Differences in high school physics and chemistry

[CuriousStudent]

Soon I'm going to have to choose between three courses - Bio, chem and phys. I have an interest in all fields however wish to challenge myself in high school so I do not want to pursue biology. What are the key things I will learn in chemistry and physics?

Thanks

[studiot]

You have not provided enough background information to offer a sensible comment, but I can tell you that I was once faced with a similar choice and made the wrong decision.

 

This is important so pm someone if you want to keep stuff private.

[hypervalent_iodine]

Why do you have to choose between the three? And what level are we talking? Senior high school? College? Also, I would not say biology is any easier than the other two. I think that you can intuitively relate to more of what is taught than you might do in other sciences (to a point), but it is not necessarily easier.

[Klaynos]

You have not provided enough background information to offer a sensible comment, but I can tell you that I was once faced with a similar choice and made the wrong decision.

 

This is important so pm someone if you want to keep stuff private.

I was faced with a similar choice. I think I made the right one, for me. But that would have been wrong for many others. I picked the one I had enjoyed the longest.

 

Knowing where in the would you are would also help us.

[DrP]

I regret not continuing with biology... but I needed to take maths to do chemistry and physics as well, so no room for biology on the time table.

[CuriousStudent]

You have not provided enough background information to offer a sensible comment, but I can tell you that I was once faced with a similar choice and made the wrong decision.

 

This is important so pm someone if you want to keep stuff private.

Hey, sorry that not enough info was provided.

I'm currently a Canadian high school student (Grade 10) and in our Science class we get several choices next year. Our classes are split up in Science 14 (lowest class for science) and Science 10 (higher class for science). If you complete the Science 10 course then you get to choose between three classes for next year. Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

 

I wish to take either Chemistry and Physics but I am unsure on which. To summarize this all up, next year I will either be taking a Grade 11 Physics course (Physics 20) or a Grade 11 Chemistry course (Chemistry 20). Any help on choosing one is much appreciated!

[hypervalent_iodine]

It really depends on what interests you.

 

High school chemistry typically involves learning about (initially) trends in the periodic table, naming of compounds, types of chemical bonds, properties of different classes of substrates, stoicheometry, simple reactions between different classes of compound, atomic structure, and electronic configuration. Later you might then go into thermochemistry (exothermic and endothermic reactions, Gibbs free energy, spontaneity, calorimetry), electrochemistry, rate laws, equilibrium (as that applies to normal reactions, acids and bases, and solubility), nomenclature of organic compounds, trends in physical properties of simple organic molecules, and some organic synthesis. I may have missed some things, but these are the majority of topics that I have encountered with my high school students over the years (through private tutoring). Note however that I am in Australia, not Canada. It may not all apply to you.