Grade 11 · Science

Grade 11 science

In grade 11, science splits into biology, chemistry and physics, and each gets more mathematical. Chemistry in particular runs on one idea, the mole. Here is what the year covers, where students usually get stuck, and one way to help.

What your teen learns this year

Grade 11 science is usually taken as separate courses:

  • Biology. Diversity of living things, evolution, genetics, and animal and plant systems.
  • Chemistry. Bonding, reactions, the mole and stoichiometry, solutions, and gases.
  • Physics. Motion, forces, energy and momentum, waves and sound, and electricity and magnetism.
  • Lab and data skills. Significant figures, uncertainty, graphs, and writing up an investigation.

Ontario's courses are SBI3U, SCH3U and SPH3U (and SBI3C). Other provinces name their courses differently, such as Biology 20 in Alberta and Chemistry 30S in Manitoba, and in Saskatchewan the full chemistry and physics courses come in grade 12.

Where kids usually get stuck

  1. 1Going straight from grams to grams. A balanced equation compares numbers of particles, so masses have to become moles before the coefficients mean anything.
  2. 2Using millilitres in a concentration. Moles per litre means litres: 250 mL is 0.250 L.
  3. 3Thinking a moving object needs a force to keep it moving. With no friction it keeps going on its own. A force changes motion: it speeds up, slows down or turns.

One of Pip's tricks

Grams, moles, moles, grams

Use it when finding the mass of one substance in a reaction from the mass of another, using the balanced equation.

  1. Grams to moles: divide the mass by its molar mass, from the periodic table.
  2. Moles to moles: multiply by the ratio of coefficients in the balanced equation, wanted over given.
  3. Moles to grams: multiply by the molar mass of the substance you want.
  4. Never jump straight from grams to grams: the coefficients compare moles, not masses.

Watch it work. 2 H₂ + O₂ → 2 H₂O. What mass of O₂ reacts with 4.04 g of H₂? (H₂ is 2.02 g/mol, O₂ is 32.00 g/mol.) Grams to moles: 4.04 ÷ 2.02 = 2.00 mol of H₂. Moles to moles, wanted over given: 2.00 × 1/2 = 1.00 mol of O₂. Moles to grams: 1.00 × 32.00 = 32.0 g of O₂.

Why it works: a balanced equation counts molecules, and a mole is a fixed count of particles, so only moles can be compared using the coefficients. Different molecules weigh different amounts.

Try three

Have a go, then tap to see the answer.

  1. 1.How many moles are in 36 g of water? (Molar mass 18 g/mol.)

    Show the answer

    2 mol. 36 ÷ 18 = 2.

  2. 2.What is the mass of 0.5 mol of CO₂? (Molar mass 44 g/mol.)

    Show the answer

    22 g. 0.5 × 44 = 22.

  3. 3.2 H₂ + O₂ → 2 H₂O. How many grams of O₂ (32 g/mol) react with 2 mol of H₂?

    Show the answer

    32 g. Wanted over given: 2 mol of H₂ × 1/2 = 1 mol of O₂, and 1 × 32 = 32 g.

How Sparkpip fits in

Pip, Sparkpip's tutor, works through questions like these with your teen one small step at a time, using methods like the one above.

Start freeSee how it works

Your curriculum

Sparkpip is built on the grade 11 science curriculum for your province or state. The official pages:

Also: Grade 10 science · Grade 12 science · Grade 11 math · Grade 11 English