Thursday, September 10, 2009

Basics of Chemistry

What Is Chemistry?


Chemistry is the study of matter and energy and the interactions between them. This is also the definition for physics, by the way. Chemistry and physics are specializations of physical science. Chemistry tends to focus on the properties of substances and the interactions between different types of matter, particularly reactions that involve electrons. Physics tends to focus more on the nuclear part of the atom, as well as the subatomic realm. Really, they are two sides of the same coin.


DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF CHEMISTRY

In the field of science there are many different types of chemistry. The following page will deal with five such chemistries.


• Organic Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry


Organic Chemistry
This specific type of chemistry is concerned with elements containing carbon. Carbon is only the fourteenth most common element on earth, yet it creates the largest number of different compounds. This type of chemistry is important to the petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and textile industries. All living organisms contain at least some amount of carbon in their body.

Inorganic Chemistry

This branch of chemistry deals with substances not containing carbon and that are not organic. Examples of such substances are minerals found in the earth's crust and non-living matter. There are many branches of inorganic chemistry. They include bioinorganic chemistry, nuclear science and energy, geochemistry, and synthetic inorganic chemistry, just to name a few.

Physical Chemistry

This type of chemistry deals with the discovery and description of the theoretical basis of the behavior of chemical substances. This means also that it provides a basis for every bit of chemistry including organic, inorganic, and analytical. This chemistry is defined as dealing with the relations between the physical properties of substances and their chemical formations along with their changes.

Biochemistry

Biochemistry is a science that is concerned with the composition and changes in the formation of living species. This type of chemistry utilizes the concepts of organic and physical chemistry to make the world of living organisms seem much clearer. Some people also consider biochemsitry as physiological chemistry and biological chemistry. The scientists that study biochemistry are called biochemists. They study such things as the properties of biological molecules, including proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. Other topics they focus on are the chemical regulation of metabolism, the chemistry of vitamins, and biological oxidation.

Analytical Chemistry

This kind of chemistry deals mostly with the composition of substances.
All these branches of chemistry must deal with each other one way or another. If they didn't work in unison it would be impossible for these chemistries to perform the functions we need for experiments. For example you wouldn't be able measure the change of an organic substance without knowing how to use analytical chemistry.

Basic Concepts in Chemistry

The following topic areas are the most basic concepts that a successful chemistry student needs to master:

1. Chemical nomenclature
2. Atomic Structure
3. Periodic Table
4. Lewis Structure
5. Chemical Reactions
6. Stoichiometry
7. Acid-Base Chemistry

Chemical Nomenclature

Chemical nomenclature is the term given to the naming of compounds. Chemists use specific rules and "conventions" to name different compounds. This section is designed to help you review some of those rules and conventions.


• Oxidation and Reduction
• Forming Ionic Compounds
• Arrangement of Atoms
• Naming Ionic Compounds
• Naming Binary Molecular Compounds
• Naming Inorganic Acids
• Naming Compounds

Oxidation and Reduction

When forming compounds, it is important to know something about the way atoms will react with each other. One of the most important manners in which atoms and/or molecules react with each other is the oxidation/reduction reaction. Oxidation/Reduction reactions are the processes of losing and gaining electrons respectively. Just remember, "LEO the lion says GER:" Lose Electrons Oxidation, Gain Electrons Reduction. Oxidation numbers are assigned to atoms and compounds as a way to tell scientists where the electrons are in a reaction. It is often referred to as the "charge" on the atom or compound. The oxidation number is assigned according to a standard set of rules. They are as follows:

1. An atom of a pure element has an oxidation number of zero.
2. For single atoms in an ion, their oxidation number is equal to their charge.
3. Fluorine is always -1 in compounds.
4. Cl, Br, and I are always -1 in compounds except when they are combined with O or F.
5. H is normally +1 and O is normally -2.
6. The oxidation number of a compound is equal to the sum of the oxidation numbers for each atom in the compound.

