SCH4U

Course Description:

This course enables students to deepen their understanding of chemistry through the study of organic chemistry, the structure and properties of matter, energy changes and rates of reaction, equilibrium in chemical systems, and electrochemistry. Students will further develop their problem-solving and investigation skills as they investigate chemical processes, and will refine their ability to communicate scientific information. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of chemistry in everyday life and on evaluating the impact of chemical technology on the environment.

Prerequisite: SCH3U - Chemistry Grade 11

Course Outline

Unit 1: Structure and Properties of Matter (24 hours)

This unit reintroduces many of the topics you learned in grade 11 chemistry and takes them to the next level.  Throughout this unit you will learn about the important experiments that led to our current understanding of the atom and the crucially important role that electrons play in the structures and properties of atoms and molecules.  The structures and properties of matter have implications in every aspect of science and our everyday lives. By the end of this unit you will understand how these principles are used today to improve our lives through technology and will be familiar with some of the important scientists who have contributed to this field of knowledge.

Unit 2: Organic Chemistry (22 hours)

Organic compounds are the building blocks of all living things.  They surround us  in all places and at all times, from the individual nucleotides that make up our DNA to the fuels that power our cars and homes to the medicine we take when we are sick.  Organic chemistry is the study of the properties of organic compounds which are by definition any carbon-containing molecules (with a few exceptions).   This unit will cover how we classify and identify different types of organic compounds, the important structures and properties relating to these organic compounds,  the chemical reactions involving organic compounds and finally the tremendous impact organic compounds have on our planet and our way of life.  The big ideas to keep in mind as you advance through this unit are that organic compounds have predictable chemical and physical properties that are determined by their structures, and that organic chemical reactions and their applications have significant implications for society and the environment.

Unit 3: Energy Change & Rates of Reaction (23 hours)

In this unit you will explore transformations in energy related to chemical processes and how these transformations effect society and the environment.

Unit 4: Chemical System & Equilibrium (22 hours)

In this unit you will explore chemical processes and discover the nature of these systems at equilibrium. 

Unit 5: Electrochemistry (19 hours)

In this unit you will explore chemical reactions known as redox reactions and how these reactions can be applied in technologies that help humanity survive and thrive.