About this Course

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This is an introductory course for students with limited background in chemistry; basic concepts involved in chemical reactions, stoichiometry, the periodic table, periodic trends, nomenclature, and chemical problem solving will be emphasized with the goal of preparing students for further study in chemistry as needed for many science, health, and policy professions.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 18 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 18 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.83/5 (309 Ratings)

Prof. Dorian A. Canelas

Associate Professor of the Practice

Chemistry

130,599 Learners

2 Courses

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating94%(7,597 ratings)

Week

1

Week 1

4 hours to complete

Introduction

Over the seven weeks of Introduction to Chemistry: Reactions and Ratios, you will be able to progress from a most basic knowledge of matter and energy to solving interesting real world chemical reaction stoichiometry problems. Each lesson in the course introduces some new concepts that allow you to build upon the material from previous lessons, so completing the coursework in the order that it is delivered will be most beneficial for developing a thorough understanding of synthesized information. This course is intended for students with very little background in the subject, but a strong foundation in algebra is needed to solve some of the problems.In the first unit, the course will first introduce the basic concepts of scientific methods and measurement. Then we will talk about matter, energy, and stoichiometry. Last, we prepared several lab demonstrations by Dr. Ken Lyle. I hope that you are as excited as I am to this amazing world of chemistry! Good luck!

4 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 133 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

12 videos

Introduction7m

Scientific Method9m

Measurement and Significant Figures Part I16m

Measurement and Significant Figures Part II13m

Matter17m

Energy Part I14m

Energy Part II14m

Intro Stoichiometry Part I - Chemical Formulas12m

Intro Stoichiometry Part II - The Mole13m

[DEMO] Dr. Ken Lyle Chemistry Demonstration6m

[DEMO] Physical Change3m

[DEMO] Chemical Change4m

2 readings

Math Concept Quiz Instructions10m

Significant Figure Tips10m

2 practice exercises

Math Concept Quiz30m

Week 1 Exercises30m

Week

2

Week 2

4 hours to complete

Matter and Energy

If you are interested in significant figures in more detail, here are some <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/math/pre-algebra/decimals-pre-alg/sig-figs-pre-alg/v/significant-figures" target="_blank">good videos</a> to follow on Khan Academy.This week we will continue our explorations of matter and energy. We will discuss the sub-atomic particles that govern chemical reactions, isotopes, anions, and cations. We will learn how to name compounds, calculate formula masses, convert between grams and moles, examine periodic trends, and more! An advanced problems set is posted now; that is a longer assignment and is optional unless you would like to be eligible for the Honor’s Track. You can still earn a regular verified certificate without completing the advanced problem sets, so please be sure to keep working on the normal weekly exercises.

4 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 183 min)

Week

3

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Compounds

2 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 99 min)

Week

4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Chemical Composition and Reactions

Week 4 for Introduction to Chemistry: Reactions and Ratios is about to begin! This week will be filled with introductions to chemical compositions, chemical reaction terminology, and reaction calculations.If any of the following questions interest you, then watching this week's videos and doing some practice problems are probably a good way to get started! How much sodium is in my diet? What amount of pollutants are in drinking water? How much iron is in iron ore for steel production? These of the types of problems you will be able to address this week.

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 106 min)

Week

5

Week 5

2 hours to complete

Solutions and Solubility Rules

In the past five weeks of the course, we have learned concepts, rules, and skills, including but not limited to: the definitions of atoms, elements, molecules, and compounds; energy changes; Coulomb’s Law, molecular stoichiometry; atomic structures; periodic trends; the mole; compounds; atomic and molecular masses; molecular stoichiometry; balancing chemical equations.In this coming week, we will be discussing aqueous solutions, solubility rules, precipitations and electrolytes! We are also going to learn the first type of chemical reaction equation in this course: Dissolutions.

2 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 116 min)

9 videos

Introduction to Solutions Part I17m

Introduction to Solutions Part II11m

[Demo] Electrolytes10m

Dissolution and the Solubility Product Constant Part I15m

Dissolution and the Solubility Product Constant Part II11m

Solubility Rules13m

Precipitation & Net Ionic Equations Part I16m

Precipitation & Net Ionic Equations Part II13m

[Interview] Dr. Franz Interview (05:55)5m

1 practice exercise

Week 5 Exercises30m

Week

6

Week 6

2 hours to complete

Acid-base and Redox Reactions

We are almost at the end of our course! I hope this has been a rewarding experience for you because I know that the course is not an easy one and it is relatively long. So kudos to everyone who has made it this far!Week 6 for Introduction to Chemistry: Reactions and Ratios will include very basic introductions to acid-base and redox reactions. We will also practice combining what we know from previous weeks to complete reaction calculations.

2 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 79 min)

Week

7

Week 7

1 hour to complete

Final Exam

1 hour to complete

Reviews

4.7

292 reviews

5 stars
82.47%
4 stars
12.48%
3 stars
1.88%
2 stars
1.07%
1 star
2.06%

TOP REVIEWS FROM INTRODUCTION TO CHEMISTRY: REACTIONS AND RATIOS

by HLOct 5, 2016

Strongly recommend this to people who lack backgrounds in chemistry or those who want to revisit knowledge they've not come across for a long time. I learnt a lot! :)

by PFNov 23, 2016

A very good course to review basic college chemistry, or to prepare for for taking a college course if High School chemistry was taken too long ago. Highly recommended!

by RGAug 19, 2020

Thank you Professor Dorian A. Canelas! It made me much more easier to understand the basic principles of chemistry and it builds me a lot of confidence in answering some of the problems in chemistry.

by JSJul 1, 2019

Excellent introduction. Engaging lectures, clear demonstrations and approachable problem sets. I love that everything for this course works from my phone. THANK YOU FOR OFFERING THIS COURSE!!!!!

View all reviews

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Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Will I receive a transcript from Duke University for completing this course?
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Introduction to Chemistry: Reactions and Ratios

Introduction to Chemistry: Reactions and Ratios

About this Course