Chemistry Fundamentals
Atoms, bonding, gases, balanced equations, moles, solutions, pH, buffers, equilibrium and an organic and biochemistry preview, with short fill-in-the-blank Python calculators.
Leads to: Civil Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Biochemist, Biological Technician, Medical Laboratory Technologist, Chemist, Materials Scientist
Before you start
This course builds on Math for Tech & STEM. Take it first if you are new to the topic.
About this course
A beginner chemistry course for lab, life-science, materials and engineering careers. You will read element data from the periodic table, predict ionic and covalent bonds, use the ideal gas law, balance equations, convert grams to moles and predict yields, prepare dilutions on paper with C1V1 = C2V2, calculate pH, explain how buffers resist pH change, reason about reaction rates and Le Chatelier's principle, and finish with functional groups, the four classes of biomolecules and how to name simple compounds. The only prerequisite is Math for Tech & STEM. Python exercises are fill-in-the-blank: the code already runs and you write one formula, using only Python's standard library. This course teaches the knowledge only: hands-on lab work must be learned in a teaching or workplace lab with training and supervision.
Course content
Module 1
Matter and Atoms
3 lessons · 1h 19mAtomic structure and the periodic table, ionic and covalent bonding, and the states of matter with the ideal gas law.
- 25mAtoms, elements, and the periodic tableReading
Read an element's atomic number, symbol and atomic mass from the periodic table and work out its protons, neutrons and electrons.
- 17mChemical bondingReading
Use electronegativity and position on the periodic table to predict whether a bond is ionic, polar covalent or nonpolar covalent.
- 37mStates of matter and gasesReading
Explain solids, liquids and gases in terms of particle motion and use the ideal gas law PV = nRT with temperatures in kelvin.
Module 2
Reactions and Quantities
3 lessons · 1h 47mBalancing equations, the mole and stoichiometry, and solution concentration and dilution.
- 37mBalancing equationsReading
Balance a chemical equation by changing coefficients, never subscripts, so every element has the same atom count on both sides.
- 35mThe mole and stoichiometryReading
Convert between grams, moles and particles, and use a balanced equation's mole ratio to predict how much product a reaction can make.
- 35mSolutions and concentrationReading
Calculate molarity, work out how much solute a solution needs, and plan a dilution with C1V1 = C2V2.
Module 3
Equilibrium, Acids, and Bases
3 lessons · 1h 22mAcids, bases and pH, how buffers resist pH change, and what controls reaction rate and equilibrium.
- 36mAcids, bases, and pHReading
Tell strong and weak acids and bases apart and compute pH and pOH from a hydrogen- or hydroxide-ion concentration.
- 21mBuffersReading
Explain how a weak acid and its conjugate base absorb added acid or base, and estimate a buffer's pH with the Henderson–Hasselbalch equation.
- 25mRates and equilibriumReading
Explain how concentration, temperature, surface area and catalysts change reaction rate, and use Le Chatelier's principle to predict how an equilibrium shifts.
Module 4
Organic and Biochemistry Preview
3 lessons · 1h 21mFunctional groups, the four classes of biomolecules, and naming simple ionic, molecular and organic compounds.
- 34mFunctional groupsReading
Recognise the common functional groups in organic molecules (alcohol, aldehyde, ketone, carboxylic acid, ester, amine, amide) and what each one tells you.
- 26mBiomoleculesReading
Name the four classes of biomolecules, their building blocks and the bonds that join them, and say what each class does in a cell.
- 21mNaming compoundsReading
Name simple ionic compounds (including transition metals and polyatomic ions), binary molecular compounds with prefixes, and short-chain organic molecules.