The Chem.

1A Lab class is completely separate from

lecture. I have nothing to do with the lab portion of
the course. For questions see Kevin Simpson. Also see
Kevin for Enrolment Questions.

Kevin Simpson
Academic Coordinator - Freshmen Chemistry 

Office: 1309A Pierce Hall

Phone: (951) 827-3539
Email: kevin.simpson@ucr.edu
 An element is something that, for all
intensive purposes, can’t be broken down
into anything simpler.
114: 90 naturally occurring. 24 created my man.

Symbols used to represent elements e.g. Li, Be, B, N, C, F

Some Symbols derived from Latin or other languages, so symbol may not be obvious
Pb = Lead (derived from Plumbum-Latin) W = tungsten (derived Wolfram- German)

Some elements have been known since the beginning

of recorded History Sb, C, Cu, Au etc.

When the US was founded in 1776 only 24 of the 114 elements were known.
This is the Periodic Table we will use on Exams
Our book has Lu and Lr in the transition metals
STM: Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Images of Graphene at the Atomic Level

C
C C

C C
C
 AFM images: Atomic Force Microscopy
Images of a Chemical Reaction in Progress at Molecular Level
 Types of Measurements in Chemistry
(Units)

1) mass – grams (g) (masses of subatomic particles, masses

of compounds, etc.)

2) length – meters (m) (distance between atoms in a

chemical structure, distance a piston is moved by a
chemical combustion reaction, etc.)

3) temperature – degrees Celsius (°C) or Kelvin (K)

(temperature change caused by a chemical reaction,
temperature of a gaseous sample, etc.)
 Types of Measurements in Chemistry
(Units)

1) volume – cm3 or mililiters (mL) (volume of gasesous

sample, volume of gas produced in a reaction, etc.)

2) density – grams/mililiters (g/mL) (density of a

substance, comparison of density of two liquids, etc.)

3) energy – kg•m2/sec2 = Joule (J) (energy given off by a

chemical reaction, energy required to break a chemcial
bond, etc.)
 Metric Prefixes

103 102 101 100 10-1 10-2 10-3 10-4 10-5 10-6 10-7 10-8 10-9

kilo g centi mili micro nano

k m c m μ n
L
 Law of conservation of energy
can’t be created or destroyed just converted
from one form to another
Light energy (Photons)

Thermal Energy

Heating a substance (adding thermal

energy) results in an increase temperature.
As a substance is heated kinetic energy of
the particles that make it up increase. Often
the potential energy of a substance can
decrease with increasing temperature
(chemical bonds break).
 Energy?
The ability of something to do work.
Work?
Exertion of a force through a distance
w=Fxd

Note: Doing work is a transfer of energy

• Potential Energy (stored energy) is energy due to

position, composition, or arrangement.
Common Symbols for potential energy = PE and U

+PE
Gravitational potential is energy an
object possesses because of its position
in a gravitational field. The most
PE common use of gravitational potential
energy is for an object near the surface
of the Earth

When we will be talking about potential energy it is always relative. If an

object starts at one position with some PE and ends up at a new position of
higher potential energy the sign of the new PE is positive (relative to the
initial PE).
 Common Symbols for potential energy = PE and U

PE

-PE

When we will be talking about potential energy it is always relative. If an

object starts at one position with some PE and ends up at a new position of
lower potential energy the sign of the new PE is negative.
Electrostatic potential energy is associated with
forces of attraction and repulsion between objects.
The attractive force between two oppositely charged
particles +/- is called coulombic attraction (AKA:
electrostatic attraction). Coulombic repulsion (AKA:
electrostatic repulsion) is the repulsive force between
two particles of the same charge.

Opposites Attract

Like Charges Repel

Like Charges Repel

 Two negatively charged particles
tied together with a string
contain a certain amount of
potential energy.

-1 -1 PE

If the string is cut the particles begin to

move apart because of coulombic
repulsion. Some of the potential
energy is converted to Kinetic Energy .

