Chemistry — Year 12

Chemistry is a practical subject and the development of practical skills is fundamental to understanding the nature of chemistry. This unit gives learners many opportunities to develop the fundamental skills needed to collect and analyse empirical data. Skills in planning, implementing, analysing and evaluating will be assessed in the written papers.

This module acts as an important bridge into AS and A Level Chemistry from the study of chemistry within science courses at GCSE level. This module provides learners with a knowledge and understanding of the important chemical ideas that underpin the study of A Level Chemistry:

• atomic structure

• quantitative chemistry: formulae, equations, amount of substance and the mole

• reactions of acids

• oxidation number and redox reactions

• bonding and structure.

The importance of these basic chemical concepts is seen as a prerequisite for all further chemistry modules, and it is recommended that this module should be studied first during this course. This module allows learners to develop important quantitative techniques involved in measuring masses, gas and solution volumes, including use of volumetric apparatus. Learners are also able to develop their mathematical skills during their study of amount of substance and when carrying out quantitative practical work.

The focus of this module is inorganic and physical chemistry, the applications of energy use to everyday life and industrial processes, and current environmental concerns associated with sustainability. The content within the unit assumes knowledge and understanding of the chemical concepts developed in Module 2: Foundations in chemistry. This module provides learners with a knowledge and understanding of the important chemical ideas that underpin the study of inorganic and physical chemistry:

• the periodic table: periodic and group properties

• enthalpy changes and their determination

• rates of reaction

• reversible reactions and chemical equilibrium

• consideration of energy and yield in improvingsustainability.

The module also allows learners to develop important qualitative practical skills, especially observational skills required for analysis, and accurate quantitative techniques involved in determination of energy changes and reaction rates.

This module introduces organic chemistry and its important applications to everyday life, including current environmental concerns associated with sustainability. Study assumes knowledge and understanding of the chemical concepts developed in Module 2: Foundations in chemistry. The module provides learners with a knowledge and understanding of the important chemical ideas that underpin the study of organic chemistry:

• nomenclature and formula representation, functional groups, organic reactions and isomerism

• aliphatic hydrocarbons

• alcohols and haloalkanes

• organic practical skills and organic synthesis

• instrumental analytical techniques to provide evidence of structural features in molecules.

This module also provides learners with an opportunity to develop important organic practical skills, including use of Quickfit apparatus for distillation, heating under reflux and purification of organic liquids.