# Chemistry (CHEM) courses

Merritt College · 2026-2027 Catalog · 6 courses

Source: https://mc.curriqunet.com/catalog/iq/48441/48769/49120/49121/49703

"Offered" lists sections in this catalog year's class schedules: Fall 2026.

### CHEM 1A — General Chemistry

- **Units:** 5
- **Hours:** 3 hours lecture, 6 hours lab
- **Prerequisite:** CHEM 030A or Satisfactory score on the chemistry assessment or Completion of ALEKS chemistry preparation course and MATH 203 or MATH 211D.
- **Advisory:** ENGL C1000 or ENGL C1000E or ESOL 052 - Advanced Reading and Writing or ESOL 052A - Advanced Reading and Writing or ENGL 1A or ENGL 1AS.
- **C-ID:** CHEM 110; CHEM 120 S (with CHEM 1B)
- **Transfers to:** CSU, UC
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 4 sections (/c/merritt-college/schedule/fall-2026/chem.md)
- Peralta GE Areas 5; Cal-GETC Area 5A, 5C;

General principles of chemistry: Measurements, atomic theory, chemical nomenclature, chemical composition, stoichiometry, reactions in aqueous solution, thermochemistry, electron configurations, periodic properties, chemical bonding, gases, liquids, solids, and solutions.

### CHEM 1B — General Chemistry

- **Units:** 5
- **Hours:** 3 hours lecture, 6 hours lab
- **Prerequisite:** CHEM 001A.
- **C-ID:** CHEM 120 S (with CHEM 1A)
- **Transfers to:** CSU, UC
- **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule
- Peralta GE Areas 5; Cal-GETC Area 5A, 5C;

General principles of chemistry: Kinetics, equilibrium, acid-base equilibria, buffers, solubility equilibria, entropy and free energy, electrochemistry, nuclear chemistry, coordination chemistry, and an introduction to organic chemistry.

### CHEM 12A — Organic Chemistry

- **Units:** 5
- **Hours:** 3 hours lecture, 6 hours lab
- **Prerequisite:** CHEM 001B.
- **C-ID:** CHEM 150; CHEM 160 S (with CHEM 12B)
- **Transfers to:** CSU, UC
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 2 sections (/c/merritt-college/schedule/fall-2026/chem.md)
- Peralta GE Areas 5; Cal-GETC Area 5A, 5C;

Introduction to structures, nomenclature, properties, and reactions of carbon compounds: Hydrocarbons, monofunctional and polyfunctional compounds, emphasis on structures and mechanisms, spectroscopy and other analytical techniques. Laboratory work includes reactions, purification techniques, measurements, qualitative analysis, use of instrumentation.

### CHEM 12B — Organic Chemistry

- **Units:** 5
- **Hours:** 3 hours lecture, 6 hours lab
- **Prerequisite:** CHEM 012A.
- **C-ID:** CHEM 160S (with CHEM 12A)
- **Transfers to:** CSU, UC
- **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026 schedule
- Peralta GE Areas 5; Cal-GETC Area 5A, 5C;

Continuation of CHEM 12A: Reactions of functional groups and interactions of polyfunctional compounds, infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. Introduction to biochemistry: Lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids. Laboratory work includes reactions, purification methods, measurements, multistep syntheses, qualitative analysis, use of instrumentation.

### CHEM 30A — Introductory General Chemistry

- **Units:** 4
- **Hours:** 3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab
- **Prerequisite:** MATH 201 or MATH 210D - Elementary Algebra (Lab).
- **C-ID:** CHEM 101
- **Transfers to:** CSU, UC
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 8 sections (/c/merritt-college/schedule/fall-2026/chem.md)
- Peralta GE Areas 5; Cal-GETC Area 5A, 5C;

Fundamental principles of inorganic chemistry: Metric measurements, matter and energy, atomic structure, chemical nomenclature, chemical bonding, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, gas laws, nuclear chemistry, properties of liquids, solids, solutions, acids and bases.

### CHEM 30B — Introductory Organic and Biochemistry

- **Units:** 4
- **Hours:** 3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab
- **Prerequisite:** CHEM 030A.
- **Transfers to:** CSU, UC
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 3 sections (/c/merritt-college/schedule/fall-2026/chem.md)
- Peralta GE Areas 5; Cal-GETC Area 5A, 5C;

Introduction to basic organic chemistry and biochemistry: Hydrocarbons; organic functional groups, nomenclature, and reactions; polymers, carbohydrates, proteins, enzymes, lipids, nucleic acids, protein synthesis, and metabolic pathways.