Course Overview

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.

Course Outline

Unit 1: Structure and Properties of Matter
Unit 2: Organic Chemistry
Unit 3: Energy Changes and Rates of Reaction
Unit 4: Equilibria
Unit 5: Electrochemistry

This course has the following units of study:

• Organic Compounds (10 Hours)
• Polymers (10 Hours)
• Atomic Theories (10 Hours)
• Chemical Bonding (10 Hours)
• Thermochemistry (10 Hours)
• Chemical Kinetics (10 Hours)
• Chemical Systems in Equilibrium (15 Hours)
• Acid-Base System (15 Hours)
• Electric and Electrolytic Cells (15 Hours)
• Course Cumulative Project (5 Hours)

SCH4U has a course cumulative project worth 10% and a final exam worth 20% of the final grade calculation.

Curriculum Expectations

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, analysing and interpreting, and communicating);
• Identify and describe a variety of careers related to the fields of science under study, and identify scientists, including Canadians, who have made contributions 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 behaviour of compounds within each class of organic compounds.

Strcture 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

• Analyse technologies and chemical processes that are based on energy changes, and evaluate them in terms of their efficiency and their effects on the environment;
• Investigate and analyse 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

• Analyse 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

• Analyse 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 analyse electrochemical reactions in qualitative and quantitative terms;
• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of oxidation-reduction reactions and the many practical applications of electrochemistry.