Advanced Chemistry (AP Chemistry)
Syllabus
Course description:
Advanced Chemistry (AP Chemistry) is a college-level chemistry course
equivalent to a freshman level chemistry course in college. The course covers five broad
themes of chemistry: the structure of matter, states of matter, reactions, descriptive
chemistry, and laboratory methods. Students are prepared to be critical and independent
thinkers who are able to function effectively in a scientific and technological society.
Students will be able to analyze scientific and societal issues using scientific problem
solving. Students will be prepared to make an acceptable score on the AP Chemistry
Examination in May.
Time Commitment (Curricular Requirement 7):
Advanced Chemistry (AP Chemistry) meets 5 times a week for 51 minutes each
day. An average of 102 minutes (2 class periods) per week will be spent on laboratory
experiences. Consequently, students will need to spend 6-9 hours per week outside of
class reading the textbook, problem solving, collaborating with other students, and
reporting lab results.
Laboratory Component (Curricular Requirements 5 and 7):
Students will perform laboratory exercises equivalent to a college-level chemistry
course. In each laboratory experiment, students will physically manipulate equipment and
materials in order to make relevant observations and collect data. Students also will use
the collected data to form conclusions and verify hypotheses. Students are expected to
communicate and compare experimental results both informally and formally. Students
will be required to keep a formal lab notebook in which background information,
hypotheses, procedures, collected data, observations, graphs, calculations, and
conclusions can be reported for each experiment. Students will also be expected to
present their laboratory results informally and formally through presentations made to the
class.
Problem Solving (Curricular Requirement 6):
Students will be required to solve problems involving many different chemical
calculations throughout the course. Textbook problems as well as released items from old
AP examinations will provide students the opportunities necessary to engage in chemistry
problem solving. Students will be required to present to the class their solutions to the AP
released exam questions. A minimum of 2 presentations will be required each quarter.
The goal of the presentations is to improve each student’s ability to communicate
scientific results.
Textbook Used:
Chemistry: The Central Science by Brown, LeMay, and Bursten, 9th edition,
Prentice Hall, 2003.
ISBN: 0-13-038168-3
Laboratory Resource Used:
Laboratory Experiments for Advanced Placement Chemistry, by Vonderbrink, 2nd
edition, Flinn Scientific Incorporated, 2006.
ISBN: 978-1-933709-03-1
Curricular Requirement Codes:
C1 – Structure of Matter (Atomic theory and atomic structure, Chemical bonding)
C2 – States of Matter (Gases, Liquids and Solids, Solutions)
C3 – Reactions (Reaction types, Stoichiometry, Equilibrium, Kinetics,
Thermodynamics)
C4 – Descriptive Chemistry (Relationships in the periodic table)
C5 – Laboratory (Physical manipulations, Processes and procedures, Observations
and data manipulation, Communication, Group collaboration, Laboratory
reports)
C6 – Chemical Calculations (The course emphasizes chemical calculations and
the mathematical formulation of the principles.)
TOPIC OUTLINE
Unit 1 Introductory and Review Concepts – Chapter 1 and 2 (1 week)
- measurement
- significant figures and uncertainty
- dimensional analysis
- evidence for atomic theory (C1)
- atomic masses, determination by chemical and physical means (C1)
- atomic number and mass number, isotopes (C1)
- naming and writing formulas for inorganic compounds
- Laboratory (C5)
o Basic Laboratory Techniques
Unit 2 Stoichiometry – Chapter 3 (2 weeks)
- chemical equations (C3, C4)
- combination, decomposition, combustion reactions (C3, C4)
- percent composition – chemical calculation (C6)
- the mole
- empirical formulas and analyses – chemical calculation (C6)
- quantitative information from balanced equations and limiting reactants (C3,
C6)
- Laboratory (C5)
o Determination of Empirical Formula of Silver Oxide
 AP recommended experiment #1
o Analysis of Alum
 Percentage water in a hydrate
 Gravimetric analysis
