Select Page

Q1: Week 1 – 9/3 – 9/4

<- Summer 😎 –  Week 2 ->                                                                                                                                                                                                    Jump to:  Thursday,   Friday

Refresh this page every time you arrive!  I update this daily!!!

This page changes and sometimes many times in the same day.  Its a fluid site. I post what I think we will do and then repost what we accomplish.  Homework posted is to be done at home and not completed days ahead of time.  What is posted ahead is subject to change and may not be updated. There is a sequence that needs to be followed. IF there is an any issue I need an email. If there is no email and you did not complete the assignment a grade of zero will be scored in powerschool.

If you have not already please join the REMIND for this class. 

Please Make sure Your read all instructions for all assignments.  The Summer Institute needs to be completed!  

________________________________________________                                                            Jump to: Thursday Homework / top  9/3 – Thursday – A Day – 1AB

 
“The first day of class should connect to the last day and every day in between!”
 
Main focus: 
1. To welcome all and review basic components of class, philosophy, contact information, and resources.
 
2. To interconnect all the concepts learned this summer (and last year) for the beginning of the Electrochemistry Unit.  I may not get to get to much of this
                                                     today but I cant wait to get going!!
 
1. Introduction to course (notes below).
 
2. assign seating 😉 , class webpage basics (refresh page every time!)-  Book (demo) for the class.
 
3. Collect Summer Assignment redox packet – and Labs by Institute students
 
4. Whoosh Bottle Demo vs. Gun Cotton (nitro cellulose) Demo – Oxidizing agents, combustion  
 
5. Summer Institute/ Assignment Lesson Connections Lesson – (major points below) – Just a start for period 2
    – I use the Class notes for this lesson – submenu from week 1  – I will complete this tomorrow! 
       I may not get to this today
     
    a) Biology = proteins
       Chemistry = electrons and Coulombs Law = Everything chemistry is Coulombs Law!
 
              i) properties of elements (atoms) based on Coulombs Law – atomic radii
 
Atomic Radii Chart Flinn.pdf

View Download

 
    b) began discussion of Redox, Big atoms  (metals) vs. Small atoms (nonmetals) and their varying 
        ability to lose (oxidize) or gain (reduce) electrons.
   
   c) cellular respiration, Why Oxygen is needed!! How would Fluorine do?
   
   d) began discussion of Redox, Big atoms  (metals) vs. Small atoms (nonmetals) and their varying 
        ability to lose (oxidize) or gain (reduce) electrons.
 
   e) Coulombs Law: introduction = explains why oxygen is a good oxidizer!!!
 
    f)   Whoosh Bottle Note- taking
 
Intro to Redox – The Whoosh bottle demo.pdf

 

 

___________________                                                                                                      Whoosh bottle Demo Notes:

Once the I have the alcohol in the gas phase, which has now mixed with the oxygen in the air inside the container I ignite the flammable mixture by providing a spark and the combustion reaction begins. This is an example of an spontaneous reaction that releases energy exothermically, (exergonic reaction).   Here is the chemical change that takes place:
 

                        2CH3OH(l)   +  3O2(g)  →  2CO2(g)  +  4H2O(g)  +   Energy                                                                   Alcohol                Oxygen          carbon dioxide       water                  

                                                                        

                                                                          (l) = liquid, (g) = gas

 Why is oxygen needed??

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION –  Notes

 
Grading, Reflection, Assessment, and Feedback
Things I have learned form 12 years of distance/hybrid teaching:
 
                              1. Design – surgical design with your teaching voice that incorporates system thinking–  time spent to                                                                explain and connect rather than just disseminate (providing knowledge or data). 
                             2. Assessment – fair and tied to connected concepts with opportunities to learn from mistakes
                             3. Feedback – immediate, the longer you wait the less you care or learn.
                     4. Connectivity – teacher access and connections between concepts, activities. The course should be                                                                            wrapped tight (with the first day connected to the last and every day in between.)
 
These four constructs above enabled me to Have incredible Educational Momentum in and out the class.
 
Quarter Grade:      10% average of all Quizzes or Homework assignments (Forms)
                                 30% average of all Labs
                                 60% average of all Tests
 
*Please Refresh EVERY TIME you visit as I update and make constant changes to these classroom pages.
 

