Inorganic and Physical Chemistry

**Inorganic and Physical Chemistry** is the first unit within the Advanced Higher Chemistry course. It consists of six subtopics (seven on Scholar); Electromagnetic radiation and atomic spectra, Atomic orbitals, electronic configurations and the Periodic Table, Transition metals, Chemical equilibrium, Reaction feasibility and Kinetics.

## Sub-topics

### Electromagnetic Radiation and Atomic Spectra

* Electromagnetic waves
* The relationship c=fλ
* Dual nature of electromagnetic radiation — waves and particles
* The relationships E=hf and E=Lhf
* Atomic emission
* Evaluation of evidence for energy levels in atoms of elements
* Atomic emission spectroscopy and Atomic absorption spectroscopy and how they

are used to identify and quantify the elements present in a sample

### Atomic orbitals, electronic configurations and the Periodic Table

* The four quantum numbers used to describe any electron within an atom.
* The shapes of s, p and d orbitals
* Electron configuration including:
	1. aufbau principle
	2. Hund’s rule
	3. Pauli exclusion principle
* The Periodic Table including electron configurations and Ionisation energies.
* The relative values of first, second and subsequent ionisation energies in terms

of the stabilities of different subshell electron configurations.

* Apply VSEPR rules to determine shapes of molecules and polyatomic ions

### Transition metals

* Electronic configuration of transition metal atoms and ions and the anomalies of

the model explained.

* Oxidation states of transition metals.
* Oxidation numbers of transition metal ions.
* Using changes in oxidation number of transition metal ions to determine whether

oxidation or reduction has occurred.

* Classification of Ligands, co-ordination number.
* Dative covalent bonding of ligands in transition metal complexes.
* Naming complex ions according to IUPAC rules.
* Explanation of colour in transition metal complexes.
* UV and visible absorption of transition metal complexes.
* Catalysis by transition metals.
* Transition metals and their compounds as catalysts

### Chemical equilibrium

* Equilibrium expressions, factors affecting equilibria and calculation of the

composition of the equilibrium mixtures K = [products]/[reactants]

* Ionic product of water and calculations of pH.
* pH = -log10[H+]
* Kw = [H+][OH-]
* Bronsted-Lowry acids/bases definitions.
* pH of salt solutions.
* Equilibria of the salt solutions.
* Strong and weak acids and bases.
* Properties of strong and weak acids and bases.
* The acid dissociation constant, Ka, Ka = [H+][A-] / [HA]
* pKa = -log10Ka
* Calculation of pH for a weak acids pH = ½ pKa - ½ log10c [H+] = √(Ka*c*)
* Buffer solutions.
* Composition of a buffer, how buffers work and calculation of the pH of buffers.
* pH = pKa – log10 [acid/salt]
* Indicators.
* Weak acid indicators. Kin , KIn = [H3O+] [In–] / [HIn]
* Selection of an appropriate indicator for a particular reaction based on titration

curves.

* Colour change of weak acid indicators.

### Reaction feasibility

* Standard enthalpy of formation, definitions and relevant calculations.
* ΔHo = ΣΔHof (products) - ΣΔHof (reactants).
* Entropy and prediction of change in entropy.
* Second and Third Laws of Thermodynamics.
* Calculations in changes in standard entropy.
* ΔSo = ΣΔSo (products) - ΣΔSo (reactants).
* The concept of free energy ΔG = ΔH – TΔS
* Calculation of Standard free energy change for a reaction.
* ΔGº = Σ ΔGº (products) - Σ ΔGº (reactants).
* Applications of the concept of free energy.
* Prediction of the feasibility of a chemical reaction under standard and nonstandard

conditions ΔGo = ΔHo - TΔS

### Kinetics

* Determination of the order of a reaction (0,1, 2, 3) from experimental data and

rate equations. Calculation of rate constants and units of k.rate = k[A]

* Reaction mechanisms.
* The rate determining step in a reaction.
* From the rate equation predict the rate determining step and possible

mechanism.