Chemistry (A-Level

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Le vels

Chemistry

Chemistry is the study of matter, its properties, how and why substances combine or separate to form other substances, and how substances interact with energy. Practical work is a fundamental part of Chemistry, helping to challenge or confirm scientific theory.

COURSE AIMS • Enable students to gain a knowledge and understanding of Chemistry appropriate to AS-Level and A-Level and to appreciate the inter-linking patterns which are a distinguishing feature of the subject • Show the inter-relationship between the development of the subject and its application (social, economic, environmental and technological) and recognise the value of Chemistry to society and how it may be used responsibly • Develop students’ skills in laboratory procedures and techniques • Develop students’ ability to acquire knowledge by means of practical work • Provide opportunities for students to bring together knowledge of how different areas of Chemistry relate to each other

199 A-Level

ADVICE Students opting for this subject should: • Have an interest in, and enjoyment of Chemistry • Enjoy carrying out investigation by the application of imaginative, logical and critical thinking • Want to use Chemistry to support other qualifications or progress onto further study • Have good mathematical skills, enabling them to conduct multi-step chemical calculations • Be able to analyse data and graphs, subsequently drawing conclusions • Enjoy learning about abstract ideas that relate to the atomic and molecular scale

ENTRY CRITERIA A minimum of grade 6 in GCSE Chemistry or two 6s in Combined Science. A minimum of grade 6 in GCSE Mathematics is also strongly recommended.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA There are 5 units in total. Two are undertaken in Year 12 and the remaining three completed in Year 13.

Unit 1:

Inorganic 1 and Physical 1

Unit 2:

Organic 1 and Physical 1

Unit 3: Inorganic 2 and Physical 2

Unit 4: Organic 2 and Physical 2

Unit 5: Practical and synoptic

What is covered

This unit develops basic chemical skills including formulae writing; equation writing and calculating chemical quantities. It develops the ideas of chemical bonding and atomic structure, as well as kinetics, equilibria and redox chemistry. Students will also look at periodicity across the periodic table and take a closer look at the chemistry of the alkaline earth metals and halogens.

This unit also assesses the physical chemistry aspects addressed above, but also allows students to explore organic chemistry in detail. Students will learn about the alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, halogenoalkanes and organic analysis.

This unit builds upon the work of the first year and fosters a deeper understanding of the subject. Physical topics studied include: thermodynamics, rate equations, equilibrium constants for homogeneous systems, electrode potentials and acid/base equilibria. On the inorganic side of the course, students will cover the following subject areas; properties of period 3 elements and their oxides and chlorides, transition metal chemistry and the reactions of ions in solution.

Once again, the physical chemistry covered in Unit 4 will be addressed, alongside the following organic topics; optical isomerism, aldehydes and ketones, carboxylic acids and their derivatives, aromatic chemistry, amines, amino acids and proteins, polymers and organic synthesis.

This unit will cover all material from the two-year course, with a particular focus on the practical aspects which will be covered, in part, by a series of required practical activities.