AP CHEMISTRY SYLLABUS STUDENT VERSION
Book: Chemistry, Zumdahl & Zumdahl, 7th edition: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007.
Grading Scale:
100-90
89-80
79-71
70
69-0
A
B
C
D
F
Your grade will be calculated using a total points system. All assignments are unique, however, on average, tests will be worth
approximately 100pts, labs 50pts, quizzes 25pts, and homework/classwork 10pts.
The Course in a Nutshell
The AP Chemistry course is designed to be taken only after successful completion of a first year chemistry course and a second year
of algebra with strong grades in both courses. This course will contribute to the development of your ability to think clearly and to
express your ideas orally and in writing, with clarity, conciseness, and logic. Due to the level of the course you will be required to use
a college level textbook, complete college level homework and take college level tests.
Laboratory Notebook
You are required to maintain a laboratory notebook. You will keep all lab procedures, data, and conclusions in the lab notebook. All
reports are to be done in blue or black ink. No erasures or white out may be used. Your notebook will be used to validate the
necessary lab experience required to earn college credit. Great effort must be taken prior to laboratory experiments to understand
the purpose of the lab, consider the lab design and procedure, and to design any necessary data tables to collect data in an orderly
fashion.
Homework Notebook
You are required to keep a homework notebook. All entries must be dated and titled. Any and all questions or problems must be
answered in a format where the question asked is understood. All mathematical manipulations must be shown and significant
figures must always be kept correctly. Non mathematical questions must be answered in depth to show understanding of
underlying principles. Homework may or may not be graded; however, completion of such is essential to your success in this course.
AP Chemistry Concept Outline
Big Idea 1- The chemical elements are fundamental building materials of matter, and all matter can be understood in terms of
arrangements of these atoms. These atoms retain their identity in chemical reactions.
Big Idea 2- Chemical and physical properties of materials can be explained by the structure and the arrangement of atoms, ions, and
molecules and the forces between them.
Big Idea 3- Changes in matter involve the rearrangement and/or reorganization of atoms and/or transfer of electrons.
Big Idea 4- Rates of chemical reactions are determined by details of molecular collisions.
Big Idea 5- The laws of thermodynamics describe the essential role of energy and explain and predict the direction of changes in
matter.
Big Idea 6- Any bond or intermolecular attraction that can be formed can be broken. These two processes are in a dynamic
competition, sensitive to initial conditions and external perturbations.
Science Practices for AP Chemistry
Science Practice 1- The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific
problems.
Science Practice 2- The student can use mathematics appropriately.
Science Practice 3- The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations with the context of
this AP course.
Science Practice 4- The student can plan and implement data collection and strategies in relation to a particular scientific question.
Science Practice 5- The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
Science Practice 6- The student can work with scientific explanation.
Scientific Practice 7- The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts, and representations in and
across domains.
1st & 2nd Semester Pacing Guide
TOPICS TO BE COVERED:
Topic
Big Ideas
Zumdahl
Time (all are
approximations)
Review
Atomic Theory I (History, Isotopes,
Atomic Mass, Mass %)
Nomenclature)
Test
1
Ch. 2 & 3
Atomic Theory II (Waves and light, Quantum
theory, 1st Ionization Energy, Shell model, PES,
Shielding effect)
Atomic Theory III (Orbitals, Radii, Ionization
Energy, Electronegativity)
Quantitative Chemistry I (Mole, Stoichiometry,
Limiting Reactants, % Yield)
Quantitative Chemistry II (Empirical and
Molecular Formulas)
Test
Bonding I (Octet Rule, Ionic + Covalent
Bonding, Lewis Diagrams)
Bonding II (Exceptions, Formal Charge, Radii
and bond length, Resonance)
Bonding III (Molecular Shape, VSEPR)
Bonding IV (Bonding Theories, Multiple Bonds,
Polar-Nonpolar)
Bonding V (Spectroscopy)
Test on these topics
Reaction I (Electrolytes, Solubility, Prec, Redox,
Oxidation Numbers)
Reaction II (Displacement Rx, Disproportion,
Combustion)
Reaction III (Acid-Base Redox)
Test
Gases (Pressure, Gas Laws, Ideal Gas Law)
Gases (Partial Pressure, Mole Fraction, Real
and Ideal Gas)
Thermochemistry I (Heat & Temp, Enthalpy,
Work, Endo, Exo, Bond Enthalpy)
Thermochemistry II (Calorimetry, Hess’s law,
Enthalpy)
Thermochemistry III (Entropy, Free Energy
Test
Flex Time/Review (Time to catch up or move
on perhaps….)
