Earth’s Chemical Systems

In this course, students investigate atomic and molecular structure, chemical reactions, and conservation and transfer of energy on the atomic and global scale. Through an exploration of atomic structure, students explain trends in elemental properties, chemical bonding, radioactivity, and generation of nuclear power. Chemical bonding in turn drives differences in the physical and chemical properties of matter. Students model how substances combine and change via collisions to explain rates of reaction and energy changes. Emphasis is placed on developing particle-level models, analyzing data, and mathematical reasoning to explain phenomena.