AP Chemistry
AP program
Our school offers AP chemistry as a second year elective. AP chemistry is offered to 11th
and 12th grade students who have completed a first year of chemistry. It is suggested, but
not required that students enrolled in AP chemistry have taken (honors) chemistry as a
sophomore. This course meets 5 days a week for 42 minutes the first semester and 5 days
a week for 85 minutes (double lab period) the second semester.
Expectations
Students should expect this course to be taught on a college level and at an
accelerated pace. There will be an emphasis on mathematical calculations as they apply
to chemistry and science, therefore, and advanced understanding of mathematics is
expected. Students should expect to put in extra time outside of class for studying,
solving problems, and completing labs. Students should expect to spend approximately
2-5 hours a week outside of class preparing for this course. Students should also expect a
vigorous lab aspect to this course. Labs will be performed approximately once a week
with some labs requiring more time than this.
Strategies
The following strategies are used in preparing students for the AP chemistry exam.
1) Students are encouraged to work together in order to learn. Students often
gain a different perspective on topics when they are explained by classmates.
They also find mistakes with each others work and help correct and explain
problems to one another.
2) Complete mock AP tests. In my opinion the best preparation for the AP test
is to see and work on problems that are similar to those that appear on the
actual test. During a unit students are given sample AP problems to work on.
After they complete them individually, they work on them in groups to solve
any remaining parts. At the completion of a unit, a mock AP test consisting of
a variety of multiple choice questions dealing with topics in that unit is given.
3) Student presentations. Students are often required to give solutions to
problems assigned from their book. Each chapter has a list of problems that
students are asked to complete. At the end of each chapter students are
assigned specific questions that they must present to the class. These
problems are assigned early so students know which problem they will
present.
4) Conserve time. There is an enormous amount of material to present in AP
chemistry. Therefore, time must be conserved as much as possible. Students
should expect to spend approximately 2-3 hours per week outside of class
preparing and studying materials.
5) Active participation. Students learn chemistry by doing chemistry.
Therefore, I limit the amount of time I lecture to increase the amount of time
students are actively solving problems or performing labs. Students are
expected to perform many labs and write lab reports for the more in-depth
labs.
Test Preparation
I try to finish all new material at least 2 or 3 weeks prior to the test date. This allows
plenty of time for review. In this two week period I give students two complete mock AP
tests. The first test they complete and we go over all of the problems and any questions
or areas of concern. We then complete a brief review of all units followed by the
students completing the second full mock AP test. Both of these tests are simulated
under normal testing conditions (time, etc.). This gives us just enough time to go over
the second test and review any areas that are still creating problems. Students often meet
after school to study and go over problems during this time.
Laboratory
Labs are an important part of AP chemistry. The lab portion of this course rivals what
students would expect to see in a college chemistry lab course. Students will complete a
variety of experiments with connections to topics or ideas being studied during the class.
Students are required to keep a laboratory notebook and complete formal lab reports for
all major labs. Each lab report will consist of an introduction, procedure, results,
discussion, lab skills, and conclusion. Labs will consume approximately 2 full periods
per week. Several labs and activities are demonstrated to students for the sake of time
conservation and some others are simply revisited from the first year chemistry course.
Texts
Brown, LeMay, Bursten. Chemistry The Central Science. 8th edition.
Laboratory Materials
One specific lab manual is not used but rather a collection of labs from a variety of
sources.
Nelson and Kemp. Chemistry the central science laboratory experiments. 8th edition.
Gastineau, John. Nuclear Radiation with computers.
Vonderbrink, Sally Ann. Laboratory Experiments for Advanced Placement Chemistry.
2001.
Morrison, Duncan and Scodellaro, Darrel. Essential Experiments for Chemistry. 2005
Course Outline
Unit 1 Structure of Matter
Ch. 1 Dimensional Analysis, Uncertainty, Significant Figures, Density
Problem set: Review Sheet
Ch. 2 Subatomic Particles, Chemical Formulas, Nomenclature, Atomic Theory
Problem set: #15,21,36,37,41,44,45,47,48
Ch. 21 Nuclear Chemistry, Half-Lives, Nuclear Equations, etc.
Problem set: #5,7,11,14,24,31,33,37
Assessment Ch 2 & 21
Ch. 6 Waves, Quantum Theory, Electron Configurations, etc.
Problem set: #7,13,26,28,45,46,67,68
Ch. 7 Periodic Trends, Ionization Energy, Atomic Radius, Electronegativity, etc.
Problem set: #13,14,15,23,34,33,34
Assessment Ch 6 &7
Ch. 8 Bonding, Ionic, Covalent, Lewis Structures, Resonance, etc.
Problem set: #15,28,37,38,40,47,51,59,63,66
Ch. 9 Molecular Geometry, VSEPR, polarity, hybridization, etc.
Problem set: #13,14,19,23,24,62
Assessment Ch 8 & 9
Mock AP Test (45 Multiple Choice)
Unit 2 Stoichiometry
Ch. 3 Stoichiometry, balancing equations, reaction, empirical formula, etc.
