Chemistry

Is this course for me?

Chemistry helps us to understand the world we live in. Why do leaves change colour in the Autumn? Why is blood red? How is cheese made? What is in soap and how does it clean? If you have an inquisitive mind, a passion for science and a thirst for knowledge, then Chemistry is for you.

Opportunities

Chemistry is the course for you if you want to go on to study dentistry, medicine, veterinary science, forensic science, pharmaceuticals, patent law, oceanography, geochemistry, chemical engineering or biochemistry, to name but a few and it is held in high regard by employers. 

Qualification Structure

In the Chemistry course, students will need to be able to: use standard form, use significant figures, rearrange equations, use logarithms and have a good grasp of algebra to succeed.

A level Chemistry is a linear course. Students will sit all three papers at the end of their two years studying. Paper 1 will assess physical & inorganic chemistry, Paper 2 will assess physical and organic chemistry and Paper 3 will cover all aspects of the course including practical work. Students also work towards acquiring the skills and competencies needed for practical verification

1 Physical Chemistry

Covers atomic structure, amount of substance, bonding, energetics, kinetics, chemical equilibria and Le Chatelier’s principle, oxidation, reduction and redox equations, thermodynamics, rate equations, equilibrium constant Kc for homogeneous systems, electrode potentials and electrochemical cells, acids and bases.

2 Inorganic Chemistry

Covers periodicity, group 2, the alkaline Earth metals, group 7(17), the halogens, properties of period 3 elements and their oxides, transition metals, reactions of ions in aqueous solution.

3. Organic Chemistry

Covers Introduction to organic chemistry, alkanes, halogenoalkanes, alkenes, alcohols, organic analysis, optical isomerism, aldehydes and ketones, carboxylic acids and derivatives, aromatic chemistry, amines, polymers, amino acids, proteins and DNA, organic synthesis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, chromatography.