MCAT General Chemistry (Princeton
Review) exam review 2024
Atomic Number (Z) - # of Protons
Mass Number (A) - # of protons + # of neutrons
Charge (c) - Number of protons - # of electrons
Does energy increase or decrease with distance from the nucleus? - Increase
Does distance increase or decrease with distance from the nucleus? - Decrease
Quantum number n - Describes the radial distance of an electron's orbit from the
nucleus
Absorption (Absorbing a photon) - -Positive change in energy
-Endothermic
-Jump to a higher energy level
Emission (Emitting a photon) - -Negative change in energy
-Exothermic
,MCAT General Chemistry (Princeton
Review) exam review 2024
-Drop to a lower energy level
Energy of Photon Equation - Ephoton = Ef - Ei
Energy of Photon in Relation to Wavelength and Frequency Equation - E = hf =
hc/λ
-h is a constant
-c is the speed of light
Orbital Energies - Increase with complexity of orbital shape (s<p<d<f)
Degenerate - Same energy
Aufbau Principle - Describes how electrons are added to or removed from orbitals
of different energy
Hund's Rule - Describes how electrons are added to or removed from orbitals of
the same energy
,MCAT General Chemistry (Princeton
Review) exam review 2024
Pauli Principle - Describes the carrying capacity of an orbital
Valence Electrons - In highest energy shell
Where are electrons added to? - From lowest to highest energy orbitals
Where are electrons removed from? - -From highest to lowest energy orbitals
-Exception: 4s valence electrons are removed before 3d non-valence electrons
Paramagnetic - At least one unpaired electron (attracted by magnet)
Diamagnetic - All electrons are paired (repelled by magnet)
Ground State - Lowest energy electron configuration
Electron Configuration Exceptions - -Chromium: [Ar] 4s1 3d5
-Copper: [Ar] 4s1 3d10
, MCAT General Chemistry (Princeton
Review) exam review 2024
Same Group Elements (going down) - Similar reactivity
Have No Fear Of Ice Cold Beer - -H = gas
-N = gas
-F = gas
-O = gas
-I = solid (ice)
-Ch = gas
-Br = liquid (beer)
Effective Nuclear Charge - Nuclear charge experienced by valence electrons
Moving down a group... - -Core electrons are added at the same rate as protons
(Zeff is constant)
-Number of valence electrons remains the same (C remains zero)
-Size of the valence shell increased (n increases)
-Fe decreases
Review) exam review 2024
Atomic Number (Z) - # of Protons
Mass Number (A) - # of protons + # of neutrons
Charge (c) - Number of protons - # of electrons
Does energy increase or decrease with distance from the nucleus? - Increase
Does distance increase or decrease with distance from the nucleus? - Decrease
Quantum number n - Describes the radial distance of an electron's orbit from the
nucleus
Absorption (Absorbing a photon) - -Positive change in energy
-Endothermic
-Jump to a higher energy level
Emission (Emitting a photon) - -Negative change in energy
-Exothermic
,MCAT General Chemistry (Princeton
Review) exam review 2024
-Drop to a lower energy level
Energy of Photon Equation - Ephoton = Ef - Ei
Energy of Photon in Relation to Wavelength and Frequency Equation - E = hf =
hc/λ
-h is a constant
-c is the speed of light
Orbital Energies - Increase with complexity of orbital shape (s<p<d<f)
Degenerate - Same energy
Aufbau Principle - Describes how electrons are added to or removed from orbitals
of different energy
Hund's Rule - Describes how electrons are added to or removed from orbitals of
the same energy
,MCAT General Chemistry (Princeton
Review) exam review 2024
Pauli Principle - Describes the carrying capacity of an orbital
Valence Electrons - In highest energy shell
Where are electrons added to? - From lowest to highest energy orbitals
Where are electrons removed from? - -From highest to lowest energy orbitals
-Exception: 4s valence electrons are removed before 3d non-valence electrons
Paramagnetic - At least one unpaired electron (attracted by magnet)
Diamagnetic - All electrons are paired (repelled by magnet)
Ground State - Lowest energy electron configuration
Electron Configuration Exceptions - -Chromium: [Ar] 4s1 3d5
-Copper: [Ar] 4s1 3d10
, MCAT General Chemistry (Princeton
Review) exam review 2024
Same Group Elements (going down) - Similar reactivity
Have No Fear Of Ice Cold Beer - -H = gas
-N = gas
-F = gas
-O = gas
-I = solid (ice)
-Ch = gas
-Br = liquid (beer)
Effective Nuclear Charge - Nuclear charge experienced by valence electrons
Moving down a group... - -Core electrons are added at the same rate as protons
(Zeff is constant)
-Number of valence electrons remains the same (C remains zero)
-Size of the valence shell increased (n increases)
-Fe decreases
