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MITx: General Chemistry II: Chemical Equilibrium, Kinetics, and Transition Metals

Experience the world at the molecular-level! Learn about spontaneity, equilibrium, and mechanisms and rates of reactions. Applications include the energy problem, acid/base chemistry, electrochemistry and batteries, climate science, catalysis, and more.

General Chemistry II: Chemical Equilibrium, Kinetics, and Transition Metals
15 weeks
8–12 hours per week
Instructor-paced
Instructor-led on a course schedule
This course is archived

About this course

Skip About this course

Chemistry is the study of the properties, structure, behavior, and reactivity of matter. As the central science, chemistry has deep connections to fields from physics to biology, from environmental science to engineering. Cutting-edge research in many fields relies on a fundamental understanding of chemistry. This course is designed to build foundational skills in chemistry, providing learners with the necessary prerequisite knowledge for advanced chemistry courses, including Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Materials Science, and beyond.

This course is the second in a series of two general chemistry courses that together cover first-year University-level chemistry. In this course, you will explore fundamentals of chemical reactions, such as how thermodynamics defines the energy released or consumed by a reaction, the nature of chemical equilibrium, and whether a reaction is spontaneous. You will also learn chemical kinetics to examine rates and molecular mechanisms of reactions, and learn about the design and use of catalysts. Along the way, you will examine exciting and important chemical systems, including:

  • Acid/base chemistry and buffers
  • Redox chemistry and batteries
  • Transition metals and applications in biology
  • Atmospheric chemistry and global warming

At a glance

  • Institution: MITx
  • Subject: Chemistry
  • Level: Intermediate
  • Prerequisites:
    • High School Chemistry (Module 0 provides background information)
    • Pre-Calculus-Level Mathematics
    • 5.01x or equivalent recommended
  • Language: English
  • Video Transcript: English
  • Associated skills:Organic Chemistry, General Chemistry, Chemical Equilibrium, Environmental Science, Biology, Inorganic Chemistry, Chemical Reactions, Sales, Catalysis, Physical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Research, Thermodynamics, Acid/Base Chemistry, Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, Chemical Kinetics, Climatology

What you'll learn

Skip What you'll learn
  • Fundamental Thermodynamics
  • Acid/Base Chemistry
  • Redox and Electrochemistry
  • Transition Metal Chemistry
  • Chemical Kinetics and Catalysis

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners residing in one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. edX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

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