AP CHEMISTRY
Overview
This is an advanced placement course designed to prepare the student for the AP Chemistry exam. The course
covers the equivalent of one full year of college level General Chemistry, comparable to a first year course at a college or
university. The course is a rigorous math-based course, with a strong laboratory component. It is intended for students
who have a passion for the subject of chemistry and who have excelled in a prior course in chemistry during high school.
Student should have a willingness to commit considerable time to studying and completing assignments outside of class.
Structure of the AP Chemistry Course
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Topics covered in the course include atomic theory, chemical bonding, chemical reactions, stoichiometry,
thermodynamics, equilibrium, intermolecular forces, solids, gases, solutions, electrochemistry, acids and bases,
and chemical kinetics
Lecture, laboratory activities, problem solving and INQUIRY student research activities are all components of
this course.
Students can expect a minimum of 30% of class time to be spent in the laboratory. The AP lab investigations
often take two blocks to complete and require in-depth analysis. Students are required to keep a bound laboratory
notebook
Expect a brief summer assignment that reviews nomenclature and basic stoichiometry
Time Commitment to Homework
Students should expect to spend approximately six to eight hours a week outside of class:
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Reviewing lecture notes
Completing lecture worksheets
Checking lecture worksheet answers with released answer key
Completing pre-laboratory reading and lab notebook preparation for next class lab
Completing post-laboratory data analysis, questions, conclusion, and AP chemistry lab review questions
Completing released practice quizzes/tests
Supplemental text reading assignments
Grading
60 % Tests and Quizzes
40% Labs and Lecture Worksheets (homework problem sets)
Why take AP Chemistry?
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Will teach you to think at higher levels
Will be encouraged to think and apply concepts to new situations, and even derive your own theories from
application
Will allow you to get a head start on college level chemistry during high school
Great choice for students who excel in science and mathematics