Chemistry

Course summary

Course details may be subject to change. If you are interested in studying A Levels at New College Durham please just complete one application form and you will be able to choose your subjects once you have had your interview. You do not need to apply for each of the subjects you are interested. This subject will explore how this area of science is organized, how its ideas have developed and the evidence for our current data. Chemistry at this level attempts to explain why processes happen, working out the reasons for chemical changes and the trends and patterns in these changes. You will study rates of reaction, energy changes, equilibria, carbon chemistry, and amounts of substance. Study Aims A-Level Chemistry will give you a fantastic insight into the contemporary world of Chemistry. You will cover key concepts of Chemistry with practical skills integrated throughout the course. This combination of academic work and practical work will allow you to cement your understanding by giving it context and real-life application. You will gain essential knowledge and understanding of different areas of the subject, and be able to form links between areas Chemistry is taught in a range of different contexts, and you will look at the impact is has on industry and everyday life. You will develop many skills, including learning to process difficult problems using a logical and justified approach. Modules Studied Year 1: ● Foundations in Chemistry - This module provides the basic knowledge on which the course is built upon. Topics include; Atoms, Structure and Bonding, Shapes of molecules, Amount of substance, Intermolecular forces. Years 1 & 2: ● Practical Skills in Chemistry - This module is taught throughout the 2 years of study and is composed of a number of required practical assignments. ● Periodicity - This module is based on the periodic table and looks at patterns and trends in reactivity and properties. Topics include; Group 2 reactions, Group 7 reactions, Reactivity trends, Enthalpy, Reaction rates and Equilibrium. ● Physical Chemistry - This module covers the basics of Organic Chemistry, including naming, representing and drawing Organic compounds. You will also look into more depth at how certain reactions actually happen and how we can manipulate reactions to make desirable products. ● ● Areas you will study include; Alkanes, Alkenes, Alcohols, Haloalkanes, Organic synthesis and Analytical Techniques. Year 2: ● Physical Chemistry and Transitional Elements - In this module, you will re-visit a number of key areas and go into greater depth to understand the how and why of certain concepts. Key topics include Rates of reaction, Equilibrium, Acids, Bases and pH, Buffer solutions, Entropy and Free energy, Redox reactions and Transition elements. ● Organic Chemistry and Analysis - This module will look more at Organic groups such as; Carbonyls, Amines, Amino acids, and Benzene. This topic also includes advanced analytical techniques such as NMR and Chromatography. This topic allows pupils to see how many organic reactions can be manipulated to produce desired products.