§-Chemistry syllabus

SA · SACE Board← Chemistry

Chemistry syllabus, dot point by dot point

Every dot point in the SA Chemistry subject outline, in syllabus order, with a focused answer for each. Open any dot point for the answer, exam-style questions and links to related points.

Topic 1: Monitoring the Environment

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How do we monitor and explain the chemistry of air pollution?

Identify the major atmospheric pollutants, their sources, and the chemistry of photochemical smog formation.

How does molecular structure explain the greenhouse effect?

Explain the greenhouse effect in terms of the absorption of infrared radiation by greenhouse gas molecules.

How can the concentration of a metal ion be measured from the light it absorbs or emits?

Explain the principles of atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and atomic emission spectroscopy, and their use in determining trace metal concentrations.

How does chromatography separate and identify the components of a mixture?

Explain the principles of chromatography, including gas chromatography (GC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and interpret chromatograms.

How do chemists measure and judge the quality of water?

Describe the key indicators of water quality, including dissolved oxygen, BOD, pH, turbidity and ion concentrations.

How can redox titrations measure the concentration of oxidising or reducing species in a sample?

Use redox titrations, including permanganate titrations, to determine the concentration of an analyte from balanced half-equations and stoichiometry.

How can we accurately measure the concentration of a solution?

Apply volumetric analysis using acid-base titrations to determine unknown concentrations.

Topic 2: Managing Chemical Processes

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What does it mean for a reaction to reach dynamic equilibrium, and how does Kc describe it?

Describe dynamic equilibrium in closed systems and use the equilibrium constant expression Kc to relate equilibrium concentrations and reaction extent.

How does a catalyst speed up a reaction without being consumed?

Explain how catalysts increase reaction rate by providing an alternative pathway with a lower activation energy, and represent this on an energy profile.

How do industrial conditions for the Haber process balance reaction rate against equilibrium yield?

Explain how temperature, pressure and catalyst conditions in the Haber process are chosen to compromise between reaction rate and equilibrium yield.

How can chemical processes be designed to reduce waste and environmental impact?

Apply green chemistry principles, including atom economy, to evaluate the efficiency and sustainability of chemical processes.

How is the heat released or absorbed by a reaction measured and calculated?

Calculate enthalpy changes from calorimetry data using q = mcΔT, and interpret exothermic and endothermic reactions.

How does a system at equilibrium respond when conditions are changed?

Apply Le Chatelier's principle to predict the effect of changes in concentration, pressure and temperature on the position of equilibrium.

What factors control how fast a reaction proceeds, and why?

Use collision theory to explain the effect of concentration, surface area, temperature and pressure on reaction rate.

Topic 3: Organic and Biological Chemistry

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How do functional groups define organic families, and how can one formula give different compounds?

Identify functional groups in organic molecules and describe structural isomerism, including chain, positional and functional-group isomers.

How are hydrocarbons classified and named systematically?

Classify hydrocarbons as alkanes, alkenes and alkynes, and apply IUPAC nomenclature to name straight-chain and branched compounds.

How do monomers join to form addition and condensation polymers?

Distinguish addition and condensation polymerisation, identify monomers and repeating units, and relate polymer structure to properties.

How does the oxidation product of an alcohol depend on its class?

Describe the oxidation of primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols and the products formed.

How do alkenes undergo addition and haloalkanes undergo substitution?

Describe the addition reactions of alkenes and the substitution reactions of haloalkanes, writing equations and products.

How are the major biological molecules built from smaller units?

Describe the structure of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids in terms of their monomers and the bonds formed by condensation reactions.

How are esters formed and broken down?

Describe the formation of esters by esterification and their breakdown by hydrolysis, writing equations and naming products.

How do IR, mass spectrometry and NMR help identify an organic compound?

Interpret infrared spectra, mass spectra and proton NMR spectra to determine the structure of organic molecules.

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Topic 4: Managing Resources

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How is the energy content of a fuel measured and compared?

Define and calculate the enthalpy of combustion of fuels, and compare fuels by their energy content per gram and per mole.

How does electrical energy drive non-spontaneous redox reactions in electrolysis?

Describe electrolytic cells, predict electrode products, and apply Faraday's relationships to calculate amounts in electrolysis.

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How do primary and secondary cells store and supply electrical energy?

Distinguish primary and secondary cells, describe their electrode reactions, and evaluate them as energy resources.

How are metals extracted from ores and protected from corrosion?

Describe methods of metal extraction and explain corrosion (rusting) of iron and methods used to prevent it.

How does a galvanic cell convert a redox reaction into electrical energy?

Describe the operation of galvanic cells and use standard electrode potentials to calculate cell potential and predict spontaneity.

How can the full environmental impact of a product or process be assessed?

Use life cycle analysis to evaluate the sustainability and environmental impact of materials, products and chemical processes.

How are oxidation and reduction tracked using oxidation numbers and half-equations?

Assign oxidation numbers, identify oxidation and reduction, and balance redox equations using half-equations.