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Unit 1: Chemical fundamentals: structure, properties and reactions Chemistry

Chemists design and produce a vast range of materials for many purposes, including for fuels, cosmetics, building materials and pharmaceuticals. As the science of chemistry has developed over time, there has been an increasing realisation that the properties …

Unit 1 | Chemistry | Science | Senior secondary curriculum

Unit 2: Molecular interactions and reactions Chemistry

In this unit, students develop their understanding of the physical and chemical properties of materials including gases, water and aqueous solutions, acids and bases. Students explore the characteristic properties of water that make it essential for physical, …

Unit 2 | Chemistry | Science | Senior secondary curriculum

Unit 3: Equilibrium, acids and redox reactions Chemistry

The idea of reversibility of reaction is vital in a variety of chemical systems at different scales, ranging from the processes that release carbon dioxide into our atmosphere to the reactions of ions within individual cells in our bodies. Processes that …

Unit 3 | Chemistry | Science | Senior secondary curriculum

Unit 4: Structure, synthesis and design Chemistry

Current and future applications of chemistry include the development of specialised techniques to create, or synthesise, new substances to meet the specific needs of society, including pharmaceuticals, fuels, polymers and nanomaterials. In this unit, …

Unit 4 | Chemistry | Science | Senior secondary curriculum

Structure of Chemistry Chemistry

Units In Chemistry, students develop their understanding of chemical systems, and how models of matter and energy transfers and transformations can be used to describe, explain and predict chemical structures, properties and reactions. There are four …

Structure of Chemistry | Chemistry | Science | Senior secondary curriculum

Rationale/Aims Chemistry

Rationale Chemistry is the study of materials and substances, and the transformations they undergo through interactions and the transfer of energy. Chemists can use an understanding of chemical structures and processes to adapt, control and manipulate …

Rationale/Aims | Chemistry | Science | Senior secondary curriculum

ACSCH020

The properties of atoms, including their ability to form chemical bonds, are explained by the arrangement of electrons in the atom and in particular by the stability of the valence electron shell

ACSCH027

The type of bonding within substances explains their physical properties, including melting and boiling point, conductivity of both electricity and heat, strength and hardness

ACSCH031

The properties of ionic compounds (for example, high melting point, brittleness, ability to conduct electricity when liquid or in solution) are explained by modelling ionic bonding as ions arranged in a crystalline lattice structure with forces of attraction …

ACSCH032

The characteristic properties of metals (for example, malleability, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity) are explained by modelling metallic bonding as a regular arrangement of positive ions (cations) made stable by electrostatic forces of attraction …

ACSCH037

Endothermic and exothermic reactions can be explained in terms of the Law of Conservation of Energy and the breaking and reforming of bonds; heat energy released or absorbed can be represented in thermochemical equations

ACSCH055

Observable properties, including vapour pressure, melting point, boiling point and solubility, can be explained by considering the nature and strength of intermolecular forces within a substance

ACSCH056

The shapes of molecules can be explained and predicted using three-dimensional representations of electrons as charge clouds and using valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory

ACSCH057

The polarity of molecules can be explained and predicted using knowledge of molecular shape, understanding of symmetry, and comparison of the electronegativity of elements

ACSCH058

The shape and polarity of molecules can be used to explain and predict the nature and strength of intermolecular forces, including dispersion forces, dipole-dipole forces and hydrogen bonding

ACSCH060

The behaviour of gases, including the qualitative relationships between pressure, temperature and volume, can be explained using kinetic theory

ACSCH062

The unique properties of water can be explained by its molecular shape and hydrogen bonding between molecules

ACSCH065

The solubility of substances in water, including ionic and molecular substances, can be explained by the intermolecular forces between species in the substances and water molecules, and is affected by changes in temperature

ACSCH070

Collision theory can be used to explain and predict the effect of concentration, temperature, pressure and surface area on the rate of chemical reactions by considering the structure of the reactants and the energy of particles

ACSCH092

The reversibility of chemical reactions can be explained by considering the activation energies of the forward and reverse reactions

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