Swedish Gymnasieskolan Curriculum - Chemistry (Kemi)

Chemistry 1 (Kemi 1)

This course covers the fundamental concepts, theories, models, and working methods in chemistry. It aims to develop students' understanding of both natural and man-made chemical processes and their importance for climate, the environment, and the human body. The course also emphasizes a scientific approach to the world, critical thinking, and experimental work.

Core Content:

• Materials and Chemical Bonding: Models and theories of matter's structure and classification, chemical bonding, and its impact on the properties and applications of organic and inorganic substances.
• Reactions and Changes: Acid-base reactions (including pH and buffer effects), redox reactions (including electrochemistry), precipitation reactions, and energy transformations in phase transitions and chemical reactions.
• Stoichiometry: Understanding and writing chemical formulas and reactions, substance relationships, concentrations, limiting reactants, and exchanges in chemical reactions.
• Analytical Chemistry: Qualitative and quantitative methods of chemical analysis (e.g., chromatography and titration).
• The Nature of Chemistry and its Working Methods: Characteristics of a scientific problem, models and theories as simplifications of reality, experimental work, formulating and testing hypotheses, assessing results and conclusions, and determining views on social issues based on chemical models.

Chemistry 2 (Kemi 2)

Building upon Chemistry 1, this course explores more advanced topics and further develops students' analytical and problem-solving skills. It delves deeper into organic chemistry, biochemistry, and analytical techniques.

Core Content:

• Reaction Speed and Chemical Equilibrium: Reaction speed, factors affecting equilibrium, equilibrium constants, and calculations and reasoning about equilibrium systems.
• Organic Chemistry: Different categories of organic substances, their properties, structure, reactivity, and reaction mechanisms.
• Biochemistry: Genetic flow of information (replication, transcription, and translation), human metabolism at the molecular level, and the structure and function of proteins (especially enzymes).
• Analytical Chemistry: Qualitative and quantitative methods of chemical analysis (e.g., mass spectrometry and spectrophotometry), reasoning about sampling, level of detection, accuracy, and sources of error.
• The Nature of Chemistry and its Working Methods: Models and theories, identifying and studying problems, experimental work, planning and implementing investigations, assessing results and conclusions, and ethical and sustainable development issues related to chemistry.

Year 3: Gymnasiearbete (Independent Project)

In the final year of Gymnasieskolan, students undertake an independent project known as Gymnasiearbete. This project allows students to apply their knowledge and skills acquired in previous courses to a chosen area of interest. Students interested in chemistry can focus their Gymnasiearbete on a specific topic within the field, allowing for in-depth exploration and practical application of their chemistry knowledge.