AP Chemistry
My AP Chemistry class is very similar in content/strcuture to most introductory chemistry classes at the college/university level. Therefore, it may be a challenging class for you at the high school level. However, you've taken the first step- you've bravely agreed to challenging yourself by taking it. The next steps will be more difficult- making sure you are prepared everyday to get the most out of the class this year. How will you do this? 1st: Read a Toolbox for Science Class (link given below). It's a good place to start.
The main purpose of the book is to help you learn chemistry. However, this main thrust is also linked to two other goals: to show how important and interesting the subject is and to show how to think like a chemist. To solve complicated problems, the chemist uses logic, trial and error, intuition, and, above all, patience. A chemist is used to being wrong- the important thing is to learn from your mistakes, recheck assumptions, and try again. A chemist thrives on puzzles that seem to defy solutions.
Many of you do not plan to be practicing chemists, but the nonchemist can benefit from the same attitude since problem-solving is important in all professions and all walks of life. Learning encompasses much more than simply memorizing facts. Truly educated people use their factual knowledge as a staring point- a base for creative approaches to solving problems. It is very important to use the information, your homework assignments, labs, and electronic resources to their full advantage. Your main goal should not be to simply get the correct answer, but to understand the process for getting the answer. Memorizing solutions for specific problems will not help you understand the material because there are to many pigeonholes to cover with every possible problem type. Instead, use the concepts you have learned with a logical, systematic approach to find the solution. You will make mistakes, but the important thing is to learn from your errors. In the end, you will gain confidence by doing LOTS of problems. Be patient and thoughtful and work hard to understand, rather than simply memorize.
(excerpts from Chemistry, Zumdahl/Zumdahl, 2003)
My AP Chemistry class is very similar in content/strcuture to most introductory chemistry classes at the college/university level. Therefore, it may be a challenging class for you at the high school level. However, you've taken the first step- you've bravely agreed to challenging yourself by taking it. The next steps will be more difficult- making sure you are prepared everyday to get the most out of the class this year. How will you do this? 1st: Read a Toolbox for Science Class (link given below). It's a good place to start.
The main purpose of the book is to help you learn chemistry. However, this main thrust is also linked to two other goals: to show how important and interesting the subject is and to show how to think like a chemist. To solve complicated problems, the chemist uses logic, trial and error, intuition, and, above all, patience. A chemist is used to being wrong- the important thing is to learn from your mistakes, recheck assumptions, and try again. A chemist thrives on puzzles that seem to defy solutions.
Many of you do not plan to be practicing chemists, but the nonchemist can benefit from the same attitude since problem-solving is important in all professions and all walks of life. Learning encompasses much more than simply memorizing facts. Truly educated people use their factual knowledge as a staring point- a base for creative approaches to solving problems. It is very important to use the information, your homework assignments, labs, and electronic resources to their full advantage. Your main goal should not be to simply get the correct answer, but to understand the process for getting the answer. Memorizing solutions for specific problems will not help you understand the material because there are to many pigeonholes to cover with every possible problem type. Instead, use the concepts you have learned with a logical, systematic approach to find the solution. You will make mistakes, but the important thing is to learn from your errors. In the end, you will gain confidence by doing LOTS of problems. Be patient and thoughtful and work hard to understand, rather than simply memorize.
