Courses

Ontario · Grade 12

Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation

  • SCH4U

Ontario’s Grade 12 science course, from Investigation Skills and Careers to Electrochemistry.

Learn thisPractice test
Units
6
Lessons
12
Skills
72
Provincial exam
None
Official curriculum
Ontario Ministry of Education

Unit by unit

Every skill in the course, with its official code.

Unit 1 · 2 skills

Investigation Skills and Careers

Careers in Chemistry

Scientists and Their Contributions

  • Scientists who contributed to chemistry

    I can describe the contributions of scientists, including Canadians, to chemistry.

    A2.2

    Learn itPractice testActivities
The official wording · 2 outcomes
A2.1
identify and describe a variety of careers related to the fields of science under study (e.g., food and drug analyst, chemical safety officer, nurse practitioner, consumer protection specialist, metallurgy technologist, environmental and waste management technician, geochemist) and the education and training necessary for these careers
A2.2
describe the contributions of scientists, including Canadians (e.g., Robert G. Ackman, Alice Wilson, Carol Ann Budd, Norman L. Bowen, Brian Evans Conway), to the fields under study

Unit 2 · 11 skills

Organic Chemistry

Organic Compounds in Everyday Life

Investigating Organic Compounds

The official wording · 11 outcomes
B1.1
assess the impact on human health, society, and the environment of organic compounds used in everyday life (e.g., polymers, nutritional supplements, food additives, pharmaceuticals, pesticides) [AI, C]
B1.2
propose a personal course of action to reduce the use of compounds that are harmful to human health and the environment (e.g., weed lawns by hand rather than using herbicides, use cloth bags for shopping to reduce the number of plastic bags in landfill sites, choose fuel-efficient or hybrid vehicles to reduce fossil fuel emissions) [AI, C]
B2.1
use appropriate terminology related to or- ganic chemistry, including, but not limited to: organic compound, functional group, saturated hydrocarbon, unsaturated hydrocarbon, structural isomer, stereoisomer, and polymer [C]
B2.2
use International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) nomenclature conventions to identify names, write chemical formulae, and create structural formulae for the different classes of organic compounds, including hydro- carbons, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, ethers, amines, amides, and simple aromatic compounds [AI, C]
B2.3
build molecular models for a variety of simple organic compounds [PR, AI, C]
B2.4
analyse, on the basis of inquiry, various organic chemical reactions (e.g., production of esters, polymerization, oxidation of alcohols, multiple bonds in an organic compound, com- bustion reactions, addition reactions) [PR, AI]
B3.1
compare the different classes of organic compounds, including hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, ethers, amines, and amides, by describing the similarities and differences in names and structural formulae of the compounds within each class
B3.2
describe the similarities and differences in physical properties (e.g., solubility in different solvents, odour, melting point, boiling point) within each class of organic compounds
B3.3
explain the chemical changes that occur dur- ing various types of organic chemical reactions, including substitution, addition, elimination, oxidation, esterification, and hydrolysis
B3.4
explain the difference between an addition reac- tion and a condensation polymerization reaction
B3.5
explain the concept of isomerism in organic compounds, and how variations in the pro- perties of isomers relate to their structural and molecular formulae

Key ideas

  1. Organic compounds — polymers, food additives, pharmaceuticals, pesticides — are used in everyday life.

  2. Key terms include organic compound, functional group, saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon, structural isomer, stereoisomer, and polymer.

  3. Assessing weighs their impact on health, society, and the environment.

  4. Precise terms let you describe organic compounds.

  5. Harmful compound use can be reduced by personal choices — weeding by hand, cloth bags, fuel-efficient vehicles.

Watch out for

  • Thinking an organic compound has only benefits.
  • Confusing structural isomers with stereoisomers.
  • Considering only one type of impact.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Unit 3 · 13 skills

