Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Chemistry

Sort by
Subject
Level

Water Purification: Consumer and Wastewater Treatment Processes

Classified in Chemistry

Written on in English with a size of 2.63 KB

Drinking Water Purification

Raw Water Treatment

  1. Screening: Raw water passes through gratings, filters, and screens to remove coarse solids.
  2. Aeration: Oxidation of undesirable organic species improves taste and odor.
  3. Coagulation: Colloidal particles are coagulated and flocculated.
  4. Sedimentation: Solids are allowed to settle and are removed.
  5. Filtration: Removal of any remaining coagulated solids.
  6. Disinfection: Control of bacteria.
  7. Softening: Using lime and soda methods.
  8. Demineralization: By distillation or ion exchange resins.

Wastewater Treatment

Primary Treatment

  1. Screening/Roughing: Removal of large objects and solids through sieves.
  2. Grit Removal
  3. Skimming
  4. Sedimentation: Takes place in tanks or chambers where suspended solids settle. This removes approximately
... Continue reading "Water Purification: Consumer and Wastewater Treatment Processes" »

Acid-Base Chemistry: Definitions, Reactions, and pH

Classified in Chemistry

Written on in English with a size of 3.75 KB

Arrhenius Theory of Acids and Bases

According to the Arrhenius theory, acids and bases exist only in aqueous solution:

  • Acid: Any substance that in aqueous solution dissociates with the formation of hydrogen ions, H+.
  • Base: Any substance that in aqueous solution dissociates with the formation of hydroxyl ions, OH-.

Neutralization Reaction

Neutralization is the complete reaction of an acid and a base with the formation of a salt and water. HA + BOH → AB + H2O.

Brønsted-Lowry Theory

According to the Brønsted-Lowry theory, the concepts of acid and base were expanded:

  • Acid: Any chemical species, molecular or ionic, capable of yielding an H+ ion to another substance.
  • Base: Any chemical species, molecule or ion, capable of receiving an H+ ion from another
... Continue reading "Acid-Base Chemistry: Definitions, Reactions, and pH" »

Understanding Mixtures, Solutions, and Separation Techniques

Classified in Chemistry

Written on in English with a size of 2.76 KB

Mixtures

A mixture is defined as a material system formed by combining two or more substances whose proportions can vary.

  • Homogeneous mixtures: These consist of two or more components that cannot be distinguished visually.
  • Heterogeneous mixtures: These are formed by two or more components that can be visually distinguished. They have different properties depending on the proportion of the sample taken.

Pure Substances

A pure substance is one in which, regardless of its state of aggregation, its properties are characteristic and allow differentiation from other substances.

  • Chemical elements: These are pure substances that cannot be decomposed into simpler substances through normal physical and chemical processes.
  • Compounds: These are pure substances
... Continue reading "Understanding Mixtures, Solutions, and Separation Techniques" »

Essential Laboratory Procedures and Chemical Experiments

Classified in Chemistry

Written on in English with a size of 3.67 KB

Porcelain Dish Experiment

Procedure for Porcelain Dish

  • Heat the charcoal in a porcelain dish.
  • Add the wine from the first beaker, which initially held the charcoal.
  • Add the hot charcoal to the wine and then remove it. Place the flask under a clean funnel and filter the contents into the flask.
  • Place a quantity of pure wine (IVF) into the first test tube.
  • Into the second test tube, add a quantity of discolored, filtered wine.
  • Add the wine over charcoal.
  • Mix and let stand for a couple of minutes.
  • Filter.

Determination of Gas Density

Materials for Gas Density Experiment

  • Erlenmeyer flask
  • Glass tube
  • Silicone or rubber tubing
  • Crystallizing dish
  • Support stand and ring
  • Sample container
  • Cap with a hole

Reagents for Gas Density Experiment

  • Half an effervescent tablet
  • Distilled
... Continue reading "Essential Laboratory Procedures and Chemical Experiments" »

Key Atomic Models: Thompson, Rutherford, Planck, and Bohr

Classified in Chemistry

Written on in English with a size of 3.57 KB

Foundational Atomic Models and Quantum Theory

J.J. Thompson's Atomic Model (1904)

Thompson proposed a particularly simple atomic model based on the discovery of the electron through a series of experiments conducted in low-pressure gas tubes. These experiments confirmed the emission of negatively charged particles, which he called electrons.

Thompson's model (often referred to as the "Plum Pudding Model") considers the atom as a homogeneous sphere of positive charge in which electrons are embedded on its surface, neutralizing the positive charges.

