AP Chemistry revisions for 2013-2014

[snowbeltmom]

I am trying to plan out my 7th grader's high school science sequence hoping to avoid an AP science the first year it is revised. I was looking at the upcoming changes to the AP Chemistry exam, and I am surprised by the changes. Imo, it looks like the course is going to be watered down considerably.

 

According to the CB website, the following topics will not be included in the scope of the course (there are other excluded topics as well):

Calculations of molality, percent by mass, and percent by volume are beyond the scope of this course and the AP Exam.

Phase diagrams are beyond the scope of this course and the AP Exam.

Assignment of quantum numbers to electrons is beyond the scope of this course and the AP Exam.

 

Lewis acid-base concepts are beyond the scope of this course and the AP Exam.

Language of reducing agent and oxidizing agent is beyond the scope of this course and the AP Exam.

Memorization of other “solubility rules†is beyond the scope of this course and the AP Exam.

 

 

Imo, with these changes, I am concerned that this course is no where near the equivalent of a college level chemistry course. I wonder if some colleges will stop awarding college credit for this course.:confused:

 

I don't understand why this course is being revised. Are there any other hive members concerned about these changes? Ds#2 might be taking chemistry at the community college instead of going the AP route.

[TheHomeScientist]

Imo, with these changes, I am concerned that this course is no where near the equivalent of a college level chemistry course. I wonder if some colleges will stop awarding college credit for this course.:confused:

 

AP Chemistry (and the other AP sciences) is not now and never has been the equivalent of a real college-level chemistry course. A full year of AP chemistry typically equates to one semester of college-level chemistry.

 

In my opinion and that of many others, AP tests shouldn't be used to test out of subjects in a student's major. For example, someone who will major in history could reasonably use the AP chemistry exam to test out of the required science course, just as a chemistry major could reasonably use, say, AP History to test out of a required history course. But it's a mistake for the chemistry major to test out of first-year college chemistry, just as it's a mistake for the history major to test out of first-year college history. In either case, the student simply misses too much.

 

Which is not to say that there's anything wrong with covering college-level science in high school, as long as you really cover it rather than just use the AP requirements. For chemistry, I'd plan on two years with lots of labs, using something like Chemistry: The Central Science as the spine. That *is* a real college-level chemistry course, and if a student who will major in chemistry completes that he or she could easily pass the AP chemistry exam and use it to test out of taking the majors-level first-year chemistry course. I'd also consider a third year of chemistry in high school for someone who's seriously pursuing chemistry. That'd be organic, using something like Morrison & Boyd as a spine. Unfortunately, that would also require a significant investment if the student plans to do real organic labs.

[brandigirl]

wait so the test is going to be easier next year.

[snowbeltmom]

wait so the test is going to be easier next year.

Not next year, but the following year (2014). :)

 

I guess that the CB wants to reduce the amount of memorization required and focus more on those "critical thinking skills."

 

The Chemistry SAT II exam may actually cover more material than what is taught in the new AP Chemistry course.

[brandigirl]

The AP Exam is in a month and I am still clueless I have trouble memorizing large amounts of information and this is my own hell.:glare:

[flyingiguana]

When I went to look at these lines in context they actually don't look as bad.

 

http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/11_3461_AP_CF_Chemistry_WEB_110930.pdf

 

I think many of these are smaller details that result in a lot of extra memorization with not much added benefit. To take the first as an example, I'm not sure students really need to learn molality if they've already learned molarity. Molarity is a much more common concept and generally more useful. Also, if the student already understands molarity, getting to molality won't be that hard. But I can see where the College Board might have made the decision that time has to be saved somewhere, in order to get at the bigger picture.

 

Things like "memorization of other solubility rules" being cut is no big loss, really. I find that these rules are so difficult to memorize that I'd always want to look them up to be sure I'd got them right anyway. I would not be surprised if the test might still ask these sorts of questions, but provide a table of solubility rules.

 

The AP test is, I think, supposed to be the second year of high school chemistry, so in theory, it should work as a college level course. The problem is that it often doesn't.

 

I still think there are a number of colleges that are a bit leery of doing AP Chem credit. This is likely based on how they have seen students do, rather than the list of topics covered. The issue may be that high school students (even those who do well on the AP exam) either don't really learn the material the first time or forget it by the time they need it in later courses. It's hard to tell what the problem might be, but colleges are just looking at the outcomes. (And the issue may be that's it hard to gauge what someone knows based on a single test. It's possible to game the AP tests and do really well without necessarily knowing the material as well as one would need to do well in a college course. This might not be as obvious with something like history, but it will definitely show up in science and math.)

