Chemical Principles II (CHEM 1212K) is the second course of our two-semester sequence for majors requiring a minimum of three semesters of chemistry (BIOL, BCHM, CHBE, CHEM, EAS, MSE, etc.). The course uses the Interactive General Chemistry textbook from Macmillan.

Course Objectives

  • Interpret equilibrium data regarding gaseous and aqueous reactions.
  • Compare/contrast the concepts of the three theories of acids and bases and apply them to inorganic and biological systems.
  • Integrate the concepts of equilibrium, Gibbs free energy, and cell potential
  • Use reaction mechanisms to infer the kinetics of a chemical reaction.
  • Compare/contrast the relationships between rate and concentration, concentration and time, and rate and time.  Apply these principles to kinetic data.
  • Explain the behavior of inorganic materials by applying tenets of bonding theories (valence bond theory and molecular orbital theory).
  • Combine the principles of periodic trends, Lewis acid-base theory, and molecular orbital theory to predict the products of reactions of main group elements.
  • Predict and explain the colors and magnetic properties of coordination compounds using crystal field theory.

Placement Credit

Deciding whether to use your credits for CHEM 1211K/1310 and go on to 1212K is a very personal decision (click here for information on qualifying exams and scores). In making this decision, please carefully consider the following:

  • Your knowledge of Lewis structures, valence bond theory, and molecular orbital theory
    • These are topics covered extensively in chapters 10 and 11 of the text in our CHEM 1211K course. While some very brief review may be given, the instructors for CHEM 1212K assume that you know and are comfortable with this material. This is particularly pertinent for the portions of the course dealing with coordination chemistry and main-group chemistry.
  • Your laboratory skills and preparation from high school
    • The CHEM 1212K labs are more complex and in depth than those for CHEM 1211K. Again, your instructors assume you are familiar and comfortable with standard lab techniques such as pipetting and solution making. Additionally, the majority of your fellow students will taken CHEM 1211K, so teaching assistants will spend less time discussing how to write lab reports, spreadsheets calculations, plotting data, etc.