Hey 👋 So, you're wondering if you should take AP Chemistry 🧪 Let's talk about it! 

AP Chemistry gives you a taste of scientific concepts that you may learn in college, especially if you become a STEM major. The two prerequisites are Algebra II and a regular Chemistry course to give you good background knowledge for this course. The second school starts, you get into AP Chem content.

If you haven't taken these courses though, don't worry, we got your back 😉 All units build upon each other, so studying throughout the year is really important for AP Chem. It'll only help in the long run and lower your stress when you get closer to the exam date ✏️.

Each section of the exam counts as 50% of your total score. In the first section, you are given 1.5 hours to answer 60 multiple-choice questions without a calculator. In the second section, you are given an hour and 45 minutes to answer 3 long free-response questions (FRQs) and 4 short FRQs. A calculator 📈 is allowed on the FRQ section.

The following question is an example of one of the long FRQs. It went up to part (h)! Usually, one long FRQ covers several units in the course. For example, this question has unit 2, unit 7, and unit 9. 

The next question is an example of a short FRQ, and it usually covers content from one AP Chemistry unit. These tend to be a little less challenging as well.

Don't stress 😰 Once you nail the concepts and units, all that is left to do is practice. The more you expose yourself to questions, the lower the chance you see an unexpected question type on the exam (no surprises are always the best 🤫). 

55.6% passed the exam and got a 3+ in 2019  🎉

There is no way to really judge how hard the course is, but many deem it to be harder than AP Biology. It all truly depends on the teacher you have, your workload, and how much time you want to commit to this course alone.

It all depends on you! Know yourself and your study habits before signing yourself up for a challenging course. Here are some factors to consider:

Quotes from Students that have taken AP Chemistry

"AP Chemistry provided me with skills and modes of thinking that require critical thinking and analysis. It was so interesting to learn about the chemical world around us, whether it be learning about the smallest building blocks that form matter, the ideas behind thermodynamics and kinetics, or discovering the distinctive properties of various elements." —Meghna P.

"The beautiful thing about chemistry is that the more you understand it, the more interesting and mind-blowing it becomes!" —Mishika G

"Sometimes, it's harder for you to understand something than it is for someone else. Everyone is different. Pick yourself back up, ask for help, and just do your best!"—Giuliana P.

Best Resources for AP Chemistry [coming soon]

How to Get a 5 in AP Chemistry [coming soon]

I personally loved AP Chemistry and would recommend it to anyone. It provides the rigor that many students look for and is truly interesting 🧠 Plus, you can acquire many mathematical and conceptual skills from AP Chemistry. No matter what you choose, good luck!

Is AP Chemistry Hard? Is AP Chemistry Worth Taking? 

Thinking about self-studying for AP Chem? You're in the right place 😉.

AP Chem is one of the more challenging courses to take, especially for self-study. However, with hard work, the right resources, and dedication, you could do it if you really wanted to.

The Course and Exam Description (CED) 🔖

For every AP Exam, College Board created a CED to go along with it. The CED includes an outline of the course and an extensive guide to each part of the exam. Here is the 

Just about any question about the course can be answered by looking at the CED. The CED is separated into 6 sections: Course Framework, Laboratory Investigations, Instructional Approaches, Exam Information, Scoring Guidelines, and Appendixes.

The most that you could get out of the CED would be in the Course Framework section, which is split up by each unit. This section also includes the skills ⚙️ required for success in AP Chem.

Each unit splits up into key topics. Each key topic has a page with a list of concepts or ideas that you should 100% know for the AP Exam.

These key topic pages don't go in-depth! They just list a few main ideas and vocab terms/concepts that are in that key topic.

Here is an example of Unit 1, Key Topic 7 (or topic 1.7):

 - The CED also includes topics that are usually taught in an AP Chemistry course but are not on the exam. Here, you can see an example of where knowing an exception to a principle will not be tested.

The CED can be very helpful for a self-studier! We highly recommended looking at it if you want to know what's on the exam.

 points listed to memorize in each key topic. These are usually asked on almost every exam.

If you were to self-study AP Chem 🧪, you would also have to review the lab practicals and understand them without actually doing them 😢

The CED lists a few experiments that are recommended to review and how to set them up.

