Inorganic Chemistry Basics

Inorganic Chemistry

Definition

• Study of inorganic compounds, which are typically derived from mineral sources
• Inorganic compounds are typically devoid of carbon-hydrogen bonds

Branches

• Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry: deals with the preparation, properties, and reactions of inorganic compounds
• Theoretical Inorganic Chemistry: deals with the theoretical aspects of inorganic chemistry, including molecular structure and bonding
• Applied Inorganic Chemistry: deals with the practical applications of inorganic chemistry in various fields, such as materials science and catalysis

Types of Inorganic Compounds

• Acids: compounds that donate a proton (H+ ion)
  • Examples: HCl, H2SO4, HNO3
• Bases: compounds that accept a proton
  • Examples: NaOH, CaO, NH3
• Salts: compounds formed by the reaction of an acid and a base
  • Examples: NaCl, CaCO3, NH4NO3
• Oxides: compounds containing oxygen
  • Examples: CO2, SiO2, Fe2O3
• Hydrides: compounds containing hydrogen
  • Examples: NaH, CaH2, SiH4

Periodic Trends

• Atomic Radius: decreases from left to right across a period, increases down a group
• Electronegativity: increases from left to right across a period, decreases down a group
• Ionization Energy: increases from left to right across a period, decreases down a group

Coordination Compounds

• Central Metal Atom: the metal atom at the center of the coordination compound
• Ligands: molecules or ions that bond to the central metal atom
• Coordination Number: the number of ligands bonded to the central metal atom
• Isomerism: the phenomenon of coordination compounds having the same molecular formula but different arrangements of ligands around the central metal atom

Inorganic Chemistry

Definition

• Inorganic chemistry studies compounds derived from mineral sources, typically lacking carbon-hydrogen bonds

Branches

• Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry: preparation, properties, and reactions of inorganic compounds
• Theoretical Inorganic Chemistry: molecular structure, bonding, and theoretical aspects
• Applied Inorganic Chemistry: practical applications in materials science, catalysis, and more

Inorganic Compounds

Acids

• Donate a proton (H+ ion)
• Examples: HCl, H2SO4, HNO3

Bases

• Accept a proton
• Examples: NaOH, CaO, NH3

Salts

• Formed by acid-base reactions
• Examples: NaCl, CaCO3, NH4NO3

Oxides

• Contain oxygen
• Examples: CO2, SiO2, Fe2O3

Hydrides

• Contain hydrogen
• Examples: NaH, CaH2, SiH4

Periodic Trends

Atomic Radius

• Decreases from left to right across a period
• Increases down a group

Electronegativity

• Increases from left to right across a period
• Decreases down a group

Ionization Energy

• Increases from left to right across a period
• Decreases down a group

Coordination Compounds

• Central Metal Atom: metal at the center of the compound
• Ligands: molecules or ions bonded to the central metal atom
• Coordination Number: number of ligands bonded to the central metal atom
• Isomerism: same molecular formula, different ligand arrangements around the central metal atom

Physical Chemistry

Branches of Physical Chemistry

• Physical chemistry consists of five main branches: Thermodynamics, Kinetics, Electrochemistry, Quantum Mechanics, and Spectroscopy.

Thermodynamics

Laws of Thermodynamics

• The First Law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another.
• The Second Law states that the total entropy of an isolated system always increases over time.
• The Third Law states that as temperature approaches absolute zero, the entropy of a system approaches a minimum value.

Thermodynamic Systems

• An Open System exchanges both matter and energy with its surroundings.
• A Closed System exchanges energy but not matter with its surroundings.
• An Isolated System does not exchange either matter or energy with its surroundings.

Thermodynamic Properties

• Internal Energy (U) is the total energy of a system.
• Enthalpy (H) is the total energy of a system including energy associated with pressure and volume.
• Entropy (S) is a measure of disorder or randomness in a system.

Kinetics

Factors Affecting Reaction Rate

• Concentration: increasing the concentration of reactants increases the reaction rate.
• Temperature: increasing the temperature increases the reaction rate.
• Surface Area: increasing the surface area of reactants increases the reaction rate.
• Catalysts: substances that speed up reactions without being consumed.

Reaction Mechanisms

• Elementary Reactions are single-step reactions.
• Complex Reactions are multi-step reactions.

Rate Laws

• Zero-Order Reactions: the rate of reaction is independent of concentration.
• First-Order Reactions: the rate of reaction is proportional to concentration.
• Second-Order Reactions: the rate of reaction is proportional to the square of concentration.

This quiz covers the definition, branches, and fundamentals of inorganic chemistry, including descriptive, theoretical, and applied aspects. Test your knowledge of inorganic compounds and their properties.