United States · Common Core State Standards
12th Grade Chemistry
This course explores the sophisticated interactions of matter and energy through the lens of modern chemical theory. Students investigate the relationship between microscopic structures and macroscopic behaviors using quantitative analysis and predictive modeling.
Atomic Architecture and Quantum Mechanics
Students examine the internal structure of the atom and how quantum mechanical models explain the arrangement of electrons and periodic trends.
Exploration of wave particle duality and how electron configurations determine the chemical identity of elements.
Analysis of how effective nuclear charge and electron shielding influence atomic radius, ionization energy, and electronegativity.
Study of radioactive decay, fission, and fusion and their applications in energy and medicine.
Bonding and Molecular Geometry
Investigation into the forces that hold atoms together and how three dimensional shapes dictate the physical properties of substances.
Using valence shell electron pair repulsion theory to predict the geometric arrangement of atoms in a molecule.
Distinguishing between intramolecular bonds and the attractions between separate molecules.
Examining the unique structures of metals and giant covalent networks like diamond and graphite.
The Mathematics of Reactions
A quantitative approach to chemical change, focusing on the conservation of mass and the concept of the mole.
Bridging the gap between the microscopic world of atoms and the macroscopic world of grams.
Using balanced equations to predict the amounts of products formed and reactants consumed.
Evaluating the efficiency of chemical processes in laboratory and industrial settings.
Thermodynamics and Kinetics
Analyzing the energy changes that accompany chemical reactions and the factors that control reaction speed.
Measuring and calculating the heat flow in chemical systems.
Investigating how molecular collisions lead to chemical change and how to manipulate reaction speed.
Predicting whether a reaction will occur naturally by looking at disorder and Gibbs free energy.
Equilibrium and Solution Chemistry
Studying reversible reactions and the behavior of substances dissolved in liquids.
Understanding that chemical reactions can reach a state where forward and reverse rates are equal.
Predicting how a system at equilibrium responds to external stresses like pressure or temperature changes.
Analyzing the limits of dissolution and the formation of solid precipitates in aqueous solutions.
Acids, Bases, and Redox Systems
Exploring proton transfer and electron transfer reactions that drive biological and industrial processes.
Comparing the Arrhenius and Bronsted Lowry definitions of acids and bases.
Using neutralization reactions to determine the unknown concentration of a solution.
Investigating the movement of electrons in oxidation reduction reactions and its application in batteries.