Chemistry (OCR

Entry Requirements

Students from Berkhamsted Senior School require at least Grade 7 in IGCSE Chemistry. Students from other schools similarly require at least Grade 7 in Chemistry GCSE /IGCSE or 8/7 in Double Award Science with a Grade 8 in the Chemistry section. Students who wish to study two sciences will require Grade 8/8 in Double Award Science and a Grade 8 in both relevant papers.

Course Content

Y12

Module 2: Foundations in Chemistry Atoms, compounds, molecules and equations Amount of substance Acid – base and redox reactions Electrons, bonding and structure.

Module 3: Periodic Table and energy The periodic table and periodicity Group 2 and the halogens Qualitative analysis Enthalpy changes Reaction rates and equilibrium

Module 4: Core Organic Chemistry Basic concepts Hydrocarbons Alcohols and haloalkanes Organic synthesis Analytical techniques

Student Comments

Much more interesting than GCSE but the ideas are quite demanding. I learned the relevance of chemistry to real life. The practicals are great fun and I enjoy relating the theory and experimental sides of the subject. It’s satisfying to work hard and understand something challenging. Bit of a shock at first but now I’m really getting into it.

Chemistry at Berkhamsted

The course is designed to stimulate and sustain students’ interest in, and enjoyment of, chemistry. They will see the inter-relationship between the development of the subject and its application and recognise the value of chemistry to society. The course fosters imaginative and critical thinking as well as acquisition of knowledge and understanding of chemistry.

The practical work is an integral part and the students develop skills in laboratory procedures and techniques, carrying these out with due regard for safety, and assess the uses and limitations of the procedures. Module 1 of the course is embedded in the course structure and is examined as a separate paper through practical activities in the classroom. This will result in a grade for ‘Practical Endorsement in Chemistry’ and will be also examined throughout the written papers.

Y13

Module 5: Physical Chemistry and the Transition Elements Reaction rates and Equilibrium pH and buffers Enthalpy, entropy and free energy Redox and electrode potentials Transition elements

Module 6: Organic Chemistry and Analysis Aromatic compounds Carbonyl compounds Carboxylic acids and esters Nitrogen compounds Polymers Organic synthesis Chromatography and spectroscopy

Future Prospects

Chemistry is an excellent A Level qualification for all scientific and indeed many non-scientific degree courses. It is an essential qualification for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry, Chemical Engineering, Material Science, Biochemistry and many Biological careers. The employment prospects for Chemists are excellent. Chemists are found in the food and clothing industries, in the manufacture of paints and plastics, in forensic and pharmacological analysis, in the production of new synthetic materials and medicinal drugs, in pollution monitoring and control – in fact, everywhere.