Welcome to our blog
Naming Compounds
Bonding Spectrum
In high school chemistry, we learn that Covalent bonds involve the sharing of one or more pairs of electrons between two atoms. We can represent these bonding pair of electrons in a diagram. The electrons are shown to be midway between the two atoms ....
Memorizing the Names of Polyatomic Ions
Examples of polyatomic ions Generally, polyatomic ions have suffixes that end in "ite" or "ate" if they contain oxygen atoms. chloridehypochloritechloritechlorateperchlorate Note: Chloride shown above is not a polyatomic ion, it's a monoatomic ion...
Compounds with Polyatomic Ions
What are polyatomic ions? Ions are formed when neutral atoms gain or lose electrons. Similarly, a polyatomic ion is formed when a neutral molecule gains or loses electrons. A polyatomic ion is a charged group of atoms covalently bonded together. Majority of the...
Flow chart for naming compounds
Naming inorganic compounds
AP CHEMISTRY TEACHERS - WE HAVE RESOURCES FOR YOUR ENTIRE CLASS TO USE... Identify if a compound is covalent or ionic You will need to know the periodic table You must be able to identify the non-metals, metals, and transition elements in the periodic table You must...
Learn the rules for ionic compounds
Background: How ionic compounds are formed Subscribe to Our New YouTube Playlist Ionic compounds are formed from the electrostatic attraction of oppositely charged ions. The ions are arranged in such a way that they form a giant crystal lattice of alternating positive...
Learn the rules for covalent compounds
Covalent compound A covalent compound involves two non-metals forming a chemical structure together. Rules What are the rules for naming covalent compounds? • Covalent compounds involve multiple non-metals • Covalent compounds use prefixes - to indicate the number of...
Chemical Kinetics
Catalyst and Activation Energy
Catalyst A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction but it does not undergo a chemical reaction itself. The catalyst allows the reaction an alternative pathway to take place. The catalyst does not lower the activation energy of the reaction. Analogy
Reaction Coordinate Diagram
Given the following reaction, sketch a reaction coordinate graph. The reaction involves two steps, step 1 is the slowest step and step 2 is the fastest step. Indicate on the diagram the overall enthalpy change of the reaction, the reaction for the transitions states and intermediate states.
H2(g) + 2ICl(g) –> 2HCl(g) + I2(g)
Integrated Rate Laws
Overview There are two types of rate laws that we need to learn for AP chemistry: (1) Differential rate law (2) Integrated rate law What is the difference between the differential rate law and integrated rate law? The differential rate law is actually a derivative of...
Differential Rate Laws
Methods for determining order of reaction This section looks at how concentration affects reaction rate. You will learn how to determine the order of a reaction. Reactions are often categorized into first, second, third order, etc. and this information is useful for...
Rate of reaction
Measuring rate This section aims to cover the following topics: Define chemical reaction rate Define rate expression Relative rates of reaction and stoichiometry ratio Change in concentration over time The rate of a chemical reaction can be thought of as the speed at...
Mechanisms and Intermediates
Reaction mechanism Chemical reactions often take place in multiple steps and it's not always obvious from looking at the chemical equation. For example, the decomposition of ozone: From the equation, it appears that O₃ decomposes to O₂ in one step. In reality, it's...
Introduction to Chemical Kinetics
Energy Kinetics involves studying what makes chemical reactions happen. Every reaction that happens involves some energy exchange, whether it's slow reaction such as iron rusting, or a faster reaction, such as when a rocket burns fuel during take off. Size of...
Bond Energy
Bond Energy and Bond Enthalpy
Bond Enthalpy Introduction In order to understand why breaking bonds requires energy (endothermic) and making bonds releases energy (exothermic), one must first understand the nature of a chemical bond and why it occurs in the first place. Remember that bonds are due...
Reaction enthalpies
Enthalpy change For a reaction Bonds Know that Breaking bonds always requires energy (never releases energy) Forming bonds always releases energy (never requires energy) Exothermic and endothermic process Breaking bonds is always an endothermic process (whether...
Thermodynamics
Entropy – Microstate and Macrostate
The term microstate refers to the behavior of atoms and molecules in terms of how energy is redistributed among the particles in a system. A microstate is the arrangement of molecules within a macrostate, that is, within a system with very specific properties. If...
Acids and Bases
7 Strong Acids: Bringing Chemistry to Life with Humor and Personality7 Strong Acids
Struggling to memorize the 7 strong acids? We’ve created a series of short, engaging videos to help students understand and remember each acid by bringing them to life with stories, humor, and context. Below is a list of the 7 strong acids, each linked to its...
Teaching Significant Figures: Simplified Approaches for Chemistry Educators
Why Teaching Significant Figures is Crucial To Teach or Not to Teach Significant Figures? At the start of the academic year, many teachers face a familiar question:Should we teach significant figures? Will students grasp this often tricky concept based on past...
VZSmartPlanner Forum
Help Shape the Future of VZSmartPlanner: Share Your Feedback! Watch the Video and Learn More: Visit the VZSmartPlanner Pacing Guide Tool Page We’re passionate about creating the ultimate planning tool for educators. Your experience matters! Enter your questions,...
Bonding Spectrum
In high school chemistry, we learn that Covalent bonds involve the sharing of one or more pairs of electrons between two atoms. We can represent these bonding pair of electrons in a diagram. The electrons are shown to be midway between the two atoms ....
VSEPR for AP Chem and Molecular Geometry
Mastering VSEPR Shapes: Key Concepts for AP Chem In the month of October, many teachers often find themselves tackling Unit 2.7 of their course materials in AP Chemistry. This unit, which focuses on 'VSEPR' (Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion) theory and 'Bond...
Acid Base Titration Manipulative
Teaching Titrations in Advanced Chemistry: A Visual and Interactive Approach Every year, chemistry students struggle with titrations—a topic packed with calculations, stoichiometry, and understanding molecular-level changes in acid-base reactions. Helping students...
Chemistry Labs for AP Chemistry Course
Explore the AP Chemistry Lab Manual The AP Chemistry Lab Manual, provided by the College Board, serves as an invaluable resource for both educators and students participating in the AP Chemistry program....
AP chemistry pacing guide – how to create one!
The Importance of an effective AP chemistry pacing guide. Recently, I've noticed a shift among AP chemistry teachers – more and more educators are opting to align their course content with the sequence recommended by the College Board for AP Chemistry. For some...
AP chemistry Summer Prep Course
The age-old question for teachers who want to prepare their students for the upcoming school year by providing summer work is: How can I ensure that my students complete this work? The simple answer is – you can’t. However, teachers continue to ask this question...
The Scientific Method
Nature of Science - Part 1 Nature of Science - Part 2 In the realm of education, few subjects hold as much significance as the Scientific Method and Scientific Process. These foundational principles are not just elements of a curriculum; they are the cornerstones of...
Atomic Structure & Properties
How can you determine the number of neutrons in an atom?
How do we determine the number of neutrons in a given atom? First, let’s define some terms that you’ll need to be familiar with. The atomic number of an atom is the number of protons in the nucleus of that atom. The mass number (also called the nucleon number) of an...
