CUCET Chemistry Syllabus

Chandigarh University has decided to conduct an entrance cum scholarship test named as Chandigarh University Common Entrance Test (CUCET) for admission to various programs so as to provide an opportunity to bright and inquisitive young minds from across the country to study in most challenging and diverse academic environment.

CUCET Syllabus has been released by the authorities of Chandigarh University. Candidates can check the syllabus of CUCET 2023 to know the subjects, units and topics that have to be studied for the upcoming entrance examination. The subject-wise CUCET syllabus will allow the candidates to become familiar with the topics that they have to prepare to excel in the examination. Read to know more about CUCET Syllabus 2023.

CUCET Chemistry Syllabus

Physical Chemistry

Unit 1: Some Basic Concepts in Chemistry

Matter and its nature, Dalton’s atomic theory; Concept of atom, molecule, element and compound; Physical quantities and their measurements in Chemistry, precision and accuracy, significant figures, S.I. Units, dimensional analysis; Laws of chemical combination; Atomic and molecular masses, mole concept, molar mass.

Unit 2: States of Matter

Classification of matter into solid, liquid and gaseous states.

Gaseous State:
Measurable properties of gases; Gas laws – Boyle’s law, Charle’s law, Graham’s law of diffusion, Avogadro’s law, Dalton’s law of partial pressure; Concept of Absolute scale of temperature; Ideal gas equation; Kinetic theory of gases (only postulates); Real gases, deviation from Ideal behaviour, compressibility factor and van der Waals equation.

Solid State:
Classification of solids: molecular, ionic, covalent and metallic solids, amorphous and crystalline solids (elementary idea); Bragg’s Law and its applications; Unit cell and lattices, packing in solids (fcc, bcc and hcp lattices), voids, calculations involving unit cell parameters, imperfection in solids; Electrical, magnetic and dielectric properties.

Unit 3: Atomic Structure

Thomson and Rutherford atomic models and their limitations; Nature of electromagnetic radiation, photoelectric effect; Spectrum of hydrogen atom, Bohr model of hydrogen atom – its postulates, derivation of the relations for energy of the electron and radii of the different orbits, limitations of Bohr’s model; Dual nature of matter, de-Broglie’s relationship, Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Elementary ideas of quantum mechanics, quantum mechanical model of atom, its important features; various quantum numbers (principal, angular momentum and magnetic quantum numbers) and their significance; shapes of s, p and d – orbitals, electron spin and spin quantum number; Rules for filling electrons in orbitals – aufbau principle, Pauli’s exclusion principle and Hund’s rule, electronic configuration of elements(only upto Atomic Numbers 30), extra stability of half-filled and completely filled orbitals.

Unit 4: Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure

Kossel – Lewis approach to chemical bond formation, concept of ionic and covalent bonds. Ionic Bonding: Formation of ionic bonds, factors affecting the formation of ionic bonds; calculation of lattice enthalpy. Covalent Bonding: Concept of electronegativity, Fajan’s rule, dipole moment; Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory and shapes of simple molecules. Quantum mechanical approach to covalent bonding: Valence bond theory – Its important features, concept of hybridization involving s, p and d orbitals; Resonance. Molecular Orbital Theory – Its important features, LCAOs, types of molecular orbitals (bonding, antibonding), sigma and pi-bonds, molecular orbital electronic configurations of homonuclear diatomic molecules, concept of bond order, bond length and bond energy.

Unit 5: Chemical Thermodynamics

Fundamentals of thermodynamics: System and surroundings, extensive and intensive properties, state functions, types of processes. First law of thermodynamics – Concept of work, heat internal energy and enthalpy, heat capacity, molar heat capacity; Hess’s law of constant heat summation.

Unit 6: Solutions

Different methods for expressing concentration of solution – molality, molarity, mole fraction, percentage (by volume and mass both), vapour pressure of solutions and Raoult’s Law – Ideal and non-ideal solutions, vapour pressure – composition, plots for ideal and non-ideal solutions; Colligative properties of dilute solutions – relative lowering of vapour pressure, depression of freezing point, elevation of boiling point and osmotic pressure; Determination of molecular mass using colligative properties; Abnormal value of molar mass, Van’t Hoff factor and its significance.