 AP recommended experiments #2, 16
Unit 3 Nuclear Chemistry – Chapter 21 (1 week)
- radioactivity (C1)
- patterns of nuclear stability
- nuclear transmutations (C1)
- rates of radioactive decay (C1)
- detection of radioactivity
- energy changes in nuclear reactions (C1)
- nuclear fission (C1)
- nuclear fusion (C1)
- biological effects of radiation
Unit 4 Aqueous Reactions and Solution Stoichiometry – Chapter 4 (2 weeks)
- properties of aqueous solutions
- precipitation reactions (C3, C4)
- acid-base reactions (C3, C4)
- oxidation-reduction reactions (C3)
- concentration of solutions
- solution stoichiometry and titration calculations – chemical calculation (C6)
- Laboratory (C5)
o Gravimetric Analysis of a Metal Carbonate
 AP recommended experiment #16
o Finding the Ratio of Moles of Reactants in a Chemical Reaction
 AP recommended experiment #9
Unit 5 Thermochemistry – Chapter 5 (2 weeks)
- nature of energy
- 1st Law of Thermodynamics (C3)
- State functions (C3)
- Enthalpy (C3)
- Heat of reaction (C3)
- Heat of formation (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- Calorimetry (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- Hess’s Law (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- Laboratory (C5)
o Thermodynamics – Enthalpy of Reaction and Hess’s Law
 AP recommended experiment #13
Unit 6 Gases – Chapter 10 (2 weeks)
- characteristics of gases
- pressure
- The Gas Laws (C2) – chemical calculation (C6)
- The ideal gas equation (C2) – chemical calculation (C6)
- Gas densities and molar mass, applications of ideal gas law – chemical
calculation (C6)
- Gas mixtures and partial pressure – chemical calculation (C6)
- Kinetic molecular theory (C2) – chemical calculation (C6)
-
Molecular effusion and diffusion (C2) – chemical calculation (C6)
Real gases: deviations from ideal behavior (C2)
Laboratory (C5)
o Determination of the Molar Volume of a Gas
 AP recommended experiment #5
o Determination of the Molar Mass of Volatile Liquids
 AP recommended experiment #3
Unit 7 Chemical Equilibrium – Chapter 15 (2 weeks)
- concept of equilibrium (C3)
- equilibrium constant (C3)
- heterogeneous equilibria
- calculating equilibrium constants (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- applications of equilibrium constants (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- LeChatelier’s Principle (C3)
- Laboratory (C5)
o The determination of Keq for FeSCn2+
 AP recommended experiments #10, 17
Unit 8 Acid-Base Equilibria – Chapter 16 (3 weeks)
- Bronsted-Lowry Acids and bases (C3)
- Auto-ionization of water
- pH
- strong acids and bases
- weak acids (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- weak bases (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- relationship between Ka and Kb (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- acid-base properties of salt solutions
- acid-base behavior and chemical structure
- Lewis acids and bases (C3)
- Laboratory (C5)
o Determination of Ka of Weak Acids
 AP recommended experiment #10
o Acid-Base Titrations
 AP recommended experiments #6, 7
Unit 9 Additional Aspects of Aqueous Equilibria – Chapter 17 (3 weeks)
- Common-Ion Effect (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- Buffered Solutions (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- Acid-Base Titrations
- Solubility equilibria (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- Factors that affect solubility
- Precipitation and separation of ions – chemical calculation (C6)
- Qualitative analysis for metallic elements
- Laboratory (C5)
o Selecting Indicators for Acid-Base Titrations
 AP recommended experiment #11
o Preparation and Properties of Buffer Solutions
 AP recommended experiment #19
o Determination of the Solubility Product of an Ionic Compound
 AP recommended experiment #10
o Separation and Qualitative Determination of Cations and Anions (C4)
 AP recommended experiment #14
Unit 10 Chemical Thermodynamics – Chapter 19 (1.5 weeks)
- spontaneous processes
- entropy and the 2nd law of thermodynamics (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- molecular interpretation of entropy
- entropy changes in chemical reactions (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- Gibb’s free energy (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- Free energy and temperature (C3)