(excerpts from Chemistry, Zumdahl/Zumdahl, 2003)
A Toolbox for Science Class (Crimando, Gateway Community College)
Book: Chemistry, 6th Edition. Zumdahl/Zumdahl. 2003, Houghton Mifflin Company. Student Companion Site for our book. Tutorials from Virgina Tech that may help. _________________________________________________________________________________ Chemical Foundations- Conversions, Significant Figures, Density Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Sig Figs, Conversions, Density, Ions, Formulas, Names (Ohio State) Tutorials: Basics (Norton), SI Units (U North Carolina), Sig Figs and Scientific Notation (Harvard) Interdisciplinary Connection- Latin and Science (Language Arts) _________________________________________________________________________________ Atoms, Molecules, and Ions- Formulas, Naming, % Composition Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Average Atomic Weight, % Abundance, % Composition, Empirical Formulas, Molecular Formulas, Moles/Avogadro's # (Ohio State) Tutorials, Nomenclature (Washington U-St. Louis) _________________________________________________________________________________ Stoichiometry Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Chemical Equations, Balancing Equations, Stoichiometry Problems, Limiting Reactant, % Yield, Molarity/Solutions (Ohio State) Tutorials _________________________________________________________________________________ Chemical Reactions Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Redox Reactions Tutorials _________________________________________________________________________________ Gases- Pressure, Ideal Gas Law, Gas Stoichiometry, Kinetic Molecular Theory Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Pressure Conversions, Gas Laws, Ideal Gas Law, Gas Stoichiometry, Partial Pressures, Graham's Law, Kinetic Molecular Theory (Ohio State) Tutorials, Simulations-Gas Properties, The Greenhouse Effect, Ballons and Buoyancy, States of Matter Applications: Air Bags, Improving Air Quality, Acid Rain Virtual ChemLab- 3 Gas Law Labs Interdisciplinary Connection: Neutral Buoyancy in Fish (Biology), Exercise in Space (Health), Why Ears Pop (Health), Hydraulic Lift Force (Technology), The Tropopause (Earth Science) _________________________________________________________________________________ Thermochemistry- Hess' Law, Heat of Reaction, Bond Enthalpies, Heat Capacity Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Heat Capacity, Calorimetry, Hess's Law, Heat of Reaction (Ohio State) Tutorials Interdisciplinary Connection: What Happens in a Kiln? (Fine Arts), Adobe (Construction), Early Central Heating (Social Studies), Thermal Pollution (Environment), Skin Temperature (Health), The Deep Freeze (Technology) Consumer Science: Solar Energy, The Right Fire Extingusher Applications: Refrigeration and Phase Changes _________________________________________________________________________________ Atomic Structure/Periodic Trends- Electromagnetic Radiation, Quantum Numbers, Electron Configurations, Periodicity Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Electromagnetic Radiation, Electronic Transitions, Quantum Numbers, Orbitals, Electron Configurations, Periodic Table, Periodic Trends, Oxidation Numbers (Ohio State) Tutorials Simulations: Blackbody Radiation, Microwaves, Radio Waves, Hydrogen Atom Models, Photoelectric Effect, Neon Lights, Rutherford Experiment, Lasers , Simplified MRI Simulations (U Colorado): Wave on a String, Making Waves, Radio Waves/EM, Wave Interference, Microwaves, Blackbody Spectrum, Quantum Wave Interference, Color Vision, Neon Lights, Lasers Interdisciplinary Connection: Organisms that Glow (Biology), Light Pollution (Environment), Radio Waves (Technology), The Ultimate Telescope (Astronomy), Atomic Fingerprints Careers: X-Ray Technologist _________________________________________________________________________________ Bonding- Lewis Structures, Octet Rule Violations, Lattice Energy, Polarity, Resonance Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Octet Rule, Lewis Structures, Resonance, Bond Order, Molecular Geometry, Polarity (Ohio State) Bonding-Dog Bones Tutorials, More Tutorials, Types of Bonding Simulations (U Colorado): Conductivity, Semiconductors Applications: Bonds, Bands, and Doping (LED's) _________________________________________________________________________________ Liquids and Solids- Bragg Equation, Unit Cells, Crystal Structure, Critical Temperature, Heat of Vaporization Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Unit Cells, Crystal Structures, Lattice Energy, Critical Temperature, Boiling Points, Heat of Vaporization, Hydrogen Bonding (Ohio State) Liquids Tutorials, Solids Tutorials, Inorganic Solids _________________________________________________________________________________ Solutions- Molarity Calculations, Dilutions, Mole Fraction, Raoult's Law, Colligative Properties, Osmotic Pressure Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Molarity, Dilutions, Molality, Mole Fraction, Raoult's Law, Colligative Properties, Osmotic Pressure (Ohio State) Tutorials, Applications: Kidney Dialysis, Public Water Supply _________________________________________________________________________________ Kinetics- Initial Rate and Rate Law, Half Life Calculations, Activation Energy Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Initial Rate and Rate Law, Rate Constants, Reaction Order, Half Life Calculations, Reaction Mechanisms, Activation