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Chemistry

Exam Board: AQA

Aims

The aims of the course are as follows:

  • Develop interest in and enthusiasm for the subject.
  • Develop an interest in further study and careers associated with the subject.
  • Develop essential knowledge and understanding of different areas of the subject and how they relate to each other.
  • Develop the student’s ability to recognise patterns in chemistry and recognize their interrelationship.
  • Develop and demonstrate a profound appreciation of the skills, knowledge and understanding of scientific methods.
  • Develop a competence, and confidence in a variety of practical, mathematical, linguistic and problem- solving skills.
  • Understand how society makes decisions about scientific issues and how the sciences contribute to the success of the economy and society.
  • Use theories, models and ideas to develop a scientific explanation of reality as currently understood.
  • Use scientific evidence and understanding to pose pertinent scientific questions, define scientific problems, present scientific arguments and scientific ideas.
  • Use appropriate methodology including ICT, where appropriate to answer scientific questions and solve scientific problems.

Entry Requirements

Students should have Grade 7 or higher in GCSE Chemistry and have a proven competency in Mathematics and English language to be accepted on the course.

Course Structure

Year 1

Physical Chemistry

  • Atomic Structure
  • Amount of substance
  • Bonding and Structure
  • Chemical Energetics
  • Chemical Equilibria, Le Chatelier’s Principle and Kc
  • Redox; balancing redox equations

Inorganic Chemistry

  • Periodicity
  • Group 2
  • Group7

Organic Chemistry

  • Introduction to organic chemistry
  • Alkanes
  • Halogenoalkanes
  • Alkenes
  • Alcohols
  • Organic Analysis

Year 2

Physical Chemistry

  • Chemical Thermodynamics
  • Rate Equations
  • Equilibrium constant Kp for homogenous systems
  • Electrode potentials and electrochemical cells
  • Acid/Base Equilibria

Inorganic Chemistry

  • Properties of Period 3 elements and their oxides
  • Transition Metals
  • Reactions of ions in aqueous solution

Organic Chemistry

  • Optical Isomerism chemistry
  • Carbonyl Compounds
  • Carboxylic acids and derivatives
  • Aromatic chemistry
  • Amines
  • Polymers
  • Amino acids, proteins and DNA
  • Organic Synthesis
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
  • Chromatography

Assessment

  • Paper 1 – Relevant physical chemistry topics, inorganic chemistry and relevant practical skills. Written exam – 2 hours (35% of final grade).
  • Paper 2 – Relevant physical chemistry topics, organic chemistry and practical skills. Written exam – 2 hours (35% of final grade).
  • Paper 3 – All content and relevant practical skills. Written exam – 2 hours (30% of A Level).

Core Text

Advanced Level Chemistry (AQA approved) by Ted Lister, Janet Renshaw

Careers and Opportunities

The nature of Chemistry in terms of pattern recognition and their relationship allows a quality to develop in students who have followed the discipline in depth to have a large repertoire of transferable skills that are not only very useful to Medicine and veterinary science, but a vast number of scientific subjects as well and non-scientific areas also.

Students studying Chemistry may go on to study medicine and conduct research at prestigious universities. Along with Engineering, these are the best-paid science related jobs. Chemical engineers develop novel materials that improve our quality of life and new batteries to fuel our various electrical devices. Chemists work for pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs to cure diseases and help fight bugs that would destroy crops. Molecular biologists want to understand the way living cells operate and study DNA, Proteins and their reactions. Analytical chemists can be involved in forensic investigations and help keep sports drug free. Environmental sciences involve a great deal of chemistry, including ways to reduce pollution and ways that our waste can be recycled.

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