I. Introduction
General Chemistry II pushes deeper into “why reactions happen and how to predict them.” The course centers on chemical change in real systems: thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibria, acids/bases and buffers, solubility and precipitation, and electrochemistry.
II. Outline
- Thermochemistry Review → Thermodynamics Framework
- Energy, heat, work; system vs surroundings; state functions
- Enthalpy, calorimetry, Hess’s Law
- Entropy and the direction of change
- Gibbs Free Energy and Spontaneity
- Free energy
- Spontaneous vs nonspontaneous vs equilibrium
- Standard free energies and predicting feasibility
- Equilibrium
- Equilibrium constants and reaction quotient
- Interpreting magnitude of K
- ICE tables; approximations and checks
- Le Chatelier’s principle
- Acid–Base Chemistry
- Strong vs weak acids/bases
- pH/pOH calculations and equilibrium-based pH
- Polyprotic acids
- Buffers and Titrations
- Buffer definition and how buffers resist pH change
- Henderson–Hasselbalch relationship
- Titration curves
- strong/weak acid-base combinations
- Indicators and choosing the right endpoint region
- Aqueous Equilibria Beyond Acid–Base
- Common-ion effect
- Salt hydrolysis
- Coupled equilibria
- Solubility and Precipitation
- Solubility product Ksp
- Molar solubility calculations
- Precipitation prediction
- Selective precipitation
- Chemical Kinetics
- Rate laws and reaction order
- Integrated rate laws & half-life
- Collision model & temperature dependence
- Arrhenius equation and activation energy
- Mechanisms & Catalysts
- Electrochemistry and Redox Reactions
- Oxidation states, balancing redox reactions
- Galvanic cells vs electrolytic cells
- Cell notation and components, anode/cathode
- Standard reduction potentials
- Nernst equation
- Connection to thermodynamics
III. Free Books & Open Resources
See More Resources in General Chemistry 1
- OpenStax – Chemistry 2e
- Solid coverage of Gen Chem II topics with worked examples and end-of-chapter problems.
- Chemistry LibreTexts – General Chemistry
- Massive reference for explanations, derivations, and alternate problem sets.
- PhET Simulations (Chemistry)
- Interactive learning site for equilibrium, acids/bases, and electrochemistry.
