Study Saturday: How to Succeed in General Chemistry II

General Chemistry II picks up where Gen Chem I left off and shifts from describing what matter is to explaining what matter does. The topics are more abstract and interconnected: equilibrium, kinetics, acid-base chemistry, thermodynamics, and electrochemistry. Many students find Gen Chem II harder than the first semester because the problems require layering multiple concepts together. The payoff is that these topics connect directly to the physiology and pharmacology you will encounter in your DPT program.

What You Will Cover

A standard Gen Chem II course typically includes:

• Chemical kinetics: reaction rates, rate laws, reaction order, activation energy, the Arrhenius equation, catalysis
• Chemical equilibrium: equilibrium constants (Kp, Kc), reaction quotient (Q), ICE tables, Le Chatelier's principle
• Acids and bases: Arrhenius, Bronsted-Lowry, and Lewis theories, pH calculations, strong vs. weak acids and bases, conjugate pairs
• Buffers and titrations: Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, buffer capacity, titration curves, equivalence points
• Thermodynamics: entropy, Gibbs free energy, spontaneity (expanding beyond the enthalpy focus of Gen Chem I)
• Electrochemistry: galvanic and electrolytic cells, standard reduction potentials, the Nernst equation, the relationship between Gibbs free energy and cell potential
• Additional topics (varies by program): colligative properties, nuclear chemistry, coordination chemistry

Why These Topics Matter for PT

Acid-base chemistry connects directly to interpreting arterial blood gas (ABG) results in acute care settings. Understanding pH, buffers, and the bicarbonate/carbonic acid equilibrium is essential for safe patient mobilization and recognizing conditions like metabolic acidosis from exercise.

Equilibrium underlies physiological homeostasis. The body maintains chemical equilibria for oxygen and CO2 exchange, calcium balance, and electrolyte concentrations. Le Chatelier's principle helps you understand how the body compensates when these systems are disrupted.

Electrochemistry maps to nerve and muscle function. Nerve impulses and muscle contractions depend on electrochemical gradients across cell membranes (sodium, potassium, and calcium channels). The Nernst equation relates directly to membrane potential.

Kinetics underpins pharmacology. Drug metabolism follows reaction kinetics principles: half-life, rate of absorption, and enzyme catalysis. PTs must understand medication timing when planning treatments.

Thermodynamics connects to metabolism and energy systems. Gibbs free energy and spontaneity relate to ATP hydrolysis and the metabolic pathways you will study in exercise physiology.

Study Strategies That Work

Master ICE tables. ICE (Initial, Change, Equilibrium) tables are the backbone of equilibrium and acid-base calculations. Practice setting them up until the process is automatic. If you can build an ICE table correctly, you can solve most equilibrium problems.

Build topics in sequence. Gen Chem II topics are deeply interrelated. Equilibrium connects to acid-base, which connects to buffers, which connects to thermodynamics, which connects to electrochemistry. Do not skip ahead. Make sure each foundation is solid before moving to the next topic.

Work through pH calculations in a progression. Start with strong acids and bases (straightforward). Move to weak acids and bases (Ka and Kb calculations). Then polyprotic acids. Then buffers (Henderson-Hasselbalch). Then titration curves. Each type builds on the previous one.

Connect delta-G, K, and E-cell. These three quantities are linked through the equations delta-G = -nFE and delta-G = -RT ln(K). Understanding this triangle of relationships is one of the most powerful insights in Gen Chem II. If you know one value, you can calculate the other two.

Practice graphing for kinetics. Learn to determine reaction order from experimental data by plotting concentration vs. time (zero order), ln[A] vs. time (first order), and 1/[A] vs. time (second order). The linear plot tells you the order.

Work problems daily. Gen Chem II rewards consistent practice over cramming. The problems are multi-step and require combining concepts, so regular exposure keeps the connections fresh.

Use multiple resources for the same topic. Watch a video for conceptual understanding, then immediately practice problems on that topic. The Organic Chemistry Tutor is excellent for step-by-step problem walkthroughs, while Khan Academy is strong for building conceptual understanding first.

Free Resources

Video lectures:

• Khan Academy Chemistry covers equilibrium, kinetics, acids and bases, and electrochemistry with videos and practice exercises. The AP Chemistry units on equilibrium and acid-base are particularly strong.
• The Organic Chemistry Tutor offers methodical, step-by-step problem solving for every Gen Chem II topic, including semester final exam review videos
• Professor Dave Explains has a General Chemistry playlist plus a separate practice problems playlist with clear visual explanations
• MIT OpenCourseWare 5.112 provides 34+ lecture videos covering thermodynamics, acid-base equilibria, kinetics, and catalysis

Free textbooks:

• OpenStax Chemistry 2e covers the full two-semester sequence with chapters on equilibrium, kinetics, acid-base, and electrochemistry
• Chemistry LibreTexts hosts multiple free textbooks with exercise sets specifically for equilibrium and acid-base topics

Practice problems:

• Chemistry Steps offers over 1,000 free practice problems with an interactive interface that provides hints and answer reveals

Interactive tools:

• PhET Acid-Base Solutions lets you explore strong vs. weak acids and bases, pH measurement, and conductivity interactively
• PhET Chemistry Simulations includes additional simulations for reactions and concentrations

Apps Worth Using

• Anki for spaced repetition flashcards covering equations, constants, and key concepts
• Wolfram Alpha for checking calculations, balancing redox reactions, and calculating equilibrium constants (Pro version shows step-by-step solutions)
• PhET Simulations for interactive visualization of acid-base and equilibrium concepts
• Quizlet has extensive user-generated Gen Chem II flashcard sets with multiple study modes

How This Connects to DPT School

Gen Chem II is where chemistry stops feeling abstract and starts connecting to the human body. The acid-base chemistry you learn here reappears in your DPT physiology course when you study respiratory and renal compensation. Electrochemistry becomes the basis for understanding action potentials and neuromuscular function. Kinetics shows up in pharmacology when you learn about drug half-lives and dosing schedules. Thermodynamics connects to the energy systems you will study in exercise physiology. If Gen Chem I taught you the language of chemistry, Gen Chem II teaches you how the body speaks it.

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This is part of our Study Saturday series, where we break down how to succeed in each PT school prerequisite course. For an overview of all prerequisites, see understanding PT school prerequisites.