Download Course: Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry

Course: Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry
Room: B217
Time: 2nd Block
Instructor: Mr. Charles Hermansen
Office Phone: 725-8231
Office Hours: First Semester 1st Block. Second Semester 1st Block. Before or after
school by appointment.
Text: Zumdahl, Steven. Chemistry. 6th Edition
Course Description: AP Chemistry is designed for highly motivated students. Many of
these students usually have a desire to pursue a field that is science related. This course
will require more than just “being smart.” This is a college course in chemistry. Your
preparation and work ethic should reflect this fact. Learning is the student’s
responsibility. You will be responsible for reading the text and completing homework. I
will not grade homework. Be advised failure to complete homework will NOT help your
grade. Teaching will be both lecture and student question based. There will be a strong
emphasis on laboratory work. We will be completing approximately 20 labs.
Lab Program: In parallel with a college chemistry class you will participate in a rigorous
lab program. The labs are identical to labs preformed in college. You will be required to
purchase a lab notebook. This notebook will be your proof of doing a lab. Lab
notebooks must be completed prior to arrival at lab or a zero will be awarded for that lab
with no chance of a make-up. Lab quizzes will also be used to test the student’s
understanding of lab material.
Many colleges require the student’s lab notebook to give credit for lab work. This
means you are responsible for maintaining a good notebook. Your lab notebook will be
turned in for grading periodically. All writing must be in ink. The writing must be
legible. Any errors will be crossed out with ONE line. Errors are not to be scribbled out.
Formal lab reports will not need to be done for each lab. However, they will be done
from time to time and will be awarded points instead of the lab notebook. Lab is an
essential part of your AP experience. The AP exam will test you on your knowledge of
laboratory procedure.
Laboratory Notebooks
A lab notebook should be used to explain laboratory procedures, record all
laboratory data, show how calculations are made, discuss results of an experiment, and to
explain the theories involved.
A record of laboratory work is an important document which will show the
quality of the laboratory work you have done.
Procedure
1. Use a bound writing book.
2. Write your name and class on the front and the inside cover of the book.
3. In INK, number all the right hand pages of the upper right hand corner.
4. Save the first two pages for a Table of Contents. This should be kept current as
you proceed. Each time you write up a lab, place the title and page number where
the lab report begins.
5. Write in INK. Use only the right hand pages. You may use the left hand pages for
notes, quick calculations, or quick graphs. Nothing on the left pages will be
scored.
6. If you make a mistake DO NOT ERASE. Just draw ONE LINE through your
error and continue. It is expected that some errors will occur. You cannot
produce a perfect error-free notebook.
7. Do not use the first person or include personal comments.
Laboratory Reports
1. Title
This title should be descriptive. Experiment 5 is not a descriptive title.
2. Date
This is the date or dates you performed the experiment.
3. Purpose
A brief statement of what you are attempting to do.
4. Procedure
A one or two sentence explanation for each part of the lab you are doing. You
may refer to the lab handout for specific instructions, but you should include a
brief statement of the method. A person who understands chemistry should be
able to read this section and know what you are doing.
5. Data
Record all data directly into your lab notebook on the right hand pages. Organize
your data in a neat and orderly form. Label all data clearly. Use significant
figures, and always include units (g, mL, etc.). Don’t try to cram everything onto
one page. Space your data out. Use tables where appropriate.
Be sure to separate the data from the calculations.
Note: You should spend time organizing your data in your notebook. Data can
only be place in your notebook. Do not place it on the lab handout. Look at your
lab handout and be sure to determine all data that is necessary.
6. Calculations, Graphs, and Equations
You must show how calculations are carried out. Give the method used and how
your data fits into it. Use a table if necessary. Give all calculated values. If a
graph is appropriate, make the graphs an appropriate size. Label the axes and give
each graph a title. If experiments are not quantitative this section may be omitted.
*** This section tends to be the most difficult to keep neat. This is where the left
hand pages come in. Try a calculation first to see if you are doing it correctly.
Then rewrite it on the right hand side. Of course you will make mistakes just
draw a line through it.
7. Questions
Answer and questions included in the lab directions. Answer in such a way that
the meaning of the question in obvious from your answer. A simple yes or no is
not appropriate and will not receive credit.
8. Discussion of theory
In this section you should include such information as: What theory was
demonstrated in this experiment? What do the calculations show? How was the
purpose of this experiment fulfilled? Why does or doesn’t the experiment work?
Refer back to the purpose to write this section.
9. Experimental sources of error
What are some specific sources of error, and how do they influence data? Would
they make the obtained values larger or smaller than they should be? Which
measurement was the least precise? Human and instrumental errors occur in all
experiments. They should not be mentioned unless they make a significant
contribution. If you can calculate percent error it should be done in this section.
10. Conclusions
Make a simple statement concerning what you can conclude from this experiment.
You may also wish to explain anything you learned in this space. For example
“The density of copper was 8.70g/ml. If the experiment was performed again
Assessment: Student grades will be calculated on a total point system. Points will be
awarded for homework, quizzes, lab reports, and tests. Unexcused late work will not be
accepted. Any work missed for a single day absence must be turned in the following day.
This will include tests.
Class Rules: I do not expect there to be any problems with discipline.
