Core reading map
| Course topic | Modules | OpenStax Chemistry 2e sections |
|---|---|---|
| Matter and measurement | Module 1 | 1.1–1.6 |
| Atoms, formulas, naming | Module 2 | 2.1–2.7 |
| Moles and composition | Module 3 | 3.1–3.5 |
| Chemical equations and reaction patterns | Module 4 | 4.1–4.2 |
| Stoichiometry, limiting reactants, and yield | Module 5 | 4.3–4.4 |
| Solutions and aqueous reactions | Module 6 | 4.1, 3.3 |
| Acid–base and redox stoichiometry | Module 7 | 4.2–4.3 |
| Thermochemistry | Modules 8–9 | 5.1–5.3 |
| Electronic structure and periodicity | Modules 10–11 | 6.1–6.5 |
| Bonding and molecular geometry | Modules 12–13 | 7.1–7.6 |
| Valence-bond concepts | Module 13 | 8.1–8.2 |
| Gases | Module 14 | 9.1–9.5 |
| Intermolecular forces and phases | Module 14 | 10.1–10.4 |
"Modules" lists this course's own numbering (see the course modules); a single OpenStax section often serves more than one module, since this course splits a few OpenStax chapters more finely than the textbook does.
OpenStax chapter links:
- Chapter 1: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/1-introduction
- Chapter 2: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/2-introduction
- Chapter 3: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/3-introduction
- Chapter 4: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/4-introduction
- Chapter 5: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/5-introduction
- Chapter 6: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/6-introduction
- Chapter 7: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/7-introduction
- Chapter 8: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/8-introduction
- Chapter 9: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/9-introduction
- Chapter 10: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/10-introduction
Licensing note
The course text in this package is original. It links to OpenStax rather than reproducing textbook prose or images. If an adopter remixes OpenStax content directly, follow the current attribution, noncommercial, and share-alike requirements displayed by OpenStax and review restrictions applicable to the intended use.
Beyond this course
The glossary and the Explore Chemistry page both name topics — equilibrium, kinetics, electrochemistry, nuclear chemistry, organic chemistry — that this course's own fifteen modules orient toward but don't teach as graded coursework. This is where those pointers actually lead: the free, complete OpenStax chapters that cover each one in full.
| Topic | OpenStax Chemistry 2e chapter |
|---|---|
| Chemical kinetics | 12 |
| Fundamental equilibrium concepts | 13 |
| Acid-base equilibria (weak acids/bases, buffers, titration curves) | 14 |
| Other equilibria (solubility product, complex ions) | 15 |
| Thermodynamics (entropy, Gibbs free energy) | 16 |
| Electrochemistry | 17 |
| Transition metals and coordination chemistry | 19 |
| Nuclear chemistry | 21 |
OpenStax chapter links:
- Chapter 12: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/12-introduction
- Chapter 13: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/13-introduction
- Chapter 14: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/14-introduction
- Chapter 15: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/15-introduction
- Chapter 16: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/16-introduction
- Chapter 17: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/17-introduction
- Chapter 19: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/19-introduction
- Chapter 21: https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/21-introduction
Organic chemistry and biochemistry aren't chapters of Chemistry 2e at all — they're their own free OpenStax titles:
- OpenStax _Organic Chemistry_ (a complete, free title): https://openstax.org/details/books/organic-chemistry
- OpenStax _Biology 2e_, Chapter 3 (the molecular building blocks of life — proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids): https://openstax.org/books/biology-2e/pages/3-introduction
Interactive map
Use the current PhET catalog because individual simulation availability can change.
| Topic | Suggested interactive search/activity |
|---|---|
| Balancing | PhET “Balancing Chemical Equations” |
| Atomic structure | PhET “Build an Atom” and “Models of the Hydrogen Atom” |
| Molecules | PhET “Build a Molecule” |
| Molecular geometry | PhET “Molecule Shapes” |
| Gas behavior | PhET “Gas Properties” |
| Intermolecular behavior | PhET “Atomic Interactions” and “States of Matter” |
| Solution calculations | ChemCollective Virtual Lab |
| Stoichiometry | ChemCollective stoichiometry activities |
| Calorimetry | ChemCollective heat-of-reaction activities |
| Acid–base chemistry and pH | PhET “pH Scale” and “Acid-Base Solutions” |
Student directions for any simulation should include a prediction, variables to change, evidence to record, and a synthesis question. “Explore for 20 minutes” is not a sufficient learning task.
Authoritative data and terminology
- IUPAC: element names, symbols, periodic table, nomenclature, and terminology. https://iupac.org/
- CIAAW: standard atomic weights and isotopic-abundance work. https://ciaaw.org/
- NIST Chemistry WebBook: thermochemical, thermophysical, spectral, and selected molecular data. https://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/
- NIST SI: base units, defining constants, and measurement guidance. https://www.nist.gov/pml/owm/metric-si/si-units
- PubChem: chemical properties, identifiers, biological information, and Laboratory Chemical Safety Summaries where available. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Safety hierarchy
- Institution's chemical hygiene plan, approved SOP, emergency procedures, and instructor direction.
- Current supplier Safety Data Sheet for the exact material.
- Institutional environmental health and safety office.
- Applicable regulations and standards.
- Authoritative educational resources such as ACS laboratory-safety guidance.
- Aggregated databases such as PubChem LCSS as supplemental information.
Key links:
- ACS Center for Lab Safety: https://institute.acs.org/acs-center/lab-safety.html
- ACS college/university safety resources: https://institute.acs.org/acs-center/lab-safety/education-training/college-univ-guidelines.html
- OSHA Laboratory Standard: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.1450
- OSHA Safety Data Sheet brief: https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3514.html
- PubChem LCSS documentation: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/docs/lcss
Accessibility source
Use the current W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, supporting documents, and institutional requirements:
https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/