Introduction:

AP chemistry is notoriously one of the most challenging High School courses that is offered. Most High Schools only allow Juniors and Seniors with Honors Chemistry already taken.  Given the fact that most of my students are sophomores that have not had Regents Chemistry yet,  increases the difficulty.  Given the current pandemic and the remote instruction days that we will have, only increases weight of this course.  
 
I say this to you because YOU MUST BE ALL IN to achieve in this class.  There are only about 15,000 sophomores who take this test out of the 168,497 students who take AP Chemistry word-wide.  You have an amazing opportunity to distance yourself from other college applicants in your graduating class who do not take this course. For those that are Juniors or Seniors you have the same opportunity.  
 
Here is the AP Data or Results from last years test (2026):
 
 
Now you can see that  93.1 % of my students achieved an AP of a 3 or better while the rest of the world (it is an international test) only had 76.2% of the students get a 3 or higher on the test.   Everyone who signs up for AP Chemistry is an above average student by far so think about this.  Out of a self-selected group that compromises very intelligent students (AP Chem students) only 76.2 % earned a 3 or better on the AP test.  Opportunity to distance yourself! Most of my students are 10th graders so they did really well as compared to the mostly 11th and 12 graders to take this course internationally.
 
76.2% of 156,965 students = 119,607 students who got a 3 or higher on the AP Chemistry Test
 
There about 1.5 million first year applicants to US colleges and Universities last fall (2026) thus
 
119,607/1,500,000  x 100 = only 7.97% of all applicants have accomplished this feat!
 
How many achieved 4’s or 5’s in this course??  That were sophomores??
 
IF every Sophomore achieved an AP Grade of 5 on the test that would equate
to to about 15,000/1,500,000 x 100 = 1.00% of all applicants!
  
Having an academic Transcript that only a small percentage of your competing applicant pool for college has accomplished gives you an advantage! 
 
Of course my goal is always 100% of the class achieves a 3 or better and I have had many years that I had 100% but that depends IF YOU ARE ALL IN!   The students that did not earn at least a 3 last year WERE NOT ALL IN!
Everyone of my students who was ALL IN did get a 3 or better this year.  
 
So my message is clear.  Take this course and be dedicated to it!  Do not try to “fit this in” to your schedule.
Be one of the very few who takes this course and even the very fewer who exceed at it!
 
Those that were dedicated to this task finished the Summer Institute regardless of how uncomfortable they were in the process (which is normal).  Those that did not get to the finish line may not be in the right class.
 
Now grades and AP tests are not my only focus here and of course my goal is to prepare you for the AP so that you can earn a 3 or better.  My goal is to open up a world around you through your understanding of chemistry and how it was developed through history.  My goal is for you to understand yourself better through my course.  My goal is to give you the possible ability to love chemistry or at least appreciate it and science in general.  All it took for me was one teacher and one science class to change my life. 
 
I will try to do the same for you and it begins and ends with my class website. Everything will be posted here including class worksheets, keys, homework, notes, video lectures and video tutorials, and labs.
 
If you ever have a question please email me or text through REMIND (which you should have already signed up for in the summer).  Also all the entire faculty will also use Parent Square.
 
            Email:  grodskib@whbschools.org                   Remind: Link to sign-up to Remind
In my opening letter to you in the summer institute I said lets enjoy the fall.  That was because I asked a lot of you this summer.  We will enjoy the fall because of all the hard work many of you put in to establish or begin the process of learning many chemistry concepts.   I will begin the year where you left off in Redox and start connecting all the individual units together in the process so you can start to see the beauty in this topic.  Another goal of mine is to connect the 1st day of school to the last day and every day in between. EVERYTHING CONNECTS!!   Lets Go!
 
Bookkeeping Items for 1st Day
 
1. Please have hard copies of your labs that you competed this summer and the redox  
     module. I will collect on your first in person day. If can you can scan them and email them to me     
     that would be a bonus!
 
2.  Please log into your AP Central Account (or create one) and join the AP Chemistry class (AP Classroom). The AP coordinator at our school must use those online accounts to order AP tests in the spring. IF you do not log in or create an account you risk not having an AP test to take in the spring (regardless if you paid for it or not). The Join codes per class are posted below.
 
3.  Also make sure you have a private gmail account that you should of established this summer.   
    School gmail account do not allow any incoming mail that is not from the school server.  That
    means you will not get keys or results from forms if you use the school email account.
 
4.  Complete the Introduction  Form – this will count as your first QUIZ Grade.
      It will cover all of the introductory information given above.
 
Please use the following link to log in or create an account to AP Classroom:
 
 *Use your Personal gmail account to log in or to create an account. If you use the school account you will not be able to receive emails from the College Board.
 
 1. Sign in to My AP:
 2. Join a Course: Click the Join a Course or Exam button on your screen.
 3. Enter the Code: Type the code below.
 
 
Period 1 Class: 1(AB) 2(B) Join code: GRMVA2
 
4. Verify information: Check that the course details match your class, and then click Yes.
5. Complete Profile Info: Fill out any missing personal registration information if this is your first time joining a class.
6. Go to AP Classroom: Once enrolled click “Go to AP Classroom” and review the course description.
 
  
 

_______________________________________________                                                                                                 jump to:  top            9/3 – Thursday Homework:

h
1. Please review the key of today’s demo worksheet, especially the oxidation numbers determination and the identification of the chemical that got oxidized and reduced.  (I will review the rest tomorrow..)
 
Intro to Redox – The Whoosh bottle demo KEY.pdf
 
2.  Please complete the Introduction form post above in the Introduction (Notes) Section –
     Due Tomorrow for everyone.
 

3.  Join my AP Classroom–  I did not assign assignments from it but you need to join.

Please follow the instructions with this link below to join the Ap Classroom:
 
Period 1 Class: 1(AB) 2(B) Join code: GRMVA2

 

 

 

 
Introduction Form 26-27: 

 

_____________________________________________                                                              Jump to: Friday Homework / top      9/4 – Friday – B Day – 1, 2B

 
Main focus: 
1. To interconnect all the concepts learned this summer (and last year) for the beginning 
    of the Electrochemistry Unit.  
 
      a) To write simple half reactions to a redox reaction and identify the oxidizer and reducer.
      b) To connect the oxidizer and reducer to atomic radii and Coulombs law 
      c) Spontaneity of reactions based on allowable pathway based on properties of elements which is                                measured using net potentials (voltages).
 
2. To introduce entropy and spontaneity.                                                                                                                         
Period 1-2B:
  

– Handed out New AP Chemistry Periodic Table with AP Chemistry periodic Table and Standard Net Potentials reference sheet

Make a pdf here.

1. Review last nights form – lowest performing questions worksheet (questions 12 & 13)

2. Complete the Whoosh bottle worksheet: 

a) Half reaction writing

b) net ion reaction – Overall reaction

c) Net Potentials – Voltage, spontaniety, entropy , allowable pathways

Intro to Redox – The Whoosh bottle demo.pdf
 
Intro to Redox – The Whoosh bottle demo KEY.pdf

Standard Reductions Table Basics lesson: –

 

        E0cell = NET VOLTAGE! (from redox reaction)
 
                       positive voltage = spontaneous = there IS a pathway that the universe allows = IT REACTS!
 
                      negative voltage = non spontaneous = there is a NO pathway that the universe allows = IT doesn’t
                                                                                                  under the current set of conditions 
Electron transport system, F vs O2 , S vs O as final electron acceptor, 
Na vs Cu for pipes, Gold inactivity
spontaneity and free Energy/ pathway of energy/ voltage     

3. Summer institute Connections with REDOX – lesson through Week 1 notes – Used week 1 notes to teach

      a) Elvira the outermost electron – 
  
      b)The Sodium and Chlorine( on video)  and Nitrocellulose (in class) demo. (nitrocellulose 1st)
 
The Sodium and Chlorine & Nitrocellulose Demo worksheet.pdf
 
4. Solubility of salts –> Spontaneity – Demo potassium chloride/tin II chloride
5. Cotton ball vs. nitrocellulose demo = Spontaneity differences maybe
 
 
 
Lab :                                    

      
6. Continue with Summer Institute/ Assignment Lesson Connections Lesson –  
 
7.   Lab 1 – Activity of Metals – 6 metals will be qualitatively tested in their ability to oxidize in an acidic solution and in water.
 

                                                     

_________________________________________________                                                                                                                                        Lab 1 – The Activity of Metals

Activity of Metals – Al, Sn, Fe, Cu, Mg, and Ca will be tested for their reactivity in hydrochloric acid (HCl) and water.
                   
