Chemistry

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/chemistry-1

Introduction

### Course Review: Chemistry - A Comprehensive Learning Experience on Coursera If you’re eager to dive into the world of chemistry and strengthen your understanding of fundamental concepts that underpin this essential science, the Chemistry course on Coursera is a fantastic choice. Offering a meticulous exploration of advanced high school chemistry, it aligns with the standards set by the American Chemical Society and lays a solid foundation for those who aim to advance to more complex topics in chemistry. #### Course Overview The course offers a comprehensive curriculum covering essential subjects such as atomic structure, periodic trends, compounds, reactions, stoichiometry, bonding, and thermochemistry. It is expertly designed as a precursor to the Advanced Chemistry course available on Coursera, making it ideal for high school students, prospective college students, or anyone eager to refresh their knowledge. #### Syllabus Breakdown **Week 1: Atomic Structure** The course kicks off with an insightful exploration of atomic structure, focusing on electrons and how their arrangement defines elemental properties. By the end of this week, you'll gain a robust understanding of electron placement within atoms, a foundational concept for all future chemistry topics. **Week 2: Periodic Trends** Building on the knowledge from Week 1, this week introduces the periodic table and illustrates how to use it to analyze atomic size and energies. You’ll uncover the trends that relate to chemical properties, enhancing your ability to predict behavior based on elemental position. **Week 3: Compounds and Nomenclature** This week turns the spotlight on molecular and ionic compounds, detailing how atoms combine. Familiarity with IUPAC nomenclature will be emphasized, alongside quantitative relationships within compounds—knowledge that is crucial for answering practical chemistry problems. **Week 4: Chemical Reactions** A deep dive into chemical reactions ensues, where you will learn to write balanced chemical equations. This week encompasses various reaction types including precipitation and combustion, making it vital for understanding real-world chemical interactions. **Week 5: Quantitative Relationships in Reactions** Here, you will explore stoichiometry to understand the quantitative relationships in chemical reactions. You will discover the concepts of limiting reagents and percent yield—critical skills for both academic studies and practical applications in the kitchen or laboratory. **Week 6: Molecular Geometry and Bonding** Delving deeper into molecular compounds, this week focuses on Lewis structures and their significance. By understanding how atoms connect, you will be equipped to predict molecular geometry, an important aspect of chemical reactivity and behavior. **Week 7: Thermochemistry** The course concludes with an essential introduction to thermochemistry, examining heat transfer during chemical reactions. Practical exercises in calorimetry and calculations on heat transfer round off your learning experience, providing you with tools necessary for more advanced studies. #### Recommendations The Chemistry course on Coursera is highly recommended for anyone looking to strengthen their background in chemistry. Whether you're preparing for advanced courses or seeking to enrich your knowledge, this course provides an engaging and thorough introduction to significant concepts in chemistry. The step-by-step progression from atomic structure to thermochemistry ensures that learners of all levels can follow along without feeling overwhelmed. The well-structured weekly topics, combined with interactive learning resources, make this course not only informative but enjoyable. The assessment opportunities allow learners to test their understanding and solidify their knowledge, preparing them for future coursework or professional paths in the sciences. #### Final Thoughts In conclusion, if you are interested in chemistry, whether as a stepping stone towards higher education or simply to satisfy your intellectual curiosity, Coursera's Chemistry course is a worthwhile investment. With its clear objectives, structured syllabus, and engaging content, you will emerge with a solid understanding of essential chemistry concepts, priming you for success in advanced studies or a career in science. Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your knowledge in an essential field of study!

Syllabus

Week 1

We will learn about the components inside the atom and look especially at the electrons. The electron structure determines the properties of the elements. So, by the end of this series of lessons, you will know for each elements where the electrons are located in the atom.

Once we understand the electronic structure, we will be able determine how the periodic table can be used to compare the elements according to atomic size and various energies. We will conclude by seeing how these trends can be used to predict chemical properties of the elements.

Now that we know the structure of an atom, we can explore how atoms combine to form either molecular or ionic compounds. Then we will learn the rules of nomenclature that ensure that a compound is named according to IUPAC rules. We will end this unit by looking at quantitative relationships for compounds including the molar mass of and mass percent of an element in a compound.

We will explore how compounds react with one another to form new substances and then write balanced chemical equations to represent what is happening in a reaction. We will explore several different types of reactions including precipitation, acid-base, oxidation-reduction, and combustion reaction.

This unit will delve into the quantitative relationships we can determine from a balanced chemical equation to determine the relative amounts of substances needed to react or the amount of products formed. We will also explore limiting reagents and percent yield to address practical aspects of chemical reactions because there may be leftover reactants and/or incomplete formation of products.

This unit looks more in depth at molecular compounds to see how they are bonded together by looking at Lewis structures. These structures provide information about the types of bonds (single, double, or triple) as well as the connectivity of atoms. By knowing the Lewis structure, we can also predict the three-dimensional geometry of an individual molecule.

In this unit, we will learn about thermochemistry, which is the study of the thermal energy transfer (heat) in chemical reactions. We will learn how these measurements of heat are made via calorimetry. Then, learn to calculate heat transfer using various methods.