General CHemistry
CHEM 161: General Chemistry I:
Study guides, Useful Links, Videos, and Practice Problems
The links to practice problems for each unit listed below will go live the week of coverage in the course, and will then stay active all term.
Matter and Energy
Chapter 1
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Converting Units, Scientific Notation, Sigfig Rules
Solution Chemistry
Chapter 4
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Concentrations Calculations - Dilutions - Solubility and Precipitation Reactions - Total and Net Ionic Equations
A Quantum Model of Atoms
Chapter 7
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Wavelength, Frequency, and EM Radiation - Rydberg Equation - Bohr Theory - Quantum Numbers and Orbitals - Electron Configurations of Ground State Atoms/Ions - Ionization Energies - Electron Affinities - Atom and Ion Size
Intermolecular Forces
Chapter 10
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Intermolecular Forces - Effects of IMFs on Boiling, Solubility - Henry's Law - Vapor Pressure - Phase Diagrams
Atoms, Ions, and Molecules
Chapter 2
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Periodic Table - Protons, Neutrons, and Electrons - Isotopes and Atomic Mass - Ions and Charge - Polyatomic Ions - Naming Ionic Compounds, Acids, Alkanes
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Gases
Chapter 5
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Gas Laws- Ideal Gas Law- Calculating Gas Density - Partial Pressures - Gases over Water - Kinetic Molecular Theory of Gases - Effusion
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Chemical Bonds
Chapter 8
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Lewis Structures - Electronegativity - Resonance Structures - Estimating Enthalpies of Reaction from Bond Energies
Stoichiometry
Chapter 3
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Molar Masses- Avogadro's Number - Converting Between Moles and Masses - Mass Percent - Empirical Formula -Limiting Reagents -Stoichiometric Calculations
Thermochemistry
Chapter 6
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System and Surroundings Energy Transfer - Sign Conventions of Heat and Work - Enthalpy and Internal Energy - Calorimetry and Heat Capacity - Specific Heats - Constant Pressure Calorimetry - Constant Volume Calorimetry - Enthalpies of Formation and Reaction
Molecular Geometry
Chapter 9
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VSEPR Theory - Predicting Geometries - Predicting Molecular Polarity, Valence Bond Theory - Orbital Hybridization - Sigma and Pi Bonds
CHEM 165: General Chemistry II:
Study guides, Useful Links, Videos, and Practice Problems
The links to practice problems for each unit listed below will go live the week of coverage in the course, and will then stay active all term.
Solids: Crystals and Polymers
Chapter 12
Crystal Packing - Ionic Solids - Alloys - Polymers -
Acid-Base Equilibria
Chapter 15
Acid/Base Strength - Conjugates - pH - Ka, Kb, and Weak Acids and Bases - Calculations with pH - Polyprotic Acids
Electrochemistry
Chapter 18
Voltaic and electrolytic Cells - Standard Reduction Potentials - Electrical Work - The Nernst Equation - Fuel Cells
Transition Metals
Chapter 22
Transition Metals in Biology - Complex Ions - Coordination Geometry - Ligation - Crystal Field Theory
Chemical Kinetics
Chapter 13
Rates of Reaction -
Reaction Order- Rate Laws - Temperature - The Arrhenius Equation - Catalysts
Additional Aqueous Equilibria
Chapter 16
Titrations - Lewis Acids and Bases - Solubility Equilibria
Nuclear Chemistry
Chapter 19
Half-Life Calculations - Nuclear Fission - Energy Applications
Preparing for the Final
Notes and reflection questions from Hannah on synthesizing ideas from the semester
Chemical Equilibrium
Chapter 14:
Equilibrium Expressions - Equilibrium Constants -
Le Chatelier's Principles - Calculations based on K
Thermodynamics
Chapter 17
Spontaneity - Entropy - Free Energy- Influence of Temperature
Organic and Biomolecules
Chapter 20
Biomolecules -
Isomers - Chirality
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Get Help With General Chemistry:
Resource List
The following resources are available to help you in General Chemistry I and II lecture (CHEM 161 and 165) and laboratory courses (CHEM 134L and 136L). Many of the resources described in this document are also available for introductory Biology, Math, and Physics courses. You should check the syllabi for these courses to find out the exact resources that are available. We note that no single student should utilize all of resources listed in this document. Our goal is simply to provide you with a clear and comprehensive “menu” of all the options available to assist you, and provide you instructions on how and when to access these resources. Some of the resources are in Chemistry (professors, teaching fellows, peer tutors), some are self-help resources (guides and videos), and some are from Academic Strategies at the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning or from your residential college.
