a chemistry course that studies fundamental concepts, theories, and laws of chemistry, as well as the structure, properties, and methods of obtaining the chemical elements and major chemical compounds. General chemistry also touches upon the major applications of chemistry in industry and agriculture.

Since general chemistry deals mainly with the chemical elements and compounds, it has often been called inorganic chemistry. However, as early as 1880, in light of the discrepancy between the term “inorganic chemistry” and the subject matter of the course, D. I. Mendeleev proposed the term “general chemistry” for this course (“O prepodavanii khimii na pervom kurse,” in Soch., vol. 23, 1952, pp. 347, 356).

The modern course in general chemistry is based on the study of atomic structure and Mendeleev’s periodic law.