CHEM/PHYS MODULE
General Chemistry
Build the chemical foundations needed to interpret reactions, laboratory data, biological systems, and passage-based experiments.
Module overview
This module develops both foundational knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge to unfamiliar MCAT passages, experiments, tables, and clinical or research scenarios.
Topics covered
- Atomic structure and periodic trends
- Chemical bonding and intermolecular forces
- Stoichiometry and chemical reactions
- Thermodynamics and thermochemistry
- Kinetics and reaction mechanisms
- Chemical equilibrium and Le Châtelier principle
- Acids, bases, buffers, and titrations
- Oxidation–reduction and electrochemistry
- Solutions, solubility, and colligative properties
- Gas laws and ideal gas behavior
Learning objectives
- Apply dimensional analysis quickly
- Connect equations to experimental passages
- Interpret titration, equilibrium, and energy diagrams
- Estimate trends before calculating
- Recognize biologically relevant chemistry
How this module appears on the MCAT
Questions may test direct knowledge, but many require you to combine passage information with foundational concepts. Focus on relationships, mechanisms, experimental changes, and elimination of unsupported answer choices.