Welcome to our Chemistry Tutorial!
Beginning in late August, 2024, we broke ground on our Chemistry Tutorial. We have begun writing tutorial pages on various topics in Chemistry. Like our
Physics Tutorial, we view this as our
textbook. This will be a lengthy project to complete; we hope to complete it by the end of 2025. Our goal is to provide a free,
readable chemistry textbook that presents concepts and mathematics of chemistry in an easy-to-understand language. The Tutorial will support students as they work on interactive website tasks like
Concept Builders,
CalcPad problem sets, and
Science Reasoning Center activities.
As time progresses, topics will be filled in below. To monitor near-daily progress, visit our
What's New? page.
Topics
We have plans to include tutorials for the following topics. Those topics that are linked have content. Those topics that are not linked are planned for a future date.
Chapter 1: Measurements and Calculations in Chemistry
Chemistry is a lab science and a quantitative science. As such, the doing of Chemistry is dependent upon an understanding of how to perform experiments, make careful measurements, and analyze quantitative data. Chapter 1 lays the foundation for success in a Chemistry course.
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Measurement and Calculations in Chemistry
Chapter 2: Matter
Chemistry is the study of matter - its properties, how we classify and characterize it, and how it changes. This chapter investigates the manner in which chemists describe matter and how one sample of matter can be distinguished from another sample of matter. The Periodic Table of Elements is introduced.
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Matter
Chapter 3: Elements, Atoms, and Ions
The search for the atom began a couple millenia ago. Chapter 3 chronicles a portion of that story from ancient times up to our understanding of a nuclear model of the atom. The chapter discusses the work of Mendeleev and others in developing a periodic table. An emphasis is placed on understanding how the elements can be understood in terms of their subatomic particles. Chapter 3 ends with a discussion of ions and the use of the periodic table in predicting ion charge.
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Elements, Atoms, and Ions
Chapter 4: Compounds, Names, and Formulas
With as many as a million compounds in existence, keeping track of their names and the formulae by which we refer to them would be an impossible task. But learning a few rules for referring to these compounds by name and by formula might be the most efficient means of managing all the details. This chapter will acquaint you with chemical nomenclature and formula writing.
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Compounds, Names, and Formulas
Chapter 5: The Modern Model of the Atom
The 20th century was filled with accomplishments in scientific understanding. One of the greatest accomplishments was the development of the quantum mechanical model. Chapter 5 traces the discoveries that led to the model and the describes the relationship between the electronic structure of atoms and the properties of elements.
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The Modern Model of the Atom
Chapter 6: Chemical Bonds and Molecular Shape
The outer shell electrons of the atoms of elements affect how they bind together to form compounds. This chapter compares ionic and covalent bonding and relates the nature of the bond to the configuration of electrons around atoms. Lewis electron dot structures and the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion theory are used to show the arrangement of electrons in molecules and the geometric shape such molecules assume.
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Chemical Bonds and Molecular Shape
Chapter 7: The Mole and Its Applications
Atoms have a specific mass value that varies from element to element. Knowing the mass values of elements allows one to determine the amount of atoms or molecules in a sample. In Chapter 7, we introduce the concept of the mole and demonstrate its usefulness in relating mass to the number of particles and analyzing the composition of molecules.
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The Mole and Its Applications
Chapter 8: Chemical Reactions
Chemical reactions are at the heart of Chemistry. Reactions involve the change of one or more substances into one or more other substances. In Chapter 8, we discuss the details of chemical reactions. The emphasis is on predicting the products of a reaction and writing balanced chemical equations to represent the changes that occur.
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Chemical Reactions
Chapter 9: Stoichiometry
The coefficients of a balanced chemical equation reveal information about the relative number of particles of reactants and products involved in a reaction. Chapter 9 explores how to use this information to determine the relative mass of reactants and products involved in a reaction.
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Stoichiometry
Chapter 10: Gas Laws
ETA: March, 2025
Chapter 11: Thermochemistry and Thermodynamics
ETA: April, 2025
Chapter 12: Solutions
ETA: June, 2025
Chapter 13: Kinetics and Equilibrium
ETA: July, 2025
Chapter 14: Acids and Bases
ETA: August, 2025
Chapter 15: Solutions Equilibria
ETA: September, 2025
Chapter 16: Electrochemistry
ETA: October, 2025
Chapter 17: Nuclear Chemistry and Radiation
ETA: November, 2025
Reference Tables and Other Information