General, Inorganic and Organic Chemistry
Allmän, oorganisk och organisk kemi

KOKA30, 12.0 credits, G1 (First Cycle)

Valid for: 2026/27
Faculty: Faculty of Engineering LTH
Decided by: PLED B/K
Date of Decision: 2026-04-08

General Information

Main field: Technology Depth of study relative to the degree requirements: First cycle, in-depth level of the course cannot be classified
Mandatory for: N1
Language of instruction: The course will be given in Swedish

Aim

The course aims to provide basic understanding and knowledge about chemical processes and phenomena for both organic and inorganic compounds. Emphasis is placed on parts of the fundamental chemistry that has particular relevance to education in engineering nanoscience. Ability to use important chemical concepts in Swedish as well as English - and to make use of the theoretical knowledge in practical, independent laboratory work - are of important parts of the course

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

• General chemistry: be able to use chemical nomenclature in order to name and give formulas for inorganic substances as well as to use basic chemical concepts and terminology.
• be able to explain and use thermodynamic data and expressions and to use the relationship between them.
• be able to understand and apply the concept of chemical equilibria.
• be able to derive and interpret reaction mechanisms, formulate rate laws and relate the rate of a chemical process to the temperature.
• Inorganic chemistry: be familiar with the description of basic inorganic structures in the solid state.
• be able to describe the structures in terms of unit cells, coordination numbers, voids
• Organic chemistry: show ability to identify and name the most common classes of organic compounds
• show ability to describe and explain the dynamics of simple hydrocarbons (conformational analysis)
• show ability to describe chemical bonds and intermolecular forces in organic systems.
• show ability to describe molecular chirality and stereochemical relationships.
• show ability to describe the hybridization of carbon atoms, and simple molecular orbital systems.
• show ability to describe conjugation and aromaticity in organic molecules.
• show ability to describe basic reactions in organic chemistry by arrow formalism and front orbital reasoning.
• show ability to describe the structural elements and properties of important bio-molecules.

Competences and skills
For a passing grade the student must

• General chemistry: be able to solve basic thermodynamic problems and interpret the results.
• be able to analyse and solve chemical equilibrium problems.
• be able to describe electrochemical cells and analyse the processes in electrochemical cells as well as calculate cell potentials
• be able to use basic integrated rate laws and to calculate data related to these.
• be able to independently perform simple laboratory work
• Inorganic chemistry: be able to calculate relationships between unit cell parameters, interatomic distances, and density for cubic structures.
• show ability to use Miller indices to describe planes and directions in cubic structures
• Organic chemistry: show ability to give systematic names of simple organic compounds.
• show ability to apply conformational analysis to predict the reactivity of simple organic compounds.
• show ability to predict and explain reactivity and selectivity in organic reactions outgoing from analysis of reactive intermediates.
• show ability to apply an understanding of electronegativity and chemical bond to predict the acid-base properties of simple organic compounds.

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

• be able to present chemical calculations using correct units and appropriate accuracy in a logical and relevant way.
• be able to collect, present and evaluate results from practical experiments.
• on a basic level, show ability to value risks and opportuniteis associated with the use of organic molecules in society.
• on a basic level, show ability to value risks associated with chemical laboratory work.

Contents

Lectures and course literature together provide students with skills in scientific and chemical vocabulary and technical terminology in both Swedish and English. Independent laboratory work is an important element of the course and is intended both to provide practical skills and to illustrate theoretical concepts.

General chemistry

The course covers basic chemical concepts regarding nomenclature, reaction formulas and stoichiometry. The emphasis is on chemical calculations in the areas of thermodynamics, equilibrium theory, electrochemistry and chemical kinetics. Practical problem solving in the above areas plays a major role in achieving the learning objectives.

Inorganic Chemistry

The course covers a basic description of the structure and properties of inorganic materials in the solid state. The starting point is typical structures for commonly occurring metals, salts, and covalent network compounds in the form of semiconductors.

Organic chemistry

The course covers the structure, reactivity, properties, and use of organic compounds on a basic level. Fundamental concepts like nomenclature, chirality and molecular isomerism are covered. The emphasis of the course lies on fundamental understanding of reactivity and the chemical bond. Reactons covered in the course includes addition, substitution, and elimination reactions, electrophilic aromatic substitution, enolate chemistry, and addition to, and substitution on, the carbonyl carbon. The structure and properties of important bio-molecules like sugars proteins and RNA/DNA are covered as well as simple experimental methods and safety evaltuations associated with laboratory work.

Examination details

Grading scale: TH - (U, 3, 4, 5) - (Fail, Three, Four, Five)
Assessment: Written exams, laboratory experiments, and written reports are mandatory. The final grade is based on a merger of the results on written exams.

The examiner, in consultation with Disability Support Services, may deviate from the regular form of examination in order to provide a permanently disabled student with a form of examination equivalent to that of a student without a disability.

Modules
Code: 0116. Name: General and Inorganic Chemistry.
Credits: 6.0. Grading scale: TH - (U, 3, 4, 5). Assessment: Written examination.
Code: 0216. Name: Laboratory Exercises.
Credits: 0.0. Grading scale: UG - (U, G). Assessment: Participation is mandatory, passed written report.
Code: 0316. Name: Organic Chemistry.
Credits: 6.0. Grading scale: TH - (U, 3, 4, 5). Assessment: Written examination.

Admission

The number of participants is limited to: No
Kursen överlappar följande kurser: TEK285 KOKA01 KOKA05

Reading list

• Atkins, P, Jones, L, Laverman, L., Young K., Patterson J: Chemical Principles: The Quest for Insight - 8ed. WH Freeman, 2023, ISBN: 9781319498498.
• Ellervik, U, Kann, N och Sterner, O: Organisk kemi - 3:e upplagan. Studentlitteratur, 2014, ISBN: 978-91-44-09991-0.

Contact

Course coordinator: Martin Ek Rosén, martin.ek_rosen@chem.lu.se
Course coordinator: Ulf Ellervik, ulf.ellervik@chem.lu.se
Examinator: Martin Ek Rosén, martin.ek_rosen@chem.lu.se
Examinator: Ulf Ellervik, ulf.ellervik@chem.lu.se

Further information

Course responsible in general chemistry (KOKA30a): Martin Ek Rosén; Course responsible in organic chemistry (KOKA30b): Ulf Ellervik