Course map
Energy from fuels, food and cells
- LessonPractice
Fuels, food and energy changes
Unit 3: Unit 3, Area of Study 1- Compare fossil fuels and biofuels, including renewability and environmental impact
- Write the equations for photosynthesis, respiration and fermentation, and compare food fuels
- Interpret enthalpy changes and energy profile diagrams
- Write thermochemical equations for complete and incomplete combustion
- LessonPractice
Stoichiometry and calorimetry
Unit 3: Unit 3, Area of Study 1- Calculate masses and gas volumes in combustion reactions, including at SLC
- Use the specific heat capacity of water to find the energy released by a fuel or food
- Calibrate a calorimeter and find enthalpy changes from temperature changes
- Calculate the energy efficiency of a combustion and the energy in a food
- LessonPractice
Redox, galvanic cells and fuel cells
Unit 3: Unit 3, Area of Study 1- Assign oxidation numbers and identify oxidising and reducing agents
- Write balanced half-equations in acidic and basic conditions
- Predict galvanic cell reactions, polarities and voltages from the electrochemical series
- Explain fuel cell design and apply Faraday's laws to cells
Rate, yield and electrolysis
- LessonPractice
Rates of reaction
Unit 3: Unit 3, Area of Study 2- Explain changes in rate with collision theory
- Explain how a catalyst works with an energy profile diagram
- Interpret rate data from experiments
- LessonPractice
Equilibrium and yield
Unit 3: Unit 3, Area of Study 2- Read concentration-time graphs of systems at equilibrium
- Predict the effect of a change with Le Chatelier's principle
- Write equilibrium expressions and calculate Kc and Q
- Weigh rate against yield in an industrial process
- LessonPractice
Electrolysis and rechargeable cells
Unit 3: Unit 3, Area of Study 2- Predict the products of electrolysis of molten and aqueous electrolytes
- Explain the design of commercial electrolytic cells and rechargeable cells
- Describe ways of producing green hydrogen
- Apply Faraday's laws to electrolysis
Organic compounds and their reactions
- LessonPractice
Organic structure, naming and properties
Unit 4: Unit 4, Area of Study 1- Draw and interpret the formulas of the organic families in the course
- Name organic compounds up to C8 with IUPAC rules
- Identify structural isomers
- Explain trends in boiling point and viscosity
- LessonPractice
Organic reactions and pathways
Unit 4: Unit 4, Area of Study 1- Give the reactants, products and conditions of the course's organic reactions
- Plan reaction pathways to amines, carboxylic acids and esters
- Explain biodiesel production and the hydrolysis and condensation of biomolecules
- Calculate percentage yield and atom economy
Analysis and medicinal chemistry
- LessonPractice
Laboratory analysis
Unit 4: Unit 4, Area of Study 2- Choose a qualitative test for a functional group
- Use melting points and distillation to judge purity
- Calculate the degree of unsaturation with iodine
- Calculate concentrations from redox titrations
- LessonPractice
Instrumental analysis
Unit 4: Unit 4, Area of Study 2- Read mass spectra, infrared spectra and NMR spectra
- Use a calibration curve from HPLC to find a concentration
- Deduce a structure from several kinds of spectral data
- LessonPractice
Medicinal chemistry
Unit 4: Unit 4, Area of Study 2- Describe how a plant compound is extracted and purified
- Identify functional groups and chiral centres in medicines
- Explain enzyme structure and how temperature and pH change enzyme function
- Explain how competitive inhibitors work
Key science skills
- LessonPractice
Key science skills and investigations
Unit 3 and Unit 4: Key science skills; Unit 4, Area of Study 3- Identify variables, controls and a suitable method
- Distinguish accuracy, precision, repeatability, reproducibility and validity, and kinds of error
- Process data with correct significant figures and units
- Judge how far evidence supports a conclusion, and apply green chemistry principles
The examination
VCE Chemistry Units 3 and 4. The examination covers Unit 3 and Unit 4. School-assessed Coursework is set by your school, so it is described in a lesson rather than practised here.