UW–Madison CHEM 104: General Chemistry II
CHEM 104 completes UW–Madison's general chemistry sequence: kinetics, equilibrium, acids and bases, thermodynamics, and electrochemistry, with lab continuing throughout. It's the direct gateway to organic chemistry for premed and science students.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with University of Wisconsin–Madison. This is an unofficial study guide.
Build my CHEM 104 study planWhat makes it hard
Equilibrium is the spine of the semester — acid-base, buffers, solubility, and electrochemistry are all the same machinery in different clothes — and students who memorize each unit separately drown in apparent volume. The math turns logarithm-heavy, ICE-table variants multiply, and the timed exams keep grading speed alongside understanding.
What you'll cover
- • Chemical kinetics
- • Chemical equilibrium
- • Acid-base chemistry and buffers
- • Solubility equilibria
- • Thermodynamics and free energy
- • Electrochemistry
The CHEM 104 study guide
How to study for UW–Madison CHEM 104, step by step.
- 1
Learn equilibrium as the semester's one big idea
Acid-base, buffers, solubility, electrochemistry: all equilibrium in different contexts. Master K, Q, and Le Chatelier deeply once and every later unit becomes a variation instead of new material.
- 2
Drill ICE tables across every context
Half the semester's problems run through an ICE table. Practice the setup on gas equilibria, weak acids, buffers, and solubility until choosing the entries is automatic.
- 3
Rehab logarithm algebra early
pH, pKa, and Nernst calculations are log-heavy, and algebra friction inside long problems silently kills points. If logs are rusty, fix them in week one.
- 4
Study ΔG and K as one relationship
Thermodynamics and equilibrium are a single story, not two chapters. Connecting them explicitly makes the back half of the course cohere.
- 5
Carry the thread with Fennie
Upload your CHEM 104 materials and Fennie's Daily Plan paces ICE-table practice across every context the course visits, synced to exams, with quizzes from your actual content testing the connections between units. Free to start.
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How Fennie helps with CHEM 104
Fennie's Daily Plans pace CHEM 104 around its one big idea — equilibrium practiced across every context the course visits — with ICE-table reps and exam-synced review. Chat shows why a buffer or solubility problem is machinery you already know, the connection that turns the semester from endless new material into variations on a theme.
FAQ
Is CHEM 104 harder than CHEM 103?
Most students find it more conceptual: equilibrium reasoning replaces 103's computation-heavy style. Students who genuinely understand equilibrium find the back half repetitive in a good way; students memorizing units separately feel buried by week ten.
How do I study for CHEM 104 exams?
Drill ICE tables across all contexts and practice identifying what kind of equilibrium problem you're facing before computing. Run timed mixed sets before each exam — speed and accuracy are graded together.
Does CHEM 104 prepare me for CHEM 343?
It's the prerequisite, and its bonding, acid-base, and thermodynamic concepts resurface constantly in organic chemistry. Acid-base intuition in particular is the gen-chem skill organic students most wish they'd built better.
Pass CHEM 104 with a plan, not a cram
Upload your CHEM 104 materials and Fennie generates a Daily Plan paced to your deadline — plus chat, flashcards, and quizzes built from the actual course content.
Get started freeMore UW–Madison courses
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CHEM 343 is UW–Madison's first organic chemistry course — structure and bonding, stereochemistry, substitution and elimination reactions, and the beginnings of synthesis — the legendary premed gateway, taken by huge cohorts headed for health professions and chemistry-adjacent majors.