 Respect
 Responsibility
 Hard Work
Topic Outline (This is taken directly from the collegeboard.org website)
The importance of the theoretical aspects of chemistry has brought about an increasing emphasis on these
aspects of the content of general chemistry courses. Topics such as the structure of matter, kinetic theory of
gases, chemical equilibria, chemical kinetics, and the basic concepts of thermodynamics are now being
presented in considerable depth. If the objectives of a college-level general chemistry course are to be
achieved, the teaching should be done by a teacher who has completed an undergraduate major program
in chemistry including at least a year’s work in physical chemistry. Teachers with such training are best
able to present a course with adequate breadth and depth and to develop the students’ abilities to use the
fundamental facts of the science in their reasoning. Because of the nature of the AP course, the teacher
needs time for extra preparation for both class and laboratory and should have a
teaching load that is adjusted accordingly. Chemistry is broad enough to permit flexibility in its teaching,
and college teachers exercise considerable freedom in methods and arrangements of topics in the effort to
reach the objectives of their courses. There is no desire to impose greater uniformity on the secondary
schools than now exists in the colleges.
The following list of topics for an AP course is intended to be a guide to the level and breadth of treatment
expected rather than to be a syllabus. The percentage after each major topic indicates the approximate
proportion of multiple-choice questions on the examination that pertain to the topic.
I. Structure of Matter (20%)
A. Atomic theory and atomic structure
1. Evidence for the atomic theory
2. Atomic masses; determination by chemical and physical means
3. Atomic number and mass number; isotopes
4. Electron energy levels: atomic spectra, quantum numbers, atomic orbitals
5. Periodic relationships including, for example, atomic radii, ionization energies, electron affinities,
oxidation states
B. Chemical bonding
1. Binding forces
a. Types: ionic, covalent, metallic, hydrogen bonding, van der Waals (including London dispersion forces)
b. Relationships to states, structure, and properties of matter
c. Polarity of bonds, electronegativities
2. Molecular models
a. Lewis structures
b. Valence bond: hybridization of orbitals, resonance, sigma and pi bonds
c. VSEPR
3. Geometry of molecules and ions, structural isomerism of simple organic molecules and coordination
complexes; dipole moments of molecules; relation of properties to structure
C. Nuclear chemistry: nuclear equations, half-lives, and radioactivity; chemical applications
II. States of Matter (20%)
A. Gases
1. Laws of ideal gases
a. Equation of state for an ideal gas
b. Partial pressures
2. Kinetic-molecular theory
a. Interpretation of ideal gas laws on the basis of this theory
b. Avogadro’s hypothesis and the mole concept
c. Dependence of kinetic energy of molecules on temperature
d. Deviations from ideal gas laws
B. Liquids and solids
1. Liquids and solids from the kinetic-molecular viewpoint
2. Phase diagrams of one-component systems
3. Changes of state, including critical points and triple points
4. Structure of solids; lattice energies
C. Solutions
1. Types of solutions and factors affecting solubility
2. Methods of expressing concentration (The use of normalities is not tested.)
3. Raoult’s law and colligative properties (nonvolatile solutes); osmosis
4. Non-ideal behavior (qualitative aspects)
III. Reactions (35–40%)
A. Reaction types
1. Acid-base reactions; concepts of Arrhenius, Brønsted-Lowry, and Lewis; coordination complexes;
amphoterism
2. Precipitation reactions
3. Oxidation-reduction reactions
a. Oxidation number
b. The role of the electron in oxidation-reduction
c. Electrochemistry: electrolytic and galvanic cells; Faraday’s laws; standard half-cell potentials; Nernst
equation; prediction of the direction of redox reactions
B. Stoichiometry
1. Ionic and molecular species present in chemical systems: net ionic equations
2. Balancing of equations including those for redox reactions
3. Mass and volume relations with emphasis on the mole concept, including empirical formulas and
limiting reactants
C. Equilibrium
1. Concept of dynamic equilibrium, physical and chemical; Le Chatelier’s principle; equilibrium constants
2. Quantitative treatment
a. Equilibrium constants for gaseous reactions: Kp, Kc
b. Equilibrium constants for reactions in solution
(1) Constants for acids and bases; pK; pH
(2) Solubility product constants and their application to precipitation and the dissolution of slightly soluble
compounds
(3) Common ion effect; buffers; hydrolysis
D. Kinetics
1. Concept of rate of reaction
2. Use of experimental data and graphical analysis to determine reactant order, rate constants, and reaction
rate laws
3. Effect of temperature change on rates
4. Energy of activation; the role of catalysts
5. The relationship between the rate-determining step and a mechanism
E. Thermodynamics
1. State functions
2. First law: change in enthalpy; heat of formation; heat of reaction; Hess’s law; heats of vaporization and
fusion; calorimetry
3. Second law: entropy; free energy of formation; free energy of reaction; dependence of change in free
energy on enthalpy and entropy changes
4. Relationship of change in free energy to equilibrium constants and electrode potentials
IV. Descriptive Chemistry (10–15%)
Knowledge of specific facts of chemistry is essential for an understanding of principles and concepts.
These descriptive facts, including the chemistry involved in environmental and societal issues, should not
be isolated
from the principles being studied but should be taught throughout the course to illustrate and illuminate the
principles. The following areas should be covered:
1. Chemical reactivity and products of chemical reactions
2. Relationships in the periodic table: horizontal, vertical, and diagonal with examples from alkali metals,
alkaline earth metals, halogens, and the first series of transition elements
3. Introduction to organic chemistry: hydrocarbons and functional groups (structure, nomenclature,
chemical properties).
V. Laboratory (5–10%)
The differences between college chemistry and the usual secondary school chemistry course are especially
evident in the laboratory work. The AP Chemistry Examination includes some questions based on
experiences
and skills students acquire in the laboratory:
• making observations of chemical reactions and substances
• recording data
• calculating and interpreting results based on the quantitative data obtained
• communicating effectively the results of experimental work