Honors Chemistry Course Syllabus
Unit #1 THE STRUCTURE OF MATTER
Objectives:
List and describe the steps of the scientific method
Discuss safety procedures in the lab
Solve chemistry problems using dimensional analysis to and conversion factors
Explain how to use significant digits and scientific notation.
Know the metric prefixes
Define the term atom
Discuss Dalton’s atomic theory
Explain and discuss Thompson’s, Rutherford’s and Franklins main experiments
Describe the subatomic particles.
Determine the number of protons, electrons and neutrons in a given ion.
Define isotopes and atomic mass.
Identify the major regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Describe light in terms of wave like behavior.
Describe a given atom in terms of its atomic orbitals.
Determine the electron configuration for a given element.
Explain why elements in a group have similar properties.
Identify the four blocks of the periodic table.
Identify four periodic trends and explain how each reflects the electron
configurations of the elements.
State Standards:
3.4.10.A1
3.4.10.A2
3.4.10.B1
3.4.10.A1
Shared Activities and Assessments:
 “Mendeleev For A Day” lab
 “Determining an Element by Spectroscopy” lab
Available Equipment and Materials, Storage Location:
 Salts for Mendeleev lab, Chemistry storage room
 Spectroscopes, Room 420
Unit #2 CHEMICAL BONDING, FORMULAS AND THE
MOLE
Objectives:
Describe the characteristics of an ionic bond.
State the Octet rule.
Describe the characteristics of a covalent bond.
Describe the difference between polar and non polar bonds.
Balance chemical equations.
Define a mole, molar mass and Avagadro’s number.
Use dimensional analysis to convert among moles, particles and mass of a
given substance.
Define molar volume.
Solve percent composition problems.
Solve problems involving empirical and molecular formulas.
State Standards:
3.4.10.A5
3.4.10.B1
Shared Activities and Assessments:
 “Formula of a hydrate” lab
Available Equipment and Materials, Storage Location
 Magnesium Sulfate Heptahydrate Chemical Storage Room
Unit #3 STOICHIOMETRY
Objectives:
Define stoichiometry and explain its importance.
Identify and solve different types of stoichiometry problems.
Determine the limiting reactant in a chemical reaction.
Distinguish between exothermic and endothermic reactions.
Define enthalpy, Hess’s law, and calorimetry.
Apply Hess’s law to determine the change in enthalpy for a reaction.
Describe how a calorimeter determines heats of reaction.
Use Hess’s Law in the lab to determine change in enthalpy
State Standards:
3.4.10.A7
3.4.10.B1
3.4.10.B3
3.4.12.B1
Shared Activities and Assessments:
 “Stoichiometry with copper chloride” lab
 “Determining the enthalpy change of a reaction with MgO”
Available Equipment and Materials, Storage Location
 Copper chloride, aluminum Chemical Storage Room
 MgO, HCl,
Chemical Storage Room
Unit #4 STATES OF MATTER
Objectives:
Describe the Kinetic-Molecular Theory and explain how it accounts for
gas behavior.
Explain what gas pressure means and how it is measured.
Define Boyle’s and Charles’ Law and the Ideal gas law.
Solve problems involving the concepts of molarity and molality.
State Standards:
3.4.10.A3
3.4.10.A4,
Shared Activities and Assessments:
 “Boyle’s Law Lab” with science workshop
 “Mixing a solution of appropriate molarity” activity
Available Equipment and Materials, Storage Location
 Pressure gauges, syringes, science workshop program Room 416
 Volumetric flasks, grad cylinders Room 416
 sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate Chemical Storage Room
Unit #5 CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM
Objectives:
Describe a reversible reaction.
Define chemical equilibrium.
Determine the equilibrium constant for a given reaction.
Use the reaction quotient to determine if the reaction is at equilibrium.
Explain LeChatelier’s principle.
Describe how changes in concentration, pressure and temperature affect a
reaction ratequilibrium.
Relate the Haber process to LeChatelier’s principle.
Compare dissolution and precipitation.
Calculate equilibrium constants for aqueous solutions of ionic solids.
Predict whether a precipitate will form using the solubility product.
Write net ionic equations for the formation of various aqueous solutions.
