Chemistry

Course summary

The course is tailored to follow on from GCSE Science, developing knowledge and understanding to provide a pathway to further study in many areas. In the first year students study; • Atomic structure; amount of substance; bonding; energetics; kinetics; equilibria and Le Chatelier’s principle; REDOX; periodicity; Group II Metals; the Halogens; introduction to organic chemistry; alkanes; haloalkanes; alkenes; alcohols; organic analysis. In the second year students study; • Thermodynamics; rate equations, equilibrium constant, kc; electrode potentials; acids and bases; properties of the Period 3 elements and their oxides; transition metals; reactions of ions in aqueous solution; optical isomerism; aldehydes and ketones, carboxylic acids and their derivatives; aromatics; amines; polymers; amino acids, organic synthesis; nuclear magnetic resonance and chromatography. There are a minimum of 12 practical exercises that must be carried out during the course and these will be examined in the three end of course examinations.