Introduction to Chemistry

Even if chemistry tormented you in high school or college, you can master its principles! In this course, you'll gain a solid foundation in the basics of chemistry. Along the way, you'll learn how everything that goes on in your body depends on a chemical reaction. This course also prepares you for a health-related career or for success in a college chemistry course.

The course begins with a discussion of matter and energy. You'll learn about the particles that make up matter and the different states matter can take. You'll also discover the differences between potential and kinetic energy, examine different ways to measure energy, and explore endothermic and exothermic reactions.

Once you've mastered these basics, you'll move on to the study of the atom and its subatomic particles. You'll learn about ions and isotopes, and their very important uses in medicine. As you study the periodic table of elements, you'll grasp why atoms combine with each other, why some chemical bonds are strong and some are weak, and what they have in common with romantic relationships.

In the lessons that follow, you'll learn more about chemical reactions and see how to interpret and balance chemical equations. You'll find out why chemicals react with each other and what can be done to speed those reactions. You'll also master stoichiometric calculations—a powerful way to figure out the relationship between the chemicals you start out with in a reaction and what you'll end up with.

The course concludes with a discussion of solutions, inorganic molecules, and organic molecules. You'll study the differences between solutes and solvents; unsaturated and saturated solutions; and acids, bases, andsalts; and examine the four types of bioorganic molecules in your body.

Along the way, you'll gain interesting insights about your body's use of food, the role of isotopes in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, nutritional deficiencies, the importance of enzymes, and the function of many specific chemicals in your body.