About this course: This is an introductory course for students with limited background in chemistry; basic concepts involved in chemical reactions, stoichiometry, the periodic table, periodic trends, nomenclature, and chemical problem solving will be emphasized with the goal of preparing students for further study in chemistry as needed for many science, health, and policy professions..
Created by: Duke University
Taught by: Prof. Dorian A. Canelas, Assistant Professor of the Practice
Chemistry
| Level | Beginner |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Spanish, Hebrew |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Introduction
<p>Over the seven weeks of Introduction to Chemistry: Reactions and Ratios, you will be able to progress from a most basic knowledge of matter and energy to solving interesting real world chemical reaction stoichiometry problems. Each lesson in the course introduces some new concepts that allow you to build upon the material from previous lessons, so completing the coursework in the order that it is delivered will be most beneficial for developing a thorough understanding of synthesized information. This course is intended for students with very little background in the subject, but a strong foundation in algebra is needed to solve some of the problems. </p><p>In the first unit, the course will first introduce the basic concepts of scientific methods and measurement. Then we will talk about matter, energy, and stoichiometry. Last, we prepared several lab demonstrations by Dr. Ken Lyle. I hope that you are as excited as I am to this amazing world of chemistry! Good luck!</p><p>Prof. Canelas</p>
12 videos, 2 readings, 1 practice quiz
- Leyendo: Math Concept Quiz Instructions
- Cuestionario de práctica: Math Concept Quiz
- Video: Scientific Method
- Video: Measurement and Significant Figures Part I
- Video: Measurement and Significant Figures Part II
- Video: Matter
- Video: Energy Part I
- Video: Energy Part II
- Video: Intro Stoichiometry Part I - Chemical Formulas
- Video: Intro Stoichiometry Part II - The Mole
- Video: [DEMO] Dr. Ken Lyle Chemistry Demonstration
- Video: [DEMO] Physical Change
- Video: [DEMO] Chemical Change
- Leyendo: Significant Figure Tips
Graded: Week 1 Exercises
WEEK 2
Matter and Energy
<p>If you are interested in significant figures in more detail, here are some <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/math/pre-algebra/decimals-pre-alg/sig-figs-pre-alg/v/significant-figures" target="_blank">good videos</a> to follow on Khan Academy.</p><p>This week we will continue our explorations of matter and energy. We will discuss the sub-atomic particles that govern chemical reactions, isotopes, anions, and cations. We will learn how to name compounds, calculate formula masses, convert between grams and moles, examine periodic trends, and more! An advanced problems set is posted now; that is a longer assignment and is optional unless you would like to be eligible for the Honor’s Track. You can still earn a regular verified certificate without completing the advanced problem sets, so please be sure to keep working on the normal weekly exercises.</p>
9 videos
- Video: The Structure of the Periodic Table
- Video: Ions and Isotopes
- Video: Ionic Bonds
- Video: Orbital Energy and Ionization Energy Part I
- Video: Orbital Energy and Ionization Energy Part II
- Video: Electronegativity and Atomic Radius
- Video: Introduction to Thermochemistry: Heat Capacity
- Video: [DEMO] Density
Graded: Week 2 Exercises
Graded: Advanced Problem Set
WEEK 3
Compounds
<p>In this week's videos and exercises (aka quizzes), we will learn how to name compounds, calculate formula masses, convert between grams and moles, examine periodic trends, and more!</p><p>I hope you enjoyed the last two weeks of learning chemistry. Great work on watching videos, posting on the discussion forum and submitting your exercises!</p>
7 videos
- Video: Oxidation States Part II - Examples
- Video: Naming Ionic Compound Part I
- Video: Naming Ionic Compound Part II
- Video: Covalent Bond Formation
- Video: Naming Molecular Compounds
- Video: Formula Mass
Graded: Week 3 Exercises
WEEK 4
Chemical Composition and Reactions
<p>Week 4 for Introduction to Chemistry: Reactions and Ratios is about to begin! This week will be filled with introductions to chemical compositions, chemical reaction terminology, and reaction calculations.</p><p>If any of the following questions interest you, then watching this week's videos and doing some practice problems are probably a good way to get started! How much sodium is in my diet? What amount of pollutants are in drinking water? How much iron is in iron ore for steel production? These of the types of problems you will be able to address this week.</p>
7 videos
- Video: Chemical Composition: Mole Ratios
