General Chemistry Overview

 The college  general chemistry course starts with the foundation of chemistry.  An example syllabus can found by clicking the link (Chem 1310).  This foundation would involve learning the basics of the Periodic Table.

     I have posted two renditions of the Periodic Table.  The first above gives you an example for the use of each element.  The second table is more chemically descriptive because the table lists many of the properties associated with the element.  For example, the second periodic table lists the melting and boiling point of a particular element.
     They are many relationships and properties of the elements that can be found on the periodic table or inferred from the relative placement of the atom within the table. What should you know about the periodic table?  The patterns of the elements as you increase in atomic number, as well as other patterns of the table.  This relationship is important to learn because it is indispensable tool for studying general chemistry and for taking the tests.  Why?  Almost all chemistry textbooks and classrooms contain a Periodic Table.  You can use the table to remember properties of the elements.  This patternicity of the table will be discussed further in an another post.
     I will continue the posts with a description of each section of general chemistry on a chapter by chapter basis (following Chang's general chemistry textbook layout).  The layout and discussion of each chapter in a general chemistry textbook generally follows the same form, so you don't have to worry if you have an older version of the book or a different author.