PREFACE This course on college chemistry provides a way for the college student pursuing an interest in chemistry or possibly already struggling with chemistry to understand this discipline in a much clearer way. Chemistry is a broad subject, ranging from “physical chemistry” or the study of atoms, molecules, chemical reactions, and the properties of solids, liquids, and gases, to things like “organic chemistry” and “biochemistry” that deal with the topic of the chemistry specific to carbon-based molecules, which are the molecules of living things. In some ways, the majority of chemistry is about the physical properties of atoms and molecules in singular form as well as the physical properties of molecules in different states, including the molecular properties of gases, solids, and liquids. Most atoms and molecules are not inert and interact with one another in specific ways. This will be a major focus in this course as we learn about how different substances exist in natural and experimental situations. Chapter one in the course introduces chemistry in its most basic form by covering atoms and their nature. Everything in the universe is made from different types of atoms. As it turns out, atoms have specific sub-particles that make up the basic structure of the atom. There are also numerous different atoms in nature, as we’ll discuss when talking about the periodic table, which outlines the relationships between different types of atoms. Finally, there is a discussion on the concept of the “mole” as it exists in understanding quantities of atoms and molecules. The focus of chapter two is the structure of atoms. As it turns out, there are specific rules that define how subatomic structures are organized. This chapter will cover the arrangement of electrons, and both the Pauli principle and Aufbau Principle, which define electron relationships inside the atom. Electrons have a natural affinity for the proton they surround but also allow for affinity of different types of atoms in the formation of larger molecules. This will be discussed in this chapter.
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