inorganic chemistry online

[melaninatedSRNA22]

I'm applying to graduate school and need an inorganic chemistry course. Does anyone have any recommendations for online courses?

[pro-student]

Chances are you need general chemistry unless you are applying to a graduate program in chemistry. (General chemistry is called that because the principles apply to all matter organic or inorganic. Inorganic chemistry is usually an upper level or grad course dealing with compounds that don't contain carbon.) Either way, an online course is not the best choice. Suck it up and take a real class at a local college/university/community college.

[Jeff G]

"Inorganic Chemistry" is the old-school term for "general Chemistry".

Currently, enrollment in online courses is increasing due to logistics and now the coronavirus pandemic. I teach online (as well as on-ground) general Chemistry and I have noticed my enrollments increase over the last couple of years.

[Subee2, BSN, MSN, CRNA]

I've always wondered...how do people do their chem labs online; do they just dispense with the lab requirement?

[Jeff G]

40 minutes ago, Undercat said:

I've always wondered...how do people do their chem labs online; do they just dispense with the lab requirement?

Good question! All of my online science courses have labs associated with them. We have two ways to do labs for distance learning students--both Chemistry and physics. 1.) We use lab kits from commercial suppliers like Hands-On-Labs and eScienceLabs. 2.) Use virtual chem lab software such as the one from Brigham Young University.

I utilize both of these methods for my online classes.

With the lab kits, students get to do basic (and safe) experiments at home which demonstrate the principles we teach in the lecture part of the course. With the virtual lab software, it is a simulation based approach students carry out the experiment on the computer instead of actually doing it hands-on.

[Subee2, BSN, MSN, CRNA]

Thank you for your response. After many decades away from organic chem lab, anything that I can remember at all didn't come from lab but from the book!

[Dln14]

How on earth would you learn Chemistry without having access to a professional in-person lab where you preform various experiments in. Sheesh.

[Jeff G]

Just now, sam619 said:

How on earth would you learn Chemistry without having access to a professional in-person lab where you preform various experiments in. Sheesh.

Good question! We use lab kits from suppliers such as eScienceLabs, Hands-on-Labs and Carolina Scientific. The students get to do various experiments at home just as in the real lab. Given the circumstances, it is the best available option for distance learning students. (I have considered a lab-on-a-flatbed trailer, but I do not have a truck or SUV to tow it around.) I would be happy to answer any questions you have about the lab kits.

Running an in-person lab is expensive (labor, materials, and waste disposal) and exposes students to unnecessary chemical exposure.