Unit 7: Electrochemistry

Electrochemical cells – Electrolytic and Galvanic cells, different types of electrodes, electrode potentials including standard electrode potential, half – cell and cell reactions, emf of a Galvanic cell and its measurement; Nernst equation and its applications; Relationship between cell potential and Gibbs’ energy change; Dry cell and lead accumulator; Fuel cells.

Unit 8: Chemical Kinetics

Rate of a chemical reaction, factors affecting the rate of reactions: concentration, temperature, pressure and catalyst; elementary and complex reactions, order and molecularity of reactions, rate law, rate constant and its units, differential and integral forms of zero and first order reactions, their characteristics and half – lives, effect of temperature on rate of reactions – Arrhenius theory, activation energy and its calculation, collision theory of bimolecular gaseous reactions (no derivation).

Inorganic Chemistry

Unit 9: Classificaton of elements & Unit 11: Classificaton of elements and periodicity in properties

Modem periodic law and present form of the periodic table, s, p, d and f block elements, periodic trends in properties of elements atomic and ionic radii, ionization enthalpy, electron gain enthalpy, valence, oxidation states and chemical reactivity.

Unit 10: Hydrogen

Position of hydrogen in periodic table, isotopes, preparation, properties and uses of hydrogen; Physical and chemical properties of water and heavy water; Hydrogen as a fuel.

Unit 11: S – Block elements (alkali and alkaline earth metals)

Group – 1 and 2 Elements
General introduction, electronic configuration and general trends in physical and chemical properties of elements, anomalous properties of the first element of each group, diagonal relationships. Preparation and properties of some important compounds – sodium carbonate and sodium hydroxide; Industrial uses of lime, limestone, Plaster of Paris and cement; Biological significance of Na, K, Mg and Ca.

Unit 12: P – Block Elements

Group – 13 to Group 18 Elements
General Introduction: Electronic configuration and general trends in physical and chemical properties of elements across the periods and down the groups; unique behaviour of the first element in each group. Group wise study of the p – block elements

Group – 13
Preparation, properties and uses of boron and aluminium; properties of diborane, aluminium chloride and alums.

Group – 14
Allotropes of carbon, tendency for catenation; Structure & properties of silicates, and zeolites.

Group – 15
Properties and uses of nitrogen and phosphorus; Allotropic forms of phosphorus; Preparation, properties, structure and uses of ammonia, nitric acid, Structures of oxides and oxoacids of phosphorus.

Group – 16
Preparation, properties, structures and uses of ozone; Allotropic forms of sulphur; Preparation, properties, structures and uses of sulphuric acid.

Group – 17
Preparation, properties and uses of hydrochloric acid; Trends in the acidic nature of hydrogen halides; Structures of Interhalogen compounds and oxides and oxoacids of halogens.

Group – 18
Occurrence and uses of noble gases.

Unit 13: D and F – Block Elements

Transition Elements
General introduction, electronic configuration, occurrence and characteristics, general trends in properties of the first row transition elements – physical properties, ionization enthalpy, oxidation states, atomic radii, colour, catalytic behaviour, magnetic properties, complex formation, interstitial compounds, alloy formation; Preparation, properties and uses of K2Cr2O7 and KMnO4. Inner Transition Elements Lanthanoids – Electronic configuration, oxidation states and lanthanoid contraction. Actinoids – Electronic configuration and oxidation states.

Unit 14: Co-ordination Compounds

Transition Elements
Introduction to co-ordination compounds, Werner’s theory; ligands, co-ordination number, denticity, chelation; IUPAC nomenclature of mononuclear co-ordination compounds, isomerism; Bonding-Valence bond approach and basic ideas of Crystal field theory, colour and magnetic properties; Importance of co-ordination compounds (in qualitative analysis, extraction of metals and in biological systems).