Energy (Ohio State) Tutorials, Simulation- Reaction Rates, Reaction Energy Applications: Enzyme Kinetics and Inhibitors in HIV Drugs, Enzyme-Substrate Binding _________________________________________________________________________________ Equilibrium- LeChatelier's Principle, Equilibrium Constant, Kc/Kp Conversion Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Equilibrium Constant, Kc/Kp Conversion, Reaction Quotient, LeChatelier's Principle (Ohio State) Tutorials Simulation- Solutions, _________________________________________________________________________________ Acids and Bases- Solutions, Acid Equilibrium, LeChatelier's Principle, Ionization Constants, Strength of Acids, pH Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Acid/Base Solutions, Conjugates, pH Calculations, Acid Equilibrium, LeChatelier's Principle, Polyprotic Acids, % Ionization (Ohio State) Simulation- pH Scale _________________________________________________________________________________ Aqueous Equilibria (Acid-Base/Solubility) Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Buffers, Titrations, pH/OH-/H+ During Titration (Ohio State) Quizzes- Solubility Product, Ksp Calculations, Complex Ions (Ohio State) Tutorials Applications: Buffers-pH regulation during exercise, Acid Rain Tutorials Applications: Nutrients and Solubility, Water Hardness _________________________________________________________________________________ Thermodynamics- Work Calculations, Entropy, Free Energy, Bond Energy Calculations Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Work, Entropy, Free Energy, Bond Energy (Ohio State) Tutorials Applications: Refrigeration and Phase Changes _________________________________________________________________________________ Electrochemistry- Coulombs/Amperage, Electrolysis, Relative Reactivity of Metals, Calculate Cell Potential from Equilibrium Constant, Redox Equations Basics: Notes, Review Quizzes- Redox Reactions, Half-Cell Potentials, Cell Notation, Voltaic Cells, Electrolysis, Concentration Cells, Free Energy/Equilibrium (Ohio State) Tutorials, Simulation- Battery, Battery-Resistor Circuit, (Florida State): Current Flow, Heat Affecting Resistance, Superconductors, Superconductivity Basics Applications: Electric Vehicles, Energy for the Body Interdisciplinary Connection: Electric Rails (History), Batteries (Technology), Understanding Thunderstorms (Meteorology), Lightning (Meteorology), Electric Eels (Biology), Electricity in the Brain (Biology), Appliance Energy Use/Cost (Economics), Electric Shock (Health), The Brain's Signals (Biology), Solar Cells (Environment) Consumer Science: Battery Issues _________________________________________________________________________________ Nuclear Chemistry- Nuclear Reactions, Radioactive Decay, Half-Life Basics: Notes, Review Tutorials (Norton): Fusion of Hydrogen, Radioactive Decay Modes, Synthesis of Elements, Balancing Nuclear Reactions, Half-Life Simulations: (UColorado) Alpha Decay, Nuclear Fission, (IPPEX) Plasma/Fusion Virtual ChemLab- 5 Nuclear Labs Island of Stability/New Elements (NOVA) Interdisciplinary Connection: Seeing Atoms with STM (Materials Science), Starlight-Star Heat (Space Science), Carbon Dating Masterpieces (Fine Arts), Marie Curie (Language Arts), Fireworks (Social Studies), Radioactivity Inside the Earth (Earth Science), Environmental Radiation (Environment), Radiation and Medicine (Medicine), Nuclear-Powered Space Probes (Space Science), Our Changing Universe (Space Science) Careers: Radiological Technician, Materials Scientist, Radiation Therapist, Nuclear Medicine Technician _________________________________________________________________________________ Representative Elements Basics: Notes, Review _________________________________________________________________________________ Transition Metals and Coordination Chemistry Basics: Notes, Review _________________________________________________________________________________ Organic and Biological Molecules Basics: Notes, Review Organic: Tutorial, Simulations- Reaction Mechanism Animations Organic Chem Lab Techniques Biochemistry: Tutorial- Structure of DNA, DNA Structure #2 Applications: Blood Chemistry (Hemoglobin, Iron Use and Storage, Dialysis in Kidneys, pH regulation during exercise), Nutrients and Solubility, Enzyme Kinetics and Inhibitors in HIV Drugs, Enzyme-Substrate Binding, Vision and Light Induced Molecular Changes, Energy for the Body, Odors and Smell, Biochemistry of Metabolism, Medical Biochemistry _________________________________________________________________________________ Instrumentation/Techniques Chromatography Basics: Gas Chromatography, HPLC1, HPLC2, HPLC3, HPLC4, Thin Layer Chromatography Spectroscopy: News, Beer's Law, NMR1, NMR2, NMR3, Infrared, Infrared2, Infrared3, Raman, UV-VIS, Atomic Absorption, Atomic Emission Spectroscopy, Group Theory Mass Spectrometry Surface Analysis DNA Fingerprinting Flow Cytometry _________________________________________________________________________________ Other Tutorials/ Resources Materials Chemistry: Metals, Polymers, Superconductivity Tutorial, Other Sites: http://www.sciencegeek.net/APchemistry/APtaters/directory.shtml http://science.widener.edu/svb/tutorial/index.html Washington University- St. Louis Tutorials Virginia Tech Tutorials The ChemCollective Chem Tutor HHMI Excel Spreadsheets for Data Virtual Chemistry Lab |
Documents: Notes/ Review Guides
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