LAB 1 – Activity of metals.pdf                                                                                                                     
View Download   

 

Objectives:

1. To observe the reaction of Al, Sn, Fe, Cu, Mg, and Ca in water and HCl.

2. To write half reactions and identify the oxidizer (oxidizing agent) and reducer (reducing agent).

3.  To rank the reactivity (oxidation) of Al, Sn, Fe, Cu, Mg, and Ca in water and HCl

In acid:                        M (s)    +    HCl (aq)     →    MCl (aq)       +     H2 (g)

In water:                     M (s)    +   H2O (aq)     →    MOH (aq)    +     H2 (g)

                                                         ↑

                                                                                       Phenolphthalein = fuchsia 

&n

 

Spontaneous Reaction :

________________________                                                                                                   Gun Cotton – Nitrocellulose Notes:

Cotton is primarily made of cellulose which is a polymer of glucose and it burn or combusts spontaneously. It also releases energy and thus is exothermic.  You should be able to identify this reaction from last year.

Cellular Respiration:

       C6H12O6 (s)   +   6O2(g)  →  6CO2(g)    +   6H2O(g)   +   Energy (2840 kJ)                                    glucose                   Oxygen          carbon dioxide             water                  

What role does oxygen play in this reaction?

Gun cotton or nitrocellulose is made by treating cellulose with nitric acid and sulfuric acid:

Now Gun Cotton (or nitrocellulose) has a different chemical formula than glucose in cotton and burns or combusts with the following chemical formula: 

        2C6H7O11N3 (s) →  9CO (g)  +  3CO2(g)  +  7H2O(g)  +  3N2(g)  +  Energy                               nitrocellulose                   carbon monoxide    carbon dioxide           water                nitrogen         5170* KJ/mole

*https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/jres/44/jresv44n4p387_A1b.pdf

So this substance does not require oxygen to burn.  Explains why it burns under water.

Where is oxidizer in this chemical?

 

 

 ______________________________________________________                                                                              jump to:  top                     9/4 – Weekend Homework: –

 

1. Please view the lecture posted below that reviews most of what was covered today.  I am adding solubility of salts that I did not cover today that I will cover in this video.

It will will also review the last 2 days!
 
2.Please complete the Connections Homework form:  Posted Below – Due Monday
     The week one notes reviews what we did in class in the last 2 days if you want to read it.
   week 1 notes linkYou will have 3 total submissions to the form that will be on auto-reply.
 

3. Lab Safety Lesson–  Use the Lab safety contract pdf that is posted below along with the Youtube playlist and Form to complete this activity. Please sign the form I gave you and hand in Tuesday for a quiz grade of a 100

 
  Lab Safety Contract AP – Mr. Grodski.pdf

 

4. Complete the 3rd page in the lab by writing half reactions, completing the overall reaction, calculating voltage (Net potential) using the Standard Reduction Potential Chart in your AP reference tables.

 

1: Introductory lesson : Wednesday and Thursday lessons combined. 

 
2:  Connections Form: Based on the lecture (last 2 day’s) posted above. This will be on auto-reply after school today.

3) Lab Safety Lesson– Use the Lab safety contract pdf that is       
     posted below to complete this activity or the hardcopy I gave you Friday..
 
  Grodski Safety Contract AP  Chemistry- 26 – 27.pdf
   View Download
 
In this activity, you will write the safety rule (just one sentence) ,its number from the safety contract (that I gave you and is posted below),  AND WHERE IN THE VIDEO (: timecode) that is demonstrated in four safety videos.  You need 10 different safety rules and you must use 4 out of the 6 videos. This means if you find 7 in the first video you will need 1 each from the three others to successfully complete the activity.  There are many other combinations but you must use 4 videos and you must have 10 different Safety rules written total.
 
Let me restate: You must find 10 unique safety rules throughout the four of the six videos of your choosing. 
YOU MUST ALSO IDENTIFY BY TIMECODE WHERE IN THE VIDEO THE SAFETY RULE IS BEING 
DEMONSTRATED, DISCUSSED, OR INFERRED.
 
Example of a COMPLETE answer:
                  1: Jefferson High VIDEO – #45. Examine glassware before each use. (3:23)
 I  know what #’s each video covers and where thus will grade your work based on this accuracy.
 
The video playlist is posted above the lab safety form for your convenience.
 

Click on icon on upper right to view the playlist.

Grodski Safety Contract AP  Chemistry- 26-27.pdf
 
 Safety video (from 1950’s) –

Accidental Explosions – circa 1950’s :

 

 
 
4) Safety Form:

As you may have figured it might be easier to write you responses in a word doc then cut and paste it into the form when you are done. This way you have a record which might come useful if there is a issue with submitting.