SOME BASIC CONCEPTS OF CHEMISTRY
Chemistry: Chemistry is the branch of science that deals with the composition, structure and properties of matter. Chemistry is called the science of atoms and molecule,
Branches of Chemistry
Organic Chemistry -This branch deals with study of carbon compounds especially hydrocarbons and their derivatives.
Inorganic Chemistry -This branch deals with the study of compounds of all other elements except carbon. It largely concerns itself with the study of
minerals found in the Earth's crust.
Physical Chemistry -The explanation of fundamental principles governing various chemical phenomena is the main concern of this branch. It is basically
concerned with laws and theories of the different branches of chemistry.
Industrial Chemistry-The chemistry involved in industrial processes is studied
under this branch.
Analytical Chemistry-This branch deals with the qualitative and quantitative
analysis of various substances.
Biochemistry-This branch deals with the chemical changes going on in the
bodies of living organisms; plants and animals.
Nuclear Chemistry-Nuclear reactions, such as nuclear fission, nuclear fusion,
transmutation processes etc. are studied under this branch.
PROPERTIES OF MATTER AND THEIR MEASUREMENT
Every substance has unique or characteristic properties. These properties can be classified into two
categories – physical properties and chemical properties.
Physical properties are those properties which can be measured or observed without
changing the identity or the composition of the substance. E.g. colour, odour, melting
point, boiling point, density etc.
The measurement or observation of chemical properties requires a chemical change
to occur. e.g. Burning of Mg-ribbon in air
Chemical properties are characteristic reactions of different substances; these
include acidity or basicity, combustibility etc. Many properties of matter such as
length, area, volume, etc., are quantitative in nature.
Mass and Weight
Mass of a substance is the amount of matter present in it while
Weight is the force exerted by gravity on an object.
The mass of a substance is constant whereas its weight may vary from one place to another due to change in gravity. The mass of a substance can be determined very accurately by using an analytical balance.
Question for Some Basic Concepts Of Chemistry, Chapter Notes, Class 11, Chemistry
Try yourself:What is the difference between mass and weight?
Explanation
Mass is the amount of matter present in a substance, while weight is the force exerted by gravity on an object. The mass of a substance is constant and can be determined accurately using an analytical balance. On the other hand, weight can vary from one place to another due to changes in gravity.
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Volume
Volume has the units of (length)3. So volume has units of m3 or cm3 or dm3.A common unit, litre (L) is not an SI unit, is used for measurement of volume of
liquids. 1 L = 1000 mL, 1000 cm3 = 1 dm3
Density
Density of a substance is its amount of mass per unit volume.SI unit of density = SI unit of mass/SI unit of volume = kg/m3 .This unit is quite large
and a chemist often expresses density in g cm3.
Temperature
There are three common scales to measure temperature — °C (degree celsius), °F (degree Fahrenheit) and K (kelvin). Here, K is the SI unit.
K = °C + 273.15 Note—Temperature below 0 °C (i.e. negative values) are possible in Celsius scale but in Kelvin scale, negative temperature is not possible
Scientific Notation
In which any number can be represented in the form N × 10 n (Where n is an exponent having positive or negative values and N can vary between 1 to 10). e.g. We can write 232.508 as 2.32508 x102 in scientific notation. Similarly, 0.00016 can be written as 1.6 x 10–4.
Precision refers to the closeness of various measurements for the same quantity.
Accuracy is the agreement of a particular value to the true value of the result
Significant Figures
The reliability of a measurement is indicated by the number of digits used to represent it. To express it more accuratelywe express it with digits that are known with certainty. These are called as Significant figures. They contain all the certain digits plus one doubtful digit in a number.
Rules for Determining the Number of Significant Figures
- All non-zero digits are significant. For example, 6.9 has two significant
figures, while 2.16 has three significantfigures. - The decimal place does not determine the number of significant figures.
- A zero becomes significant in case it comes in between non zero numbers. For example, 2.003 has four significantfigures, 4.02 has three significant figures.
