AP Chemistry Syllabus
Curricular Requirements Page(s)
CR1 Students and teachers use a recently published (within the last 10 years) college-level chemistry textbook.
CR2 The course is structured around the enduring understandings within the big ideas as described in the AP Chemistry Curriculum Framework.
CR3a The course provides students with opportunities outside the laboratory environment to meet the learning objectives within Big Idea 1: Structure of matter.
CR3b The course provides students with opportunities outside the laboratory environment to meet the learning objectives within Big Idea 2: Properties of matter-characteristics, states, and forces of attraction.
CR3c The course provides students with opportunities outside the laboratory environment to meet the learning objectives within Big Idea 3: Chemical reactions.
CR3d The course provides students with opportunities outside the laboratory environment to meet the learning objectives within Big Idea 4: Rates of chemical reactions.
CR3e The course provides students with opportunities outside the laboratory environment to meet the learning objectives within Big Idea 5: Thermodynamics.
CR3f The course provides students with opportunities outside the laboratory environment to meet the learning objectives within Big Idea 6: Equilibrium.
CR4 The course provides students with the opportunity to connect their knowledge of chemistry and science to major societal or technological components (e.g., concerns, technological advances, innovations) to help them become scientifically literate citizens.
CR5a Students are provided the opportunity to engage in investigative laboratory work integrated throughout the course for a minimum of 25 percent of instructional time.
CR5b Students are provided the opportunity to engage in a minimum of 16 hands-on laboratory experiments integrated throughout the course while using basic laboratory equipment to support the learning objectives listed within the AP Chemistry Curriculum Framework.
CR6 The laboratory investigations used throughout the course allow students to apply the seven science practices defined in the AP Chemistry Curriculum Framework. At minimum, six of the required 16 labs are conducted in a guided-inquiry format.
Overview:
The purpose of the class is to provide a college-level course in Chemistry and to prepare the student to seek credit and/or appropriate placement in college Chemistry courses. This course is
structured around the six big ideas articulated in the AP Chemistry curriculum framework provided by the College Board. [CR2]
The weekly schedule consists of three 45 minute classes and one block period of 75 minutes. This allows ample time for classroom lecture and topic discussion as well as a strong laboratory component.
Topics are covered with class discussion based on Powerpoint presentations supplemented with assignments using AP exam type questions from various sources. Emphasis is placed on the problem-solving skills students will need for the types of problems they can expect to see on the AP exam. For written responses, students are encouraged to be accurate and succinct in their writing. The idea that three sentences should be enough to completely answer a question is emphasized.
Students are engaged in predominantly hands-on laboratory work, integrated throughout the course that accounts for ~30% of the class time. [CR5a] Students are exposed to labs designed to emphasize conceptual understanding coupled with inquiry and reasoning skills. Labs are also chosen to highlight the seven science practices. [CR6]
Labs form a foundation for student understanding of the chemical principles discussed in lectures but are also chosen to reflect the diversity of lab work generally completed in a first year course. Analysis of data from AP Chemistry examinees shows that increased laboratory time is correlated with higher AP grades. Depending on the particular lab, students will work individually or collaboratively physically manipulate equipment and materials in order to make relevant observations and collect data. The majority of lab work will be hands-on with simulations used occasionally. Technology is integrated into a number of labs in the form of probeware and data collection software. [CR5b]
The keeping of a lab notebook is required. Students have separate Data and Write Up portions in their lab books. Carbon sheets will be turned in to be graded so that students can retain a copy of their work. In this notebook students will communicate lab purpose, data and observations, calculations, and conclusions. The emphasis in the conclusion will be in three areas. First, students will discuss results in terms of their reasonability and how they compare to accepted values where applicable. Second, sources of error are identified and discussion is made of how to minimize their impact. Lastly, students identify the major chemical principles used in the lab and lab results support those principles. [CR7, SP6, SP7]
All students are required to have successfully completed a year of Chemistry before taking the AP class. As a result, several topics that do not constitute a large percentage of the exam are quickly
reviewed so that more time can be spent on areas that make up large portions of the exam. (These areas are noted in the content table.)
Summer review of these topics also allows a reduction of in-class time.
A student’s grade is a weighted average of the following categories:
Tests 40% Labs 20% Assignments 15%
Citizenship 10% Final Exam 15%
Text
Brown, Theodore L., et.al., Chemistry: The Central Science – 11th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall 2009.
Hill, James, Student’s Guide to accompany Chemistry: The Central Science – 11th ed. Pearson
Brown, Theodore L. Waterman, Edward, AP Exam Workbook for Chemistry: The Central Science – 11th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall 2008.
Demmin, Peter E., Multiple Choice and Free Response Questions in Preparation for the AP Chemistry Examination. 5th ed. D & S Marketing Systems, Inc. 2005.