Quick Links:
People -- For CHEM 161-01:
Dr. Paul Cooper
Dr. Cooper is the instructor of record for the course. You will see him in lecture and can speak with him during his office hours.
Click the arrow for information about Dr. Cooper's office hours
Dr. Hannah Lant
Dr. Lant is the preceptor for the course. You will see her assist in lecture, you may have a discussion section with her, a lab section (if you are enrolled in CHEM 134L) or you can speak with her during her office hours.
Click the arrow for information about Dr. Lant's office hours
Teaching Fellows
The TFs are graduate students in Chemistry who hold discussion sections and will each hold one office hour per week. Though you should attend the discussion section you are enrolled in, you are free to speak with any TF during their office hours.
Click the arrow for information about TF office hours
Peer Tutors
These are undergraduate students, mostly Chemistry majors, who will hold peer tutoring sessions and likely review sessions before tests. They will likely be particularly good resources for assistance in office hours held outside working hours.
Click the arrow for information about Peer Tutor office hours
Types of Events (That the Above People Facilitate)
Click below to see a description of the following types of events.
A calendar of these events is shown below:
Self-Study Resources
Textbook
We are using Chemistry, 6th ed. By Gilbert, Kirss, Bretz, and Foster. You can purchase the textbook in several formats, including hardcover, softcover, loose-leaf, and eBook. Additionally, if you have access to a prior edition, this is sufficient, and other General Chemistry textbooks will likely also fulfill your needs. You can also use the textbook in the Silliman Textbook Library for free. You can General Chemistry textbooks, Gilbert or otherwise, are also great resources for finding additional practice problems to quiz yourself. You can find a number of these through the Yale library.
Open-Source Textbooks
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There are a number of open-source textbooks you can also use to reinforce Chemistry concepts.
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Chem Libre Texts is a great place to start.
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Dr. Lant's Website
This website you are currently on will have study guides, practice problems, videos, and interactive links posts by chapter. You may especially want to use these resources as you study for exams.
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Software
Achieve
Achieve is the web interface you will use to complete problem sets (homework). Click the following links to find instructions on various tasks or to troubleshoot problems.
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Click here to link to Achieve’s main website.
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Information on how to set up your Achieve account and use it for doing homework and viewing grades is provided on their website here. Note that we are not using the LMS Canvas integration, so ignore information concerning Canvas on this page.
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If you have technical problems with your account, start troubleshooting with this site. Though we can commiserate with you, your instructors are unlikely to be able to assist with technical problems and you’ll likely need to contact Achieve.
Canvas
Canvas is Yale’s online course management system where you can find all the materials specific to each of your courses, like syllabi, important documents uploaded by your instructor, links to homework sets, etc. Click the following links to get more information about tasks related to Canvas or troubleshoot problems.
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Yale’s Canvas FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Page (scroll to the bottom for student-specific resources) if you run into problems
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Excel
You will likely use Excel in CHEM 134L and in labs beyond the General Chemistry level for processing and graphing data. You likely will not use Excel if you are only enrolled in CHEM 161.
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Download Excel for your computer from the Yale ITS software page (download the whole Microsoft Office package and Excel will come with it.)
We will shortly provide video tutorials on using Excel.
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Academic Strategies at the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning
Academic Strategies is a center at the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning that coordinates workshops, programs, resources, and tutoring that will help you as you grow as a student studying in the sciences, and is supplemental to the resources you have in the CHEM 161 course.
Click here to be taken to Academic Strategies’ main website.
The services they coordinate include:
Workshops
These workshops will help you build general college skills like time management, exam study strategies, tackling problem sets, or cultivating faculty and mentor relationships. Click here to see their website and schedule of offerings.
Drop-in Residential College Tutoring Hours
These tutors are graduate students (separate from your graduate TFs) who are available for drop-in tutoring. Their schedules and course expertise are published on the linked website and you do not need to make an appointment ahead of time. You can use this resource for any of the reasons listed above that you might use office hours.
Small Group and
1-on-1 Tutoring
If you are using many of the methods listed above and still need additional help, or are earning a C or lower in the course, you may apply for private (one-on-one or small group) tutoring. If you meet these criteria, you are eligible for up to ten hours of tutoring per course per semester at no charge. You will have to apply using the process listed on this website, which will include speaking with a residential dean and the professor of the course.