There is a ton of exam information, and even practice questions, in the Exam Information section. You might want to look at this at least twice throughout the year and complete the questions closer to the exam date.

Looking at the exam breakdown, you can identify which units you should prioritize over the others. Since about 18-22% of the exam will be about Intermolecular Forces and Properties 🌀 and 11-15% will be about Acids and Bases 🍊, you should focus on these two units more than the others.

There are two appendixes, and they both include 

 documents. These include the periodic table of elements 💧 and a list of equations and constants.

 of the equations, constants, and pieces of the periodic table. With that said, there are some things that you will have to memorize 😰

Pacing and staying on track is important when preparing for the exam. It may seem stressful, but setting weekly goals for yourself will really help relieve this stress 😌

It is best to study the units in order ➡️ Some units require the knowledge of previous units, so learning them in order is the perfect way to digest the material.

Fiveable has created the perfect pacing guide to help you self-study throughout the year! It includes 3 resources per key topic to ensure you have a deep understanding of everything covered on the AP Exam 🤗.

There are tons of different ways to learn AP Chem, and every single one of these ways are effective!

👉Best Textbooks and Prep Books for AP Chemistry

Don't be afraid to try out all of these and use a mixture of these resources. Find the way that works for you. You got this!

After knowing the content, practice, practice, practice! It's essential 😉

You could honestly find practice questions anywhere, but official AP questions are more difficult to find. Unfortunately, the College Board only releases previous exams' 

. Multiple-choice questions are only accessible by teachers 👩‍🏫 👨‍🏫, so you may want to ask them if you could have a few for practice. However, you must destroy the MCQ packets after you complete it for confidentiality.

Otherwise, textbooks, prep books, and online resources have a lot of AP style multiple-choice questions and free-response questions. Make sure to take advantage of these! You not only want to know the content, but you also want to know how to apply it to ace this exam 💯

When you are taking a practice exam, set a timer, and create the conditions of the real AP exam. Try to make yourself comfortable and do it without your notes beside you ❌. Creating the atmosphere of the AP exam multiple times will relieve your stress and make you feel more confident 😅. That is what we want!

Hm... once I take the practice exam, what do I do?

First off, while you take the practice exam, circle questions you struggled with 🥴 and star questions you completely guessed on. This gives you an idea of your areas of weakness and will allow you to improve 😊

Once you grade yourself and check the answer key, make a spreadsheet and note every question you got wrong ❌, the unit the question belongs to, why you got it wrong, and why the right answer is correct. Identifying your weaknesses helps you in the long run.

If you have another method that works for you, go ahead and do it. As long as you keep track of your progress, the practice tests will remain effective.

First things first, does your school offer the AP course?

Talk to your counselor or an AP Coordinator about signing you up to take AP Chem. They will most likely direct you to an AP Classroom link and sign you up for the exam there.



Check out a few websites of the schools near you and if they have AP Chem. Email or call that school and ask them if you could take the AP Exam there!

Trying to keep yourself on track may seem difficult, but once you get into it, it'll be part of your everyday schedule 🗓️

Set a weekly or daily goal for yourself and treat yourself for completing it. Have fun with the class!

If you ever feel overwhelmed or stressed, take a mental health day. You got this, we believe in you. Good luck 🍀 😊

AP Chemistry Self-Study and Homeschool

👀 Develop Your Understanding of this unit

According to the College Board, "In Unit 2, students apply their knowledge of atomic structure at the particulate level and connect it to the macroscopic properties of a substance. Both the chemical and physical properties of materials can be explained by the structure and arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules and the forces between them. These forces, called chemical bonds, are distinct from typical intermolecular interactions⚗️.


Electronegativity can be used to make predictions about the type of bonding present between two atoms. In subsequent units, students will use the periodic table and the atomic properties to predict the type of bonding present between two atoms based on position."

Unit 2 is all about bonding and how to draw the bonds between atoms. About 7-9% of the exam is about this unit. About half of it is diagrams and drawings which become really fun😆 once you get used to them.

Once you practice this unit, you'll have it down in no time.

Unit 2 Overview: Molecular and Ionic Bonding

The periodic table of the elements can be your best friend in AP Chemistry if you understand its components. But if you need some help, sign up for Fiveable's new 

 where you will get additional livestreams, lectures and personalized feedback!