Structure and Properties of Matter

Technologies from the Structure of Matter

Investigating Atomic Structure and Bonding

The official wording · 13 outcomes
C1.1
assess the benefits to society of technologies that are based on the principles of atomic and molecular structures (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], infrared spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, nuclear energy, medical appli- cations of spectroscopy and mass spectrometry) [AI, C]
C1.2
evaluate the benefits to society, and the impact on the environment, of specialized materials that have been created on the basis of scientific research into the structure of matter and chemical bonding (e.g., bulletproof fabric, nanotechnolo- gies, superconductors, instant adhesives) [AI, C]
C2.1
use appropriate terminology related to struc- ture and properties of matter, including, but not limited to: orbital, emission spectrum, energy level, photon, and dipole [C]
C2.2
use the Pauli exclusion principle, Hund’s rule, and the aufbau principle to write electron configurations for a variety of elements in the periodic table [AI, C]
C2.3
predict the shapes of simple molecules and ions (e.g., CH 4 , SO 3 , O 2 , H 2 O, NH 4 +), using the valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) model, and draw diagrams to represent their molecular shapes [AI, C]
C2.4
predict the polarity of various chemical com- pounds, based on their molecular shapes and the difference in the electronegativity values of the atoms [AI]
C2.5
predict the type of solid (ionic, molecular, covalent network, metallic) formed by a given substance in a chemical reaction, and describe the properties of that solid [AI]
C2.6
conduct an inquiry to observe and analyse the physical properties of various substances (e.g., salts, metals) and to determine the type of chemical bonding present in each substance [PR, AI]
C3.1
explain how experimental observations and inferences made by Ernest Rutherford and Niels Bohr contributed to the development of the planetary model of the hydrogen atom
C3.2
describe the electron configurations of a var- iety of elements in the periodic table, using the concept of energy levels in shells and subshells, as well as the Pauli exclusion principle, Hund’s rule, and the aufbau principle
C3.3
identify the characteristic properties of ele- ments in each of the s, p, and d blocks of the periodic table, and explain the relationship be- tween the position of an element in the periodic table, its properties, and its electron configuration
C3.4
explain how the physical properties of a solid or liquid (e.g., solubility, boiling point, melting point, melting point suppression, hardness, electrical conductivity, surface tension) depend on the particles present and the types of intermolecular and intramolecular forces (e.g., covalent bonding, ionic bonding, Van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonding, metallic bonding)
C3.5
describe a Canadian contribution to the field of atomic and molecular theory (e.g., the work of Richard F.W. Bader of McMaster University on electronic density in small molecules; the work of Robert J. LeRoy of the University of Waterloo on the mathematical technique to determine the atomic radius of molecules known as the LeRoy Radius; the work of Ronald J. Gillespie of McMaster University on the VSEPR model)

Key ideas

  1. Technologies such as MRI, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography apply atomic and molecular structure.

  2. Key terms include orbital, emission spectrum, energy level, photon, and dipole.

  3. Assessing weighs their benefits to society.

  4. Precise terms let you describe atomic structure and bonding.

  5. Specialized materials — bulletproof fabric, nanotechnologies, superconductors — come from research into matter and bonding.

Watch out for

  • Thinking a technology has only benefits.
  • Confusing an orbital with an energy level.
  • Not connecting the technology to atomic structure.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Unit 4 · 17 skills

Energy Changes and Rates of Reaction

Energy Technologies and Efficiency

Investigating Thermochemistry and Kinetics

The official wording · 17 outcomes
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]
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]
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]
D2.3
solve problems involving analysis of heat transfer in a chemical reaction, using the equation Q = mcΔT (e.g., calculate the energy released in the combustion of an organic com- pound, and express the results in energy per mole of fuel [J/mol]) [AI, C]
D2.4
plan and conduct an inquiry to calculate, using a calorimeter, the heat of reaction of a substance (e.g., the heat of solution of ammonium nitrate, or of combustion of a hydrocarbon), compare the actual heat of reaction to the theoretical value, and suggest sources of experimental error [IP, PR, AI, C]
D2.5
solve problems related to energy changes in a chemical reaction, using Hess’s law [AI]
D2.6
conduct an inquiry to test Hess’s law (e.g., measure heats of reaction from the combustion of magnesium, and combine them to yield the ΔH value of the reaction) [PR, AI]
D2.7
calculate the heat of reaction for a formation reaction, using a table of standard enthalpies of formation and applying Hess’s law [AI]
D2.8
plan and conduct an inquiry to determine how various factors (e.g., change in temperature, addition of a catalyst, increase in surface area of a solid reactant) affect the rate of a chemical reaction [IP, PR, AI]
D3.1
compare the energy changes resulting from physical change (e.g., boiling water), chemical reactions (e.g., bleaching a stain), and nuclear reactions (e.g., fission, fusion), in terms of whether energy is released or absorbed
D3.2
compare the energy change from a reaction in which bonds are formed to one in which bonds are broken, and explain these changes in terms of endothermic and exothermic reactions
D3.3
explain how mass, heat capacity, and change in temperature of a substance determine the amount of heat gained or lost by the substance
D3.4
state Hess’s law, and explain, using examples, how it is applied to find the enthalpy changes of a reaction
D3.5
explain, using collision theory and potential energy diagrams, how factors such as temper- ature, the surface area of the reactants, the nature of the reactants, the addition of catalysts, and the concentration of the solution control the rate of a chemical reaction
D3.6
describe simple potential energy diagrams of chemical reactions (e.g., the relationships between the relative energies of reactants and products and the activation energy of the reaction)
D3.7
explain, with reference to a simple chemical reaction (e.g., combustion), how the rate of a reaction is determined by the series of elementary steps that make up the overall reaction mechanism

Key ideas

  1. Energy technologies — power plants, solar panels, wind turbines, fuel cells — differ in efficiency and environmental impact.

