Chemistry A level (A2468 - SA072)

A Level Chemistry will help you explain the material world. Why does ice float on water? Why is copper sulphate blue? How do proteins stay together?

Many aspects of Chemistry touch on your life and link with other subjects, especially Biology, Physics, Maths and Psychology. The course will also develop your practical skills to carry out, interpret, analyse and evaluate experiments.

First year topics include:
- The structure of atoms and how they form bonds
- Chemical reactions
- The periodic table and more in depth study of groups within it
- Quantities and the mole concept
- Groups of organic chemicals
- Making new chemicals
- Analysing the structure or unknown substances

Second year topics include:
- Rates if reaction and equillibria
- Avids and Bases
- Further organic chemistry and Analysis
- Electrochemistry and batteries
- Transition metals and compounds

You are likely to enjoy this subject if you enjoy practical laboratory work and mathematics and would like to use number work in problem solving. It is also ideal for students who are intrigued by the science that they have studied so far and are prepared to work hard to find out more. To do well you will need to stay actively engaged in theory and practical lessons, work hard and and recall alot of facts and understand a number of abstract concepts To sum up, chemistry best suits students who can do abstract thinking, who are numerate, whole love to solve problems and who can retain information.

Work on the course includes lectures, note taking, question and answer sessions, problem solving, completing work sheets, writing answers and model building. All of this will be backed up by regular homework.