Organic Chemistry

Unit 15: Purification and Unit 19: Purification and Characterisation of Organic Compounds

Qualitative analysis – Detection of nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus and halogens. Quantitative analysis (basic principles only) – Estimation of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, halogens, sulphur, phosphorus. Calculations of empirical formulae and molecular formulae; Numerical problems in organic quantitative analysis.

Unit 16: Some Basic Principles of Organic Chemistry

Tetravalency of carbon; Shapes of simple molecules – hybridization (s and p); Classification of organic compounds based on functional groups: – C = C – and those containing halogens, oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur; Homologous series; Isomerism – structural and stereoisomerism. Nomenclature (Trivial and IUPAC) Covalent bond fission – Homolytic and heterolytic: free radicals, carbocations and carbanions; stability of carbocations and free radicals, electrophiles and nucleophiles. Electronic displacement in a covalent bond – Inductive effect, electromeric effect, resonance and hyperconjugation.

Unit 17: Hydrocarbons

Classification, isomerism, IUPAC nomenclature, general methods of preparation, properties and reactions. Alkanes – Conformations: Sawhorse and Newman projections (of ethane); Mechanism of halogenation of alkanes. Alkenes – Geometrical isomerism; Mechanism of electrophilic addition: addition of hydrogen, halogens, water, hydrogen halides (Markownikoff’s and peroxide effect); Ozonolysis and polymerization.

Alkynes – Acidic character; Addition of hydrogen, halogens, water and hydrogen halides; Polymerization. Aromatic hydrocarbons – Nomenclature, benzene – structure and aromaticity; Mechanism of electrophilic substitution: halogenation, nitration, Friedel – Craft’s alkylation and acylation.

Unit 18: Organic Compounds Containing Halogens

Classification, isomerism, IUPAC nomenclature, general methods of preparation, properties and reactions. Alkanes – Conformations: Sawhorse and Newman projections (of ethane); Mechanism of halogenation of alkanes. Alkenes – Geometrical isomerism; Mechanism of electrophilic addition: addition of hydrogen, halogens, water, hydrogen halides (Markownikoff’s and peroxide effect); Ozonolysis and polymerization.

Alkynes – Acidic character; Addition of hydrogen, halogens, water and hydrogen halides; Polymerization. Aromatic hydrocarbons – Nomenclature, benzene – structure and aromaticity; Mechanism of electrophilic substitution: halogenation, nitration, Friedel – Craft’s alkylation and acylation.

Unit 19: Organic Compounds Containing Oxygen

General methods of preparation, properties, reactions and uses. Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Alcohols: Identification of primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols; mechanism of dehydration. Phenols: Acidic nature, electrophilic substitution reactions: halogenation, nitration and sulphonation, Reimer – Tiemann reaction. Ethers: Structure. Aldehyde and Ketones: Nature of carbonyl group;Nucleophilic addition to >C=O group, relative reactivities of aldehydes and ketones; Important reactions such as – Nucleophilic addition reactions (addition of HCN, NH3 and its derivatives), Grignard reagent; oxidation; reduction (Wolff Kishner and Clemmensen); acidity of – hydrogen, aldol condensation, Cannizzaro reaction, Haloform reaction; Chemical tests to distinguish between aldehydes and Ketones. Carboxylic acids Acidic strength and factors affecting it.

Unit 20: Organic Compounds Containing Nitrogen

General methods of preparation, properties, reactions and uses. Amines: Nomenclature, classification, structure, basic character and identification of primary, secondary and tertiary amines and their basic character. Diazonium Salts: Importance in synthetic organic chemistry.

Unit 21: Chemistry in Everyday Life

Chemicals in medicines – Analgesics, tranquilizers, antiseptics, disinfectants, antimicrobials, antifertility drugs, antibiotics, antacids, antihistamins – their meaning and common examples. Chemicals in food – Preservatives, artificial sweetening agents – common examples. Cleansing agents – Soaps and detergents, cleansing action.

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