Forming Ionic Compounds

Knowing the oxidation number of a compound is very important when discussing ionic compounds. Ionic compounds are combinations of positive and negative ions. They are generally formed when nonmetals and metals bond. To determine which substance is formed, we must use the charges of the ions involved. To make a neutral molecule, the positive charge of the cation (positively-charged ion) must equal the negative charge of the anion (negatively-charged ion). In order to create a neutral charged molecule, you must combine the atoms in certain proportions. Scientists use subscripts to identify how many of each atom makes up the molecule. For example, when combining magnesium and nitrogen we know that the magnesium ion has a "+2" charge and the nitrogen ion has a "-3" charge. To cancel these charges, we must have three magnesium atoms for every two nitrogen atoms:

3Mg2+ + 2N3- --> Mg3N2

Knowledge of the charges of ions is crucial to knowing the formulas of the compounds formed.
• alkalis (1st column elements) form "+1" ions such as Na+ and Li+
• alkaline earth metals (2nd column elements) form "2+" ions such as Mg2+ and Ba2+
• halogens (7th column elements) form "-1" ions such as Cl- and I-

Other common ions are listed in the table below:

Positive ions (cations) Negative ions (anions)
1+ 1-
ammonium (NH4+) acetate (C2H3O2-)
copper(I) (Cu+) azide (N3-)
hydrogen (H+) chlorate (ClO3-)
silver (Ag+) cyanide (CN-)
dihydrogen phosphate (H2PO4-)
2+ hydride (H-)
cadmium (Cd2+) bicarbonate (HCO3-)
cobalt(II) (Co2+) hydroxide (OH-)
copper(II) (Cu2+) nitrate (NO3-)
iron (Fe2+) nitrite (NO2-)
lead (Pb2+) perchlorate (ClO4-)
manganese(II) (Mn2+) permanganate (MnO4-)
mercury(I) (Hg22+) thiocyanate(SCN-)
mercury(II) (Hg2+)
nickel (Ni2+) 2-
tin (Sn2+) carbonate (CO32-)
zinc (Zn2+) chromate (CrO42-)
dichromate (Cr2O72-)
3+ hydrogen phosphate (HPO42-)
aluminum (Al3+) oxide (O2-)
chromium(III) (Cr3+) peroxide (O22-)
iron(III) (Fe3+) sulfate (SO42-)
sulfide (S2-)
sulfite (SO32-)
3-
nitride (N3-)
phosphate (PO43-)
phosphide (P3-)

Naming Ionic Compounds

The outline below provides the rules for naming ionic compounds:

Positive Ions

1. Monatomic cations (a single atom with a positive charge) take the name of the element plus the word "ion"

Examples:

o Na+ = sodium ion
o Zn+2 = zinc ion

2. If an element can form more than one (1) positive ion, the charge is indicated by the Roman numeral in parentheses followed by the word "ion"

Examples:

o Fe2+ = iron(II) ion
o Fe3+ = iron (III) ion

Negative Ions

1. Monatomic anions (a single atom with a negative charge) change their ending to "-ide"

Examples:

o O2- = oxide ion
o Cl- = chloride ion

2. Oxoanions (negatively charged polyatomic ions which contain O) end in "-ate". However, if there is more than one oxyanion for a specific element then the endings are:

Two less oxygen than the most common starts with "hypo-" and ends with "-ite" One less oxygen than the most common ends with "-ite". THE MOST COMMON OXOANION ENDS WITH "-ATE".
One more oxygen than the most common starts with "per-" and ends with "-ate"
ClO- = hypochlorite o ClO2- = chlorite
o NO2- = nitrite
o SO32- = sulfite

Most common oxyanions with four oxygens
o SO42- = sulfate
o PO43- = phosphate
o CrO42- = chromate

Most common oxyanions with three oxygens
o NO3- = nitrate
o ClO3- = chlorate
o CO32- = carbonate
ClO4- = perchlorate
3.
4. Polyatomic anions (a negatively charged ion containing more than one type of element) often add a hydrogen atom; in this case, the anion's name either adds "hydrogen-" or "bi-" to the beginning

Example:
CO32- becomes HCO3-
"Carbonate" becomes either "Hydrogen Carbonate" or "Bicarbonate"

5. When combining cations and anions into an ionic compound, you always put the cation name first and then the anion name (the molecular formulas are also written in this order as well.)