⭐️ Each square on the periodic table represents a different element.

The 2 here represents the atomic number of the element, He {Helium} is the element's symbol, and 4.003 is the atomic mass of the element.

= a whole number that represents the number of protons in the element's nucleus

 = a commonly used representation of the element

 = the element's mass (protons + neutrons), which is not a whole number because it is a weighted average of the masses of the naturally occurring isotopes of the element

 shown in blue, are usually solids and are good conductors of heat and electricity. Chemically speaking, metals tend to lose electrons in reactions.

 shown in green, have properties of metals AND nonmetals. They are useful in the computer industry.

 as shown in yellow, often have the opposite properties of metals. They are poor conductors of heat and electricity, and tend to gain electrons in chemical reactions.


⭐️ As you can see, there is a staircase of metalloids which divides the metals from the nonmetals (excluding Hydrogen). On the AP Chemistry exam, your periodic table will not be colored indicating what element is what, so it is important to be able to readily identify these properties.

 are the horizontal rows on the periodic table, and the elements in each period have consecutive atomic numbers. The periods are numbered from one to seven.

are the vertical rows on the periodic table. The elements in each group will have similar chemical properties due to their shared number of valence electrons (electrons in the outermost shell of the atom). On some periodic tables, there are roman numerals at the top of each group to indicate this number of valence electrons.


 Overview of AP Chem Unit 1: Atomic Structure and Properties

 and for more details about the Periodic Table, review the 🎥 

What do I need to know about the periodic table?


Within this set, there are three main types of forces:

 - basically electrons being in random places creates incredibly weak dipoles (This is why LDFs are so weak!)

 is absent from this list of IMFs. Technically speaking, ionic bonds are not intermolecular forces due to the lack of covalent bonds.


London dispersion forces, Dipole-dipole forces, Hydrogen bonding, Ion-dipole forces, Ionic bonding.



Intermolecular forces are important foundation of chemistry, and needed to have a solid understanding of all the complex topics within AP Chem. If you want more practice, check out all of Fiveable's resources including 

for more work. And make sure to sign up for Fiveable's own 

 to make sure you get that 5 you deserve!


What are the types of intermolecular forces?

 Electron-configurations are a condensed way of representing the subshells and orbitals of the electrons in an atom.

How can I Write an Electron Configuration

 involves simply the number of electrons in the atom. The atom fills orbitals with electrons following this following diagram:

Each s level holds 2 electrons, each p level holds 6 electrons, each d level holds 10 electrons, and each f level holds 14 electrons.


I will now show an example of how to write an electron-configuration for the atom lithium in its neutral state (unionized)
A neutral lithium atom has 3 electrons.


We will start with the 1s orbital, giving it 2 electrons.


The electron-configuration then becomes 1s².


However, there is still 1 electron unaccounted for. This will reside in the next orbital: 2s.


The final electron-configuration, thus, for lithium becomes:
1s²2s¹.

Notice how the sum of the superscripts gives you the number of electrons.

Cations and anions can also be expressed through electron-configurations. To do so, simply add or subtract the number of electrons that were added or removed from the neutral atom.


For example, if atomic number 8 loses 1 electron to become a cation, the electron configuration will reduce by one, and will increase by one if it gains one electron.

To further condense things, when the number of electrons gets tedious to write out, it is handy to refer to the nearest noble gas and go from there.


Potassium has an electron-configuration of 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶4s¹


The nearest noble gas is Argon, with electron-configuration 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶.


Thus, the electron-configuration of potassium can be shortened to
[Ar]4s¹

Want more practice? Make sure to read this 

study guide about AP Chemistry practice frqs

1) If you are given helium in a neutral state, what would the electron configuration be?

2) If the electron-configuration was


3) If you are given sodium as a cation with charge +1, what would the electron configuration be?

4) What atom has the electron configuration


3) Loses 1 electron, becomes 1s²2s²2p⁶, or just [Ne}

Want more resources? Make sure to check out this 🎥 

video on electron configuration and photoelectron spectroscopy

Fiveable is now offering courses! Check out the 

How do I write an electron configuration?

Keep the name of the cation (the ion that loses valence electrons). This is usually the first part of the chemical formula.

Cut off the end of the anion's name and add the -ide suffix.

