Chemistry Con-LAb
Welcome to Your Chemistry Con-LAb!
This is your interactive, "hand-holding" resource designed to help you review, practice, and master core chemistry concepts.
We've translated a standard chemistry roadmap into an interactive experience. This widget is fully responsive and designed to work on both desktop and mobile. You'll find:
- Interactive Tables: Click buttons to see properties of different Periodic Table groups.
- Dynamic Charts: Visualize how solution molarity changes in real-time.
- Working Practice Terminals: Test your knowledge in each section with hands-on questions and get instant feedback.
- Tricky Stuff: A special section dedicated to common stumbling blocks, like Acids & Bases, explained with clear examples.
Use the menu to navigate between topics. Let's get started!
1. The Building Blocks
This is the bedrock. Everything in chemistry is built on atoms, moles, and how we write them. This section provides a quick, interactive refresher.
What is an Atom?
An atom is the smallest unit of an element. It's made of three main particles:
- Proton (
p+): Positively charged. Found in the nucleus. The number of protons determines the element (Atomic Number). - Neutron (
n⁰): No charge (neutral). Found in the nucleus. Protons + Neutrons = Mass Number. - Electron (
e-): Negatively charged. Orbits the nucleus. In a neutral atom,# of electrons = # of protons.
The Mole (It's just a number!)
Atoms are too small to count. A "mole" is just a giant quantity that we can measure.
1 Mole = Avogadro's Number
6.022 x 10²³
Just like 1 "dozen" = 12 eggs, 1 "mole" = 6.022 x 10²³ atoms (or molecules).
Chemical Formulas
Formulas are how we write "recipes" for molecules. The subscript number tells you how many atoms of the *previous* element are in the molecule.
# Water: H₂O # This means: # 2 Hydrogen (H) atoms # 1 Oxygen (O) atom # Carbon Dioxide: CO₂ # This means: # 1 Carbon (C) atom # 2 Oxygen (O) atoms # Glucose: C₆H₁₂O₆ # This means: # 6 Carbon (C) atoms # 12 Hydrogen (H) atoms # 6 Oxygen (O) atoms
Practice Time
Q1: An element's Atomic Number is 8. How many protons does it have?
> Terminal ready. Awaiting answer...
2. The Periodic Table
The Periodic Table is the ultimate data structure in chemistry. It organizes elements by properties. Click the buttons to see a cheat sheet for common groups.
| Element | Symbol | Key Property |
|---|
Practice Time
Q1: What is the chemical symbol for Sodium?
> Terminal ready. Awaiting answer...
3. Chemical Reactions
Reactions are the processes that make or break chemical bonds. We classify them by *what they do* and we *must* balance them to follow the Law of Conservation of Mass.
Balancing Equations
The number of atoms of each element MUST be the same on both sides.
# Unbalanced: H₂ + O₂ → H₂O # Reactants: 2 (H), 2 (O) # Products: 2 (H), 1 (O) # This is wrong! ❌ # Balanced: 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O # Reactants: 4 (H), 2 (O) # Products: 4 (H), 2 (O) # This is correct! ✅
Common Reaction Types
# Synthesis: Two things become one # General Form: A + B → AB # # Example: # 2Mg + O₂ → 2MgO
# Decomposition: One thing breaks # General Form: AB → A + B # # Example: # 2H₂O → 2H₂ + O₂
Practice Time
Q1: Balance this equation: N₂ + H₂ → NH₃. Write the 3 coefficients, separated by commas (e.g., 1, 2, 3).
> Terminal ready. Awaiting answer...
4. States & Gas Laws
Matter exists in different states (or phases). Gases are special because they follow predictable "laws" that work like functions.
Gas Laws as Functions
The Ideal Gas Law relates 4 variables. If you know 3, you can find the 4th.
# Ideal Gas Law PV = nRT # P = Pressure # V = Volume # n = moles # R = Gas Constant # T = Temperature (in Kelvin!)
Boyle's Law
If temp (T) and moles (n) are constant:
# P₁V₁ = P₂V₂ # Pressure and Volume are # INVERSELY related. # # If P goes up ↑, V goes down ↓
Phase Transitions
Practice Time
Q1: What is the phase transition from a solid directly to a gas called?
> Terminal ready. Awaiting answer...
5. Solutions & Molarity
Aggregation in chemistry often means concentration. Molarity (M) is the most common unit, defined as moles of solute per Liter of solution.
M = moles / L
Practice Time
Q1: You dissolve 2 moles of NaCl in 1 Liter of water. What is the Molarity (M)?
> Terminal ready. Awaiting answer...
6. Tricky Stuff: Acids & Bases
This is a core concept that can be tricky. This section covers the pH scale, common mistakes, and advanced lab techniques.
The pH Scale
It's Logarithmic!
The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a solution is. It runs from 0 to 14.
- pH < 7 = Acidic (e.g., Lemon Juice)
- pH = 7 = Neutral (e.g., Pure Water)
- pH > 7 = Basic/Alkaline (e.g., Bleach)
Because it's logarithmic (base 10), a pH of 3 is 10 times more acidic than a pH of 4, and 100 times more acidic than a pH of 5.
Common Mistake: Strong vs. Weak
"Strong" does not mean "more corrosive"! It refers to *dissociation*.
Strong Acids (e.g., HCl)
# In water, 100% of HCl molecules # break apart (dissociate). # # HCl → H⁺ + Cl⁻ # (There is no HCl left)
Weak Acids (e.g., Acetic Acid CH₃COOH)
# In water, only ~1% of molecules # break apart. Most stay together. # # CH₃COOH ⇌ H⁺ + CH₃COO⁻ # (Most of it is still CH₃COOH)
Trick Question: Lemon juice is very acidic (pH ~2) but contains citric acid, a *weak acid*. It's just very *concentrated*!
Lab Technique: Titration
Titration is a "power move" used to find the unknown concentration of a solution.
The Process
# 1. You have an acid of UNKNOWN # Molarity (e.g., 25mL of ? M HCl). # 2. You use a "buret" to slowly add # a base of KNOWN Molarity # (e.g., 0.1 M NaOH). # 3. You add an "indicator" dye # that changes color at pH 7. # 4. When it changes color, you STOP. # You've reached the "endpoint". # 5. You use the formula M₁V₁ = M₂V₂ # to solve for your unknown.
Practice Time
Q1: What is the pH of a neutral solution (like pure water)?
> Terminal ready. Awaiting answer...