- Zeros at the beginning of a number are not significant. For example, 0.002 has one significant figure while 0.0045has two significant figures.
- All zeros placed to the right of a number are significant. For example, 16.0 has three significant figures, while 16.00has four significant figures.
- Zeros at the end of a number without decimal point are ambiguous.
- In exponential notations, the numerical portion represents the number of significant figures. For example, 0.00045 isexpressed as 4.5 x 10 -4 in terms of scientific notations. The number of significant figures in this number is 2, while inAvogadro's number (6.023 x 1023) it is four.
- The decimal point does not count towards the number of significant figures. For example, the number 345601 has sixsignificant figures but can be written in different ways, as 345.601 or 0.345601 or 3.45601 all having same number of significant figures.
Retention of Significant Figures - Rounding off Figures
The rounding off procedure is applied to retain the required number of significant
figures.
- If the digit coming after the desired number of significant figures happens to be more than 5, the precedingsignificant figure is increased by one, 4.317 is rounded off to 4.32.
- If the digit involved is less than 5, it is neglected and the preceding significant figure remains unchanged, 4.312 isrounded off to 4.31.
- If the digit happens to be 5, the last mentioned or preceding significant figure is increased by one only in case ithappens to be odd. In case of even figure, the 3 preceding digit remains unchanged. 8.375 is rounded off to 8.38 while8.365 isrounded off to 8.36.
Dimensional Analysis
During calculations generally there is a need to convert unitsfrom one system to other. This is called factor label method or unit factor method
or dimensional analysis.
For example- 5 feet and 2 inches (height of an Indian female) is to converted in SI unit
1 inch = 2.54 x 10-2 m
then, 5 feet and 2 inch = 62 inch
LAWS OF CHEMICAL COMBINATIONS
Law of Conservation of Mass (Given by Antoine Lavoisier in 1789).
It states that matter (mass) can neither be created nor destroyed.
Law of Definite Proportions or Law of Constant Composition:
This law was proposed by Louis Proust in 1799, which states that:
'A chemical compound always consists of the same elements combined together in
the same ratio, irrespective of the method of preparation or the source from where it
is taken'.
Law of Multiple Proportions Proposed by Dalton in 1803,
This law states that 5 'When two elements combine to form two or more compounds, then the different masses of one element, which combine with a fixed mass of the other, bear a simple ratio to one another'.
Gay Lussac’s Law of Gaseous Volumes (Given by Gay Lussac in 1808.)
According to this law when gases combine or are produced in a chemical reaction they do so in a simple ratio by volume provided all gases are at same temperature and pressure.
e.g.H2(g) + Cl2(g) ---→2HCl(g)
All reactants and products have simple ratio 1:1:2.
Avogadro Law (In 1811, Given by Avogadro)
According to this law equal volumes of gases at the same temperature and pressure
should contain equal number of molecules.
Dalton's Atomic Theory
All substances are made up of tiny, indivisible particles called atoms.
Atoms of the same element are identical in shape, size, mass and other properties.
Atoms of different elements are different in all respects. Atom is the smallest unit that takes part in chemical combinations.
Atoms combine with each other in simple whole number ratios to form compound atoms called molecules.
Atoms cannot be created, divided or destroyed during any chemical or physicalchange.
Question for Some Basic Concepts Of Chemistry, Chapter Notes, Class 11, Chemistry
Try yourself:
According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, what can be said about the mass of matter during a chemical reaction?Explanation
According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, matter (mass) can neither be created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction. This means that the total mass of the reactants will always be equal to the total mass of the products. In other words, the mass of matter remains constant throughout the reaction. This law was proposed by Antoine Lavoisier in 1789 and has been experimentally proven in numerous chemical reactions. It is a fundamental principle in chemistry that helps us understand and predict the outcome of chemical reactions.
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Mole Concept.
