate between those of metals and non-
metals
MIXTURE- combination of two or more substances in which the substances retain their
identity
NON-METAL- element that usually poor conductors of heat and electricity
ORGANIC COMPOUND- compounds that contain carbon, usually in combination with
elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur
OXIDES- substances that contains at least one oxygen atom and one other element in
its chemical formula
SALTS- is the product of the reaction between an acid and a base (other than water).
An inorganic salt is just any salt that doesn’t contain carbon
SOLUTION- a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances
SUBSTANCE- a form of matter that has definite or constant composition
SUSPENSION- heterogeneous mixture in which relatively large particles scattered
through solid, liquid, gas and it is bigger than solution and colloid

MODULE #5:

ACCURACY refers to the closeness of a measured value to a standard or known value

PRECISION refers to the closeness of two or more measurements to each other
PRECISION is independent of ACCURACY

Volume = length x width x height

Density = mass/volume

THREE RULES ON DETERMINING HOW MANY SIGNIFICANT FIGURES ARE IN

NUMBER:
1. Non-zero digits are always significant
2. Any zeros between two significant digits are significant
3. A final zero or trailing zeros in the decimal portion ONLY are significant

*In science, all numbers are based upon measurements. Only the numbers that have
significance are written.

For addition and subtraction, look at the places to the decimal points. Add or subtract in
the normal fashion, then round the answer to the LEAST number of places to the
decimal point of any number in the problem.

For multiplication and division, the LEAST number of significant figures in any number
of the problem determines the number of significant figures in the answer. This means
you MUST know how to recognize significant figures in order to use this rule.