United States · Common Core State Standards
9th Grade Chemistry
This course explores the fundamental principles of matter and energy through the lens of atomic structure and chemical interactions. Students investigate how microscopic particles dictate macroscopic properties and develop mathematical models to predict the outcomes of chemical reactions.
The Architecture of Matter
Students explore the evolution of atomic theory and the subatomic particles that define an element's identity and behavior.
Investigation into the discovery of protons, neutrons, and electrons and how their arrangement defines atomic mass and stability.
Students examine the Bohr model and the quantum mechanical model to understand how energy levels dictate light emission.
Analysis of the periodic table's organization based on atomic radius, ionization energy, and electronegativity.
Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry
Students investigate the forces that hold atoms together and how the shape of a molecule determines its physical properties.
Distinguishing between the transfer and sharing of electrons and the resulting lattice structures or discrete molecules.
Predicting the three dimensional geometry of molecules based on electron pair repulsion.
Exploring the attractions between molecules and how they dictate states of matter.
The Language of Chemical Reactions
An introduction to identifying, balancing, and predicting the products of various chemical reaction types.
Classifying reactions into synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double replacement, and combustion.
Applying the Law of Conservation of Mass to ensure chemical equations are mathematically accurate.
Focusing on the species that actually change during a reaction in aqueous solution.
Quantifying Chemistry: Stoichiometry
Students use the mole concept to perform quantitative calculations and determine reaction efficiency.
Relating the macroscopic mass of a substance to the microscopic number of particles.
Using balanced equations to calculate the amounts of reactants needed or products produced.
Identifying which reactant runs out first and why actual yields often differ from theoretical yields.
Thermodynamics and Kinetics
Investigation into the energy changes during reactions and the factors that influence the speed of a reaction.
Distinguishing between exothermic and endothermic processes and calculating heat transfer.
Exploring how temperature, concentration, and catalysts affect how fast a reaction occurs.
Understanding reversible reactions and how systems respond to stress according to Le Chatelier's Principle.
Solutions and Acid-Base Chemistry
Students examine the properties of mixtures and the unique behaviors of acids and bases in aqueous environments.
Investigating the dissolving process and calculating molarity.
Defining acids and bases using the Arrhenius and Bronsted Lowry models.
Using titration techniques to determine the unknown concentration of an acid or base.