Mole is defined as the amount of a substance, which contains the same number of chemical units (atoms, molecules, ions or electrons) as there are atoms in exactly 12 grams of pure carbon-12. A mole represents a collection of 6.022 x1023( Avogadro's number) chemical units..
The mass of one mole of a substance in grams is called its molar mass.
Molar Volume
The volume occupied by one mole of any substance is called its molar volume. It is denoted by Vm. One mole of all gaseous substances at 273 K and 1 atm pressure occupies a volume equal to 22.4 litre or 22,400 mL. The unit of molar volume is litre per mol or millilitre per mol
Percentage Composition
The mass percentage of each constituent element present in any compound is called its percentage composition
Mass % of the element=Mass of element in 1 molecule of the compound x 100
Empirical Formula and Molecular Formula
An empirical formula represents the simplest whole number ratio of various atoms present in a compound. E.g. CH is the empirical formula of benzene.
The molecular formula shows the exact number of different types of atoms present in a molecule of a compound. E.g. C6H6 is the molecular formula of benzene.
Relationship between empirical and molecular formulae
The two formulas are related as Molecular formula = n x empirical formula
Question for Some Basic Concepts Of Chemistry, Chapter Notes, Class 11, Chemistry
Try yourself:
What is the molar volume of a gas at 273 K and 1 atm pressure?Explanation
The molar volume of a gas at 273 K and 1 atm pressure is equal to 22.4 liters or 22,400 mL per mole. This means that one mole of any gaseous substance at these conditions occupies a volume of 22.4 liters or 22,400 mL. This value is derived from experimental observations and is known as Avogadro's Law. The molar volume is a useful concept in stoichiometry calculations as it allows us to relate the amount of a gas in moles to its volume.
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Limiting Reagent-
The reactant which gets consumed first or limits the amount of product formed is known as limiting reagent
Reactions in Solutions--
he concentration of a solution can be expressed in any of the following ways.
1. Mass Percent is the mass of the solute in grams per 100 grams of the solution.
A 5 % solution of sodium chloride means that 5 g of NaCl is present in 100g
of the solution. Volume percent is the number of units of volume of the solute per 100 units
of the volume of solution. A 5 % (v/v) solution of ethyl alcohol contains 5 cm3 of alcohol in 100 cm3 of
the solution
2. Molarity of the solution is defined as the number of moles of solute dissolved
per litre (dm3) of the solution. It is denoted by the symbol M. Measurements in
Molarity can change with the change in temperature because solutions expand
or contract accordingly.
Molarity of the solution = No. of moles of the solute=n
Volume of the solution in litre=V
The Molarity of the solution can also be expressed in terms of mass and molar mass
Molarity of the solution = Mass of the solute
Molar mass of the solute X volume of the solution in litres
Molarity equation
To calculate the volume of a definite solution required to prepare solution of other molarity, the following equation is used:
M1V1 = M2V2, where M1= initial molarity, M2= molarity of the new solution, V1=initial volume and V2= volume of the new solution.
3. Molality- Molality is defined as the number of moles of solute dissolved per 1000 g (1 kg) of solvent. Molality is expressed as 'm'.
4. Mole Fraction is the ratio of number of moles of one component to the total number of moles (solute and solvents) present in the solution. It is expressed as 'x'.
Mole fraction of the solute = Moles of the solute
Moles of solute + Moles of solvent
Mole fraction of the solvent = Moles of the solvent
Moles of solute + Moles of solvent
Mole fraction of the solute + Mole fraction of solvent = 1
Question for Some Basic Concepts Of Chemistry, Chapter Notes, Class 11, Chemistry
Try yourself:
What is the definition of mass percent?Explanation
Mass percent is defined as the mass of the solute in grams per 100 grams of the solution. It represents the proportion of the solute in the solution and is often used to express the concentration of a solution. In a 5% solution of sodium chloride, for example, 5 grams of NaCl is present in 100 grams of the solution. The mass percent can be calculated by dividing the mass of the solute by the total mass of the solution and multiplying by 100.
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