Problem set: #5,6,7,13,20,33,36,38,40,46,52,59,60,73,74
Assessment Ch 3
Ch. 4 Solutions, net ionic equations, redox, concentration (molarity), etc
Problem set: 5,10,12,19,25,37,51,54,60,67,68
Ch. 20 Electrochemistry, balancing redox, voltaic cells, etc.
Problem set: 9,10,14,25,26,35,50,51,57,81,84
Assessment Ch 4 & 20
Mock AP Test (45 Multiple Choice)
Unit 3 Phases of Matter
Ch. 10 Gas laws, Boyles law, Charles law, Ideal gas law, behavior of gases, etc.
Problem set: #8,13,17,24,27,29,35,37,43,44,49,51,59,61,66,73
Assessment Ch 10
Ch. 11 Intermolecular forces, phase changes, phase diagrams, etc.
Problem set: #17,19,20,39,49,51
Ch. 13 Solutions, solubility, colligative properties, etc.
Problem set: #15,16,23,27,28,45,49
Assessment Ch 11 & 13
Mock AP test (45 Multiple Choice)
Unit 4 Equilibrium, Thermodynamics, & Kinetics
Ch. 15 Intro to Equilibrium, Equilibrium constant, Le Chatlier’s Principle, etc.
Problem set: #7,19,21,23,29,31,35,43,44,45
Ch. 16 Acid/Base Equilibrium, pH, pKa, pKb, salts
Problem set: #5,27,31,41,45,51,63,69,73,74,81
Assessment Ch 15 & 16
Ch. 17 Buffers, titration, solubility equilibrium
Problem set: #3,11,15,25,29,35,39,53
Assessment quiz Ch 17
Mock AP test (45 Multiple Choice & 2 Free Response)
Ch. 14 Reaction kinetics, reaction rates, factors affecting rate, mechanisms, etc.
Problem set: #5,7,9,21,29,41,57
Assessment Ch 14
Ch. 5 Intro to Thermochemistry, Energy, Enthalpy, Calorimetry, Hess’s law, etc.
Problem set: #15,27,39,51,53,61
Ch. 19 Thermodynamics, entropy, Gibbs free energy, relationship to equilibrium
Problem set: #19,25,27,33,37,39,57,59,61
Assessment Ch 5 & 19
Mock AP test (45 Multiple Choice & 2 Free Response)
Unit 5 Writing Equations
Ch. 25 Organic Chemistry, nomenclature, functional groups
Ch. 24 Coordination Compounds, nomenclature, coordination number, charge
Writing Equations Review sheets & Practice
Timeline
Unit 1 – (33 classes)
Ch. 1 (3 classes)
Ch. 2 & 21 (10 classes)
Ch. 6 & 7 (8 classes)
Ch. 8 & 9 (10 classes)
Mock AP (1 class)
Unit 2 – (20 classes)
Ch. 3 (8 classes)
Ch. 4 & 20 (10 classes)
Mock AP (2 classes)
Unit 3 – (20 classes)
Ch. 10 (6 classes)
Ch. 11 & 13 (12 classes)
Mock AP (2 classes)
Unit 4 – (70 classes)
Ch. 15 & 16 (20 classes)
Ch. 17 (10 classes)
Mock AP (2 classes)
Ch. 14 & 20 (12 classes)
Ch. 5 & 19 (15 classes)
Mock AP (2 classes)
Unit 5 – (15 classes)
Ch. 22, 7, & 3 (10 classes)
Ch. 25 & 18 ( 5 classes)
REVIEW
(10-15 classes)
Laboratories
All labs below require hands-on student participation except those with
designations following them. Labs that were performed in the first year course are
only revisited for discussion and review. These courses are designated with a *1st
yr* behind them
Unit 1
Identifying substances by their properties
Nuclear Chemistry (half life, shielding, etc.) *1st yr*
Determination of artificial colors in kool-aid using paper chromatography *1st yr*
Separation of ions using paper chromatography
Flame test (demonstration)
Unit 2
Determining the empirical formula of Magnesium Oxide
Determining the percent of water in various hydrates
Determining the molar mass of CO2 by vapor density
Standardization of a solution using titration *1st yr*
Determining the concentration of Iron using oxidation-reduction titration *1st yr*
Determining the percent of phosphorous in plant food using gravimetric analysis
*1st yr*
Determining the Activity series
Determining half cell potential and cell EMF using gell cells *1st yr*
Unit 3
Determining the freezing point depression (cyclohexane)
Determining the molar volume of a volatile liquid (acetone)
Beet’s law and determining the concentration of an unknown using
spectrophotometric analysis
Unit 4
Using titration to determine titration curves and concentrations of acids and bases
*1st yr*
Preparing buffers and determining their properties
Indicators
Determining the rate of a reaction and its order
Calorimetry and enthalpy changes in reactions
Unit 5
Synthesis and Purification of Aspirin
Synthesis of coordination compounds
Qualitative analysis of cations and anions