Content:
Unit Chapters Labs/ Activities Big
Ideas
EU LO
1 1. Introduction: Matter and Measurement
2. Atoms, Molecules, and Ions 3. Stoichiometry: Calculations with Chemical Formulas and Equations 4. Aqueous Reactions and Solution Stoichiometry
1. Cu/Ag Replacement Reaction (SP2)
2. 8 Unknown Solutions – Inquiry – students design a procedure to identify solutions from a list of possibilities (SP3, SP4)
3. % Composition of a Mechanical Mixture and % Composition of a Pure Substance (SP2, SP5) 4. Empirical Formula (computer simulation) (SP2)
5. %Fe in an unknown iron sample (SP2, SP5)
6. Reaction Question Practice – Students are given samples of Free Response Question 4 and identify reactants, products, balance the equation, and answer a question about the reaction. This activity is continued throughout the year with appropriate reactions chosen for the unit being studied. (CR3c)
1 2 3 5 6 1.A 1.B 1.D 1.E 2.A 2.B 2.C 2.D 3.A 3.B 3.C 5.D 6.C 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.17 1.18 1.19 2.14 2.17 2.8 2.9 3.1-3.10
2 6. Electronic Structure of Atoms 7. Periodic Properties of Elements
1. Identification of a substance through spectroscopy – IR, GC, MS, NMR (SP4, SP5)
2. Given data, identify a trend and explain the structural reason(s) for the trend (CR3a)
1 5 1.B 1.C 1.D 5.E 1.5-1.10 1.12 1.13 1.15
3 8. Basic Concepts of Chemical Bonding
9. Molecular Geometry and Bonding Theories
1. Characteristics of Ionic and Covalent Compounds (SP5)
2. Building Molecular Models –‘derivation’ of VSPER principles using bent pipe cleaners to
represent electron pairs and Styrofoam balls to represent atoms.(CR3b) 1 2 5 1.B 1.C 1.D 2.C 2.D 5.C 1.15 1.7 1.8 2.1 2.17 2.18 2.21 2.23 2.24 5.1 5.8
4 10. Gases
11. Intermolecular Forces and Liquids and Solids
13. Properties of Solutions
1. Molar Volume of a Gas (SP2) 2. Vapor Pressure of Liquids (SP2, SP5)
Attractions – Inquiry – students investigate how molecular structure affects IMFs and to macroscopic properties of a substance (SP4, SP7) 4. Molar Mass by Freezing Point Depression (SP2)
6 2.C
2.D 3.A 5.A 5.B 5.D 6.A 6.C
2.5 2.6 2.8 2.9 2.11-2.16 2.19 2.20 2.22-2.32 3.4 5.2 5.6 5.9 5.10 5.11 6.24
5 14. Chemical Kinetics 15. Chemical Equilibrium
1. Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide – Inquiry – students design the data collection to investigate the rate of the reaction (SP4, SP5) 2. Kinetics of water in a
buret/Kinetics of a burning candle – Inquiry – students choose how to represent collected data to determine order for each process (SP4, SP5) 3. Rate and Order of a Chemical Reaction (SP2, SP5)
4. Determination of the Equilibrium Constant for the formation of FeSCN2+ (SP2)
5. Le Chatelier’s Principle (SP6)
6. Given reaction rate data, students enter data into
LoggerPro and generate graps of rate vs. [ ], ln(rate) vs. [ ], and 1/rate vs. [ ] to identify the order of a reactant. (CR3d)
4 6
4.A 4.B 4.C 4.D 6.A 6.B
4.1-4.9
6.1-6.10
6 16. Acid-Base Equilibria
17. Additional Aspects of Aqueous Equilibria
1. Hydrolysis of salts – Inquiry – students investigate the
characteristics of ions that hydrolyze to determine general rules (SP3, SP4, SP5)
2. Determination of the Dissociation Constant of Weak Acids. (SP2) 3. Weak Acid/Strong Base Titration (SP2, SP6)
4. Determination of the Equivalent Mass and pKa of an Unknown Acid (SP2)
5. Given the stress put on a system at equilibrium, students predict the shift and resultant
1 3 6
1.E 3.A 3.B 6.A 6.C
observations. (CR3f) 7 5. Thermochemistry
19. Chemical Thermodynamics
1. Determining the enthalpy of a chemical reaction (SP2)
2. Vapor Pressure and Enthalpy of Vaporization of Water (SP2, SP5) 3. Heat of vaporization of liquid nitrogen – Inquiry – students are required to develop a procedure and carry it out (SP2, SP4)
3. Bomb Calorimeter Simulation (SP2)
4. Drop Calorimetry-Simulation of the Determination of Heat Capacity (SP2)
5. ΔG, ΔH, ΔS Lab (SP2, SP7)
6. Using the One Pot Silver Reactions Demo, students are given thermodynamic data and identify how energy and entropy are involved in each reaction. (CR3e)
2 3 5 6
2.B 3.C 5.A 5.B 5.C 5.E 6.D
2.15 3.11 5.12-5.18 5.3-5.7 6.25
8 20. Electrochemistry 1. Analysis of a Commercial Bleach
(SP2)
2. Electrochemical Cells (SP2, SP7) 3 5 6
3.A 3.B 3.C 5.E 6.A
3.2 3.8 3.12 3.13 5.15 6.1
Second Semester Project:
Students choose a molecule of importance either natural or man-made and report on the effects the use or non-use of the molecule have had. The project includes setting up a display of a model of the molecule along with information about the molecule’s uses, sources, etc. (CR4)
Note: A lab final on qualitative analysis of unknowns is completed after the exam.
Lab Sources:
Nelson, John N., Kemp Kenneth C., Laboratory Experiments to accompany Chemistry: The Central Science – 11th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009.
Vonderbrink, Sally A., Laboratory Experiments for Advanced Placement Chemistry – 2nd ed.
Flinn Scientific, Inc. Batavia, IL. 2006.
