Year 12 - Physical Chemistry

Atomic structure, Amount of substance, Bonding, Energetics, Kinetics, Chemical equilibria and Le Chatelier's principle, Oxidation, reduction and redox equations.

Year 12 - Inorganic Chemistry

Periodicity, Group 2, the alkaline earth metals, Group 7(17), the halogens.

Year 12 - Organic Chemistry

Introduction to organic chemistry, Alkanes, Halogenoalkanes, Alkenes, Alcohols, Organic analysis.

The full A level examines all the above and in Year 13 we study:

Physical Chemistry

Thermodynamics, Rate equations, Equilibrium constant Kc for homogeneous systems, Electrode potentials and electrochemical cells, Acids and bases.

Inorganic chemistry

Properties of Period 3 elements and their oxides, Transition metals, Reactions of ions in aqueous solution.

Organic chemistry

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.

We want students who:  can cope with a challenging course and who have an interest in Chemistry.  We want students who can work independently and can absorb detailed information.  Students will need to be resilient and highly motivated.

How will the students be assessed?

There will be three two-hour papers, worth one hundred and five marks for the first two papers and ninety for the third, to assess the two years content.  There is no coursework but practical understanding will be assessed in the papers.

What other courses does it complement?

Chemistry A Level compliments Biology on the medical side, Physics and Engineering on the engineering side, Sports Science for sports related courses and Catering for careers in the food industry.  Why doesn’t the icing sugar on a cake dissolve when it’s in the box? Ask a chemist.

Next steps

The places that A Level Chemistry can take you are legion.  Here are a very few: doctor, vet, pathologist, forensic scientist, brewer, nanotechnologist, chemical engineer, cheese maker, systems analyst, the nuclear industry and plastics designer.

St Benedict’s,

Sixth Form

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