Dr. Kent McCorkle, or "Dr. Kent' to his student, has helped thousands of students be successful in chemistry.

College Introductory Chemistry Topics

The following is a list of chemistry topics typically covered during the first year of high school chemistry or the first semester of college chemistry. Clicking on the topic will bring up a video lesson and accompanying explanation, while choosing “Practice Problems” shares a worksheet with a video showing how to work each of the problems.

Those in blue have been completed, while those in black are still under development.

Legend:  Video Available – video lesson, Typed Lesson Available – typed lesson, Worksheet Available – accompanying worksheet

Introduction to Chemistry

Numbers & Measurements

Units & Unit Analysis

Matter and Energy

  • Phases of Matter: Solid, Liquid & Gas
  • Elements, Compounds & Mixtures
  • Physical & Chemical Properties
  • Physical & Chemical Changes
  • Temperature – Fahrenheit, Celsius & Kelvin
    • Practice Problems
  • Heat & Specific Heat Capacity Video Available Lesson Available

The Atom

Molecules & Compounds

The Mole

Chemical Composition

Chemical Reactions

Quantities in Chemical Reactions

Electrons

  • Electromagnetic Radiation
  • Models of the Atom
  • Electron Configurations
    • Practice Problems
  • Condensed Electron Configurations
    • Practice Problems
  • Atomic Size / Atomic Radius
  • Ionization Energy

Chemical Bonds

  • Valence Electrons (Octet Rule)
  • Lewis Structures (Resonance Structures)
    • Practice Problems
  • Shapes of Molecules (Electron Geometry, Molecular Geometry)
    • Practice Problems
  • Electronegativity & Polarity
  • Molecular Polarity

Gases

  • Kinetic Molecular Theory
  • Pressure
  • Boyle’s Law
  • Charles’s Law
  • Combined Gas Law
    • Practice Problems
  • Avogadro’s Law
  • Ideal Gas Law
    • Practice Problems
  • Dalton’s Law
  • Molar Volume
  • Density of a Gas
  • Molar Mass of a Gas
  • Gases in Reaction Stoiciometry
    • Practice Problems

Liquids, Solids & Intermolecular Forces

  • Changes of State
  • Heat of Vaporization
  • Heat of Fusion
  • Heating Curve
  • Intermolecular Forces (Dispersion Forces, Dipole-Dipole Forces, Hydrogen Bonding)
  • Solubility and Intermolecular Forces

Solutions

  • Mass Percent Concentration
    • Practice Problems
  • Parts per Million / Parts per Billion Concentration
    • Practice Problems
  • Molarity
    • Practice Problems
  • Dilution
    • Practice Problems
  • Solution Stoichiometry
    • Practice Problems
  • Freezing Point Depression
  • Boiling Point Elevation
  • Osmosis

Acids & Bases

  • Arrhenius Acid-Base Theory
  • Brønsted-Lowry Acid-Base Theory
  • Conjugate Acids & Bases
  • Strengths of Acids & Bases (Strong Acids, Weak Acids, Strong Bases, Weak Bases)
  • pH
    • Practice Problems
  • pOH
    • Practice Problems
  • Acid-Base Titrations
    • Practice Problems

Chemical Equilibrium

  • Equilibrium & Equilibrium Constant (Keq)
    • Practice Problems
  • Le Châtelier’s Principle
    • Practice Problems
  • Solubility Product Constant (Ksp)
    • Practice Problems
  • Molar Solubility
    • Practice Problems
  • Activation Energy (Catalysts)

Oxidation & Reduction (Redox)

  • Oxidation & Reduction (Redox)
  • Oxidation States (Oxidation Numbers)
  • Balancing Oxidation-Reduction Reactions (Half-Reaction Method)
    • Practice Problems
  • Balancing Oxidation-Reduction Reactions in Basic Solution
    • Practice Problems
  • Activity Series (Spontaneous Redox Reactions)
  • Electrochemical Cells
  • Electrolysis
  • Corrosion

Nuclear Chemistry

  • Radioactivity
  • Types of Radiation
  • Nuclear Equations
    • Practice Problems
  • Activity & Half-Life
    • Practice Problems
  • Nuclear Fission & Fusion