What Are the Best Quizlet Decks for AP Chemistry?

❓ Why Quizlet?

One of the most popular study sites used by AP students is Quizlet and for a good reason! Quizlet combines the classic flashcard studying method with unique, fun games to learn vocabulary. However, the number of resources provided by Quizlet can make it challenging to find the best decks for each AP Chemistry Unit. For that reason, here are the most comprehensive Quizlet decks for effective studying!

⚛️Unit 1: Atomic Structure and Properties

Unit 1 sets the foundation for the rest of the course, making it essential to know these 29 terms. In this unit, the material revolves around the basics of chemistry, like moles and the structure of matter. This unit has a ton of vocab since it is mostly concepts and not math. 

Best Quizlet Deck:  UNIT 1: Atomic Structure and Properties by drparker_sci

Key Terms:

• **Electron Orbital—**The most likely region where an electron is located is within subshells.
• **Valence Electrons—**Electrons on the outermost energy level of an atom; bonding electrons.
• **Periodic Trends—**Ionization Energy, Electron Affinity, and Atomic/Ionic Radius.

🧪Unit 2: Molecular and Ionic Compound Structure and Properties

Unit 2 builds upon the atomic structure you learned in Unit 1 and applies it to molecules and bonding. In this unit, you’ll learn about bond types, structure, and geometry. Like Unit 1, most of this unit is theory and concept-related, so vocab is a big part.

Best Quizlet Deck: Unit 2: Molecular and Ionic Compound Structure and Properties by Caitlin_Canane

Key Terms: 

• **VSEPR—**Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion; the theory that describes how electrons act in bonds. Molecules adjust their shapes so that valence electron pairs are as far apart as possible.
• **Hybridization—**The mixing of several atomic orbitals to form the same total number of equivalent hybrid orbitals.
• **Formal Charge—**The number of valence electrons in an isolated atom minus the number of electrons assigned to the atom in the Lewis structure.

⚗️ Unit 3: Intermolecular Forces and Properties

Unit 3 delves into what happens between molecules. In this unit, you’ll learn about intermolecular forces, solutions, gasses, and states of matter. When dealing with gases, a lot of the content will be quantitative, so along with this Quizlet deck, be sure to practice problems and FRQs!

Best Quizlet Deck: Intermolecular Forces & Physical Properties by Emily_Cieslinski

Key Terms: 

• **Intermolecular Forces—**Forces of attraction and repulsion between molecules.
• **Solubility—**The ability to be dissolved and dissociated into constituent ions.
• Ideal Gas Law—PV = nRT; describes the relationship between pressure, volume, moles, and temperature.
• **Combined Gas Law—**P1V1/T1n1 = P2V2/T2n2; describes how when certain aspects of a gas change, other quantities change as well.

💥Unit 4: Chemical Reactions

Unit 4 teaches what every chemistry student wants to learn going into chemistry: reactions. This unit gets straight into how reactants turn into products in a variety of ways, such as combustion reactions, precipitation reactions, and neutralizations. You NEED to know these types of reactions and how they work to succeed in AP Chemistry. 

Best Quizlet Deck: AP Chemistry-Chemical Reactions by MrsZilly

Key Terms:

• **Acid-Base Neutralization—**When an acid and a base react to form a salt (ionic compound) and water (ex. HCl + NaOH --> NaCl + H2O).
• **Redox Reaction—**A reaction involving electron transfers (ex. 2Ag + Cu(NO3)2 → Cu + 2AgNO3).
• **Precipitation Reaction—**A reaction in which an insoluble compound falls out of solution (ex. 2KI (aq) +Pb(NO3)2 (aq) --> 2KNO3 (aq) + PbI2 (s)).

📈 Unit 5: Kinetics

Unit 5 describes the mechanics behind reactions and what makes reactions go the speed that they do. You’ll learn how to speed up reactions and what factors affect the rates of reactions. It’s important to be able to both understand these concepts and apply them mathematically, with this unit being roughly 50% math and 50% concepts.

