• one or two bound notebooks for the laboratory, preferably with gridlines (graph paper)
• a graphing calculator
• 200 - 3x5 index cards
• 100 - 5x8 index cards

A bound composition notebook or other suitable lab notebook is required for this class. You will need approximately 200 pages (depending upon how large you write). You may decide to use one notebook for the first semester and one for the second. All data written in the notebook must be in black or blue ink! The purpose of the lab notebook is to keep an accurate record of the work you have done in the lab. It should be reasonably neat, but mistakes are expected. Cross through any mistakes so that they may still be read and then continue.

The first two pages of your notebook should be reserved for the table of contents and look like:

Date |____________________Experiment Title_________________|_Starting page#

____|__________________________________________________|______________

As you do each lab, enter the information in your table of contents. The rest of the notebook should contain the details about the experiment, including the following items:

1. the title, date, and purpose of the experiment
2. a list specifying reagents, quantities, concentrations, and equipment used.
3. labelled diagrams of all set-ups
4. balanced equations for chemical reactions, if known
5. data and observations in clearly marked tables with units
6. calculations and graphs of relevant data
7. questions answered and conclusions made about the data you collected

To thoroughly prepare for the AP exam, we will be practicing actual questions given on previous exams. One section of the exam includes "Free Response" questions where detailed answers and calculations are required for maximum points. You will be given a set of 5-8 questions at a time and 1-3 weeks in which to complete them. You may cut and paste each question onto a 5x8 index card. Then answer each question on the back of its card. Use a paper clip or rubber band to bind the cards together and turn them in on the due date. These will be graded and given back. Keep them so that you have something to go back and study later in the year as we approach the AP exam date.
 
 

Another section of the AP exam is the "Equation Writing" section. This is a difficult part to learn and is only mastered through repetition. Beginning in January, we will practice writing equations and do one set of eight equations per week until the AP Exam. Using your 3x5 index cards, write the equation prompt (words) on one side of the card and the equation (symbols) on the other. These will be collected weekly and graded. Every other week we will have an equation quiz to help you prepare for this section of the exam.

The multiple choice section of the AP Exam is 45% of your grade. It covers a broad range of topics and ranges from easy to very difficult. Incorrect answers are penalized by 1/4 point. We will have multiple choice tests to prepare for this section of the AP Exam.
 
 

You will be assigned homework sets to do each unit from your textbook. These are optional but recommended to practice applying the concepts to problems. They are always due the day of the unit test and will count up to 10% bonus on your test.