Cracking the Chemistry Code
The Student's Guide to the Virginia Chemistry SOLs

The topics below follow the organization of the Virginia Standards of Learning for Chemistry.  Students using this site can link to tutorials that review each topic.  Some of the tutorials are interactive; some are not.  Some of the links are visually appealing; some are not.  But remember, chemistry isn't all fun and games!  If you need a periodic table for any practice problems, click here.

CH.1
CH.1

a. Designated laboratory techniques
b. Safe use of chemicals and equipment
c. Proper response to emergency situations
d. Multiple variables are manipulated with repeated trials.
e. Accurate recording, organizing, and analysis of data through repeated trials.
f. Mathematical and procedural error analysis.
    1. Precision and Accuracy
    2. Uncertainty in measurements
g. Mathematical manipulations
    1. SI units
    2. Scientific notation
    3. Linear equations
    4. Graphing
    5. Ratio and proportion
    6. Significant digits   (More practice)
    7. Dimensional analysis

CH.2
CH.2
a. Mass/atomic number
b. Isotopes/half-lives/nuclear particles
c. Particle/mass charge
d. Families/groups
e. Series/periods
f. Trends/patterns
    1. Atomic/nuclear radii
    2. Electronegativity
    3. Shielding Effect
g. Electron configurations and oxidation numbers
h. Chemical/physical properties
i. Historical and quantum models

CH.3
CH.3
a. Nomenclature
b. Balancing chemical equations
c. Writing chemical formulas
    (formula to name practice)  (name to formula practice)
    1. Molecular
    2. Structural
    3. Empirical
    4. Lewis diagrams
d. Bonding types
    1. Ionic
    2. Covalent
e. Reaction types
    1. Synthesis
    2. Decomposition
    3. Single and double replacement
    4. Oxidation-reduction
    5. Neutralization
    6. Nuclear
    7. Exothermic and endothermic
    8. Spontaneous/non-spontaneous
    9. Dissociation/ionization
f. Physical and chemical equilibrium
g. Reaction rates and kinetics
    1. Activation energy
    2. Catalysis
    3. Degree of randomness (basics of kinetic molecular theory)
CH.4
CH.4
a. Avogadro's principle, molar volume
b. Stoichiometric relationships
c. Partial pressures
d. Gas laws
e. Solution concentrations
f. Chemical equilibrium
g. Acid/base theory
    1. Strong/weak electrolytes
    2. Dissociation/ionization (pH, pOH)
    3. Titration
CH.5
CH.5
a. Pressure, temperature, and volume
b. Vapor pressure
c. Partial pressures
d. Phase changes (phase diagrams)
e. Molar heats of fusion and vaporization
f. Specific heat capacity
g. Solutions
    1. Colligative properties

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Brought to you by the esteemed teachers of chemistry at Jamestown High School,
Nancy Peterson and Susan Catlett, and their helpful William and Mary graduate students, Leah Price and Darren Hickman.
Special thanks to all the teachers and professionals who actually created and maintain the sites to which we have linked.
This site was created in coordination with the ACT II grant through the College of William and Mary.
We apologize for any broken links; we will update annually.  Last updated December 2001.

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