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CHEM102

CHEM102 (General Chemistry) is a required, 3 credit hour course for electrical engineering majors. The curriculum also requires a lab - CHEM103 (1 credit hour) that can be taken either with CHEM102 or after completing the course. CHEM 102 covers topics like principles governing atomic structure, bonding, states of matter, stoichiometry, and chemical equilibrium.

Who Should Take the Exam

If you are majoring in electrical engineering and already have a background in basic chemistry, are at the AP Chemistry level, one should consider taking the proficiency exam. This is the only chemistry course along with CHEM 103 that is the degree requirement for electrical engineering majors. A resource to learn the material is Marville CHEM 102 Theory Videos. These explain the topics typically tested on the proficiency exam. Also any first year textbook on General Chemistry can help you revise the topics tested on the exam.

Topics Covered in the Exam

  • Atomic Structure
  • Electromagnetic Radiation
  • Bohr Model of the atom
  • Quantum Mechanical Model of the atom
  • Chemical bonds
  • Lewis Structures, octet rule and exceptions, resonance and formal charge
  • VSEPR model
  • Lewis structures of organic molecules
  • Hybridization model
  • Intermolecular Forces and Physical Properties
  • Stoichiometry
  • Electrolytes and Precipitation reactions
  • Gases Laws and properties of ideal and non-ideal gases
  • Bond Energy
  • Lattice Energy
  • Chemical Equilibrium
  • Solubility Equilibria
  • Acid-Base Reactions
  • Thermodynamics
  • Redox Reactions
  • Electrochemistry

Exam Format

The proficiency exam is offered twice a semester, once in the beginning and one at the end. Students can take the exam only once per semester. There is no fee to take the exam. It is given in person on Canvas. The duration of the exam is an hour and half. Supplemental sheets like the periodic table and constants sheets are provided. The student is required to bring their own device(laptop/tablet) to take the exam. Furthermore, the latest logistics information should always be checked on the official website: Chem102 Proficiency Exam

Life After

If you pass the exam, you would still have to take the 1 credit hour CHEM 103 lab course for which there is no proficiency exam offered. If you are interested in taking more chemistry courses after this, you could consider CHEM 104. If you fail the proficiency exam, you could still take the course, it would fulfill the degree requirement for electrical engineering majors.