Examples:

o Na+ + Cl- --> NaCl
sodium + chloride --> sodium chloride
o Cu2+ + SO42- -->CuSO4
copper(II) + sulfate --> copper(II) sulfate
o Al3+ + 3NO3- --> Al(NO3)3
aluminum + nitrate --> aluminum nitrate

Arrangement of Atoms

In naming ions, it is important to consider "isomers." Isomers are compounds with the same molecular formula, but different arrangements of atoms. Thus, it is important to include some signal within the name of the ion that identifies which arrangement you are talking about. There are three main types of classification, geometric, optical and structural isomers.
1. Geometric isomers refers to which side of the ion atoms lie. The prefixes used to distinguish geometric isomers are cis meaning substituents lie on the same side of the ion and trans meaning they lie on opposite sides. Below is a diagram to help you remember.


2. Optical isomers differ in the arrangement of four groups around a chiral carbon. These two isomers are differentiated as L and D.

3. Structural isomers differentiate between the placement of two chlorine atoms around a hexagonal carbon ring. These three isomers are identified as o, m, and p. Once again we have given you a few clues to help your memory.

Naming Binary Molecular Compounds

Molecular compounds are formed from the covalent bonding between non-metallic elements. The nomenclature for these compounds is described in the following set of rules.
1. The more positive atom is written first (the atom which is the furthest to the left and to the bottom of the periodic table)
2. The more negative second atom has an "-ide" ending.
3. Each prefix indicates the number of each atom present in the compound.
Number of Atoms Prefix Number of Atoms Prefix
1 mono 6 hexa
2 di 7 hepta
3 tri 8 octa
4 tetra 9 nona
5 penta 10 deca
4.
Examples:
CO2 = carbon dioxide
P4S10 = tetraphosphorus decasulfide
Naming Inorganic Acids
1. Binary acids (H plus a nonmetal element) are acids that dissociate into hydrogen atoms and anions in water. Acids that only release one hydrogen atom are known as monoprotic. Those acids that release more than one hydrogen atom are called polyproticacids. When naming these binary acids, you merely add "hydro-" (denoting the presence of a hydrogen atom) to the beginning and "-ic acid" to the end of the anion name.

Examples:
HCl = hydrochloric acid
HBr = hydrobromic acid

2. Ternary acids (also called oxoacids, are formed by hydrogen plus another element plus oxygen) are based on the name of the anion. In this case, the -ate, and -ite suffixes for the anion are replaced with -ic and -ous respectively. The new anion name is then followed by the word "acid." The chart below depicts the changes in nomenclature.


Anion name Acid name
hypo___ite hypo___ous acid
___ite ___ous acid
___ate ___ic acid
per___ate per___ic acid

Example:
ClO4- to HClO4 => perchlorate to perchloric acid
ClO- to HClO => hypochlorite to hypochlorous acid
Naming Compounds
A detailed treatise on naming organic compounds is beyond the scope of these materials, but some basics are presented. The wise chemistry student should consider memorizing the prefixes of the first ten organic compounds:
Number of Carbons Prefix
1 meth-
2 eth-
3 prop-
4 but-
5 pent-
6 hex-
7 hept-
8 oct-
9 non-
10 dec-
There are four basic types of organic hydrocarbons, those chemicals with only carbon and hydrogen:
1. Single bonds (alkane): suffix is "ane", formula CnH2n+2
2. Double bonds (alkene): suffix is "ene", formula CnH2n
3. Triple bonds (alkyne): suffix is "yne", formula CnH2n-2
4. Cyclic compounds: use prefix "cyclo"
So, for example, an organic compound with the formula "C6H14" would be recognized as an alkane with six carbons, so its name is "hexane".

Examples:
N2O4 = dinitrogen tetraoxide
S2F10 = disulfur decafluoride
Practice Problems
Find the formulas of the following molecules:
1. aluminum fluoride 8. ammonium dichromate
2. carbon tetrachloride 9. magnesium acetate
3. strontium nitrate 10. zinc hydroxide
4. sodium bisulfate 11. nitric acid
5. iron(III) oxide 12. hypochlorous acid
6. mercury(II) nitrate 13. phosphoric acid
7. sodium sulfite 14. aluminum nitrate
A solution set is available for viewing.
Write the names of the following molecules:
1. CaCO3 8. Mg3(PO4)2
2. SCl2 9. Ba(NO2)2
3. Li2CrO4 10. Hg2Cl2
4. NaSCN 11. NaHCO3
5. KClO3 12. H2S
6. Ca(C2H3O2)2 13. H2SO3
7. K2Cr2O7 14. SO3

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