 

Of course, there's always the exceptional student who doesn't follow the averages, but convincing college faculty of this fact isn't always that easy. They've seen the failures.

[TheHomeScientist]

Of course, there's always the exceptional student who doesn't follow the averages, but convincing college faculty of this fact isn't always that easy. They've seen the failures.

 

A lot depends on the particular college, but I've had several college chemistry professors tell me the same thing: as you say, it's pretty easy to "game" the AP Chem exam, but if a student presents a lab notebook that shows the student completed a wide range of real chemistry labs, they're much more likely to grant credit. In fact, many colleges won't even consider granting credit if the student doesn't submit a lab notebook. It's almost impossible to fake a good lab notebook.

[NittanyJen]

In the introduction, there is also some explanation that some of these items may be too elementary to be directly tested on the exam or covered in the course, as it is considered prerequisite knowledge (with preference given to more challenging material); however, they may be embedded in the text of questions and understanding may be required to understand the problem being addressed. I can easily see this happening in the case of Lewis acids and bases and several other concepts that a student would have learned in general chemistry before taking AP Chem.

[snowbeltmom]

In the introduction, there is also some explanation that some of these items may be too elementary to be directly tested on the exam or covered in the course, as it is considered prerequisite knowledge (with preference given to more challenging material); however, they may be embedded in the text of questions and understanding may be required to understand the problem being addressed. I can easily see this happening in the case of Lewis acids and bases and several other concepts that a student would have learned in general chemistry before taking AP Chem.

Thanks for posting this - I missed that in the introduction. The CB's verbiage " beyond the scope of this course" led me to believe that the concept was considered too advanced.

[MtnTeaching]

The AP Exam is in a month and I am still clueless I have trouble memorizing large amounts of information and this is my own hell.:glare:

 

Oh, my goodness. Looking at your tag line and all of the AP classes you are taking this year... AT 15??? Honey, I am exhausted looking at the list.

 

Best of luck to you with these tests!!

[at the beach]

Specifically, on the new AP with regard to Lewis acid-base, this is what the College Board states:

 

"Essential knowledge 3.B.2: In a neutralization reaction, protons are

transferred from an acid to a base.

a. The amphoteric nature of water plays an important role in the chemistry of

aqueous solutions, since water can both accept protons from and donate protons

to dissolved species.

b. Acid-base reactions:

1. Only reactions in aqueous solutions are considered.

2. The Brønsted-Lowry concept of acids and bases is the focus of the course.

✘✘Lewis acid-base concepts are beyond the scope of this course and the AP Exam.

3. When an acid or base ionizes in water, the conjugate acid-base pairs can be identified and their relative strengths compared.

Learning Objective:

LO 3.7 The student is able to identify compounds as Brønsted-Lowry acids, bases, and/or conjugate acid-base pairs, using proton-transfer reactions to justify the identification. [see SP 6.1]"

 

http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/11_3461_AP_CF_Chemistry_WEB_110930.pdf

 

Also, from another site that has nothing to do with AP:

 

"A final comment on Lewis acids and bases

 

If you are a UK A' level student, you might occasionally come across the terms Lewis acid and Lewis base in textbooks or other sources. All you need to remember is:

 

A Lewis acid is an electron pair acceptor.

 

A Lewis base is an electron pair donor.

 

Note: Remember this by thinking of ammonia acting as a base. Most people at this level are familiar with the reactive lone pair on the nitrogen accepting hydrogen ions. Ammonia is basic because of its lone pair. That means that bases must have lone pairs to donate. Acids are the opposite.

 

For all general purposes, stick with the Bronsted-Lowry theory (emphasis added)."

 

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/acidbaseeqia/theories.html

[brandigirl]

Oh, my goodness. Looking at your tag line and all of the AP classes you are taking this year... AT 15??? Honey, I am exhausted looking at the list.

 

Best of luck to you with these tests!!

 

Thank You:001_smile: I am actually going to register today and I feel like I am going to my own execution. The only reason I am taking the AP Chem this year is because if I fail it will give me next year as a second chance. Can you tell moral is up:glare: