Introduction to Chemistry: Reactions and Ratios from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction

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.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!

Matter and Energy

If you are interested in significant figures in more detail, here are some good videos to follow on Khan Academy.

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.

Compounds

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!

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!

Chemical Composition and Reactions

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.

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.

Solutions and Solubility Rules

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.

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.

Acid-base and Redox Reactions

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!

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.

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!

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

This course takes a creative approach to an otherwise established topic, field, or subject

Strong fit with a particular audience, either based on learners experience level, field, or interests

Develops professional skills or deep expertise in a particular topic or set of topics

Builds a strong foundation for beginners

Teaches skills, knowledge, and/or tools that are highly relevant to industry

If this course is explicitly requires learners to come in with extensive background knowledge first

Reviews summary

Well-received chemistry basics

Learners say this course provides engaging assignments and clear instruction. They largely agree that Professor Canelas is an excellent teacher who presents complex topics in an easy-to-understand and often humorous way. Several learners comment on the course's ability to refresh, reinforce, and introduce chemical concepts. The thorough explanations and helpful demonstrations are also well received. While the course is designed as an introduction to chemistry, some students with previous knowledge find it too basic, while others with little to no background find it helpful.

Course is a good review of high school chemistry concepts.

"This course was so much fun and extremely helpful. The instructor's delivery of the material was very clear and easy to understand."

"It helped me going in depth in many important topics that I got a chance to cover a bit in AP Chemistry, really helpful. Thank you so much for your lectures!"

"Amazing course, the instructor knows the material perfectly, the topics are really interesting, and the videos are adequate! Thank you so much!"

Course provides a clear and thorough introduction to chemistry concepts for beginners.

"Got a far better understanding of basic chemistry almost 20 years after finishing high school. Many thanks to Prof. Dorian Canelas and to Duke University for creating this course."

"A great revamp for those who want to reinforce Chemistry concepts"

"It is a wonderful course for Middle school students. A first course in Chemistry, for the gifted students who will do AP Chemistry. Not suitable for adult learners who need an advanced introduction."

Course reinforces previously learned chemistry concepts.

"Reinforced the basics of chemistry that I had already learned in Chemistry while also giving me to gain more in depth information from the teacher's videos."

"This course helped me to increase my knowledge in the chemical reactions and ratios. Thankyou to coursera for this course. It really helped me."

"I have never studied chemistry before. I enjoyed a lot. Thanks to Coursera, Duke University and the excellent and smiling Professor Dorian Canelas"

Assignments and quizzes are a good balance of theoretical and practical application.

"The course is both simple and informative. The instructor is very helpful in making us understand every small bits of information and she presented everything with examples which made me interested to this course."

"The course was interesting and the facilitator was very good."

"Very good exercises! Nice balance between lectures and assignments. Excellent course!"

Explanations are simple, detailed, and thorough.

"It helped me going in depth in many important topics that I got a chance to cover a bit in AP Chemistry, really helpful. Thank you so much for your lectures!"

"Excellent Professor Dorian Canelas! A very good introduction to Chemistry Reactions and Ratios. Incredibly understandable and explanatory."

"Everything was great, the instructor took her time and gave explanations that broke down the topic in a way that made it easy to understand."

Professor Canelas is enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and presents material in a clear and engaging manner.

"The best chemistry course for the beginners.And Prof. Dorian is a good teacher in my opinion. She taught everything perfectly. "

"Professor Dorian is awesome!! Loved the course. Specially for chemistry enthusiasts. Helps students gain interest in chemistry!!"

"Fantastic course! Videos were informative at were conducted at a steady pace. A good introduction to chemistry, especially for people who are new to the subject."

Course content is too basic for learners with prior knowledge of chemistry.

"Good for whom knew something about chemistry and wants to refresh it and learn some new information. Fits for beginners"

"I did not like chemistry because I had failed my previous chemistry 114 class in college. Taking this course have help me to understand the basics of chemistry. I'm grateful. Thank You."

"This course reinforced the basics of chemistry that I had already learned in Chemistry while also giving me to gain more in depth information from the teacher's videos."

Career center

Learners who complete Introduction to Chemistry: Reactions and Ratios will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Chemist

Chemists study the composition, structure, properties, and change of matter. They use their knowledge to develop new products and processes, and to solve problems in a variety of fields, such as medicine, agriculture, and energy.

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Chemical Engineer

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Materials Scientist

Materials Scientists study the properties of materials and develop new materials for use in a variety of applications, such as electronics, aerospace, and medicine.

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Biochemist

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Pharmacist

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Forensic Scientist

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Environmental Scientist

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Science Teacher

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Laboratory Technician

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Quality Control Analyst

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Sales Representative

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Technical Writer

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Patent Attorney

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Science Policy Advisor

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Science Journalist

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