COURSE: MEDICAL CHEMISTRY 1
COURSE CODE: BMCH 110
Background
This course is intended to make a solid link between ordinary level chemistry at grade twelve
level to advanced chemistry. It focuses on inorganic, physical and organic chemistry
components which are interlinked with stoichiometry and thermodynamics. A clear
understanding of elementary chemistry is the main stay of this course.
Rationale:
This is first year general chemistry course which sets a strong foundation for further studies in
various fields. This course covers basic inorganic, physical and organic chemistry. This course
aims to impart basic experimental and study skills.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be expected to:
1. Perform mathematical manipulations with proper attention to units and significant figures
2. Calculate amounts of chemicals involved in reactions based on balanced chemical equations
and the mole concept.
3. Identify and predict the outcome of the various types of chemical reactions including acid
base and precipitation reactions.
4. Recognize oxidation-reduction reactions using the concept of oxidation numbers and Balance
oxidation-reduction reactions
5. Describe the atomic structure and write electronic configurations
6. Explain and predict the type of bonding and relate to physical properties
7. Visualize molecules with proper molecular and electronic geometries as predicted by VSEPR
theory.
8. Apply the kinetic theory to ideal and real gases.
9. Define electrode potential, calculate cell potentials
10. Calculate rate and order of reaction from experimental data
11. Explain the factors that affect the rates of chemical reactions
12. Perform equilibrium calculations involving one component phase, homogeneous, acid-base
and solubility equilibria.
13. Perform various calculations on solution chemistry
14. Recognize and describe the types of bonds present in organic compounds
15. Deduce hybridizations of atoms, especially carbon, in organic compounds
16. Draw structures of compounds of a given molecular formula
17. Name organic compounds
18. Relate physical properties of a given series of compounds
19. Recognize reaction intermediates
COURSE CONTENT
STOICHIOMETRY
Measurement: Units of measurement, Uncertainty in measurement - Accuracy and
Precision, Dimensional analysis
Relative masses of atoms and molecules, determination of relative atomic masses from
percentage composition, Empirical and molecular formula, combustion analysis
THE MOLE CONCEPT
Avogadro’s number,
Quantitative information from balanced reaction
limiting reactant
theoretical yield
percentage yield
SOLUTION STOICHIOMETRY
Types of reactions: Precipitation reaction – metathesis, Acid-base reaction - acids, bases,
neutralisation reactions, acid-base reaction with gas formation
Oxidation - reduction reaction- oxidation, reduction, oxidation numbers, balancing redox
reaction by oxidation number method and by ion electron method in acid and basic
medium
Concentrations of solutions: molarity, dilution,
Titration: simple titration, back titration and redox titration
GASES
Postulates of kinetic theory
Use kinetic theory to explain gas laws;
The ideal gas behaviour and deviations from it (behaviour of real gases - the van der
Waal’s equation)
Use of ideal gas equation in determining the molar mass
ATOMIC STRUCTURE AND THE PERIODIC TABLE
Atomic structure
The nucleus of the atom: neutron, proton, isotopes, proton and nucleon number, mass
number
Bohr’s model of atom, Rydberg’s equation, Idea of de Broglie matter waves.
Heisenberg uncertainty principle, atomic orbitals, quantum numbers, Aufbau and
Pauli’s exclusion principles.
Hund's multiplicity rule
Electronic configuration of elements
Effective nuclear charge and shielding
Shapes of s and p orbitals and their characteristics.
Periodic Trends 4.2.1 Atomic and ionic radii, ionization energy
Electron affinity and electronegativity – definition, trends in periodic table and
applications in predicting and explaining the chemical behaviour.
CHEMICAL BONDING
Ionic bond, covalent bond and coordinate bonds
Lewis structure, formal charge, directional characteristics of covalent bond hybridization
(sp, sp2, sp3) and shapes of simple molecules and ions by valence shell electron pair
repulsion (VSEPR) theory
Resonance structures
Molecular orbitals
Bond order; bond length, bond polarities, intermediate nature of bonds, dipole
moment.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
Redox process: electron transfer and change in oxidation state
Standard electrode potentials, the redox series, cell potentials under standard and
non-standard conditions
The Nernst equation 6.4 Concentration cells 6.5 Batteries and fuel cells
Corrosion
Electrolysis, factors affecting amount of substance liberated during electrolysis
The Faraday constant
Teaching Methods:
Lectures,
Problem solving,
Small group discussions
Teaching Methods and Contact Hours
Lectures 4 hours/week
Tutorials, discussion groups and presentations 1 hour/week
Laboratory practical exercises 3 hours/week
Weekly reading/other study 3 hours/week
Assessment
Continuous assessment: 40%, Tests: 20%, Laboratory sessions:10%, Laboratory
tests:10%
Examination: 60%
Prescribed textbooks
1. Chemistry by Steven S. Zumdahl and Susan S Zumdahl, Eighth Edition, 2010, Brooks / Cole,
Cengage Learning, (ISBN-10: 0495829927)
2. Chemistry – The Central Science, Brown, LeMay, Bursten and Murphy, 12th Edition 2011
(Pearson International Edition), Pearson Education Inc. (ISBN: 10: 0301596727)
Recommended textbooks
1. Chemistry & Chemical reactivity by Kotz, Triechel and Townsend, Seventh edition, 2011,
Brooks/ Cole, Cengage Learning, (ISBN-10: 1111574987)
2. Chemistry - The Molecular Nature of Matter and Change, Silberberg, Sixth Edition, 2011,
McGraw Hill (ISBN 10: 0073402656)
