Chemistry

Course summary

A Level Chemistry builds on the knowledge and understanding gained at GCSE. Practical work will form an essential element of your course and you will further develop your ability to work safely with chemicals and accurately with equipment. You will study what substances are made of, how substances behave and how substances can be made. Mathematical and problem solving skills will also be important though it is not essential to study A Level Mathematics to be successful in Chemistry at A Level. Year 1 Key Learning: The consolidation and extension of quantitative chemistry, the use of formulae and equations; understanding of the structure of the atom and chemical bonding and studying the properties of elements across the periodic table and down selected groups. You will explore the diversity of carbon chemistry with an introduction to organic nomenclature and representative reactions of specific groups of organic compounds as well as studying rates of chemical reactions, equilibrium and energy changes in reactions. Year 2 Key Learning: In addition to the topics studied in Year 12 you will study organic chemistry in more depth, extend your knowledge of functional groups, polymers and spectroscopic methods of structure determination