Chemistry tutor near me in St. Petersburg, FL

The tutor and student reviewed the Second Law of Thermodynamics, focusing on Gibbs Free Energy, entropy, and enthalpy. They practiced applying these concepts to predict reaction spontaneity and equilibrium, working through several example problems related to chemical reactions and phase transitions.

The tutor and student reviewed carboxylic acid derivatives, specifically focusing on the mechanisms of nitrile hydrolysis and reactions involving acid chlorides. They discussed esterification mechanisms and strategies for predicting reaction pathways based on nucleophilic and electrophilic centers. The tutor offered to provide practice sheets on these topics.

The session covered the ionic product of water (Kw) and its relationship to pH calculations, including the derivation of pKw = pH + pOH. The tutor and student practiced solving problems related to ion concentrations and classifying solutions as acidic, basic, or neutral, with a focus on the influence of temperature and a rule for simplifying calculations in acidic solutions. They planned to continue practicing these concepts.

The student and tutor worked on two homework problems involving the linearization of complex equations from enzyme kinetics and chemical kinetics. They discussed the algebraic transformations required for linearization, the use of MATLAB's polyfit function for parameter estimation, and methods for calculating related statistical measures like standard error and correlation coefficients. The tutor provided code examples and guidance on interpreting the results.

The tutor and student extensively reviewed the principles of resonance structures in organic chemistry, practicing drawing them and identifying conditions for their formation. They also touched upon nomenclature and structural representation. The next steps involve reviewing acids and bases, inductive effects, and alkanes/cycloalkanes.

The session focused on methods for synthesizing carboxylic acids, including ozonolysis, nitrile hydrolysis, Grignard reagent reactions, and reactions involving carbon dioxide. The Student learned about carboxylic acid derivatives and their addition-elimination reactions. The next session will cover radical chemistry, including bond cleavages and dissociation energies.