Overview of High School Chemistry Topics

Overview of High School Chemistry Topics Are you confused by all the topics in high school chem class? Here is an overview of what is studied in high school chem, with links to essential chem resources and worked chem problems. Introduction to Chemistry To study high school chem, its a good idea to know what chem is.What Is Chem?What Is the Scientific Method? Math Basics Math is used in all the sciences, including high school chem class. To learn chem, you need to understand algebra, geometry, and some trig, as well as be able to work in scientific notation and perform unit conversions.Accuracy and  PrecisionSignificant FiguresScientific NotationPhysical ConstantsMetric Base UnitsDerived Metric UnitsMetric PrefixesHow to Cancel UnitsTemperature ConversionsCalculate Experimental Error Atoms and Molecules Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter. Atoms join together to form compounds and molecules.Atom BasicsAtomic Mass and  Atomic Mass NumberTypes of Chemical BondsIonic and Covalent BondsOxidation NumbersLewis Structures or  Electron Dot ModelsMolecular GeometryWhat Is a Mole?More About Molecules and  MolesLaw of Multiple Proportions Stoichiometry Stoichiometry describes the proportions between atoms in molecules and reactants/products in chemical reactions. You can use this information to balance chemical equations.Types of Chemical ReactionsBalance EquationsBalance Redox ReactionsGram to Mole ConversionsLimiting Reactant  and Theoretical YieldMole Relations in Balanced EquationsMass Relations in Balanced Equations States of Matter The states of matter are defined by the structure of matter as well as whether it has a fixed shape and volume. Learn about the different states and how matter transforms itself from one state to another.States of MatterPhase Diagrams Chemical Reactions There are several types of chemical reactions that can occur.Reactions in WaterTypes of Inorganic Chemical Reactions Periodic Trends The properties of the elements exhibit trends based on the structure of their electrons. The trends or periodicity can be used to make predictions about elements.Periodic Properties and  TrendsElement Groups Solutions Its important to understand how mixtures behave.Solutions, Suspensions, Colloids, DispersionsCalculating Concentration Gases Gases exhibit special properties.Ideal GasesIdeal Gas Law ProblemsBoyles LawCharles LawDaltons Law of Partial Pressures Acids and Bases Acids and bases are concerned with the actions of hydrogen ions or protons in aqueous solutions.Acid and  Base DefinitionsCommon Acids and BasesStrength of Acids and  BasesCalculating pHBuffersSalt FormationHenderson-Hasselbalch EquationTitration BasicsTitration Curves Thermochemistry and  Physical Chem Learn about the relationships between matter and energy.Laws of ThermochemistryStandard State ConditionsCalorimetry, Heat Flow, and EnthalphyBond Energy and  Enthalpy ChangeEndothermic and  Exothermic ReactionsWhat Is Absolute Zero? Kinetics Matter is always in motion.  Learn about the motion of atoms and molecules, or kinetics.Factors That Affect Reaction RateChemical Reaction Order Atomic and  Electronic Structure Much of the chem that you learn is associated with electronic structure, since electrons can move around much more easily than protons or neutrons.Valences of the ElementsAufbau Principle and Electronic StructureElectron Configuration of the ElementsQuantum Numbers and  Electron OrbitalsHow Magnets Work Nuclear Chem Nuclear chemistry is concerned with the behavior of protons and neutrons in the atomic nucleus.Radiation  and  RadioactivityIsotopes and  Nuclear SymbolsRate of Radioactive DecayAtomic Mass and Atomic AbundanceCarbon-14 Dating Chem Practice Problems Index of Worked Chem ProblemsPrintable Chem Worksheets Chem Quizzes How to Take a Chem TestAtom Basics QuizAtomic Structure QuizAcids and  Bases QuizChemical Bonds QuizChanges in State QuizCompound Naming QuizElement Number QuizElement Picture QuizUnits of Measurement Quiz General Chem Tools Periodic Table.  Use the periodic table to make predictions about element properties. Click on any element symbol to get facts about the element.Chem Glossary.  Look up the definitions of unfamiliar chem terms.Chemical Structures.  Find the structures for molecules, compounds, and functional groups.