Best Quizlet Deck: Kinetics by samihaela

Key Terms:  

• **Rate Law—**an expression relating the rate of a reaction to the concentration of the reactants
• **Rate of Reaction—**change in concentration / time
• Kinetic Theory—states that chemical reactions can occur when atoms, ions, and molecules collide, with enough energy, in the correct orientation Temperature
• **Activation Energy—**Energy needed to get a reaction started (space between activated complex and potential energy)

🔥 Unit 6: Thermodynamics

Unit 6 is all about one thing: energy. You’ll learn how energy flows in reactions and how thermodynamics can be applied to chemical reactions. Unlike past units, this unit is probably 75% math, but in order to know how to apply formulas, you have to know the concepts! Therefore, knowing terms and vocab are invaluable, and this Quizlet deck will help!

Best Quizlet Deck: Unit 6: Thermochemistry by DaviCaceres5

Key Terms:

• Enthalpy: Energy in the form of heat that transfers during reactions
• Calorimetry: A coffee-cup calorimeter is a constant-pressure calorimeter. As such, the heat that is measured in such a device is equivalent to the change in enthalpy
• Bond Enthalpy: Bond enthalpy is defined as the amount of energy required to break one mole of the stated bond

⚖️ Unit 7: Equilibrium

Unit 7 goes back to unit 4 and unit 5 and describes what happens when a reaction can go backward. Through this unit, you’ll learn about reversible reactions and reactions that produce not that many products because of equilibrium. This unit is also verrry math-heavy, but equilibrium is also a hard concept to grasp with a lot of unfamiliar terms.

Best Quizlet Deck: Equilibrium by katielynnodom

Key Terms:

• Equilibrium: The point at which the rates of the forward and backward reaction are equal
• Equilibrium Constant: A constant that describes the extent to which a reaction goes forward (K = [products]^n/[reactants]^m)
• Reaction Quotient: the relative amounts of products and reactants present during a reaction at a particular point in time
• Le Chatelier's Principle: Can be used to predict the effect of a change in conditions on some chemical equilibria

🍋 Unit 8: Acids and Bases

Unit 8 is a big one. This unit is typically the one that scares students, and frankly? It’s for good reason. Unit 8 is a beast. Acids, bases, equilibrium, titrations, buffers, this unit has it all. Typically, this unit is also REALLY heavily tested, so you gotta know it for the exam.

Best Quizlet Deck: Titration, Acids and Bases by rludwig44

Key Terms:

• Arrhenius Acid and Base: Acid yields H+, Base yields OH-
• Bronsted Acid and Base: Acid donates H+, Base accepts H+
• Titration: the slow addition of one solution of a known concentration (called a titrant) to a known volume of another solution of unknown concentration until the reaction reaches neutralization
• ICE Box: A method for calculating equilibrium concentrations

👨‍🔬 Unit 9: Applications of Thermodynamics 

The final unit! Unit 9 blends units 6 and 7 to apply thermodynamics to chemical reactions even more heavily. You’ll learn some really cool topics like spontaneity, electrochemistry, and Gibbs Free Energy, and equilibrium. This is a very math-heavy unit, but again, concepts above all!

Best Quizlet Deck: AP Chemistry Unit 9 Applications of Thermodynamics - Electrochemistry by Michelle_Salomon8

Key Terms:

• Entropy: A measure of disorder in a system
• Gibbs Free Energy: A thermodynamic potential that can be used to calculate the maximum of reversible work that may be performed by a thermodynamic system at a constant temperature and pressure
• Reduction Potential: Is a measure of the tendency of a chemical species to acquire electrons

Closing Thoughts

Hopefully, these decks can help you study for your tests and ultimately, the AP exam. The best feature about Quizlet is how you can play games and use flashcards wherever you are. When you are studying, you can always duplicate a deck and customize it to your own needs. 

As long as you review these flashcards at least once a day a few days before your test, you should be good to go. Make sure to take advantage of starring flashcards you struggle with! Before a test, it's great to quickly look over the starred ones and then feel more confident about them. 

You got this! Good luck studying. 🍀

More Resources: 

📝Read: AP Chemistry - How to get a 5

📝Read: AP Chemistry - Best Textbooks and Prep Books