If the anion is a polyatomic ion, don't change the name.

Sometimes, cations can have multiple charges. For example, iron can have a +2 or a +3 charge. Most transition metals will have multiple charges, besides some exceptions like Zn²⁺ and Ag⁺.

If a cation can have different charges, include its charge in the compound after the actual name of the cation. Write it in roman numerals between parentheses.

To help you figure out the charge of the cation, keep in mind that the total charge of the cation(s) should be the same magnitude as the total charge of the anion(s). Pay attention to subscripts!

Keep the name of the first element the same.

Cut off the end of the second element and add the -ide suffix.

Now, add the correct prefix to both elements based on their subscripts:

If there's only one atom of the first element, you don't need the mono- prefix. For example, NO₂ is nitrogen dioxide, not mononitrogen dioxide.

 this year with Fiveable's self-study / homeschool course.

How do I name compounds?

There are two things you should know about the periodic trend for atomic radius:

First, atomic radius increases as you go down the periodic table.

The higher the period, the higher the energy level. Energy levels are represented by the coefficients when you write electron configurations (ex. the 1 in 1s², the 2 in 2p⁶, etc.).

Electrons in the highest energy level are farthest away from the nucleus, so the size of the electron cloud increases going down the periods.

Second, atomic radius decreases from left to right across a period.

This is because the effective nuclear charge increases with the addition of more protons.

Effective nuclear charge is the net positive charge felt by valence electrons, estimated by (number of protons) - (inner electrons). In carbon, for example, the effective nuclear charge is +4 (6 protons minus 2 electrons in the first shell). 

In short, because you're adding protons, electrons feel a stronger attraction to the nucleus and the size of the atom decreases.

 Fiveable now offers for teacher lectures, live streams, and personalized feedback to make sure you get that 5 you deserve!

What is the trend for atomic radius?

Molecular solids are one of the four major types of solids you need to know about in AP chemistry. The others are ionic, metallic, and covalent network solids. Watch a video on the 🎥 

 molecule is held together by covalent bonds, but the actual solid is created by hydrogen bonds connecting the molecules to each other. 

Intermolecular forces are weaker than ionic or covalent bonds, so molecular solids are relatively soft and flexible.

This also means they tend to have low melting points.

They do not conduct electricity because electrons are localized within individual molecules. 

Polar molecular solids, like sugar, will be soluble in water. 

Keep in mind that the individual molecules don't break apart, only the intermolecular forces do!

 this year with Fiveable's self-study / homeschool course.

What are molecular solids?

Ionic solids are one of the four major types of solids you need to know about in AP chemistry. The others are metallic, covalent network, and molecular 

solids. Want more info? Check out this video replay that covers the 🎥 

Ionic solids are made up of oppositely charged ions held together by electrostatic attraction (a.k.a. ionic bonds). 

Electrostatic attraction just describes the attractive force between a positive charge and a negative charge.

The ions form a crystal lattice structure, seen in NaCl below:

They have high melting points because ionic bonds require a lot of energy to break.

In solid form, ionic compounds are poor conductors.

When melted or dissolved in water, they will conduct electricity because they dissociate into individual ions that are free to move around.

What are ionic solids?

The second main type of reaction that you learn in this unit is the acid-base neutralization reaction🍊.

To recall, acids are proton donors while bases are proton acceptors. The species that donated the proton becomes the acid’s conjugate base. Similarly, the species that accepted the proton is now the conjugate acid.

Looking at a chemical equation, you should be able to tell what the acid-base pairs are, and picking out the conjugates. 

For example🤔, H2O + H2S --> H3O+ + HS-. 

First things first, what are the acid-base pairs?

Now, which are the acids and which are the bases. A quick way to know would be to figure out which compound in the pair has an extra hydrogen. Since H3O+ has one more hydrogen than H2O, it is the conjugate acid. This makes H2O the base.

For more on this topic about the Bronsted-Lowry Definition: 

There are also these weird agents🥴 called 

substances. They can both donate and accept protons! An example that you really, really know is H2O, but NH3- is also an amphiprotic substance.

💡Tip - H+ and H3O+ are used synonymously as a proton.

A neutralization reaction occurs when an acid and base react to often form an ionic salt and liquid water. The H+ ion from the acid combines with the OH- from the base to form H2O (l).

