🔬 ALEKS Chemistry Topics List (General & Organic)

🎯 Why Knowing the Topic List Matters

If you’re using ALEKS for a Chemistry class—or worse, a Chemistry placement test—you already know how disorienting the system can be. Topics appear without warning. You can’t skip. You can’t preview what’s coming. And worst of all, one small mistake can throw you back to earlier topics.

That’s why students constantly search for a full ALEKS Chemistry topics list—especially when they’re trying to finish fast or find help with the hardest modules.

👉 Whether you’re stuck on General Chemistry or deep into Organic, this guide breaks down every topic area you’re likely to see in ALEKS.

Need help completing ALEKS topics fast?
👉 Visit our ALEKS Chemistry Answers page
Or skip the labs too: Do My ALEKS Chemistry Labs

🧠 How ALEKS Organizes Chemistry Content

ALEKS doesn’t divide Chemistry into traditional textbook chapters. Instead, it sorts concepts into “pie slices” like:

  • Atoms & Molecules
  • Reactions
  • Quantitative Chemistry
  • Bonding & Structure
  • Acids & Bases
  • Organic Molecules (if you’re taking Organic Chemistry)

💡 These slices are further broken down into dozens of micro-topics, each with adaptive questions. ALEKS tracks your progress using a “mastery” system that forces you to prove your understanding through Knowledge Checks.

📌 Some schools even use ALEKS as a Chemistry placement test, where mastering specific topics determines which course you get into.

📘 General Chemistry Topics in ALEKS

🧪 Atomic Structure & Periodic Trends

  • Subatomic particles
  • Atomic number & mass number
  • Isotopes
  • Electron configuration
  • Periodic trends (ionization energy, electronegativity)

⚖️ Mole Concept & Stoichiometry

  • Molar mass calculations
  • Converting grams ↔ moles ↔ particles
  • Empirical & molecular formulas
  • Stoichiometric coefficients
  • Limiting reactants
  • Percent yield

💧 Solutions & Concentration

  • Molarity and dilution
  • Preparing solutions
  • Concentration calculations
  • Solubility rules

🔥 Chemical Reactions

  • Balancing equations
  • Types of reactions (synthesis, decomposition, combustion)
  • Net ionic equations
  • Redox reactions
  • Activity series

🧲 Bonding & Structure

  • Lewis dot structures
  • Ionic vs covalent bonding
  • Polarity
  • VSEPR theory (molecular shapes)
  • Intermolecular forces

🌡 Thermochemistry & Energy

  • Heat vs temperature
  • q = mcΔT calculations
  • Enthalpy of reaction
  • Endo/exothermic processes

⚛ Gases & Gas Laws

  • Boyle’s, Charles’s, Avogadro’s, Ideal Gas Law
  • Gas stoichiometry
  • Partial pressures (Dalton’s Law)

🧫 Acids & Bases

  • Identifying acids/bases
  • Strong vs weak acids
  • pH & pOH calculations
  • Titration problems
  • Buffer solutions

🧬 Equilibrium & Kinetics

  • Reaction rates
  • Equilibrium constants (Kc, Kp)
  • Le Chatelier’s Principle

🧼 Nuclear Chemistry

  • Radioactive decay
  • Half-life calculations
  • Fission vs fusion

🧪 ALEKS Organic Chemistry Topics

If your course uses ALEKS for Organic Chemistry (O-Chem), you’ll encounter a completely different set of modules—less about balancing equations and more about molecular structure, reaction mechanisms, and synthesis.

🧬 Nomenclature & Structure

  • Naming alkanes, alkenes, alkynes
  • Naming alcohols, ethers, ketones, carboxylic acids
  • Drawing structures from names
  • Isomers and constitutional isomerism
  • Hybridization and resonance

🔁 Reactions & Mechanisms

  • Substitution and elimination reactions (SN1, SN2, E1, E2)
  • Nucleophilic addition to carbonyls
  • Electrophilic aromatic substitution
  • Acid/base reactions in organic settings
  • Reaction coordinate diagrams

💥 Functional Groups & Properties

  • Aldehydes, ketones, esters, amines, amides
  • Physical properties (boiling point, solubility, polarity)
  • Reactivity trends among functional groups

🌀 Stereochemistry

  • Chiral centers and R/S configurations
  • Enantiomers vs diastereomers
  • Optical activity

🧪 Spectroscopy (optional in some courses)

  • IR spectra interpretation
  • NMR basics (chemical shift, splitting patterns)

These are often presented inside ALEKS modules like:

  • Structure and Properties of Organic Molecules
  • Reactions of Hydrocarbons
  • Organic Acid-Base Chemistry

Not every course includes these—but if you’re in a pre-med, biochem, or accelerated track, expect them.

🔁 Topics That Appear in Both General & Organic Chemistry

Some ALEKS topics straddle the line between Gen Chem and O-Chem. If you’re transitioning between courses, expect repetition in areas like:

  • Acid-base chemistry: pKa values and proton transfer show up in both
  • Hybridization: From VSEPR in Gen Chem to orbital mixing in O-Chem
  • Lewis structures: Constantly required across both subject areas
  • Polarity: Taught in bonding units but heavily used in O-Chem reactivity
  • Intermolecular forces: Connects to boiling points, solubility, and mechanism driving forces

ALEKS doesn’t always warn you when a “basic” topic is suddenly reused in a new context. This is one of the most frustrating parts for students who expect each topic to be isolated.

