Ohio State CHEM 1220: General Chemistry II
CHEM 1220 completes the general chemistry sequence for science, engineering, and pre-health students, covering kinetics, equilibrium, acid-base chemistry, thermodynamics, and electrochemistry. It runs in the same large-lecture, common-exam format as CHEM 1210, with the lab component continuing alongside.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with The Ohio State University. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
Equilibrium is the spine of the course, and it's cumulative in the worst way: acid-base, buffers, and solubility are all equilibrium re-applied, so a shaky start compounds chapter by chapter. The buffer and titration problems are the famous wall: multi-step calculations where one early error invalidates everything. The curved common exams are paced for students who've practiced to fluency.
What you'll cover
- • Chemical kinetics and rate laws
- • Chemical equilibrium and Le Chatelier's principle
- • Acid-base equilibria and buffers
- • Titrations and solubility equilibria
- • Thermodynamics: entropy and free energy
- • Electrochemistry
The CHEM 1220 study guide
How to study for Ohio State CHEM 1220, step by step.
- 1
Master plain equilibrium before it multiplies
Acids, buffers, and solubility are all the same equilibrium machinery in new clothes. Get ICE tables and K manipulation automatic early; every later chapter assumes it.
- 2
Drill buffer and titration problems in volume
These are the multi-step problems where CHEM 1220 grades are decided. Work them until you can identify the solution composition at any titration point without hesitating.
- 3
Keep a sign-convention sheet for thermo and electrochem
Entropy, free energy, and cell potential problems die on sign errors. One page of conventions, reviewed before every exam, prevents the most common class of lost points.
- 4
Run timed common-exam practice
The curved evening midterms reward execution speed on multi-step problems. Past exams under a timer, with every miss diagnosed, are the highest-yield hours available.
Today
Today's CHEM 1220 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for CHEM 1220. Yours is built from your own syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is CHEM 1220 harder than CHEM 1210?
Most students say yes. The material is more cumulative (buffers and titrations are equilibrium stacked on equilibrium) and the multi-step problems are longer. Students who ended 1210 with shaky fundamentals feel it immediately, so a pre-semester review pays off.
How do I study for CHEM 1220 buffer problems?
Volume, with a system. Identify what's in solution at each stage, set up the equilibrium table the same way every time, and practice titration problems at every point on the curve. These questions reward routine; students with a fixed procedure make fewer cascading errors.
Do I need CHEM 1220 for pre-med at Ohio State?
Yes. It completes the general chemistry sequence medical schools expect, and it's the prerequisite for organic chemistry. The equilibrium and acid-base foundation also shows up directly on the MCAT, so learning it properly counts twice.