- Video: Mass Percent
- Video: Empirical Formula
- Video: Introduction to Chemical Reaction
- Video: Balancing Chemical Reaction Equations
- Video: Chemical Reaction Calculations
Graded: Week 4 Exercises
Graded: Advanced Problem Set
WEEK 5
Solutions and Solubility Rules
<p>In the past five weeks of the course, we have learned concepts, rules, and skills, including but not limited to: the definitions of atoms, elements, molecules, and compounds; energy changes; Coulomb’s Law, molecular stoichiometry; atomic structures; periodic trends; the mole; compounds; atomic and molecular masses; molecular stoichiometry; balancing chemical equations.</p><p>In this coming week, we will be discussing aqueous solutions, solubility rules, precipitations and electrolytes! We are also going to learn the first type of chemical reaction equation in this course: Dissolutions.</p>
9 videos
- Video: Introduction to Solutions Part II
- Video: [Demo] Electrolytes
- Video: Dissolution and the Solubility Product Constant Part I
- Video: Dissolution and the Solubility Product Constant Part II
- Video: Solubility Rules
- Video: Precipitation & Net Ionic Equations Part I
- Video: Precipitation & Net Ionic Equations Part II
- Video: [Interview] Dr. Franz Interview (05:55)
Graded: Week 5 Exercises
WEEK 6
Acid-base and Redox Reactions
<p>We are almost at the end of our course! I hope this has been a rewarding experience for you because I know that the course is not an easy one and it is relatively long. So kudos to everyone who has made it this far!</p><p>Week 6 for Introduction to Chemistry: Reactions and Ratios will include very basic introductions to acid-base and redox reactions. We will also practice combining what we know from previous weeks to complete reaction calculations.</p>
6 videos
- Video: Acid-Base Definitions and Reactions Part I
- Video: Acid-Base Definitions and Reactions Part II
- Video: Introduction to Redox Reactions Part I
- Video: Introduction to Redox Reactions Part II
- Video: Reaction Stoichiometry
Graded: Week 6 Exercises
Graded: Advanced Problem Set
WEEK 7
Final Exam
Congratulations on making through to the final week of the course! It was not an easy journey for the past six weeks with dozens of videos, exercises, problem sets, and forum discussions. Kudos to the many of you who completed the honors lessons on top of the other work. I am proud of all of you!
Graded: Final Exam Part A
Graded: Final Exam Part B
FAQs
How It Works
Trabajo del curso
Cada curso es como un libro de texto interactivo, con videos pregrabados, cuestionarios y proyectos.
Ayuda de tus compañeros
Conéctate con miles de estudiantes y debate ideas y materiales del curso, y obtén ayuda para dominar los conceptos.
Certificados
Obtén reconocimiento oficial por tu trabajo y comparte tu éxito con amigos, compañeros y empleadores.
Creators
Duke University
Duke University has about 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students and a world-class faculty helping to expand the frontiers of knowledge. The university has a strong commitment to applying knowledge in service to society, both near its North Carolina campus and around the world.
Ratings and Reviews
Brilliant! I would hugely recommend this to anybody who wants to dive into the basic concepts of chemistry. I did not take chemistry beyond GCSE level and this course was perfect for refreshing my basic knowledge and building upon it. Dr Canelas is very engaging and charismatic. She does a fantastic job of breaking down difficult concepts and making them clear and easy to follow. Interesting, challenging and fun! Every week felt a little more in-depth and challenging than the last. I will definitely be taking a look at the Structures and Solutions course.
This course was very helpful for my understanding of biology and physics related content. It is just the right amount of work to learn in seven weeks, although some tests were significantly harder than others and forced me to work more time on. Thank you very much for offering this course!
Quality course. Very basic in material but fabulous to understand nomenclature and other technical necessities. I used it to prepare for a honors chemistry course I am taking in my sophomore year of high school. It, in my opinion, is perfect for that use.
Coursera provides universal access to the world’s best education,
partnering with top universities and organizations to offer courses online.
© 2018 Coursera Inc. All rights reserved.
The best way to learn the basics of Chemistry. I studied this course prior to a general course as part of a Physics Degree and it was very helpful. Prof. Canelas' explanations are really easy to follow and gives you a great understanding of the subjects. Plus you won't need a lot of math to go around this course. Basic algebra should be enough.