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About the course:
About the course:
Exam Board: OCR (A)
Subject contact: Amy Mulligan
You are the stuff that stars are made of. Chemistry is the study of all chemical substances and how to change one chemical into another. The food you eat, the air you breathe, your own body, your mobile phone, the plants and streets around you are made of chemicals. As you want inexpensive products, chemistry helps to decrease economic costs, and as you want a safe environment, chemistry helps to decrease pollution by detecting the toxins, and by destroying them.
If you like logical problems, and thinking hard – really using your brain – then Chemistry is for you. If you want to know what makes up the world around you, you are a natural chemist. Mobile phones are small because chemists developed more efficient batteries, and new pigments for the screens. Clothes are more light weight and colourful (or a darker black!) than those of our ancestors. Cars go further on a litre of fuel due to the study of chemical combustion.
Chemistry is also always helping us to develop new products and processes. In the car industry, for example, companies are working on fuel cells to power your car more efficiently, new fuels from plant material and new alloys to make vehicles lighter.
Studying Chemistry would complement A levels such as Biology, Physics, History, Geography, English and Modern Languages.
This subject MUST be studied by students who wish to take Medicine, Veterinary Medicine/Science, Dentistry or Pharmacy at University
Units of study:
Units of study:
Component 1
Component 1
Module 1 – Development of practical skills
Skills of planning, implementing, analysis and evaluation
Component 2
Component 2
Module 2 – Foundations in chemistry
Atoms, compounds, molecules and equations
Amount of substance-
Acid–base and redox reactions Electrons, bonding and structure.
Component 3
Component 3
Module 3 – Periodic table and energy
The periodic table and periodicity
Group 2 and the halogens
Enthalpy changes
Reaction rates and equilibrium (qualitative).
Component 4
Component 4
Module 4 – Core organic chemistry
Basic concepts and Hydrocarbons
Alcohols and haloalkanes
Organic synthesis
Analytical techniques (IR, MS).
Component 5
Component 5
Module 5— Physical Chemistry and transition elements
Rate
Equilibrium
Acids, Bases and pH
Enthalpy
Component 6
Component 6
Module 6 – Organic chemistry
Carbonyl compounds
Carboxylic acids and esters
Nitrogen compounds
Polymers
Organic synthesis
Students also complete a series of practicals to secure the Science Practical Endorsement.
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