State Standards:
3.4.10.A7
3.4.12.A2
3.4.12.B1
3.4.12.B2
Shared Activities and Assessments:
 “Chemical equilibrium lab”
 “Ksp lab”
Available Equipment and Materials, Storage Location
 sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, Chemical Storage Room
 beakers, pipettes, burettes, pinch clamps Room 416
UNIT#6 ACIDS AND BASES
Objectives:
State the Bronsted-Lowery definition of acids and bases
Identify common properties of acids and bases
Explain what dissociation constants indicate about acids and bases
Use experimental data to calculate a dissociation constant
Identify the ion concentrations in pure water
Describe the pH scale
Explain how buffers work
Describe an acid base titration
Explain how indicators are used in titrations
State Standards:
3.4.12.A5
3.4.10.B1
Shared Activities and Assessments:
 “Calculation of the acid dissociation constant”
 “Acid Base titration”
Available Equipment and Materials, Storage Location
 sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, Chemical Storage Room
 beakers, pipettes, burettes, pinch clamps Room 416
UNIT #7 REDOX CHEMISTRY
Objectives:
Define oxidation and reduction
Explain what oxidation numbers are and how they are assigned
Explain what is meant by the activity series of metals
Describe some applications of redox reactions
List the steps in balancing redox reactions
Describe electrochemical cells
Explain the operation of a voltaic cell
Relate standard electrode potentials to standard cell potentials
Compare batteries and fuel cells
Describe applications of electrolytic cells
State Standards:
3.4.10.A5
3.4.12.B2
3.4.10.B1
3.4.10.B2
3.4.10.B3
3.4.12.B2
3.4.12.B3
Shared Activities and Assessments:
 Oxidation/Reduction Lab
 Build a battery lab
 Electroplating lab
Available Equipment and Materials, Storage Location
 copper sulfate, iron sulfate, iron chloride, lead sulfate, copper electrode,
zinc electrode, zinc sulfate solution
Chemical Storage Room
 spot plates, pipettes, rubber bands, distilled water
Room 416
 Pasco science workshop voltmeter, salt bridges
Room 420
UNIT #8 KINETICS AND THERMODYNAMICS
Objectives:
Define the rate of chemical reaction
Identify intermediate products in a reaction mechanism
Describe a rate law for a chemical reaction
Understand chemical reactions in terms of collision theory
Define activation energy and activation complex
List the factors that affect reaction rates and explain them according
to collision theory
Explain what is meant by a spontaneous process
Relate enthalpy changes to spontaneity
Define entropy
Explain Gibbs free energy
State Standards:
3.4.10.A4
3.4.10.A7
3.4.10.B1
3.4.12.B1
3.4.12.B2
3.4.12.B4
Shared Activities and Assessments:
 “Reaction rate lab”
 “Enthalpy, Entropy and Gibbs free energy lab”
Available Equipment and Materials, Storage Location
 spot plates, pipettes, rubber bands, distilled water, burrettes,
temperature probes, pinch clamps
Room 416
 potassium permanganate, potassium iodide, sodium thiosulfate,
sodium hydroxide, magnesium chloride Chemical Storage Room
UNIT #9 NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
Objectives:
Explain what is meant by a half life
Describe what happens in a nuclear bombardment reaction
Describe how radiation affects living things
Discuss several beneficial applications of radioisotopes
Compare nuclear fission and fusion
Explain how nuclear reactors are used to produce energy
Explain how carbon dating is used to determine the age of an object
State Standards:
3.4.10.A1
3.4.10.A7
3.4.12.B2
3.4.12.B3
3.4.10.B7
3.4.10.B3
Shared Activities and Assessments:
 “Nuclear Scalar Lab”
Available Equipment and Materials, Storage Location
 nuclear scalar, samples of polonium, strontium, cobalt, Room 416
UNIT #10 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Objectives:
Explain carbon’s unique bonding properties
Define organic molecules and organic chemistry
Define and name various alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, halocarbons, alcohols, ethers, esters, aldehyde,
ketones, carboxylic acids, amines and amides
Shared Activities and Assessments:
 “Aromatic compounds lab”
Available Equipment and Materials, Storage Location
 acetic acid, glycerol, ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol
Chemical Storage Room
 test tubes, beakers, stirring rods, pipettes, graduate cylinders
Room 416