General Chemistry I

Official Description

General Chemistry I with Lab (24-114/115)
Beginning course for science majors with a good high school background in chemistry. This course involves a study of basic molecular structure, periodic relationships, and a thermodynamic approach to reaction systems.

Overview

You'll start with basics of measurement, significant figures, and matter classification and then go on to stoichiometry, reactions, solutions (including some on acids and bases), electromagnetic radiation, electron configurations, the gas laws, and covalent bonding.

What actually happens

General Chemistry I covers a variety of concepts, most of which are difficult to pack into a semester while preserving flow (therefore, "Chem I Sucks" -- Dr. Toomey). It is advisable to not get behind in the course, as it covers many different concepts that most people do not grasp the first time.

In lab, the lecture concepts are applied using experiments and models. The semester starts out with statistics and error, which do not stem directly from lecture, but then more and more chemistry works its way in as the semester progresses.