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Building connections within the General Chemistry Community.

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Blog

  • Ever wonder what keeps your jacket warm, your car running,…

    Ever wonder what keeps your jacket warm, your car running, and your hands toasty in January? Spoiler: it’s all chemistry. From the fibers in your jacket to the heat in your home, winter comfort is a triumph of materials science and thermodynamics. Engineered polymers trap warmth. Air-activated iron reactions keep your hands cozy. Antifreeze keeps…

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    By Jesus Medina

  • You won’t find the term “weed-out course” in any official…

    You won’t find the term “weed-out course” in any official course catalog, but the impact is real. These foundational classes can become defining moments in a student’s academic journey, often determining who continues in STEM fields and who gets left behind. REAL CHEM is helping to rewrite that story. At one large public university, REAL…

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    By Jesus Medina

  • A Joseph Tamer, Deputy Director, ASU ETX Center, shares how…

    A Joseph Tamer, Deputy Director, ASU ETX Center, shares how REAL CHEM’s videos bring chemistry to life through diverse instructor perspectives, helping every student see themselves in their learning journey. #ChemistryEducation #STEMLearning #DiversityInSTEM

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    By Jesus Medina

  • 🎶 Music City, meet REAL CHEM 🎶 Headed to Nashville…

    🎶 Music City, meet REAL CHEM 🎶 Headed to Nashville for EDUCAUSE 2025? Let’s talk chemistry together! October 27–30, we’re bringing chemistry out of the textbook and onto the EDUCAUSE conference floor. Stop by our booth to explore ways to engage students in every classroom. If you’re heading to EDUCAUSE, we hope you’ll come say…

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    By Jesus Medina

  • A note of gratitude from all of us at REAL…

    A note of gratitude from all of us at REAL CHEM, and a heartfelt thank-you from our faculty innovator, Dr. Elaine Villanueva Bernal, Ed.D. 💙 To the 800+ faculty who joined us this fall: thank you. Your energy, curiosity, and thoughtful contributions made this experience truly collaborative. As Dr. Bernal says, it’s moments like these…

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    By Jesus Medina

  • As the year winds down, our own Faculty Innovator Elaine…

    As the year winds down, our own Faculty Innovator Elaine Villanueva Bernal, Ed.D. has been curating a reading list that connects science to everyday life, creativity, and the human experience. Whether you’re a chemist, educator, or someone who simply enjoys a good story with a scientific twist, these titles might spark your curiosity this holiday…

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    By Jesus Medina

Newsletter

  • REAL Reactions

    Hi everyone! I’m Elaine Bernal, the new Faculty Innovator for REAL CHEM, and I’m excited to welcome you to this edition of REAL Reactions.

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    By Jesus Medina

  • REAL Reactions

    Hi everyone! I’m Elaine Bernal, the new Faculty Innovator for REAL CHEM, and I’m excited to welcome you to this edition of REAL Reactions.

    Read more

    By REAL CHEM Team

  • REAL Reactions

    Hi everyone! I’m Elaine Bernal, the new Faculty Innovator for REAL CHEM, and I’m excited to welcome you to this edition of REAL Reactions.

    Read more

    By REAL CHEM Team

Subscribe to Our Newsletter!

Subscribe to our newsletter and learn about the latest innovations in chemistry education and join the conversation.

01

Chemical Kinetics

  • Reaction Rates
  • Rate Laws
  • Reaction Mechanisms
  • Exploration: Catalyst in the Clouds
02

Chemical Equilibrium

  • Concepts of Chemical Equilibrium 
  • Le Châtelier’s Principle 
  • Equilibrium Calculations
  • Exploration: Let’s Get the Lead Out!
03

Acids and Bases

  • Defining and Measuring Acids and Bases
  • Strong and Weak Acids and Bases
  • Exploration: Proton Power! pH and Protein Structure
04

Applications of Aqueous Equilibrium

  • Buffers 
  • Titrations
  • Solubility and Complex Ion Equilibria
05

Thermodynamics and Energy → What Drives a Reaction?

  • Introduction to Thermodynamics
  • The Second Law of Thermodynamics
  • Free Energy 
06

Electrochemistry

  • Foundational Concepts of Electrochemistry
  • Galvanic Cells 
  • Other Applications of Electrochemistry
07

Nuclear Chemistry

  • Nuclear Reactions and Equations
  • Applications of Nuclear Chemistry
08

Transition Metals and Coordination Chemistry

  • Occurrence, Preparation, and Properties of Transition Metals
  • Coordination Chemistry of Transition Metals
  • Spectroscopic and Magnetic Properties of Coordination Compounds
  • Exploration: Dazzling d-Orbitals
09

Appendix (REAL CHEM II)

  • Page: Specific Heats of Common Substances
  • Page: Solution for Large K
  • Page: Solution for Small K
  • Page: Ka Values of Common Weak Acids
  • Page: Kb Values of Common Weak Bases
  • Page: Solubility Products
  • Page: Titration
  • Page: Acid-Base Chemistry of Butterfly Tea and the Ocean
  • Page: Formation Constants for Complex Ions
  • Page: Standard Reduction Potentials
  • Page: Thermodynamic Properties
10

Appendix : PhET Simulations (REAL CHEM II)

  • Page: Gas Properties PhET Simulation
  • Page: Reactions and Rates PhET Simulation
  • Page: Acid-Base Solutions Introduction PhET Simulation
  • Page: pH Scale PhET Simulation
  • Page: Concentration PhET Simulation
  • Page: Salts and Solubility PhET Simulation
  • Page: Build a Nucleus PhET Simulation
  • Page: Radioactive Dating Game PhET Simulation
11

Glossary (REAL CHEM II)

  • Glossary (REAL CHEM II)
12

Instructor only resources (REAL CHEM II)

  • Page: In-class slide decks
  • Page: In-Class Active Learning Activities
  • Page: Learning objectives by module REAL CHEM II
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01

Unveiling the Power of Matter and Energy

  • Basic Concepts of Matter and Energy
  • Measurements
02

Unit 2: Atoms, Molecules and Ions

  • Atomic Theory and the Periodic Table
  • Compounds and Chemical Formulas
  • Exploration: Do you really want to drink that? The elements of water.
03

Electronic Structure and Periodic Properties

  • Electromagnetic Energy and the Bohr Model of the Atom
  • Quantum Theory
  • Periodic Properties
  • Exploration: What’s the World Made Of? Unlocking Secrets with Spectroscopy
04

Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry

  • Ionic and Covalent Bonding
  • Lewis Structures
  • Molecular Structure and Polarity
  • Advanced Theories of Covalent Bonding
  • Exploration: Decoding the Mystery of Greenhouse Molecules
05

Composition
of Substances

  • Mole Calculations
  • Aqueous Solutions
  • Exploration: Is the Town Toxic? Quantifying Concentrations of Lead.
06

Reactions and
Stoichiometry

  • Chemical Reactions and Equations
  • Chemical Reactions Stoichiometry
  • Exploration: Driving Down Greenhouse Emissions
07

Gases

  • Gas Laws
  • Stoichiometry of Gases
  • The Kinetic-Molecular Theory
08

Thermochemistry

  • Introduction to Energy
  • Calorimetry
  • Enthalpy
  • Exploration: What’s Our Next Big Energy Source?
09

Liquids and Solids

  • Intermolecular Forces
  • Phase Changes
  • The Solid State of Matter
10

Solutions

  • Solubility
  • Colligative Properties
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