The course commenses with a critical look at the Periodic table of elements and why
they are classified as such. The table makes it easier to comprehend, early enough,
the concepts and facts of chemistry of elements. The chemistry of the s- and p-block
(or main block) elements and their compounds which then follows provides a sys-
tematic treatment of these elements and their compounds based on their common
properties.
In unit 1, which utilises the concept of electronic configuration of the elements, you
will review the classification of elements into metals, non-metals and metalloids as
well as into s, p, d, and f blocks of the periodic table. This will be followed by a study
of the atomic structures and general trends across a period and down a group in unit
2. Unit 3 examines general properties of s- and p- block elements. Unit 4 examines
the abundance, occurrence and the extractions of the elements.
In recent years industrial research in the chemistry of main block elements has flou-
rished; many new technological developments, such as Si-Ge transistors in computers
and VCRs, have been achieved using these elements or their compounds. Examples
of the economic uses are given in unit 5 and we hope that this module will stimulate
your interest in inorganic chemistry, a field in which trained personnel are still scarce
in both academic institutions and industrial laboratories.