Course Description for AP Chemistry
Title: AP Chemistry
Audience
This course is designed for:
- High school students preparing for the AP Chemistry Exam
- Students intending to major in chemistry, engineering, medicine, biology, physics, or other STEM disciplines
- Motivated learners seeking a rigorous, college-level chemistry experience
The course is aligned with the framework published by the College Board and follows the structure of the AP Chemistry Course and Exam Description.
Prerequisites
Students should have successfully completed:
- A first-year high school chemistry course
- Algebra II (or concurrent enrollment)
- Foundational skills in:
- Linear equations
- Logarithms
- Scientific notation
- Basic data analysis
Recommended but not required:
- Concurrent or prior Precalculus
- Experience writing formal laboratory reports
Course Overview
AP Chemistry is a college-level course that emphasizes:
- Conceptual understanding over memorization
- Mathematical modeling of chemical systems
- Experimental design and data analysis
- Scientific argumentation using evidence
The course is structured around Big Ideas that unify chemical knowledge:
- Structure of matter
- Properties of matter
- Chemical reactions
- Rates of reactions
- Thermodynamics
Students engage in inquiry-based laboratory investigations and develop the science practices required for success on the AP exam and in future STEM coursework.
Course Outline (College Board Units)
Unit 1: Atomic Structure and Properties
- Moles and molar mass
- Mass spectroscopy
- Elemental composition
- Atomic models
- Photoelectron spectroscopy
- Periodic trends
Unit 2: Molecular and Ionic Compound Structure and Properties
- Types of chemical bonds
- Intramolecular forces
- Lewis structures
- Resonance and formal charge
- VSEPR theory
- Hybridization
- Bond polarity and dipole moments
Unit 3: Intermolecular Forces and Properties
- Intermolecular forces (IMF)
- Solids, liquids, gases
- Phase changes
- Solutions and solubility
- Beer–Lambert law
Unit 4: Chemical Reactions
- Net ionic equations
- Stoichiometry
- Types of reactions
- Titrations
- Gravimetric analysis
Unit 5: Kinetics
- Reaction rates
- Rate laws
- Reaction mechanisms
- Catalysis
- Collision theory
Unit 6: Thermodynamics
- Enthalpy
- Calorimetry
- Hess’s Law
- Entropy
- Gibbs Free Energy
Unit 7: Equilibrium
- Dynamic equilibrium
- Equilibrium constants
- Le Châtelier’s Principle
- Solubility equilibria
Unit 8: Acids and Bases
- Acid–base theories
- pH and pOH
- Titrations
- Buffers
- Acid–base equilibria
Unit 9: Applications of Thermodynamics
- Electrochemistry
- Galvanic and electrolytic cells
- Cell potentials
- Free energy relationships
Core Concepts Covered
- Quantitative reasoning using dimensional analysis
- Structure–property relationships
- Energy transformations
- Dynamic systems and equilibrium
- Statistical behavior of matter
- Mathematical modeling of chemical systems
- Experimental uncertainty and error analysis
Topics Not Covered
The AP Chemistry course does not include:
- Organic reaction mechanisms beyond functional group recognition
- Advanced spectroscopy techniques (NMR, IR interpretation in depth)
- Biochemistry pathways
- Nuclear chemistry beyond conceptual treatment
- Advanced quantum mechanics derivations
- Multivariable calculus-based thermodynamics
- Industrial chemical engineering design
Learning Objectives Aligned to Bloom’s Taxonomy (2001 Revision)
Remember
Students will be able to:
- Recall periodic trends and atomic properties
- Define key thermodynamic quantities (ΔH, ΔS, ΔG)
- Identify types of intermolecular forces
- State definitions of acids and bases under multiple theories
- Recall equilibrium constant expressions
Understand
Students will be able to:
- Explain periodic trends using Coulombic attraction
- Describe how intermolecular forces affect physical properties
- Summarize the relationship between Gibbs free energy and spontaneity
- Explain dynamic equilibrium at the particle level
- Interpret reaction energy diagrams
Apply
Students will be able to:
- Calculate molar quantities and solution concentrations
- Apply stoichiometry to predict product amounts
- Use equilibrium expressions to determine concentrations
- Calculate pH of strong and weak acids
- Apply rate laws to determine reaction order
- Use thermodynamic relationships to calculate cell potentials
Analyze
Students will be able to:
- Analyze experimental data to determine reaction order
- Differentiate between kinetic and thermodynamic control
- Compare competing reaction mechanisms
- Decompose equilibrium systems into component expressions
- Analyze titration curves to identify equivalence points
Evaluate
Students will be able to:
- Justify reaction mechanisms using experimental evidence
- Critique experimental design for sources of error
- Defend predictions using thermodynamic reasoning
- Evaluate competing models of bonding
- Assess assumptions made in ideal gas approximations
Create
Students will be able to:
- Design laboratory procedures to measure enthalpy changes
- Construct particle-level models explaining macroscopic observations
- Develop mathematical models describing reaction kinetics
- Propose buffer systems for specified pH targets
- Design electrochemical cells with specified voltage outputs
Laboratory Component
Students complete a minimum of 16 hands-on laboratory investigations emphasizing:
- Inquiry-based experimental design
- Data collection and statistical analysis
- Error propagation
- Scientific argumentation
- Written lab reporting aligned with college expectations
Assessment Structure
The AP Chemistry Exam includes:
- Multiple-choice questions
- Free-response questions
- Experimental design questions
- Quantitative problem solving
- Conceptual explanation prompts
The exam emphasizes reasoning, modeling, and explanation rather than rote memorization.
Instructional Philosophy
This course emphasizes:
- Modeling before memorization
- Systems thinking in chemical equilibria
- Structure–property–function relationships
- Data-driven scientific argumentation
- Quantitative reasoning across all units
Students completing AP Chemistry should demonstrate readiness for a second-semester general chemistry course at the collegiate level.
MicroSims
This course places a strong focus on creating MicroSims to help students master concepts and retain a clear visual understanding of complex interactions.
Sources
The outline for this course was inspired by the College Board's coverage of AP Chemistry.