  2. Key terms include enthalpy, activation energy, endothermic, exothermic, potential energy, and specific heat capacity.

  3. Analysing and evaluating them is one coherent judgement about the same technology.

  4. Precise terms let you describe energy changes and rates.

  5. Conditions such as temperature, pressure, and catalysts maximize the efficiency of a reaction.

Watch out for

  • Considering efficiency without environmental impact.
  • Confusing endothermic and exothermic.
  • Not connecting the technology to an energy change.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Unit 5 · 15 skills

Chemical Systems and Equilibrium

Equilibrium in Nature, Industry, and the Body

  • Optimal conditions for an equilibrium process

    I can analyse the optimal conditions for an equilibrium process.

    E1.1

    Learn itPractice testActivities

  • Impact of equilibrium on systems

    I can assess how equilibrium processes affect biological and technological systems.

    E1.2

    Learn itPractice testActivities

Investigating Chemical Equilibrium

The official wording · 15 outcomes
E1.1
analyse the optimal conditions for a specific chemical process related to the principles of equilibrium that takes place in nature or is used in industry (e.g., the production of sulfuric acid, electrolyte balance in the human body, sedimentation in water systems) [AI, C]
E1.2
assess the impact of chemical equilibrium processes on various biological, biochemical, and technological systems (e.g., remediation in areas of heavy metal contamination, development of gallstones, use of buffering in medications, use of barium sulfate in medical diagnosis) [AI, C]
E2.1
use appropriate terminology related to chemical systems and equilibrium, including, but not limited to: homogeneous, closed system, reversible reaction, equilibrium constant, equilibrium concentration, molar solubility, and buffer [C]
E2.2
predict, applying Le Châtelier’s principle or the reaction quotient for a given reaction, how various factors (e.g., changes in volume, temperature, or concentration of reactants or products in a solution) would affect a chemical system at equilibrium, and conduct an inquiry to test those predictions [PR, AI]
E2.3
conduct an inquiry to determine the value of an equilibrium constant for a chemical reaction (e.g., Keq for iron(III) thiocyanate, Ksp for calcium hydroxide, Ka for acetic acid) [PR, AI]
E2.4
solve problems related to equilibrium by performing calculations involving concentrations of reactants and products (e.g., Keq , Ksp , Ka , pH, pOH, Kp , Kb ) [AI]
E2.5
solve problems related to acid–base equilib- rium, using acid–base titration data and the pH at the equivalence point [AI]
E3.1
explain the concept of dynamic equilibrium, using examples of physical and chemical equilibrium systems (e.g., liquid–vapour equilibrium, weak electrolytes in solution, reversible chemical reactions)
E3.2
explain the concept of chemical equilibrium and how it applies to the concentration of reactants and products in a chemical reaction at equilibrium
E3.3
explain Le Châtelier’s principle and how it applies to changes to a chemical reaction at equilibrium
E3.4
identify common equilibrium constants, including Keq , Ksp , Kw , Ka , Kb , and Kp , and write the expressions for each
E3.5
use the ionization constant of water (K w ) to calculate pH, pOH, [H 3 O+], and [OH–] for chemical reactions
E3.6
explain the Brønsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases
E3.7
compare the properties of strong and weak acids, and strong and weak bases, using the concept of dynamic equilibrium
E3.8
describe the chemical characteristics of buffer solutions

Key ideas

  1. Equilibrium processes — sulfuric acid production, electrolyte balance, sedimentation — have optimal conditions.

  2. Key terms include homogeneous, closed system, reversible reaction, equilibrium constant, equilibrium concentration, molar solubility, and buffer.

  3. Analysing means explaining what conditions favour the desired outcome.

  4. Precise terms let you describe equilibrium systems.

  5. Equilibrium processes affect systems — heavy-metal remediation, gallstone development, buffering in medications.

Watch out for

  • Thinking equilibrium conditions don't matter.
  • Confusing equilibrium concentration with initial concentration.
  • Not connecting conditions to the equilibrium position.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Unit 6 · 14 skills

Electrochemistry

Electrochemistry, Energy, and Safety

Investigating Redox and Galvanic Cells

The official wording · 14 outcomes
F1.1
assess, on the basis of research, the viability of using electrochemical technologies as alterna- tive sources of energy (e.g., fuel cells for emergency power generation or as power sources in remote locations), and explain their potential impact on society and the environ- ment [IP, PR, AI, C]
F1.2
analyse health and safety issues involving electrochemistry (e.g., corrosion of metal pipes in drinking water systems) [AI, C]
F2.1
use appropriate terminology related to electrochemistry, including, but not limited to: half-reaction, electrochemical cell, reducing agent, oxidizing agent, redox reaction, and oxidation number [C]
F2.2
conduct an inquiry to analyse, in qualitative terms, an oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction [PR, AI, C]
F2.3
write balanced chemical equations for oxidation-reduction reactions, using various methods including oxidation numbers of atoms and the half-reaction method of balancing [AI, C]
F2.4
build a galvanic cell and measure its cell potential [PR, AI]
F2.5
analyse the processes in galvanic cells, and draw labelled diagrams of these cells to show the oxidation or reduction reaction that occurs in each of the half-cells, the direction of electron flow, the electrode polarity (anode and cathode), the cell potential, and the direction of ion movement [AI, C]
F2.6
predict the spontaneity of redox reactions, based on overall cell potential as determined using a table of standard reduction potentials for redox half-reactions [AI]
F3.1
explain redox reactions in terms of the loss and gain of electrons and the associated change in oxidation number
F3.2
identify the components of a galvanic cell, and explain how each component functions in a redox reaction
F3.3
describe galvanic cells in terms of oxidation and reduction half-cells whose voltages can be used to determine overall cell potential
F3.4
explain how the hydrogen half-cell is used as a standard reference to determine the volt- ages of another half-cell
F3.5
explain some applications of electrochem- istry in common industrial processes (e.g., in refining metals such as aluminum and zinc; in the production of hydrogen)
F3.6
explain the corrosion of metals in terms of an electrochemical process, and describe some common corrosion-inhibiting techniques (e.g., painting, galvanizing, cathodic protection)

Key ideas

  1. Electrochemical technologies such as fuel cells can serve as alternative energy sources.

  2. Key terms include half-reaction, electrochemical cell, reducing agent, oxidizing agent, redox reaction, and oxidation number.

  3. Assessing their viability and explaining their impact is one coherent judgement about the technology.

  4. Precise terms let you describe electrochemical processes.

  5. Electrochemistry raises health and safety issues, such as the corrosion of metal water pipes.

Watch out for

  • Thinking a technology is viable without evidence.
  • Confusing the oxidizing and reducing agents.
  • Not connecting the technology to its impact.

Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit

Which course?

Ontario has 6 science courses for Grade 12. Here they are side by side.

What a university, college or program asks for is theirs to say: check its admission page, and your school’s course guide.

The official curriculum

This page follows Ontario’s own curriculum for Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation.

The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: ScienceOntario Ministry of Education · edu.gov.on.ca · Read July 31, 2026

Textbooks

The textbooks Ontario Ministry of Education lists for Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation:

  • Nelson Chemistry 12 University PreparationNelson Education Ltd. · 2012
  • McGraw-Hill Ryerson Chemistry 12McGraw-Hill Ryerson · 2011

From the Trillium List, read October 27, 2026. ontario.ca

Study it in MapleMind

MapleMind teaches Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation one skill at a time. Each skill gets a short lesson, practice as you go and a check worth up to three stars. It remembers where you stopped.

Geography of Canada, Grade 9 in the MapleMind app on a tablet: its units, Unit 2 open, and the skills done so far with their starsGeography of Canada, Grade 9 in the MapleMind app on a phone: its units, Unit 2 open, and the skills done so far with their stars
Pictured: Geography of Canada, Grade 9, another Ontario course, partway through Unit 2.

Practise it

Course Companion

Your year in one workbook

A fun way to keep Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation organized, get to know your child better and see early when they need a hand. Fill it in on a screen, or print it.

Pages
39
Fillable fields
2,141
Price
$4.99
See the Course Companion

Questions about Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation

What is Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation?

Ontario’s Grade 12 science course: 6 units and 72 skills, from Investigation Skills and Careers to Electrochemistry.

What units are in Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation?

1. Investigation Skills and Careers, 2. Organic Chemistry, 3. Structure and Properties of Matter, 4. Energy Changes and Rates of Reaction, 5. Chemical Systems and Equilibrium and 6. Electrochemistry.

Is there a provincial exam for Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation?

No. Ontario gives no provincial exam for Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation.

What textbook does Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation use?

The textbooks Ontario Ministry of Education lists for Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation: Nelson Chemistry 12 University Preparation, Nelson Education Ltd. and McGraw-Hill Ryerson Chemistry 12, McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

Can MapleMind help with Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation?

Yes. MapleMind teaches every skill of Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation, step by step, with practice and checks, and its tutor answers questions about any of them. It’s free with daily limits, on iPhone, Android and the web.

Before this course

Get ready for Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation

Practise every skill of Chemistry, Grade 12, University Preparation in MapleMind, free with daily limits.