Face-to-face , first term, 45 hours of theory and 22,5 hours of exercises.

First term
Wednesday from 13:30 to 16:30 at 119 Marais 1100

French

By the end of the course, the students should be able to explain, using the appropriate chemistry terms and understanding the concepts that they cover, the nature and transformations of the most commonly used compounds in the chemical industry. They should be able to put into equation and solve simple problems that implement classical parameters of chemical transformations (masses, concentrations, behaviour of ideal gas, enthalpies, speed constants and equilibrium constants of chemical reactions, pH and redox potential). This course does not aim to provide the student with an immediate profitable professional competence, but to initiate them to a modern molecular analysis of nature and its transformations.

At Saint-Louis University, chemistry education in the first year of bachelor degree is a kind of test activity as the students may decide at the end of the first term if they continue their training as management engineer or if they abandon this course direction in favour of economic and management sciences. Therefore, this course helps students to quickly self-assess their own abilities in science and if necessary, adjust their course orientation.

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a) Lecture

(% time)

- (15 %) atomistic: constitution of atoms; electron shells; Lewis symbols; periodic properties of the elements; electro negativity of elements.
- (10%) chemical bonding: covalent bond; molecular geometries; metallic bond; metallic crystals; ionic bond; ionic crystals.
- (10%) ideal gas law: elements of kinetic theory of gases.
- (10%) thermal effects of chemical reactions (enthalpy).
- (5%) elements of chemical kinetics (bimolecular reaction; collision theory; activation enthalpy).
- (5%) chemical equilibriums: Le Chatelier's principle: effect of concentrations, temperature and pressure on chemical equilibriums.
- (5%) heterogeneous solid-liquid equilibrium: solubility and solubility product.
- (20%) acid-base equilibrium: calculation of pH.
- (15%) redox equilibrium: oxidation states; redox couples; standard reduction potential; Nernst equation; electrolytic batteries and cells.

The presentation of these concepts is illustrated by examples (5%) taken from heavy industrial chemistry: reduction of metallic ores; production of caustic soda and chlorine; production of sodium carbonate (Solvay soda); synthesis of ammonia and nitric acid; production of sulphuric acid; production of phosphate fertilisers.

b) Seminars

To assimilate the theory, students have to put into equation and solve chemistry problems by themselves. Therefore seminars are held in small groups in order to allow interactive teaching.

- Lecture :
The lecture is given on the blackboard and supported by some illustrative slides. It closely follows the content of the syllabus. As the audience is small, the professor asks questions in order to favour interaction with the students.

- Seminars :
The assistant in charge of the seminars helps the students in their course exercises.

- First of all there is a spontaneous self-assessment by the student after he has attended a few lectures and interactive exercise sessions. The number of students registered for the examination in January is less than that of those enrolled in September. The reason for this is that this course is a “test-course”, as the students who doubt their abilities in chemistry can change their course direction to a non-scientific section during the term.

- The final assessment is a written examination. Rather than asking the students to reproduce standard diagrams, the examination favours the application of acquired concepts to new situations (solving simple chemical problems). The emphasis is always put on in-depth understanding rather than on the simple application of formulas.

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The syllabus includes all the course material studied in class that the students should master for the final examination.