Chemistry

Course summary

Chemistry aims to explain the properties of substances in terms of the particles they are made of: atoms, molecules and ions. In this course you will learn a lot of fundamental theory concerning the behaviour of these particles and you will see how this is reflected in the properties of substances and the reactions they undergo. You will also see the creative side of Chemistry, learning how molecules can be built up and transformed in organic synthesis and you will consider the importance of Chemistry in the real world. The A Level exam will consist of 3 written papers covering all of the modules. There is a considerable amount of maths in A Level Chemistry. The skills you need will have been covered in GCSE Mathematics but you will need to be ready to apply these intelligently and accurately to chemical problems. There is no practical exam in Chemistry but you will record your experiments as you go through the course and, if you have completed the practical, picked up some key skills and kept your records, you can be awarded a Practical Endorsement for Chemistry, which is an additional qualification.