AP Chemistry
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Learn all about the course and exam. Already enrolled? Join your class in My AP.
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Learn about the fundamental concepts of chemistry including structure and states of matter, intermolecular forces, and reactions. You’ll do hands-on lab investigations and use chemical calculations to solve problems.
Note: Save your lab notebooks and reports; colleges may ask to see them before granting you credit.
Designing experiments and procedures to test a prediction or theory
Creating graphs, diagrams, and models that represent chemical phenomena
Explaining how the microscopic structure of a substance determines its chemical properties
Balancing a chemical equation
Making a scientific claim and supporting it with evidence
A one-year, introductory college general chemistry course
High school courses in chemistry and Algebra II
Mon, May 1, 2023,
12 PM Local
This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP Chemistry Exam.
The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.
You’ll learn about the composition of atoms and ways scientists measure and categorize these molecular building blocks.
Topics may include:
7%–9% of exam score
You’ll discover the range of chemical bonds and how their structure can affect the properties of the molecules created.
Topics may include:
7%–9% of exam score
You’ll explore how atoms come together to create solids, liquids, and gases, and how subatomic forces govern the properties of everything around you.
Topics may include:
18%–22% of exam score
You’ll learn how to differentiate physical and chemical processes, and how to measure and express chemical reactions via chemical equations.
Topics may include:
7%–9% of exam score
You’ll explore various methods to observe the changes that occur during a chemical reaction and the effects of a series of reactions.
Topics may include:
7%–9% of exam score
You’ll learn about energy changes in chemical reactions and how a transfer of energy can change a substance’s physical qualities.
Topics may include:
7%–9% of exam score
You’ll chart how chemical reactions change over time, what causes substances to reach equilibrium, and how systems react when that equilibrium is disturbed.
Topics may include:
7%–9% of exam score
You’ll learn more about pH, the qualities and properties of acids and bases, and how they interact in chemical reactions.
Topics may include:
11%–15% of exam score
You’ll be introduced to the concept of “thermodynamic favorability” for reactions, meaning how likely they are to occur given energy changes and environmental factors.
Topics may include:
7%–9% of exam score
Find colleges that grant credit and/or placement for AP Exam scores in this and other AP courses.
AP Classroom Resources
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AP Chemistry Course and Exam Description
This is the core document for the course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and AP Program in general. The CED was updated in the summer of 2022 to incorporate the change to the calculator policy for the exam.
AP Chemistry can lead to a wide range of careers and college majors