GENERAL CHEMISTRY THE ESSENTIAL
CONCEPTS RAYMOND CHANG
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
CHEMISTRY FUNDAMENTALS AND CORE
PRINCIPLES
◉ What is a scientific model? Answer: A conceptual or mathematical
representation of real-world things or processes.
◉ What are elements? Answer: Types of atoms organized into the
Periodic Table, each with a unique number of protons.
◉ What are the three types of subatomic particles and where are
they found? Answer: Protons (positive charge, in nucleus), Neutrons
(no charge, in nucleus), Electrons (negative charge, outside nucleus
in shells).
◉ What are isotopes? Answer: Atoms of the same element with
different numbers of neutrons.
◉ What is average atomic mass? Answer: A weighted average of the
masses of all naturally occurring isotopes of an element.
,◉ What is an ion? Answer: An atom with an unequal number of
protons and electrons, giving it a net charge.
◉ What is a cation? Answer: An ion with more protons than
electrons; has an overall positive charge.
◉ What is an anion? Answer: An ion with more electrons than
protons; has an overall negative charge.
◉ What is Coulomb's Law? Answer: F = k(q₁q₂)/r²; describes the
force between charges.
◉ What are valence electrons? Answer: Electrons in the outermost
shell of an atom that determine bonding behavior.
◉ What are core electrons? Answer: Electrons in the inner shells of
an atom that shield valence electrons.
◉ What is effective nuclear charge (Zeff)? Answer: The net positive
charge experienced by a valence electron after accounting for
shielding.
◉ What is the periodic trend for atomic radius? Answer: Increases
going down a group and increases going right to left across a period.
, ◉ What is the periodic trend for atomic mass? Answer: Increases left
to right across a period and increases top to bottom down a group.
◉ What is the periodic trend for reactivity in metals? Answer:
Increases going down a group.
◉ What is the periodic trend for reactivity in nonmetals? Answer:
Increases going up a group.
◉ What are the four types of chemical bonding? Answer: 1. Metallic
bonding, 2. Ionic bonding, 3. Molecular covalent bonding, 4.
Extended covalent bonding.
◉ Describe metallic bonding. Answer: Positively charged atomic
cores surrounded by a delocalized sea of valence electrons.
◉ Describe ionic bonding. Answer: Metal atoms lose valence
electrons to become cations; nonmetals gain electrons to become
anions.
◉ Describe molecular covalent bonding. Answer: Nonmetal atoms
share valence electrons in covalent bonds, forming discrete
molecules.
CONCEPTS RAYMOND CHANG
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
CHEMISTRY FUNDAMENTALS AND CORE
PRINCIPLES
◉ What is a scientific model? Answer: A conceptual or mathematical
representation of real-world things or processes.
◉ What are elements? Answer: Types of atoms organized into the
Periodic Table, each with a unique number of protons.
◉ What are the three types of subatomic particles and where are
they found? Answer: Protons (positive charge, in nucleus), Neutrons
(no charge, in nucleus), Electrons (negative charge, outside nucleus
in shells).
◉ What are isotopes? Answer: Atoms of the same element with
different numbers of neutrons.
◉ What is average atomic mass? Answer: A weighted average of the
masses of all naturally occurring isotopes of an element.
,◉ What is an ion? Answer: An atom with an unequal number of
protons and electrons, giving it a net charge.
◉ What is a cation? Answer: An ion with more protons than
electrons; has an overall positive charge.
◉ What is an anion? Answer: An ion with more electrons than
protons; has an overall negative charge.
◉ What is Coulomb's Law? Answer: F = k(q₁q₂)/r²; describes the
force between charges.
◉ What are valence electrons? Answer: Electrons in the outermost
shell of an atom that determine bonding behavior.
◉ What are core electrons? Answer: Electrons in the inner shells of
an atom that shield valence electrons.
◉ What is effective nuclear charge (Zeff)? Answer: The net positive
charge experienced by a valence electron after accounting for
shielding.
◉ What is the periodic trend for atomic radius? Answer: Increases
going down a group and increases going right to left across a period.
, ◉ What is the periodic trend for atomic mass? Answer: Increases left
to right across a period and increases top to bottom down a group.
◉ What is the periodic trend for reactivity in metals? Answer:
Increases going down a group.
◉ What is the periodic trend for reactivity in nonmetals? Answer:
Increases going up a group.
◉ What are the four types of chemical bonding? Answer: 1. Metallic
bonding, 2. Ionic bonding, 3. Molecular covalent bonding, 4.
Extended covalent bonding.
◉ Describe metallic bonding. Answer: Positively charged atomic
cores surrounded by a delocalized sea of valence electrons.
◉ Describe ionic bonding. Answer: Metal atoms lose valence
electrons to become cations; nonmetals gain electrons to become
anions.
◉ Describe molecular covalent bonding. Answer: Nonmetal atoms
share valence electrons in covalent bonds, forming discrete
molecules.
