Ontario Grade 12 SNC4E Science (Grade 12, Workplace Preparation)
Chapters: 6
1. A. Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration
A1 Scientific Investigation Skills · A2 Career Exploration
- The Scientific Method – The scientific method is the careful way scientists find out how the world works. Observe something, ask a testable question, make a hypothesis (a clear, testable guess), test it with a fair experiment (change one variable, measure one, keep the rest the same), repeat and record data, analyse it, draw a conclusion and share it so others can check. Results that fail the test are useful too: they send you back to a new hypothesis.
2. B. Hazards in the Workplace
B1 Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment · B2 Developing Skills of Investigation and Communication · B3 Understanding Basic Concepts
- Health and Safety: Hazards, Risks and Controls – A hazard is anything that can cause harm. Risk is how likely the harm is and how bad it would be: risk = likelihood × severity. A risk assessment finds hazards, decides who could be harmed, rates the risk, adds controls and is reviewed. Use the hierarchy of control: eliminate, substitute, engineering controls, admin (rules, training, signs), then PPE last. Safety signs use colour and shape. Workshops, art rooms and workplaces need guards, ventilation, labelled materials, clear exits and first aid. Laws in most countries make employers and workers share the duty to stay safe.
3. C. Chemicals in Consumer Products
C1 Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment · C2 Developing Skills of Investigation and Communication · C3 Understanding Basic Concepts
- Household Chemistry: The Chemicals in Your Home – Every home is full of chemicals: vinegar, soap, baking soda, bleach and drain cleaner. Each has a pH that tells if it is an acid or a base. Some substances mix (salt in water) and some do not (oil and water), because like dissolves like. Strong products are diluted with water using C1V1 = C2V2. Some reactions are safe (baking soda + vinegar), but some mixes make toxic gas (bleach + ammonia or acid). Leftover chemicals must go to a hazardous waste drop-off, not down the drain.
4. D. Disease and Its Prevention
D1 Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment · D2 Developing Skills of Investigation and Communication · D3 Understanding Basic Concepts
- The Immune System: How Your Body Fights Germs – Germs (pathogens) cause infectious disease. The body has three lines of defence: barriers (skin, mucus, acid), a fast general (innate) response (inflammation, fever, phagocytes) and a slow, specific (adaptive) response (B cells make antibodies, T cells kill infected cells). Memory cells make the second attack fast. Vaccines create memory safely. Immunity can go wrong: allergy, autoimmune disease, immunodeficiency (e.g. HIV).
5. E. Electricity at Home and Work
E1 Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment · E2 Developing Skills of Investigation and Communication · E3 Understanding Basic Concepts
- Domestic Electric Circuits – A house gets 220 V, 50 Hz AC through a live and a neutral wire; appliances are joined in parallel on separate 5 A and 15 A circuits, and a fuse or MCB in the live wire plus an earth wire keep the house safe.
6. F. Nutritional Science
F1 Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment · F2 Developing Skills of Investigation and Communication · F3 Understanding Basic Concepts
- Nutrition – Nutrition is how we get and use the substances in food. The body needs six groups of nutrients: carbohydrates and fats (mainly energy), proteins (growth and repair), vitamins and minerals (small amounts to keep the body working), and water, plus fibre for healthy digestion. Carbohydrate and protein give about 17 kJ per gram, fat about 37 kJ per gram. A balanced diet gives all nutrients in the right amounts, and energy in should roughly equal energy out.