1. Amazing Preparation for AP Chemistry
AP for AP:
Amazing Preparation for AP Chemistry
Jennifer Howell & Jennifer Pitt-Lainsbury
All materials in this presentation can be found at

2. Introduce the origin of the project
Talk about the things I spent time working on
Mention the final product -- the website

3. College Board is revising all AP Sciences:
Courses should aim to provide students with a deep conceptual understanding of the material. Accelerating students' course of study is not in itself a worthwhile endeavor.
The course should focus on big ideas and key principles over a breadth of study.
Opportunities for inquiry and differentiated instruction should be used.
Briefly mention these are the suggestions we see as highly relevant in the changes to the curriculum and exam
National Research Council. Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2002.

4. How much do you know about what has changed in the new AP Chemistry Curriculum?
I am very familiar with all of the changes
I am familiar will many of the changes
I am familiar with some of the changes
I am not very familiar with the changes

5. I am attending this session because…
I want to know more about the changes to the AP curriculum
I am looking for ideas for teaching the new AP curriculum
I am looking for practice questions for my students
I am not really sure why I am here (?)

6. In the 2012 AP Chemistry Curriculum document, how many pages were used to outline the expected course content?
3 pages
8 pages
14 pages
46 pages
3 pages - topic outline
8 pages - total

7. In the 2013 AP Chemistry Curriculum document, how many pages were used to outline the expected course content?
3 pages
17 pages
78 pages
95 pages
17 pages - curriculum “At a Glance”
78 pages - detailed curriculum expectations
95 pages - total curriculum outline
172 total pages
Completely separate document for the labs

10. Why is the College Board changing the AP Chem Curriculum?
To reduce the emphasis on broad content coverage and focus on depth of understanding
To align the curriculum to be more in line with first year university courses
To improve the standardization of the exam
AP Chemistry Website; College Board.

11. Material that students do not need to know
One of the changes that the new curriculum has is the inclusion of exclusion statements. Exclusion statements refer to:
Material that students do not need to know
Material that students should have acquired in prerequisite courses
Both a. and b.
“Exclusion Statements define the type and level of content that is excluded from the AP® Chemistry course and exam or represents knowledge students should have acquired prior to participating in this course.”
AP Chemistry Website; College Board.

12. Specific Statement 1.C.1.b: Ignoring the few exceptions, the electron configuration for an atom can be deduced from the element’s position in the periodic table.
Exclusion: Memorization of exceptions to the Aufbau principle is beyond the scope of this course and the AP Exam.
Rationale: The mere rote recall of the exception does not match the goals of the curriculum revision. If given an exception on the AP Exam, students will be responsible for providing possible reasons for the exceptions based on theory.
Will not as “What is the electronic configuration for copper?” But, “copper is an exception to the Aufbau rule with the following configuration…”

13. Specific Statement 3.B.2.b: …the Brønsted-Lowry concept of acids and bases is the focus of the course.
Exclusion: Lewis acid-base concepts are beyond the scope of this course and the AP Exam.
Rationale: The definition of Lewis acids is commonly taught in first-year high school chemistry course and is therefore considered prior knowledge.

14. Topics Removed Effective Fall 2013 assigning quantum numbers
- deriving the Henderson-Hasselbach equation
memorizing specific types of crystal structures
memorizing exceptions to solubility rules
writing nuclear reactions
computations of solubility as a function of pH
understanding standard enthalpies of formation to calculate
the overall energy change in a reaction
Lewis Acid-Base Theory
Redo the sizing of this
AP Chemistry Website; College Board.

16. During your post-secondary education, how much exposure did you have to Photoelectron Spectroscopy?
No exposure to PES at all
PES was mentioned in passing
PES was studied for part of one course
One full course on PES or equivalent
More than one full course on PES

17. Photoelectron Spectroscopy (…sometimes XPS, HVUPS)
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, Hight Vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy

18. How comfortable are you interpreting Photoelectron Spectra?
I am very comfortable interpreting PES
I am moderately comfortable interpreting PES
I am not very comfortable interpreting PES
I have never seen a Photoelectron Spectrum 18

19. From the AP Sample Questions…

20. From the AP Sample Questions…D

21. Provided complete photoelectron spectra already made for C to Si
Provided complete photoelectron spectra already made for C to Si. Provided a table of binding energies for all elements H through Kr
Which peaks in the photoelectron spectrum are representative of the binding energy of p orbital electrons?
C only c. C and E
D only d. B, C and D

22. “In a battery, I strive to maximize electrical potential
“In a battery, I strive to maximize electrical potential. When mentoring, I strive to maximize human potential.”
--Donald Sadoway. MIT professor and innovator

23. During your post-secondary education, how much exposure did you have to alloys?
No exposure to alloys at all
Alloys were mentioned in passing
Alloys were studied for part of one course
One full course on alloys or equivalent
More than one full course on alloys

26. From the AP Sample Questions…?

27. From the AP Sample Questions…

28. Institute for Complex Engineered Systems - Carnegie Mellon

29. Bringing alloys into your course…

30. Mass Spectrometry

31. From the AP Sample Questions…
The elements I and Te have similar average atomic masses. A sample that was believed to be a mixture of I and Te was run through a mass spectrometer, resulting in the data above. All of the following statements are true. Which one would be the best basis for concluding that the sample was pure Te?

32. 127I From the AP Sample Questions…
Te forms ions with a -2 charge, whereas I forms ions with a -1 charge.
Te is more abundant that I in the universe.
I consists of only one naturally occurring isotope with 74 neutrons, whereas Te has more than one isotope.
I has a higher first ionization energy than Te does.

33. b. They all have the same number of neutrons c. C d. D
Which peak in the mass spectrum of Y comes from the atom with the greatest number of neutrons?
a. A
b. They all have the same number of neutrons
c. C
d. D 33

34. During your post-secondary education, how much exposure did you have to polymer chemistry?
No exposure to polymers at all
Polymers were mentioned in passing
Polymers were studied for part of one course
One full course on polymers or equivalent
More than one full course on polymers

35. During your post-secondary education, how much exposure did you have to spectroscopy techniques chemistry?
No exposure to spectroscopy at all
Spectroscopy was mentioned in passing
Spectroscopy was studied for part of one course
One full course on spectroscopy or equivalent
More than one full course on spectroscopy techniques

36. Spectroscopy Techniques
Polymers
Biological Systems

37. From the AP Sample Questions…?

38. Pb(NO3)2 (s) + 2NaI (aq)  PbI2 (s) + 2 NaNO3 (aq)
Particulate Drawings
A 3.31 g sample of solid lead (II) nitrate is added to 400 mL of a M sodium iodide solution. The chemical reaction that takes place is represented by the following equation:
Pb(NO3)2 (s) + 2NaI (aq)  PbI2 (s) + 2 NaNO3 (aq)
Which diagram best represents the resulting mixture after the reaction goes to completion?
Lead is limiting reagent

39. Particulate Drawings
bigger 39