Final Exam Objectives in General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry

Chapter 2: Measurement in Science and Medicine

This chapter focuses on the application of ratios, proportions, and conversion factors, which are essential for accurate calculations in medical and scientific contexts.

• Objective: Apply ratio and proportion conversion factors for medical dosage calculations.

• Key Concepts:

  • Ratio: A comparison of two quantities, often used to express concentration or dosage.

  • Proportion: An equation stating that two ratios are equal.

  • Conversion Factor: A ratio used to convert from one unit to another (e.g., mg to g, mL to L).

• Example: Calculating the correct medication dose for a patient based on body weight.

Chapter 4: Nuclear Chemistry

This chapter covers the principles of radioactivity, including the calculation of remaining radioisotope after a given number of half-lives.

• Objective: Calculate the amount of radioisotope remaining after one or more half-lives.

• Key Concepts:

  • Radioisotope: An unstable isotope that undergoes radioactive decay.

  • Half-life: The time required for half of a radioactive sample to decay.

• Formula: Where is the remaining amount, is the initial amount, and is the number of half-lives.

• Example: If 100 mg of a radioisotope has a half-life of 3 days, after 6 days (2 half-lives), 25 mg remains.

Chapter 5: Ionic Compounds

This chapter introduces the periodic table, the octet rule, and the formation and naming of ionic compounds.

• Objective: Determine the charge on ions using the periodic table and the octet rule.

• Objective: Formulas and names of ionic compounds.

• Key Concepts:

  • Octet Rule: Atoms tend to gain or lose electrons to achieve eight electrons in their valence shell.

  • Ionic Compound: A compound composed of positive and negative ions held together by electrostatic forces.

• Example: Sodium (Na) loses one electron to form Na+; chlorine (Cl) gains one electron to form Cl-; together they form NaCl.

Chapter 6: Covalent Compounds

This chapter explores the differences between covalent and ionic compounds, and the naming and formula writing for binary covalent compounds.

• Objective: Compare and contrast covalent and ionic compounds.

• Objective: Write the name of a binary covalent compound from a given formula and provide the formula when given the name of a covalent compound.

• Key Concepts:

  • Covalent Compound: A compound formed by the sharing of electrons between nonmetal atoms.

  • Binary Covalent Compound: A compound composed of two different nonmetals.

• Example: CO2 is named carbon dioxide; N2O4 is dinitrogen tetroxide.

Chapter 7: Molecular Polarity and Intermolecular Forces

This chapter discusses how to determine the polarity of chemical bonds and molecules, and introduces the types of intermolecular forces.

• Objective: Determine the polarity of a chemical bond using electronegativity values of atoms.

• Objective: Predict whether a molecule is polar or nonpolar.

• Objective: Recognize and describe the types of intermolecular forces.

• Key Concepts:

  • Electronegativity: The ability of an atom to attract electrons in a bond.

  • Polar Bond: A bond with unequal sharing of electrons due to a difference in electronegativity.

  • Intermolecular Forces: Forces of attraction between molecules, including hydrogen bonding, dipole-dipole, and London dispersion forces.

• Example: Water (H2O) is a polar molecule with hydrogen bonding; carbon dioxide (CO2) is nonpolar.