Ernest Rutherford's Nuclear Model (1911)

Rutherford developed his model based on experiments carried out by bombarding thin gold foil with alpha particles. Observations from the experiment included:

  • Almost
... Continue reading "Key Atomic Models: Thompson, Rutherford, Planck, and Bohr" »

Chemical Bonds and Atomic Structure: Understanding Stability

Classified in Chemistry

Written on in English with a size of 3.75 KB

Chemical Bonds and Atomic Structure

Most atoms are present together with other peers, forming elements or different ones to form compounds. The physical states evolve toward states of minimum potential energy, which correspond with maximum stability.

Chemical Bonding

Two or more atoms are held together if the energy of the system is less when they are together than when separated.

The Octet Rule

The noble gases have very stable atoms that do not combine with other atoms and do not alter their electronic structure. All of them have 8 electrons except helium. It follows that the electronic provision of a noble gas property is a particularly stable arrangement called the octet.

Octet Rule

In forming compounds, atoms exchange electrons to acquire 8 electrons... Continue reading "Chemical Bonds and Atomic Structure: Understanding Stability" »

States of Matter and Atomic Theory: A Deep Dive

Classified in Chemistry

Written on in English with a size of 3.57 KB

States of Matter and Their Properties

Solids: Maintain a constant volume and shape. They possess a high density, are rigid, and are difficult to compress. Liquids: Are not rigid and are difficult to compress, maintaining a constant volume but with a variable shape. They usually have a high density. Gases: Easily expand and compress, having a variable shape and very low density.

Kinetic Molecular Theory

The discontinuous kinetic molecular model (composed of many particles) explains the behavior of matter. Molecules are in continuous motion, with attractive forces between particles. Solids: The attraction between particles is very intense, keeping them very close together and occupying a fixed position. Their movement is limited to vibration. Liquids:

... Continue reading "States of Matter and Atomic Theory: A Deep Dive" »

Chemical Reactions: Evaporation, Redox, and Combustion

Classified in Chemistry

Written on in English with a size of 2.37 KB

Chemicals

Evaporation

Evaporation is a physical process involving a state change from liquid to gas, in which substances can be separated based on their boiling points.

For the transition of a liquid to a gaseous state from liquid surfaces or from the ground, see: Evaporation (hydrology).

Redox

Oxidation-reduction reactions (also known as redox reactions) are electron transfer reactions. This transfer occurs between a set of chemical elements: an oxidant and a reductant (a reduced form and an oxidized form, respectively).

For a redox reaction to occur, the system must contain an element that yields electrons and another that accepts them:

  • The oxidizing agent is a chemical element that tends to capture these electrons, resulting in a lower oxidation
... Continue reading "Chemical Reactions: Evaporation, Redox, and Combustion" »

Industrial Extractor Technologies: Methods & Applications

Classified in Chemistry

Written on in English with a size of 5.09 KB

Fundamentals of Solid-Liquid Extraction

Key Applications in Various Industries

  • Extraction of sugar from sugar beets
  • Coffee decaffeination
  • Extraction of essential oils from herbs and botanicals
  • Recovery of oils from seeds and other materials
  • Obtaining pectin (for jelly) from fruit fractions

Commonly Used Solvents

  • Water
  • Hexane
  • Heptane
  • Ether
  • Chloroform
  • Benzene
  • Ethanol

Industrial Extractor Equipment Designs

Static Bed Extractors

These extractors operate with a stationary solid bed through which the solvent passes.

Simple Contact Extractors

These operate discontinuously and are simple in design. They consist of a double-bottom tank where the solid material is placed. A liquid solvent is sprayed over the solid and percolates through it by gravity. The solvent, now... Continue reading "Industrial Extractor Technologies: Methods & Applications" »

Material Properties: Mechanical, Thermal, and Technological Characteristics

Classified in Chemistry

Written on in English with a size of 3.17 KB

Previous Concepts

Stress: The applied force per unit area.

Elongation: Deformation of a material under the action of a force.

Reduction in Area: The decrease in cross-sectional area.

General Properties

  • Impenetrability: The volume occupied by a body cannot be occupied by another simultaneously.
  • Severability: Divisible parts can be increasingly smaller.
  • Porosity: Having pores.
  • Compressibility: The ability of bodies to decrease their volume by applying pressure.
  • Affinity: The force that unites similar materials.
  • Adhesion: Attraction established between bodies whose surfaces are in contact.
  • Solubility: The ability to dissolve and disperse within a liquid.
  • Specific Gravity: The ratio of a body's weight to the weight of an equal volume of a reference substance.
... Continue reading "Material Properties: Mechanical, Thermal, and Technological Characteristics" »