Murder Mystery Comedy Plays

Murder Mystery Comedy Plays Audiences love a good gasp induced by a shocking murder mystery. They also cant get enough of laughter induced by wacky characters and slapstick hijinks. Combine both worlds and youve got a popular genre known as the murder mystery comedy. Of course, just because you have all of those ingredients doesnt mean the play will actually be suspenseful, mysterious, or even funny. When youve got a bunch of dead bodies on stage, the comedy is going to get quite dark, so it takes a special sort of playwright to properly entwine the macabre with the moronic. Here are a few murder mystery comedies that get it right! The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 Written by John Bishop, this farcical whodunnit does not take a Sherlock Holmes to reveal the villains. But it does create enough mayhem to leave you guessing about what will happen next. A snowstorm encroaches upon the estate of a wealthy philanthropist, a patron of the arts who has called together a famous songwriting team, an iconic director, a Broadway producer, and a pair of theater wannabes. They think that they are pitching the next musical extravaganza  when, in fact, they have been summoned in order to discover the Stagedoor Slasher, a madman (or madwoman) who killed three chorus girl dancers and just might kill again. Throw in some Nazi spies, cross-dressing psychopaths, and a bumbling police detective, and you have a murder-mystery-comedy with a vintage flair. The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 is available at Dramatists Play Service. (And for those of you actors who cannot sing and/or dance, dont worry. Theres hardly any music and no choreography except for some hysterical fight sequences). The Bold, the Young, and the Murdered There must be something intrinsically amusing about actors dealing with creepy killers because its a popular theme found in comedic murder mysteries, including this one by Don Zolodis. Heres the brief synopsis provided by the publishers at Playscripts: The long-running soap opera The Bold and the Young is in its last days: its hunky hero has self-esteem issues, its villainous old man is more interested in soup, and its heroines are slightly psychopathic. The executive producer gives the squabbling cast an ultimatum: Complete one episode overnight or the show dies. But when the director ends up murdered, and other cast members start dropping like flies, it seems like his threat might actually come true. Can these misfits discover the murderer before the show is literally killed off? The script lends itself nicely to high school drama students and professional actors alike. Theres something liberating about letting go and pouring on that soap opera cheesiness. Mandate for Murder Pat Cook is the master of melodramatic comedies  and has the ability to crank out silly characters so fast, his computer keyboard must be smoking when hes done. (Tim Kelley woulds be proud!) Most Cook comedies are as funny as the playwright is prolific. Mandate for Murder, brought to you by Eldridge Plays, is no exception. And its a blast for community theaters to perform, especially around election time. When a political aide is stabbed to death and the murder weapon is a knife pulled from a birthday cake, the crime-solving characters have a lot of questions to ask. However, they arent the only ones. The audience gets to interrogate the suspects too, not only that- by the end of the evening, they get to vote in the election! The Murder Room This comedic gem by Jack Sharkey brings back a ton of high school memories. We spent just as much time working on the set, with all of its trap doors and secret entrances, as we did working on the lines. Like other zany mysteries, this one features a wide variety of characters (nearly all of them should be played with English accents). With all of its mix-ups and botched assassinations, by the end of the play the audience isnt sure if anyone has actually been killed off. It also pays homage to Sleuth in that characters who supposedly left the storyline come back into the play wearing a clever disguise. The 39 Steps Imaginatively adapted from a Hitchcock classic, the comic masterpiece The 39 Steps transcends the genre. Audiences rave about the non-stop comedy, the amazingly creative blocking, and the four versatile actors who play over one hundred characters. Directed by Maria Aitken and adapted for the stage by Peter Barlow, this farcical tribute to Hitchcock thrillers has been delighting audiences since 2005.