AP Chemistry Exam: What To Learn, What To Expect

If so, or if you find chemistry cool for any other reason, then you may want to think about enrolling in an Advanced Placement Chemistry (AP Chemistry or AP Chem) course and pursuing the official examination offered by the College Board.

The AP exams give American and Canadian high school students the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and earn college-level credit. Here’s a very basic rundown of what you need to know to do well on the AP Chemistry exam:

1. They are stoichiometry heavy.

This deals with the relative quantities of reactants and products in chemical reactions.

2. Properties of elements.

Elements are pure chemical substances consisting of one type of atom distinguished by its atomic number, which is the number of protons in its nucleus. These are divided into metals, metalloids, and non-metals. Carbon, oxygen, and silicon, are popular examples.

3. Acid-base reactions.

These are chemical reactions that occur between an acid and a base. Their importance becomes apparent as different methods of analysis when applied to acid–base reactions for gaseous or liquid species, or when acid or base character may be somewhat less apparent.

4. Rate reactions.

How fast or slow a chemical reaction takes place.

5. Solubility.

This term describes the property of a solid, liquid, or gaseous chemical substance, called “solute,” to dissolve in a solid, liquid, or gaseous solvent to form a homogeneous solution of the solute in the solvent. The solubility of a substance fundamentally relies on the physical and chemical properties of the solute and solvent as well as on temperature, pressure and the pH of the solution.

6. Math up to and including algebra II.

7. Critical thinking and problem solving capabilities.

8. The ability to keep pace.

Now, with that said, we turn to two guys from the Quora community with an absolute love for chemistry who reveal the ins and outs of how to make your training work for you.