PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test) Chemical Processes Syllabus

Chemical Processes syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Chemical Processes in PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   General Chemistry: Atomic and Molecular Structure

   3 topics

   • Atomic Theory and Electron Configuration
     • Quantum numbers and orbitals
     • Electron configuration and exceptions
     • Periodic trends
   • Chemical Bonding
     • Ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds
     • Lewis structures and formal charge
     • VSEPR theory and molecular geometry
     • Hybridization and polarity
   • Intermolecular Forces
     • Hydrogen bonding and dipole interactions
     • London dispersion forces
     • Effects on physical properties
2. 2

   General Chemistry: Reactions and Stoichiometry

   3 topics

   • Chemical Reactions and Balancing
     • Reaction types and predicting products
     • Oxidation-reduction reactions
     • Net ionic equations
   • Stoichiometry
     • Mole concept and molar mass
     • Limiting reactants and percent yield
     • Empirical and molecular formulas
   • Gases and Solutions
     • Ideal gas law and gas laws
     • Concentration units and molarity
     • Colligative properties
3. 3

   General Chemistry: Thermodynamics, Kinetics, and Equilibrium

   4 topics

   • Thermochemistry
     • Enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy
     • Hess's law and calorimetry
   • Chemical Kinetics
     • Reaction rates and rate laws
     • Activation energy and catalysts
     • Reaction mechanisms
   • Chemical Equilibrium
     • Equilibrium constants and reaction quotient
     • Le Chatelier's principle
   • Acids, Bases, and Electrochemistry
     • pH, pKa, and buffer systems
     • Titrations and indicators
     • Galvanic and electrolytic cells
4. 4

   Organic Chemistry: Structure and Reactivity

   4 topics

   • Bonding and Functional Groups
     • Hybridization in organic molecules
     • Identifying functional groups
     • IUPAC nomenclature
   • Stereochemistry
     • Chirality and enantiomers
     • R/S and E/Z designations
     • Conformational analysis
   • Reaction Mechanisms
     • Nucleophilic substitution (SN1/SN2)
     • Elimination reactions (E1/E2)
     • Addition reactions of alkenes and alkynes
   • Functional Group Chemistry
     • Alcohols, ethers, and epoxides
     • Aldehydes, ketones, and carbonyl chemistry
     • Carboxylic acids and derivatives
     • Aromatic substitution reactions
5. 5

   Basic Biochemistry

   3 topics

   • Biomolecules
     • Amino acids and protein structure
     • Carbohydrates and their classification
     • Lipids and membrane components
     • Nucleotides and nucleic acids
   • Enzymes and Catalysis
     • Enzyme mechanisms and active sites
     • Inhibition and Michaelis-Menten kinetics
   • Metabolic Pathways
     • Carbohydrate metabolism overview
     • Lipid and protein metabolism
     • Energy currency and ATP yield

Chemical Processes flashcards for PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test)

23 of 51 cards from the Chemical Processes deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What four quantum numbers describe an electron, and what does each specify?

   $n$ (principal) = energy level/shell; $l$ (azimuthal) = subshell shape ($s,p,d,f$); $m_l$ (magnetic) = orbital orientation, ranging $-l$ to $+l$; $m_s$ (spin) = $+\tfrac{1}{2}$ or $-\tfrac{1}{2}$.

2. State the Aufbau principle, Pauli exclusion principle, and Hund's rule.

   Aufbau: fill lowest-energy orbitals first. Pauli: no two electrons share all four quantum numbers (max 2 per orbital, opposite spins). Hund's: fill degenerate orbitals singly with parallel spins before pairing.

3. Write the ground-state electron configuration of iron ($\ce{Fe}$, $Z=26$).

   $1s^{2}\,2s^{2}\,2p^{6}\,3s^{2}\,3p^{6}\,4s^{2}\,3d^{6}$, or $[\ce{Ar}]\,4s^{2}\,3d^{6}$.

4. How do atomic radius, ionization energy, and electronegativity trend across a period (left to right)?

   Atomic radius decreases; ionization energy increases; electronegativity increases (due to increasing effective nuclear charge).