1st Semester final
1
Ch. 2,3 & 7
4 days
1
Ch. 2, 3 & 7
2 days
1
Ch. 2 & 3
2 days
1
Ch. 2 & 3
2 days
2
Ch. 8, 10, & 7
Aug 28
2 days
2
Ch. 8, 10, & 7
3 days
2
2
Ch. 8, 10, & 7
Ch. 8, 10, & 7
3 days
3 days
2
Ch. 8, 10, & 7
3
Ch. 4
5 days
Sept 25
3 days
3
Ch. 4
2 days
3
Ch. 4
2
2
Ch 5
Ch 5
3 days
Oct 9
1 day
2 days
5
Ch. 6 & 10
5 days
5
Ch. 6 &10
4 days
5
Ch. 6 & 10
3 days
Oct 31
2 weeks
Aug 14
Dec 19
Intermolecular I (Types, Boiling pts,
Intermolecular II (Heat of Fusion, Vaporization,
Vapor Pressure, Surface Tension and Viscosity,
Polymers)
Solids (Amorphous, Crystalline, Unit Cells,
Molecular Solids, Covalent network Solids,
Metallic Solids)
Test
Equilibrium I (Constants, Calculating
Concentrations)
Equilibrium II (Reaction Quotient, Le
Chatelier’s, Ksp)
Equilibrium III (Gibbs Free Energy and
Equilibrium)
Solutions I (Types, Concentrations, Solubility
and Structure, Solids and Temp
Solutions II (Ksp, Precipitates, Solubility of
Gases and Temp and Gases and Pressure
Test
Acids/Bases I (Conjugate pairs, strengths,
Water, pH, pOH, Strong Acids, Bases
Acids/Bases II (Ka, Kb, Weak Acids and Bases)
Acids/Bases III (Reactions, pH and Soluble
salts)
Acids/Bases IV (Common Ion, Buffers,
Solubility and pH)
Acid/Base Titrations
Test
Kinetics I (Reaction Rates, Order, Rate Law
Kinetics II (Integrated Rate Laws, Half life
reactions)
Kinetics III (Affecting Factors on Rate, Ea,
Reactions Mechanisms, Catalysis)
Test
Electrochemistry I (Voltaic Cells, Voltage,
Standard Reduction Potentials, Standard Cell
Potentials)
Electrochemistry II (Thermodynamically
Favored Redox, Gibbs, concentration Cells,
Electrolytic Cells)
Test
Review/catch up
AP Exam
2
2
Ch. 8, 10, 7
Ch. 8, 10, 7
3 days
3 days
2
Ch. 8, 10, 7
2 days
6
Ch. 13 & 11
Jan 15
5 days
6
Ch. 13 & 11
3 days
6
Ch. 13 & 11
4 days
3
Ch. 10, 11
3 days
3
Ch. 10, 11
3 days
6
Ch. 14 &15
Feb 5
2 days
6
6
Ch. 14 &15
Ch. 14 &15
3 days
3 days
6
Ch. 14 &15
5 days
6
Ch. 14 &15
4
4
Ch. 12
Ch. 12
2 days
March 5
4 days
5 days
4
Ch. 12
2 days
4
3
Ch. 12
Ch. 17
March 20
3 days
3
Ch. 17
5 days
April 10
May 4