SCH4U – Chemistry – Grade 12
This course enables students to deepen their understanding of chemistry through the study of organic chemistry, energy changes and rates of reaction, chemical systems and equilibrium, electrochemistry, and atomic and molecular structure. Students will further develop problem-solving and laboratory skills as they investigate chemical processes, at the same time refining their ability to communicate scientific information. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of chemistry in daily life, and on evaluating the impact of chemical technology on the environment.
$450.00
*Course outline is subject to change
Overall Curriculum Expectations
By the end of this course, students will :
Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration
- Demonstrate scientific investigation skills (related to both inquiry and research) in the four areas of skills (initiating and planning, performing and recording, analyzing and interpreting, and communicating);
- Identify and describe careers related to the fields of science under study, and describe the contributions of scientists, including Canadians, to those fields.
Organic Chemistry
- Assess the social and environmental impact of organic compounds used in everyday life and propose a course of action to reduce the use of compounds that are harmful to human health and the environment.
- Investigate organic compounds and organic chemical reactions and use various methods to represent the compounds.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the structure, properties, and chemical behavior of compounds within each class of organic compounds.
Structure and Properties of Matter
- Assess the benefits to society and evaluate the environmental impact of products and technologies that apply principles related to the structure and properties of matter.
- Investigate the molecular shapes and physical properties of various types of matter.
- Demonstrate an understanding of atomic structure and chemical bonding, and how they relate to the physical properties of ionic, molecular, covalent network, and metallic substances.
Energy Changes and Rates of Reaction
- Analyze technologies and chemical processes that are based on energy changes and evaluate them in terms of efficiency and their effects on the environment.
- Investigate and analyze energy changes and rates of reaction in physical and chemical processes and solve related problems.
- Demonstrate an understanding of energy changes and rates of reaction.
Chemical Systems and Equilibrium
- Analyze chemical equilibrium processes, and assess their impact on biological, biochemical, and technological systems.
- Investigate the qualitative and quantitative nature of chemical systems at equilibrium and solve related problems.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of dynamic equilibrium and the variables that cause shifts in the equilibrium of chemical systems.
Electrochemistry
- Analyze technologies and processes relating to electrochemistry, and their implications for society, health and safety, and the environment.
- Investigate oxidation-reduction reactions using a galvanic cell and analyze electrochemical reactions in qualitative and quantitative terms.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of oxidation-reduction reactions and the many practical applications of electrochemistry.
Outline of Course Content
Organic chemistry is used to create a whole suite of products that we use in everyday life, including gasoline, toothpaste, hairsprays, and perfumes, to name just a few. In this unit, students will begin by learning about different functional groups and the IUPAC system of nomenclature of these groups. Students will then explore the various reactions of these functional groups, from alkenes and aromatic hydrocarbons, to alcohols and carboxylic acids. In addition, students will briefly investigate the properties of these various functional groups, such as polarity and boiling points. Finally, students will use their knowledge of organic chemistry to study polymers and investigate their use in industrial applications.
In this unit, students will bring by learning about the Bohr-Rutherford model of the atom and how it came to exist. Students will then explore the use of Lewis dot diagrams to represent atoms and molecules and learn about the concepts of chemical bonding and how they relate to the physical properties of molecular and covalent compounds. In addition, students will learn about electronegativities and the differences in properties between polar and non-polar molecules. Finally, students will learn how to predict the shapes of various molecules in relation to the types of bonds that the molecules contain.
In this unit, students develop an understanding of the energy transformations and kinetics of chemical change. Using experimental data and calculations, they determine energy changes for physical and chemical processes and rates of reaction. In addition, students will investigate Hess’s Law and enthalpies of formation to determine heat changes for various chemical reactions. Finally, students will develop an understanding of the dependence of chemical technologies and processes on the energetic of chemical reactions.
In this unit, students develop an understanding of chemical equilibrium, Le Chatelier’s Principle, and solution equilibrium. Students will investigate the behavior of different equilibrium systems and build their problem-solving skills as they solve problems involving the law of chemical equilibrium. In addition, students investigate energy changes and equilibrium by examining entropy and Gibb’s Free Energy Change. Finally, students will research and explain the importance of chemical equilibrium in various systems, including ecological, biological, and technological systems.
In this unit, students build on their knowledge of oxidation-reduction reactions by learning how to assign oxidation numbers to atoms and balancing redox equations in acidic and basic solution. Students will then use their knowledge of redox reactions to investigate oxidation and reduction potentials of various compounds and learn about the electrical potential of cells. In addition, students will use their knowledge of redox reactions to explore the use of galvanic and voltaic cells and their applications in creating different kinds of batteries for industrial and commercial use.
This course has provided students with numerous and varied opportunities to demonstrate the full extent of their achievement of the curriculum expectations, across all four categories of knowledge and skill. 30% of the final grade will be based on a final evaluation in the form of a written examination.