5. Distinguish ionic, covalent, and metallic bonding.

   Ionic: electron transfer between metal and nonmetal forming cations/anions held by electrostatic attraction. Covalent: shared electron pairs between nonmetals. Metallic: cations in a delocalized 'sea' of electrons.

6. What is the difference between a polar covalent and nonpolar covalent bond?

   Polar covalent: unequal electron sharing due to an electronegativity difference (roughly $0.4$–$1.7$), creating partial charges. Nonpolar covalent: nearly equal sharing (difference $<0.4$).

7. In VSEPR theory, what are the molecular geometries for 2, 3, and 4 electron domains (no lone pairs)?

   2 domains: linear ($180^{\circ}$); 3 domains: trigonal planar ($120^{\circ}$); 4 domains: tetrahedral ($109.5^{\circ}$).

8. What hybridization corresponds to linear, trigonal planar, and tetrahedral geometries?

   Linear: $sp$; trigonal planar: $sp^{2}$; tetrahedral: $sp^{3}$.

9. List the three main types of intermolecular forces from weakest to strongest.

   London dispersion forces (weakest) $<$ dipole-dipole forces $<$ hydrogen bonding (strongest of the three).

10. What conditions are required for hydrogen bonding?

    An H atom covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom (N, O, or F) interacting with a lone pair on another N, O, or F atom.

11. How do intermolecular forces affect boiling point and vapor pressure?

    Stronger intermolecular forces raise boiling point (more energy to separate molecules) and lower vapor pressure (fewer molecules escape to gas phase).

12. Identify the five major types of chemical reactions.

    Synthesis (combination), decomposition, single displacement, double displacement (metathesis), and combustion.

13. Balance the combustion of propane: $\ce{C3H8 + O2 -> CO2 + H2O}$.

    $\ce{C3H8 + 5O2 -> 3CO2 + 4H2O}$.

14. What is conserved in a balanced chemical equation, and what principle requires it?

    The number of atoms of each element (and total mass and charge) is conserved, required by the law of conservation of mass.

15. Define a mole and state Avogadro's number.

    A mole is the amount of substance containing $6.022\times10^{23}$ particles (Avogadro's number, $N_A$).

16. How do you find the limiting reagent in a reaction?

    Convert each reactant to moles of product using stoichiometric ratios; the reactant yielding the least product is the limiting reagent.

17. Define percent yield and give its formula.

    Percent yield measures reaction efficiency: $$\%\text{ yield} = \frac{\text{actual yield}}{\text{theoretical yield}}\times100\%.$$

18. State the ideal gas law and identify each variable.

    $$PV = nRT$$ where $P$ = pressure, $V$ = volume, $n$ = moles, $R$ = gas constant ($0.0821\,\text{L·atm·mol}^{-1}\text{K}^{-1}$), $T$ = absolute temperature (K).

19. State Boyle's, Charles's, and Gay-Lussac's gas laws.

    Boyle's: $P_1V_1 = P_2V_2$ (constant $T$). Charles's: $\frac{V_1}{T_1}=\frac{V_2}{T_2}$ (constant $P$). Gay-Lussac's: $\frac{P_1}{T_1}=\frac{P_2}{T_2}$ (constant $V$).

20. State Dalton's law of partial pressures.

    The total pressure of a gas mixture equals the sum of the partial pressures of its components: $P_{\text{total}} = P_1 + P_2 + \cdots + P_n$.

21. Define molarity and molality with their formulas.

    Molarity $M = \frac{\text{moles solute}}{\text{liters solution}}$; molality $m = \frac{\text{moles solute}}{\text{kg solvent}}$.

22. List the four colligative properties of solutions.

    Vapor pressure lowering, boiling point elevation, freezing point depression, and osmotic pressure — all depend on the number of solute particles, not their identity.

23. Give the formulas for boiling point elevation and freezing point depression.

    $\Delta T_b = i K_b m$ and $\Delta T_f = i K_f m$, where $i$ is the van't Hoff factor and $m$ is molality.

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