Grades: 10, 11 or 12
Subject Area/Course Credit: Science, 1 credit
Prerequisite: A- or above in Coordinated Science I; or B or above in Coordinated Science II, Honors Chemistry or Honors Biology, or a C or above in AP Physics 1; or a science teacher recommendation.
In Honors Chemistry, students develop a deep conceptual understanding of matter and energy at the molecular level as they learn to explain their macroscopic observations using particulate-level reasoning. As students engage in grade-level content, they utilize scientific reasoning skills needed to analyze the natural world.
These big ideas are addressed across all units:
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Structure and Properties: All matter is composed of particles that are in constant motion and interact with one another. This movement and interaction is responsible for the observable properties of matter. Observed properties can be used to infer the number and types of particles in a sample of matter.
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Energy: Energy is transferred in all physical and chemical processes. During these processes, energy is either redistributed within the system or between systems.
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Transformations: At its heart, chemistry is about rearrangements of matter. These rearrangements, or transformations, involve the breaking and forming of intermolecular forces or chemical bonds. Macroscopic observations can be used to quantify and describe these rearrangements at the atomic scale.