💣 Hardest ALEKS Chemistry Topics (Ranked)

These are the ALEKS Chemistry topics that cause the most trouble for students—based on internal feedback, Reddit threads, and direct requests at Finish My Math Class:

Rank Topic Why It’s Hard
1️⃣ Stoichiometry with Limiting Reactants Multi-step, word-heavy, unit-sensitive
2️⃣ Lewis Structures for Polyatomic Ions Charge placement and octet confusion
3️⃣ Hybridization & Molecular Geometry Requires spatial reasoning and memorization
4️⃣ pH and Titration Curve Problems Long setup + calculator precision
5️⃣ Reaction Mechanisms in O-Chem Multiple possible pathways; memory overload
6️⃣ Redox Reactions in Acid/Base Half-reaction balancing is tedious
7️⃣ SN1 vs SN2 Identification Requires comparing subtle conditions
8️⃣ Naming Complex Organic Molecules IUPAC rules are strict and often trick students
9️⃣ Thermochemical Equations Getting the sign conventions right is tough
🔟 Gas Law Combinations Especially when moles and pressure are involved

If you’re stuck on one of these, consider getting direct help:
👉 Do My ALEKS Chemistry Homework

🧠 How ALEKS Adapts Chemistry Questions (and Why It Confuses Students)

One of the most frustrating things about ALEKS is its adaptive learning algorithm. Unlike a regular textbook or even most LMS platforms, ALEKS:

  • Tracks every click, pause, and keystroke
  • Changes future questions based on previous mistakes
  • May reassign topics if your mastery dips during a Knowledge Check

In Chemistry, this can feel like you’re being punished for learning the hard stuff. For example:

  • If you struggle with one Lewis structure, ALEKS might unlock more bonding topics
  • Get a dilution calculation wrong? Expect to see molarity and solution prep again
  • Mess up a reaction type? ALEKS might think you’re shaky on stoichiometry

⚠️ In other words: progress isn’t linear. One wrong answer can cause 5–7 more topics to appear, many of which you’ve already mastered.

🤖 Topics That Confuse AI-Based Solvers (Why ChatGPT & Wolfram Fail)

Many students try to use ChatGPT, Wolfram Alpha, or Symbolab to power through ALEKS. While those tools can help in some math problems, they often fail in Chemistry—especially when the topic involves:

  • Drawing molecular structures or VSEPR shapes
  • Multi-step stoichiometry or redox reactions
  • Organic reaction mechanisms
  • Determining hybridization and formal charge
  • Partial credit or qualitative explanation questions

❌ Most AI tools can’t “click and drag” molecules or identify where your answer format is off. They also can’t adapt to ALEKS’s weird formatting and syntax rules.

For example:

  • “What’s the correct name of this compound?” → ChatGPT often gives wrong IUPAC names
  • “Draw the structure for cis-2-butene” → Not possible in a text-only interface
  • “Balance this redox reaction in acid” → AI may give a correct answer that ALEKS still marks wrong

🔍 These tools weren’t made for ALEKS. You’ll waste more time trying to adjust AI output than just solving the question manually—or hiring someone who’s done it before.

⛔ Why Most ALEKS “Cheats” Don’t Work for Chemistry

It’s tempting to search Reddit or Discord for a “hack” to beat ALEKS Chemistry. Some common (and unreliable) suggestions include:

  • Opening a second tab with Google/Wolfram
  • Using browser extensions or bots
  • Sharing screen with ChatGPT
  • Trying to copy-paste from YouTube walkthroughs

💥 In most cases, these strategies either fail outright or get you flagged for suspicious activity. Chemistry is especially difficult to cheat because:

  • Questions often require drawing or interpreting molecular structures
  • Every problem is randomized by number, units, and chemical formula
  • ALEKS includes proctored knowledge checks in many Chemistry courses

If you’re considering any of these strategies, you should at least read this first:
👉 How to Cheat on ALEKS (Without Getting Caught)

🔗 More ALEKS Chemistry Help Pages

If you’re struggling with ALEKS Chemistry topics, Finish My Math Class offers targeted resources for the exact problems you’re facing. Check out these pages to go deeper:

❓ ALEKS Chemistry FAQ

What if I don’t see all of these topics in my ALEKS course?

That’s normal. ALEKS adjusts the topic list depending on the school, professor, and course level. For example, Organic Chemistry topics may not appear in a standard Gen Chem class.

Does ALEKS reuse the same questions for Chemistry?

Not exactly. ALEKS randomizes values and structures for each student, so you’ll rarely see exact duplicates. Even if the question type is the same, the numbers, formulas, or compound names will be different.

How long does it take to finish all ALEKS Chemistry topics?

It depends on your course setup. Most students take 30–60 hours total to complete all modules—but if you’re constantly reassigned topics, it can take longer.

What are the best ALEKS Chemistry YouTube channels?

You can try channels like Tyler DeWitt, Professor Dave Explains, or Leah4Sci. Just know that most of their examples won’t match ALEKS formatting exactly.

Why does ALEKS keep giving me the same topic again?

ALEKS assumes you haven’t truly mastered it. This can be due to slow responses, too many hints, or errors during Knowledge Checks. It’s a common (and frustrating) experience.

Can I skip ALEKS topics in Chemistry?

You can’t skip them permanently unless your instructor has enabled topic selection. Otherwise, the only workaround is to get help from someone who can complete them quickly and correctly.

Is it easier to cheat on ALEKS Math than Chemistry?

Yes. ALEKS Chemistry is harder to cheat on because of the visual format, reaction steps, and randomized question banks. Math problems are more structured and compatible with AI or calculators.

Can Finish My Math Class do my whole ALEKS Chemistry course?

Yes. We’ve helped hundreds of students complete every ALEKS Chemistry topic—including General, Organic, and labs. Submit your info for a quote today.