AP NOTES 9 UNITS

Each of UNITS 1-9 listed below has a title, defined by me, that is designed to encapsulate the content of each of the nine UNITS as defined by the College Board in their Course and Exam Description for AP Chemistry.

Each TOPIC within each unit has a title that is my interpretation of each of the Topic Titles, Learning Objectives, and Essential Knowledge statements defined by the College Board. There are 91 TOPICS and 92 LOs.

To help you to keep track of tweaks that occur over time within the notes, there are a few things that you can do;

  • Note the date and timestamps shown below, of the most updated versions of the PDF files, and check to see that the document you are referencing has a matching time-stamp (the time-stamp can be found in the footer of the PDF file).
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You can expect more significant changes each summer, after each operational and international practice exam have been released, and as I reflect upon the work of the previous year. These updates usually take place between May and August each year, and then the materials ‘settle’ somewhat for the majority of the school year, with only minor tweaks taking place during that time.

UNIT 01 - ATOMS, ELEMENTS & PERIODICITY

DOWNLOAD VERSION FOR 2026-27 FORWARD (08/24/2026 7:11 AM)

TOPIC 1.1: The Mole

TOPIC 1.2: Isotopes and Mass Spectrometry

TOPIC 1.3: Empirical & Molecular Formula

TOPIC 1.4: Pure & Impure

TOPIC 1.5: Atoms & Electronic Configuration

TOPIC 1.6: Photoelectron Spectroscopy

TOPIC 1.7: Periodicity

TOPIC 1.8: Formation of Ions

UNIT 02 - CHEMICAL BONDING I

DOWNLOAD VERSION FOR 2026-27 FORWARD (06/23/2026 11:16 AM)

TOPIC 2.1: Sliding Scale of Bond Type

TOPIC 2.2: Bond Length & Strength

TOPIC 2.3: The Ionic Lattice

TOPIC 2.4: Metallic Bonding & Alloys

TOPIC 2.5: Lewis Structures

TOPIC 2.6: Resonance & Formal Charge

TOPIC 2.7: VSEPR & Hybridization

UNIT 03 - CHEMICAL BONDING II & GASES

DOWNLOAD VERSION FOR 2026-27 FORWARD (06/25/2026 2:10 PM)

TOPIC 3.1: IMFs & Ion-dipole Forces

TOPIC 3.2: Types of Solids & Properties

TOPIC 3.3: States of Matter

TOPIC 3.4: Ideal Gases

TOPIC 3.5: Gases and Kinetic Molecular Theory

TOPIC 3.6: Deviations from Ideal Behavior

TOPIC 3.7: Solutions & Concentration

TOPIC 3.8: Particulate Diagrams of Solutions

TOPIC 3.9: Chromatography, Distillation, and Vapor Pressure

TOPIC 3.10: Solubility of Solutes in Solvents

TOPIC 3.11: Effect of Radiation on Matter

TOPIC 3.12: Photons

TOPIC 3.13: Beer’s Law

UNIT 04 - CHEMICAL REACTIONS

DOWNLOAD VERSION FOR 2025-26 FORWARD (09/07/2025 2:22 PM)

TOPIC  4.1: Chemical & Physical Change

TOPIC 4.2: Equations & Net Ionic Equations

TOPIC 4.3: Particulate Representations of Equations

TOPIC 4.4: Chemical & Physical Change in Terms of Bonds & Forces

TOPIC 4.5: Stoichiometry

TOPIC 4.6: Titrations I

TOPIC 4.7: Types of Chemical Reaction

TOPIC 4.8: Acid-Base Reactions

TOPIC 4.9: REDOX Reactions

UNIT 05 - CHEMICAL KINETICS

DOWNLOAD VERSION FOR 2025-26 FORWARD (08/31/2025 7:30 AM)

TOPIC 5.1: Factors Affecting Rates

TOPIC 5.2: Rate Laws

TOPIC 5.3: Rates, Graphs & Half-Life

TOPIC 5.4: Elementary Steps

TOPIC 5.5: Collision Theory

TOPIC 5.6: Energy Profiles I

TOPIC 5.7: Mechanisms

TOPIC 5.8: Mechanisms & Rate Law

TOPIC 5.9: Intermediates in Rate Determining Steps

TOPIC 5.10: Energy Profiles II

TOPIC 5.11: Catalysts

UNIT 06 - CHEMICAL THERMODYNAMICS I

DOWNLOAD VERSION FOR 2025-26 FORWARD (09/21/2025 1:31 PM)

TOPIC 6.1: Endothermic & Exothermic Reactions

TOPIC 6.2: Energy Diagrams

TOPIC 6.3: Heat

TOPIC 6.4: Calorimetry

TOPIC 6.5: Heating & Cooling Curves

TOPIC 6.6: Enthalpy

TOPIC 6.7: Bond Enthalpy

TOPIC 6.8: Enthalpy of Formation

TOPIC 6.9: Hess’s Law

UNIT 07 - CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM

DOWNLOAD VERSION FOR 2025-26 FORWARD (11/02/2025 2:13 PM)

TOPIC 7.1: Dynamic Equilibrium I

TOPIC 7.2: Dynamic Equilibrium II

TOPIC 7.3: Q & K

TOPIC 7.4: Kc & Kp

TOPIC 7.5: Large K & Small K

TOPIC 7.6: Mathematical Manipulation of Q & K

TOPIC 7.7: ICE Tables

TOPIC 7.8: Particulate Representation of Equilibrium

TOPIC 7.9: Le Châtelier’s Principle

TOPIC 7.10: Q versus K and Equilibrium Shifts

TOPIC 7.11: Ksp

TOPIC 7.12: Common Ion Effect

UNIT 08 - ACIDS & BASES

DOWNLOAD VERSION FOR 2025-26 FORWARD (01/24/2026 8:43 AM)

TOPIC 8.1: pH, pOH & Kw

TOPIC 8.2: Strong Acids & Bases

TOPIC 8.3: Weak Acids & Bases, Ka & Kb

TOPIC 8.4: Neutralization, and Partial Neutralization to create a Buffer

TOPIC 8.5: Titrations II

TOPIC 8.6: Structure of Acids & Bases

TOPIC 8.7: pH of Buffers Relative to pKa

TOPIC 8.8: Introduction to Buffers

TOPIC 8.9: Henderson-Hasselbalch

TOPIC 8.10: Capacity of Buffers

TOPIC 8.11: pH & Equilibrium Shifts

UNIT 09 - CHEMICAL THERMODYNAMICS II & ELECTROCHEMISTRY

DOWNLOAD VERSION FOR 2025-26 FORWARD (03/03/2026 8:31 PM)

TOPIC 9.1: Entropy Introduction

TOPIC 9.2: Absolute Entropy & ∆S°

TOPIC 9.3: Gibb’s Free Energy & Thermodynamic Favorability

TOPIC 9.4: Kinetic Control

TOPIC 9.5: The Relationship between ∆G° and K

TOPIC 9.6: ∆G°, ∆H°, ∆S° and Solubility

TOPIC 9.7: Coupling

TOPIC 9.8: Electrochemistry I

TOPIC 9.9: Electrochemistry II

TOPIC 9.10: Electrochemistry III,  Non-Standard Conditions

TOPIC 9.11: Quantitative Aspects of Electrolytic Cells