- Free energy and equilibrium constant (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
Unit 11 Electrochemistry – Chapter 20 (2.5 weeks)
- oxidation-reduction reactions (C3)
- balancing oxidation-reduction reactions (C3)
- voltaic cells (C3)
- cell EMF (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- spontaneity and redox reactions (C3) – chemical calculation
- effect of concentration on cell EMF, Nernst equation (C3) – chemical
calculation (C6)
- batteries
- corrosion
- electrolysis (C3) – chemical calculation
- Laboratory (C5)
o Oxidation-Reduction Titration
 AP recommended experiment #8
o Electrochemical Cells
 AP recommended experiment #21
o Electrolysis
 AP recommended experiment #21
Unit 12 Chemical Kinetics – Chapter 14 (2.5 weeks)
- Factors that affect reaction rates
- Reaction rates (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- Concentration and Rate (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- Change of concentration with time (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- Temperature and rate (C3)
- Arrhenius equation and activation energy (C3) – chemical calculation (C6)
- Reaction mechanisms (C3)
- Catalysis (C3)
- Laboratory (C5)
o Kinetics of a Reaction
 AP recommended experiment #12
Unit 13 Electronic Structure of Atoms – Chapter 6 (1 week)
- wave nature of light
- quantized energy and photons
- line spectra and the Bohr model (C1)
- wave behavior of matter (C1)
- quantum mechanics and atomic orbitals (C1)
- representation of orbitals (C1)
- many-electron atoms (C1)
- electron configurations (C1)
- electron configurations and periodic table
- Laboratory
o Atomic Spectra and Atomic Structure
Unit 14 Periodic Properties of the Elements – Chapter 7 (1 week)
- effective nuclear charge
- sizes of atoms and ions (C1)
- ionization energy (C1)
- electron affinities (C1)
- metals, nonmetals, and metalloids
- group trends for the active metals (C4)
- group trends for nonmetals (C4)
- Laboratory (C5)
o An Activity Series (C4)
 AP recommended experiment #20
Unit 15 Basic Concepts of Chemical Bonding – Chapter 8 (1 week)
- ionic bonding (C1)
- covalent bonding (C1)
- bond polarity and electronegativity (C1)
- drawing Lewis structures (C1)
- resonance structures (C1)
- exceptions to the octet rule (C1)
- strengths of covalent bonds
Unit 16 Molecular Geometry, Bonding Theories, and Organic Chemistry (2 weeks)
- molecular shape (C1)
- VSEPR model (C1)
- Molecular shape and molecular polarity (C1)
- Valence bond theory (C1)
- Hybrid orbitals (C1)
- Multiple bonds (C1)
- General characteristics of organic molecules (C1, C4)
- Introduction to hydrocarbons (C1, C4)
-
Alkanes (C1, C4)
Unsaturated hydrocarbons (C1, C4)
Alcohols and ethers (C1, C4)
Compounds with a carbonyl group (C1, C4)
Laboratory (C5)
o Molecular Geometries of Covalent Molecules: Lewis Structures and
VSEPR theory
o Synthesis, Isolation, and Purification of an Ester
 AP recommended experiment #22
Unit 17 Liquids and Solids – Chapter 11 (1.5 weeks)
- molecular comparison of liquids and solids (C2)
- intermolecular forces (C1)
- properties of liquids (C2)
- phase changes (C2)
- vapor pressure
- phase diagrams (C2)
- structures of solids (C2)
- bonding in solids, metallic bonding (C1, C2)
- Laboratory (C5)
o Liquid Chromatography
 AP recommended experiment #18
Unit 18 Properties of Solutions – Chapter 13 (2 weeks)
- solution process
- saturated solutions and solubility (C2)
- factors affecting solubility (C2)
- ways of expressing concentration, molarity, molality, mole fraction (C2) –
chemical calculation (C6)
- colligative properties, Raoult’s law, osmosis (C2) – chemical calculation (C6)
- colloids
- Laboratory (C5)
o Molar Mass by Freezing Point Depression
 AP recommended experiment #4
Unit 19 Coordination Compounds – Chapter 24 (1 week)
- metal complexes (C1, C3)
- ligands with more than one donor atom (C1, C3)
- nometnclature of coordination chemistry (C3)
- Laboratory (C5)
o Preparation and Analysis of Tetraaminecopper(II) sulfate monohydrate
(C4)
 AP recommended experiments #15, 17
Unit 20 Preparation for AP Chemistry Exams
- Practice AP exams
-
Chemical Reactivity and Products of Chemical Reactions Review
Laboratory (C5)
o Predicting the Products of Chemical Reactions and Writing Chemical
Equations (C4)
 Preparation for AP exam