You often have to write out the chemical reaction. Let's say the two reactants are HNO3 (aq) and KOH (aq), what are the products💭?

To make things easier on yourself, automatically write out H2O (l)💧. Then, just combine the remaining ions, which would form the salt.

👉 HNO3 (aq) + KOH (aq) --> H2O (l) + KNO3

Using solubility rules, is KNO3 soluble? Or is it a precipitate? 

Any compound with NO3 is soluble, so KNO3 is in the aqueous state.
👉 HNO3 (aq) + KOH (aq) --> H2O (l) + KNO3 (aq)

When writing a net ionic equation for neutralization reactions, you have to be really careful⚠️ not to dissociate weak acids and bases. Luckily, HNO3 is a strong acid and KOH is a strong base, so we can dissociate both.

Complete Ionic Equation: H+ + NO3- + K+ + OH- --> H2O (l) + K+ + NO3-

Eliminate spectator ions, which are K+ and NO3-

👉Net Ionic Equation: H+ + OH- --> H2O (l)

With an acid-base neutralization reaction, you could also find the 

. With this chemical reaction, what are the concentrations of hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions?

💭In other words, what is [H+]? [OH-]? 

Given Information: We have 0.250 M and 28.0 mL of HNO3 and 0.320 M and 53.0 mL of KOH.

Let's find the # of moles of HNO3 and KOH using:

Molarity = moles / volume in L - We have to convert the volumes we have into L by dividing by 1000.

The limiting reactant is the reactant that there is 

 of. In this case, since there is a one to one ratio for all compounds, HNO3 is the LR. 

Since H+ is in both the limiting reactant and H2O, it has a concentration of 0. The spectator ions 

 have a concentration of 0. Remember🤔, they just help the reaction take place.

Finding the concentration of the excess compound is often the hardest part of the problem. First, we have to find the # of moles reacted by converting the LR into the product. 

Again, since everything is one to one, the # of moles reacted is 0.00700.

Then we simply subtract from the number of excess moles we started with, which is 0.0170 moles of KOH.

0.0170 - 0.00700 = 0.010 moles unreacted. 

Last but not least, we need a volume! 28.0mL + 53.00mL = 0.081 L

0.010 moles unreacted / 0.081 L = 0.12 M of OH-

Practice, practice, practice! It's just a lottttt of stoichiometry🙃. 

Write the net ionic equation of a reaction between HNO3 and Al(OH)3.

Intro to Acid-Base Neutralization Reactions

According to the College Board, "This unit explores chemical transformations of matter by building on the physical transformations studied in Unit 3. Chemical changes involve the making➡️⬅️ and breaking⬅️➡️ of chemical bonds. Many properties of a chemical system can be understood using the concepts of varying strengths of chemical bonds and weaker intermolecular interactions. When chemical changes occur, the new substances formed have properties that are distinguishable from the initial substance or substances.

Chemical reactions are the primary means by which transformations in matter occur. Chemical equations are a representation of the rearrangement of atoms that occur during a chemical reaction. In subsequent units, students will explore rates at which chemical changes occur."

Unit 4 is about all of the chemical reactions💥 behind processes we see everyday! There are so many different types of chemical reactions and with this unit, you begin to understand the mechanics behind each of them🤓. There is quite a bit of math that comes with this unit as well. It also sets up the foundations for future units so it's best to nail 🔩 this unit before continuing on with the course. 

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Unit 1

Atomic Structure and Properties

Unit 2

Molecular and Ionic Compound Structures and Properties

Unit 3

Intermolecular Forces and Properties

Unit 4

Chemical Reactions

Unit 5

Kinetics

Unit 6

Thermodynamics

Unit 7

Equilibrium

Unit 8

Acids and Bases

Unit 9

Applications of Thermodynamics

Free Reviews 2020

Free Response Questions

Introduction

AP Chemistry Essentials

Multiple Choice Questions

Blogs

Jenni MacLean

Wes Winter

Mónica Gracida

Thomas Dortch

Dylan Black

Jordyn Haynes

Peter Cao

Dalia Savy

Kanya Shah

Jacob Jeffries

Serene Feng

Anika P

Catherine Liu

Emily Guo

Student Student

Jeremy Kiggundu

Hope Arnett