United States · Common Core State Standards
10th Grade Chemistry
This course investigates the fundamental nature of matter and the energy changes that drive the physical world. Students develop models at the subatomic level to explain macroscopic phenomena and use mathematical reasoning to predict the outcomes of chemical reactions.
01Atomic Architecture and the Periodic Table
Students explore the evolution of atomic theory and how subatomic arrangements dictate the organization and predictive power of the periodic table.
Tracing the development of atomic theory from indivisible spheres to the discovery of electrons.
Investigating Rutherford's groundbreaking experiment and the discovery of the dense atomic nucleus.
Exploring the Bohr model's explanation of electron orbits and discrete energy levels.
Examination of the fundamental particles within an atom and their properties.
Understanding isotopes as atoms of the same element with different neutron counts and their impact on atomic mass.
Calculating the weighted average of isotopes based on natural abundance.
Representing the arrangement of electrons in an atom using Aufbau principle, Hund's rule, and Pauli exclusion principle.
Understanding orbitals (s, p, d, f) as probability regions for electron location.
Tracing the historical development of the periodic table, from Mendeleev to modern organization.
Analyzing patterns in the size of atoms across periods and down groups.
Predicting the energy required to remove an electron from an atom.
Predicting how strongly an atom attracts shared electrons in a chemical bond.
Comparing the chemical behaviors of Halogens, Alkali Metals, and Transition Metals.
02Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry
A study of how atoms achieve stability through electron management and how shapes influence material properties.
Overview of why atoms bond and the role of valence electrons in achieving stability.
Differentiating between the electrostatic forces in salts and the electron sharing in molecules.
Exploring electron sharing in covalent bonds and the properties of molecular compounds.
Visualizing valence electrons and predicting bonding patterns in covalent molecules.
Understanding delocalized electrons and evaluating the most stable Lewis structures.
Using valence shell electron pair repulsion to predict the 3D geometry of molecules.
Determining the distribution of charge within a bond based on atom identity.
Assessing the overall polarity of a molecule based on bond polarities and molecular geometry.
Investigating the weakest intermolecular forces present in all molecules.
Exploring stronger intermolecular forces in polar molecules and the unique strength of hydrogen bonds.
Exploring the 'sea of electrons' model and the properties of metals and alloys.
Learning the systemic IUPAC rules for naming ionic compounds, including those with transition metals.
Learning the systemic IUPAC rules for naming covalent compounds and common acids.
03The Language of Chemical Reactions
Focusing on the conservation of mass and the classification of chemical transformations.
Identifying macroscopic indicators that a chemical reaction has occurred.
Translating word equations into symbolic representations and understanding states of matter.
Applying the Law of Conservation of Mass to ensure matter is neither created nor destroyed.
Categorizing reactions into synthesis (combination) and decomposition.
Categorizing reactions into single and double replacement (displacement).
Categorizing reactions into combustion, focusing on hydrocarbon combustion.
Using solubility rules to determine if a solid will form in an aqueous solution.
Identifying species participating in aqueous reactions and removing spectators.
Introduction to electron transfer reactions and their role in various chemical processes.
Learning rules for assigning oxidation numbers to atoms in compounds and ions.
Exploring how environmental factors change the speed of a reaction based on particle collisions.
Understanding how catalysts speed up reactions by lowering activation energy.
Exploring reversible reactions and the concept of dynamic equilibrium.
04Stoichiometry: The Mathematics of Chemistry
Using the mole concept to quantify chemical relationships and predict yield.
Bridging the gap between the microscopic world of atoms and macroscopic grams.
Calculating the mass of one mole of a substance from its chemical formula.
Converting between grams, moles, and number of particles for a given substance.
Determining the simplest ratio of elements in a compound from mass data.
Calculating the actual molecular formula of a compound given its empirical formula and molar mass.
Using coefficients from balanced equations as conversion factors.
Predicting the mass of products formed from a given mass of reactants.
Identifying which reactant runs out first and limits the amount of product.
Analyzing why reactions often produce less than the theoretical maximum.
Applying the mole concept to gaseous reactants and products at Standard Temperature and Pressure.
Defining solutions, solutes, and solvents, and basic ways to express concentration.
Quantifying concentration using molarity and calculating the preparation of lab solutions.
Calculating the concentration of diluted solutions and applying stoichiometry to reactions in solution.
05States of Matter and Gas Laws
Examining the physical behavior of matter and the mathematical laws governing gases.
The fundamental assumptions about particle motion that explain the states of matter.
Comparing the properties and particle arrangements of the three common states of matter.
Understanding atmospheric pressure and the units (atm, mmHg, kPa, psi) used.
Investigating the inverse relationship between pressure and volume of a gas at constant temperature.
Investigating the direct relationship between volume and temperature of a gas at constant pressure.
Exploring the direct relationship between pressure and temperature and combining all gas variables.
Synthesizing all gas variables into a single predictive equation.
Exploring the concept of partial pressures in gas mixtures.
Investigating the rates of gas diffusion and effusion.
Mapping the transitions between states of matter under different conditions of temperature and pressure.
Analyzing the energy changes and temperature profiles during phase transitions.
The relationship between intermolecular forces and the transition to the gas phase.
Understanding the conditions under which real gases deviate from ideal behavior.
06Thermodynamics and Kinetics
Investigating energy flow and the factors controlling the speed of chemical changes.
Distinguishing between exothermic and endothermic processes through heat exchange.
Understanding enthalpy as heat content and writing thermochemical equations.
Calculating the energy required to raise the temperature of different substances using calorimetry.
Calculating the total enthalpy change by summing steps of a reaction.
Using standard enthalpies of formation to calculate reaction enthalpies.
Investigating how concentration, temperature, surface area, and catalysts influence the speed of chemical reactions.
Understanding how reactant particles must collide with sufficient energy and correct orientation to react.
Interpreting energy diagrams to visualize activation energy, enthalpy changes, and reaction pathways.
Investigating reversible reactions and quantifying the position of equilibrium.
Predicting how systems at equilibrium respond to changes in concentration and temperature.
Predicting how systems at equilibrium respond to changes in pressure and the effect of catalysts.
Defining acids and bases based on their properties and common examples.
Comparing Arrhenius and Brønsted-Lowry theories of acids and bases.
07Solutions and Acid-Base Chemistry
Examining the behavior of solutes and the unique properties of acidic and basic systems.
Understanding the degree of dissociation and its impact on conductivity.
Calculating the acidity of a solution based on hydrogen ion concentration.
Using volumetric analysis to find the concentration of an unknown acid or base.
Understanding how buffer solutions resist changes in pH.
How the number of solute particles affects the boiling point of a solvent.
How the number of solute particles affects the freezing point of a solvent.
Exploring the energy of the nucleus and the concept of radioactivity.
Alpha, beta, and gamma radiation and their effects on the nucleus.
Calculating the decay of isotopes over time to date artifacts.
The massive energy changes associated with splitting or joining nuclei.
The structure and naming of alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes.