The Chemistry examination covers material that is usually taught in a one-year college course in general chemistry. Understanding of the structure and states of matter, reaction types, equations and stoichiometry, equilibrium, kinetics, thermodynamics, and descriptive and experimental chemistry is required, as is the ability to interpret and apply this material to new and unfamiliar problems. During this examination, an online scientific calculator and a periodic table are available as part of the testing software. The examination contains approximately 75 questions to be answered in 90 minutes.
Questions on the exam require students to demonstrate one or more of the following abilities.
• Recall—remember specific facts; demonstrate straightforward knowledge of information and familiarity with terminology
• Application—understand concepts and reformulate information into other equivalent terms; apply knowledge to unfamiliar and/or practical situations; use mathematics to solve chemistry problems
• Interpretation—infer and deduce from data available and integrate information to form conclusions; recognize unstated assumptions
The subject matter of the Chemistry examination is drawn from the following topics. The percentages next to the main topics indicate the approximate percentage of exam questions on that topic.
STRUCTURE OF MATTER (20%)
Atomic theory and atomic structure
• Evidence for the atomic theory
• Atomic masses; determination by chemical and physical means
• Atomic number and mass number; isotopes and mass spectroscopy
• Electron energy levels: atomic spectra, quantum numbers, atomic orbitals
• Periodic relationships, including, for example, atomic radii, ionization energies, electron affinities, and oxidation states
Nuclear chemistry
• Nuclear equations, half-lives, and radioactivity; chemical applications
Chemical bonding
• Binding forces
• Types: covalent, ionic, metallic, macromolecular (or network), dispersion, hydrogen bonding
• Relationships to structure and to properties
• Polarity of bonds, electronegativities
• VSEPR theory and Lewis electron-dot diagrams
• Hybridization of orbitals
• Geometry of molecules, ions, and coordination complexes
• Structural isomerism
• Resonance
• Sigma and pi bonds
• Dipole moments of molecules
• Relation of properties to structure
STATES OF MATTER (19%)
Gases
• Laws of ideal gases; equations of state for an ideal gas
• The mole concept; Avogadro’s number
• Kinetic-molecular theory
Liquids and solids
• Liquids and solids from the kinetic-molecular viewpoint
• Phase diagrams of one-component systems
• Changes of state, critical phenomena
Solutions
• Types of solutions and factors affecting solubility
• Methods of expressing concentration
• Colligative properties; for example, Raoult's law
• Effect of interionic attraction on colligative properties and solubility
REACTION TYPES (12%)
• Acid-base reactions; concepts of Arrhenius, Brønsted-Lowry and Lewis; amphoterism
• Reactions involving coordination complexes
• Precipitation reactions
• Oxidation-reduction reactions
EQUATIONS AND STOICHIOMETRY (10%)
• Ionic and molecular species present in chemical systems; net-ionic equations
• Stoichiometry: mass and volume relations with emphasis on the mole concept
• Balancing of equations, including those for redox reactions
EQUILIBRIUM (7%)
• Concept of dynamic equilibrium, physical and chemical; LeChâtelier's principle; equilibrium constants
• Quantitative perspective
KINETICS (4%)
• Concept of rate of reaction
• Activation energy and the role of catalysts
• The relationship between the rate-determining step and reaction mechanism
THERMODYNAMICS (5%)
• State functions
• First law
• Second law
• Relationship of change in free energy to equilibrium constants and electrode potentials
DESCRIPTIVE CHEMISTRY (14%)
The accumulation of certain specific facts of chemistry is essential to enable students to comprehend the development of principles and concepts, to demonstrate applications of principles, to relate fact to theory and properties to structure, and to develop an understanding of systematic nomenclature that facilitates communication. The following areas are normally included on the exam:
• Chemical reactivity and products of chemical reactions
• Relationships in the periodic table: horizontal, vertical, and diagonal
• Chemistry of the main groups and transition elements, including typical examples of each
• Organic chemistry, including such topics as functional groups and isomerism (may be treated as a separate unit or as exemplary material in other areas, such as bonding)
EXPERIMENTAL CHEMISTRY (9%)
Some experiments are based on laboratory experiments widely performed in general chemistry and ask about the equipment used, observations made, calculations performed, and interpretation of the results. The questions are designed to provide a measure of understanding of the basic tools of chemistry and their applications to simple chemical systems.