Chemistry: ATAR - a summary of syllabus changes
This table summarises the main differences between the current WACE course syllabus and the Year 11 and
Year 12 syllabuses that have been adapted from the Australian Curriculum, for implementation in 2015
(Year 11) and 2016 (Year 12).
Content changes
Overall
 The Chemistry ATAR course has three interrelated strands: Science Inquiry Skills,
Science as a Human Endeavour and Science Understanding which build on students’
learning in the P-10 Australian Curriculum: Science. The content descriptions for
Science Inquiry Skills, Science as a Human Endeavour and Science Understanding have
been written so that integration of the strands is possible in each unit
 Mathematical skills expected of students studying Chemistry are explicated. It is
recognised that students may need to be taught to interpret logarithmic scales and to
substitute a value to evaluate a logarithmic expression as they are required in pH
calculations (Unit 3)
 The syllabus also incorporates two new sections, ‘Representation of General
capabilities’ and ‘Representation of Cross-curriculum priorities
 In the new course, Units 1–3 all Australian curriculum content have been included.
Unit 3 includes calculation of hydrogen or hydroxide ion concentration from K w;
calculation of cell potential, and electrolysis
 In Unit 4, the following content included: polymers to include polyethene,
polytetrafluoroethene, polyamides and polyester; amides, protein structure, Haber and
Contact processes, and enzyme catalysis
Content changes
Year 11 specific
Content from the current WACE Stages 2A and 2B (excluding oxidation and reduction) are
included in Units 1 and 2 but also includes Atomic structure and bonding content from
Stage 3A.
Unit 1: Chemical fundamentals: structure, properties and reactions
 Models of atomic structure and bonding to explain the macroscopic properties of
materials, properties of nanomaterials now included. The energy changes associated
with chemical reactions and the use of chemical equations to calculate the masses of
substances involved in chemical reactions
Unit 2: Molecular interactions and reactions
 Bonding models and the relationship between structure, properties and reactions,
including consideration of the factors that affect the rate of chemical reactions. The
unique properties of water and the properties of acids and bases, and use chemical
equations to calculate the concentrations and volumes of solutions involved in
chemical reactions, identification of ions in aqueous solutions with flame tests now
included
Content changes
Year 12 specific
Atomic structure and bonding content in the current Stage 3A is now in Units 1 and 2 (Year
11). Other content in Stages 3A and 3B are in Units 3 and 4.
Unit 3: Equilibrium, acids and bases, and redox reactions
 The concept of reversibility of reactions and the dynamic nature of equilibrium in
chemical systems; contemporary models of acid-base behaviour that explain their
properties and uses , the use of Kw to calculate hydrogen or hydroxide ion
concentration in solutions of strong acids or bases; the principles of oxidation and
reduction reactions including the generation of electricity from electrochemical
cells and calculation of their cell potentials under standard conditions, and
electrolytic cells including metal plating and copper purification
Unit 4: Organic chemistry and chemical synthesis
 The relationship between the structure, properties and chemical reactions of
organic functional groups now includes amides, addition polymerisation includes
polyethene and polytetrafluoroethene and condensation polymerisation includes
polyamides and polyesters, α-amino acids include the formation of zwitterions
and their ability to form amide (peptide) bonds, protein primary, secondary and
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Chemistry | ATAR | a summary of syllabus changes
tertiary structures; chemical synthesis processes include the Haber and Contact
processes, biodiesel production by base-catalysed and lipase-catalysed methods,
the use of enzyme catalysts with fermentation of ethanol contrasted with
hydrolysis of ethene; chemical synthesis processes that involve a sequence of
reactions
Changes to the
assessment table
Year 11
Type of assessment
Science Inquiry—Practical and Investigation types: 25% (current Stage 2 course 15–25%)
Extended response: 10% (not represented in the current assessment structure as a
separate type)
Test: 15% (current course, tests and examinations are conflated and are allocated 50–70%
with the disbursement of that component not specified)
Examination : 50%
Changes to the
assessment table
Year 12
Type of assessment
Science Inquiry—Practical and Investigation types: 20% (current Stage 3 course 15–25%)
Extended response: 10% (not represented in the current assessment structure as a
separate type)
Test: 20% (current course, ‘Tests and examinations’ are conflated and are allocated 50–70%
with the disbursement of that component not specified)
Examination: 50%
Changes to
assessment type
weightings
Year 11
The weighting for the category ‘Science inquiry’ is set at the top end of the range in the
current course. The assessment type ‘Test’ is correspondingly reduced.
The assessment type ‘Examination’ is unchanged.
Changes to
assessment type
weightings
Year 12
The weighting for the category ‘Science inquiry’ for the new course is set at the top end of
the range of the current course. The assessment type ‘Test’ is correspondingly reduced.
The assessment type ‘Examination’ is unchanged.
Examination design brief changes
Section/s renamed
Nil
Section/s format or
weighting
Minor changes to the specified format of the examination. Weighting of calculations across
Sections Two and Three is now 15-20% (formally 15-25%). Note also that numerical
answers should be expressed to the appropriate number of significant figures (not three
significant figures).
Sections removed
Nil
Sections added
Nil
Other changes
Nil
2014/10311v3
Chemistry | ATAR | a summary of syllabus changes