CHEM 171

Chapter 2: The Components of Matter

Reading Assignment: All of Chapter 2, Principles of General Chemistry, 2/e, by Silberberg

Learning Objectives: After completing Chapter 2, you should be able to ...

1. Explain the terms pure substance, mixture, compound, molecule, element, and atom.
2. State and explain the Laws of Conservation of Mass, Definite Composition, and Multiple
Proportions.
3. Show how mass data can be used to illustrate the Law of Multiple Proportions.
4. State the postulates of Dalton’s Atomic Theory and explain how the theory explains the
Laws of Conservation of Mass, Definite Proportions, and Multiple Proportions.
5. Explain the modification required in Dalton’s Atomic Theory by the discovery of
isotopes and why this was considered a minor problem.
6. Describe the experiments that led scientists to the modern view of the structure of the
atom, including: cathode-ray tube experiments, Thomson’s charge-to-mass experiments,
Millikan’s oil drop experiment, and Rutherford’s metal foil experiment.
7. Describe the basic properties of electrons, protons, and neutrons, and explain where these
particles are located in an atom.
8. Define the term isotope and write the symbol for a particular isotope by specifying its
atomic number and mass number.
9. Explain how our accepted atomic mass scale is a relative scale of average isotopic masses
based on carbon-12 as the standard.
10. Calculate the atomic mass of an element give the isotopic masses and percent abundance.
11. Generally explain what a chemical bond is and specifically what defines a covalent bond
and an ionic bond.
12. Explain the difference between a chemical (molecular) formula, full structural formula,
and a condensed structural formula.
13. Compare the properties of metals and non-metals, and locate the regions within the
periodic table where these elements are located.
14. Define and identify the terms families, groups, and periods as they relate to the periodic
table.
15. Identify the alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, transition metals, halogens, and noble
gases.
16. Know the names and symbols for the first 30 elements, the alkali metals, the alkaline
earth metals, the halogens, the noble gases, and the following: silver, tin, platinum, gold,
mercury, lead, uranium.
17. Name binary ionic compounds following the guidelines in Section 2.8.
18. Know the polyatomic ions in Table 2.5 and on the polyatomic list on BlackBoard.
19. Use the polyatomic ions to correctly name ionic compounds.
20. Name binary compounds consisting of two non-metals (covalent compounds).
21. Write chemical formulas from compound names.
22. Know the name and formula of the acids in Section 2.8. Show the relationship between
the name of the oxyacids and their corresponding oxyanions.
23. Name and know the molecular formula of the first ten normal alkanes in Table 2.7.
24. Explain the difference and identify homogeneous and heterogeneous solutions.

Homework Problems: 11, 25, 31, 33, 44, 65, 69, 75, 86, 88

Recommended Problems: 7, 12, 16, 24, 28, 32, 39, 43, 56, 60, 64, 66, 74, 78, 89, 105