CHEM 125Chemical Reactions, Equilibria and Kinetics
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Science
- Subject
- Chemistry
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 2 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 2 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
A first-year chemistry course for students in chemistry-based programs. Properties of liquids and solutions. Introduction to chemical equilibria. Principles of acid-base equilibria, solubility, and electrochemical processes. Chemical kinetics.
Prerequisites
- Must have completed the following:
- CHEM121 - Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter (0.50)
Antirequisites
- Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
- CHEM123 - General Chemistry 2 (0.50)
Leads to
Winter 2027 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 6938 | 0 / 220 | MWF 14:30–15:20 |
| LEC 701 | 2599 | 176 / 9999 | Online or by arrangement |
| TUT 101 | 6939 | 0 / 220 | W 15:30–16:20 |
Reviewed on UW Flow
95% liked it68% easy90% useful
From 41 ratings and 6 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
Less all over the place than chem 121 and material builds on each other more. A lot of it is still review from high school so most things should feel very familiar. There are lots of calculations so make sure to do a lot of practice problems!
Apr 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
The majority of the course is high school review, so nothing is too challenging, you're just building on things you know. Laura Ingram is an amazing prof who is great at explaining concepts and making sure lectures are engaging. The tests and exam are all so fair, all the questions are like what you'd see on assignments and participation challenges and if you understand the lecture material you'll do very well. A great introductory chem course!
Feb 2025 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Half the course was unbearable (thermo and kinetics), and the other half was basically just highschool equilibrium
May 2024 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
laura ingram is goated!! cares about our success and not just teaching the material, and she makes class super enjoyable. notes are easy to follow, and the practice problems provided are pretty similar to the exams. loved this class
Apr 2024 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
This course was a good continuation from CHEM 120/CHEM 121. Unfortunately it covered all of the topics that I tend to struggle with (equilibrium, reaction rates, and electrochemistry) so it was exceptionally difficult for me. That said, I ended up doing pretty well thanks to the structure of the course and the course materials that Dr. Ingram provides. If you're like me and struggle with these concepts this course will definitely need a lot of work but it's doable.
Apr 2023 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
11 posts and comments in 8 threads mention CHEM 125, May 2020 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Spring 2024
chem 264 or 266 1 point, 1 comment
“i'm planning out my courses until my last year (im currently about to start 2A), and i intend to aim for US medical schools. organic chem is a required prereq, but im not sure which one to choose??? …”
u/Dimtar_: “you can’t take 264 without having taken chem 123/125 which are the chemistry courses for chemistry majors you also said you’re not a science student, so keep in mind you also need to take chem 120/123 in first year to take 266”
life sci first year workload 1 point, 5 comments
“\title Also, how are the labs for first year and what profs would you guys recommend?”
u/smol_pumpkinnn: “… Laura Ingram is great for CHEM 120/121 and 123/125. …”
Winter 2022
Do you need Chem 125 for Chem 266? 2 points, 2 comments
u/BigCheese0509: “I took 120 and 123 already but I think I heard that you need 125 too”
u/_sheeko: “CHEM 125 is an anti requisite to CHEM 123, so you won’t get a credit for taking it. I took CHEM 120 and CHEM 123 (with their respective labs) and that was enough for me to take CHEM 266 and CHEM 266L. Good luck, buddy!”
u/VirtualMagenta: “CHEM 125 is usually specific to students pursuing chemistry based programs compared to CHEM 123 which is like a building block of chemistry for students leaning into biology or physics. Students taking CHEM 125 are more likely to need CHEM 264 and 265 for organic chemistry. …”
see you all on february 7th 88 points, 10 comments
u/Dimtar_: “… (Lecture) BIOL 428 (Lecture) BIOL 442 (Lecture) BIOL 477L (Tutorial) CHEM 123 (Tutorial) CHEM 125 (Tutorial) CHEM 363 (Lecture) EARTH 122 (Lecture) EARTH 332 (Lecture) EARTH 437 (Lecture) EARTH 439 (Lecture) EARTH 460 (Lecture) MNS 322 (Lecture) PHYS 10 (Seminar) PHYS 111 …”
Discords for Chem 140, Chem 125/125L, Biol 239, Math 128, AHS 105, Phys 112 0 points, 1 comment
u/quenty12r: “Is there discords for any of these”
Fall 2020
CHEM 220 Questions? 5 points, 15 comments
“Hi, is this an easy course online, I am a 1A CS student looking to take the course online 1B to fulfill my depth requirements (I have CHEM 120 and CHEM 123 from AP Chem)? …”
u/_Saraha_: “Not easy. For someone who did AP chem I might recommend Chem 212, or chem 125. And Mikkelsen is easily the worst science prof on the face of the earth.”
u/EvolveThruEvil: “Unfortunately, CHEM 212 or 125 doesn't create a prereq chain of 3, my options are CHEM 220, CHEM 254, CHEM 264, or CHEM 357. I am a mostly maths kinda guy, and hate memorization, so that might rule out organic and biochem, would you say CHEM 254 is easier? …”
Spring 2020
needing advice from Biochem/Chem/Science Majors 5 points, 20 comments
“Heyo I've just accepted to Waterloo's Biochemistry Co-op Program, but after reading the reviews here and looking at the course content I think its way above my skill level, what with the 5 courses …”
u/yenyen44: “… 123, but starting this year biochem and chem students are required to take CHEM 121 and CHEM 125, and I'm not sure of the differences between these courses (but I would assume they are more intensive as they are meant for chem majors). …”
Transfering between science program 3 points, 3 comments
u/YesssChem: “I think you will be the first cohort of students taking CHEM 121/125 - previously all Science students (from Honours Chemistry to Psychology) took CHEM 120/123. …”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
- WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them