Grade 12: Exploring Electrochemistry
Building on last week’s introduction, our Grade 12 students have officially started their final unit: Electrochemistry. The curriculum is centered around the guiding question: “What happens when electrons are transferred?”
This week, we focused on the principles of Oxidation and Reduction (Redox). Students have been applying their prior knowledge to master several complex concepts:
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Redox Definitions: Identifying reactions in terms of oxygen/hydrogen transfer, electron movement, and changes in oxidation numbers.
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Oxidation States: Applying systematic rules to determine oxidation numbers and identifying oxidizing and reducing agents.
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Equation Mastery: Writing ionic equations and balancing redox reactions.
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The Activity Series: Using chemical data to predict how different metals will react.
We also introduced Redox Titrations, which serves as the bridge to our work next week as we begin exploring Electrolytic Cells.
Grade 11: The nature of covalent bonding
Our Grade 11 chemists have been conducting an in-depth study of Covalent Bonding and the electrostatic attractions that hold molecules together. Key areas of focus this week included:
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Molecular Structure: Using the Octet Rule to deduce Lewis formulas and predict the arrangement of electron pairs.
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Bond Properties: Explaining the relationship between single, double, and triple bonds in terms of their length and strength.
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Geometry and Polarity: Utilizing VSEPR theory to determine molecular shapes and calculating net dipole moments based on electronegativity values.
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Intermolecular Forces: Investigating how London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, and hydrogen bonding dictate physical properties such as volatility, solubility, and electrical conductivity.
Looking Ahead: Next week, the focus shifts to student-led inquiry. Grade 11 will work in groups to research and present their findings on the properties and industrial uses of Giant Covalent Structures.