-1 -1 -PE

Furthermore, the potential energy, more precisely the electrostatic potential energy,
of each particle decreases (would have a negative value relative to the two particles tied
together).

If the charge moves in the same direction as the force it experiences, it is losing potential
energy; if it moves opposite to the direction of the force, it is gaining potential energy.
 Two oppositely charged particles are
held appart by a rigid rod, each having
some potential energy.

-1 +1 PE

Imagine we remove the rod. The

particles would be attracted to one
another, and some of the potential
energy would be converted to kinetic
energy. In addition the potential energy
of the particles would decrease (be
negative relative to the starting
positions).

-1 +1
-PE

If the charge moves in the same direction as the force it experiences, it is losing
potential energy; if it moves opposite to the direction of the force, it is gaining
potential energy
 Two oppositely charged particles are
held appart by a rigid rod, each having
some potential energy.

-1 +1 PE

Imagine we pull the two particles apart

and replace the initial rod with a longer
rod. The potential energy of the particles
would increase (be poistive relative to
the starting positions).

+PE
-1 +1

If the charge moves in the same direction as the force it experiences, it is losing
potential energy; if it moves opposite to the direction of the force, it is gaining
potential energy
Coulomb’s Law Magnitude and Sign(+/-) of each particle

Force q1 + q2
(Attractive or Repulsive) F = ke
r2
Coulomb's
Constant Distance between charged particles

where ke is Coulomb's constant (ke ≈ 9×109 N
m2 C−2), q1 and q2 are the signed magnitudes of
the charges, and the scalar r is the distance
between the charges. The force of the interaction
between the charges is attractive if the charges
have opposite signs (i.e., F is negative) and
repulsive if like-signed (i.e., F is positive).
Being an inverse-square law, the law is analogous
to Isaac Newton's inverse-square 
law of universal gravitation. 
 Professors at UC Actually do Research
Professors Postdoctoral Scholars Graduate Undergraduate Students
Students
http://faculty.ucr.edu/~vincentl/index.html
Chemistry is Divided up into 4 Major Disciplines

Physical Chemistry: Combination of Physics and Chemistry (Very Computational)

(often instrument builders, quantum chemical calculations, )

Analytical Chemistry: Precise and Accurate Analysis of Substances (Very Computational)

(often instrument builders)

Organic Chemistry: Molecule Builders (less computational more qualitative)

(dealing with carbon rich molecules)

Inorganic Chemistry: Molecule Builders (less computational more qualitative)

(dealing with less carbon rich molecules)
 Lavallo Lab Synthetic Inorganic/Organic Chemists
we Build Molecules that have Previously Never Existed

Envision New Molecules for a Specific Purpose

Conceive Potential Ways to Make these Molecules in the Lab

Go to the Laboratory and Perform the Synthesis (trouble shoot along the way)

Analyze the Molecules with Spectroscopic Instruments (this confirms the molecular structure)

Explore the Properties of the Molecules and their Potential Applications

Disseminate our Finding to the Scientific Community and the Public (Scholarly Publications)
 We Design Catalysts

Catalyst
C2H4 + H2 C2H6

H
H
B H H
H
BB B
Images are actual data, derived
B
B through a technique called X-ray
H H
B crystallography
B BB C
P
H H
H B
Ir
H
COD

Cl
Cl
B Cl Cl
Cl
B BB B
B
Cl Cl
B B
B B C
P
Cl ClCl B

Cl Ir
COD
Next Generation Energy Storage Materials
Beyond Lithium Ion Batteries
+
H -1 HNMe3
C H Lavallo Mg
B Lab
We also Explore Fundamental Structure and Bonding

Me
N N
-
Cl C N
Cl B
B B
Cl B B Cl
Cl B B Cl
B B Cl
Cl B
B Cl
Cl

+
CoCp2

A Stable Radical Species (has an unpaired electron)