AP Chemistry* (Junior/Senior Year)
The Course
The AP Chemistry course is designed to be the equivalent of the general chemistry course usually taken during the first college year. For some students, this course enables them to undertake, in their college freshman year, second-year work in the chemistry sequence at their institution or to register in courses in other fields where general chemistry is a prerequisite. For other students, the AP Chemistry course fulfills the laboratory science requirement and frees time for other courses.
AP Chemistry will attain a depth of understanding of fundamentals and a reasonable competence in dealing with chemical problems. The course will contribute to the development of the students’ abilities to think clearly and to express their ideas, orally and in writing, with clarity and logic. The college course in general chemistry differs qualitatively from the usual first secondary school course in chemistry with respect to the kind of textbook used, the topics covered, the emphasis on chemical calculations and the mathematical formulation of principles, and the kind of laboratory work done by students. Quantitative differences appear in the number of topics treated, the time spent on the course by students, and the nature and the variety of experiments done in the laboratory.
Prerequisites
The AP Chemistry course is designated to be taken only after the successful completion of a first course in high school chemistry. Surveys of students who take the AP Chemistry Exam indicate that the probability of achieving a grade of 3 or higher is significantly greater for students who successfully complete a first course in high school chemistry prior to undertaking the AP course. Thus it is mandatory that credit in a first-year high school chemistry course be a prerequisite for enrollment in an AP Chemistry class. In addition, the recommended mathematics prerequisite for an AP Chemistry class is the successful completion of a second-year algebra course.
Time Allocations
It is assumed that the student will spend at least five hours a week in unsupervised individual study.
Topic Outline
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 presented in considerable depth.
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 exam that pertain to the topic.
- Structure of Matter (20%) - Atomic theory / structure; Chemical bonding; Nuclear chemistry
- States of Matter (20%) - Gases; Liquids and Solids; Solutions
- Reactions (35 - 40%) - Reaction types; Stoichiometry; Equilibrium; Kinetics; Thermodynamics
- Descriptive Chemistry (10—15%)
- Laboratory (5—10%)
* Students who take this course will receive 5 college credits (per term / 10 credits total) via the St. John’s College Extension program.
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About AP
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Download the full AP Course Catalog and Criteria (.doc)
* Denotes college credit granted via the St. John's College Extension Program.
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