Page 114 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Science, 2008 (revised)

Grade 12, University Preparation
d1. analyse technologies and chemical processes that are based on energy changes, and evaluate them in terms of their efficiency and their effects on the environment;
d2. investigate and analyse energy changes and rates of reaction in physical and chemical processes, and solve related problems;
d3. demonstrate an understanding of energy changes and rates of reaction.
D1. Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment
D2. Developing Skills of Investigation and Communication
d. energy chAngeS And rAteS of reAction
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of this course, students will:
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | science
SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONSP
By the end of this course, students will:
d1.1 analyse some conventional and alternative energy technologies (e.g., fossil fuel–burning power plants, hydro-powered generators, solar panels, wind turbines, fuel cells), and evaluate them in terms of their efficiency and impact on the environment [AI, C]
Sample issue: The cooling of homes and com- mercial buildings in summer requires more energy than heating in the winter at peak times. Brownouts are more likely in summer than in winter. However, new technologies use deep lake water cooling as an alternative to conven- tional air conditioning systems in office towers. This significantly reduces energy use and its environmental impact.
Sample questions: What proportion of Ontario’s energy needs is served by solar and wind technologies? What are the pros and cons of expanding the availability of these technolo- gies? What types of chemical reactions occur in different types of fuel cells? What are the ad- vantages and disadvantages, in terms of efficiency and environmental impact, of using corn to produce ethanol fuel?
d1.2 analyse the conditions (e.g., temperature, pressure, presence of a catalyst) required to maximize the efficiency of some common natural or industrial chemical reactions (e.g., decomposition, combustion, neutralization),
and explain how the improved efficiency of the reaction contributes to environmental sustainability [AI, C]
Sample issue: Bleaches such as hydrogen perox- ide and chlorine are used when fibres are pro- cessed into paper or textiles. Concentrations
of these substances can harm the environment, but if enzymes are added to these processes
as biocatalysts, fewer chemicals are needed, less energy is consumed, and there is less environ- mental impact.
Sample questions: How can you increase the rate of decomposition in a home composter? What can be done to improve the efficiency of an automobile that runs entirely on fossil fuels? Why is just a very small quantity of catalyst required in industrial processes? Why is the ozone layer still deteriorating despite the banning of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)?
By the end of this course, students will:
d2.1 use appropriate terminology related to energy changes and rates of reaction, including, but not limited to: enthalpy, activation energy, endothermic, exothermic, potential energy, and specific heat capacity [C]
d2.2 write thermochemical equations, expressing the energy change as a ΔH value or as a heat term in the equation [AI, C]
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