A LEVEL CHEMISTRY
Exam Board
AQA
Overview
The course covers topics from three areas of chemistry; organic, inorganic and physical. Throughout the course you will also carry out practical activities including:
Why Choose This?
Chemistry is an important subject for careers in: medicine, environmental science, engineering, toxicology, developing consumer products, metallurgy (studying how metals behave), space exploration, developing perfumes and cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, energy, teaching, science writing, software development and research.
Areas of Study & Assessment
Physical chemistry - including atomic structure, amount of substance, bonding, energetics, kinetics, chemical equilibria and Le Chatelier’s principle, thermodynamics, rate equations, the equilibrium constant Kp, electrode potentials and electrochemical cells
Inorganic chemistry - including periodicity, Group 2 the alkaline earth metals, Group 7(17) the halogens, properties of Period 3 elements and their oxides, transition metals, reactions
of ions in aqueous solution
Organic chemistry - including introduction to organic
chemistry, alkanes, halogenoalkanes, alkenes, alcohols, organic analysis, optical isomerism, aldehydes and ketones, carboxylic acids and derivatives, aromatic chemistry, amines, polymers, amino acids, proteins and DNA, organic synthesis, NMR spectroscopy, chromatography
There is no coursework on this course. However, your performance during practicals will be assessed. There are three examinations at the end of the two years for A-level, all of which are two hours long. At least 15% of the marks for A level chemistry are based on what you learned in your practicals.
What Our Students Say
Chemists conduct experiments to study how elements work in different conditions, test how they mix, and work out what they are made up of right down to the tiniest particle. The results can be ground breaking, colourful, explosive, or almost impossible to see. Chemists use their experiments and knowledge to develop medicines, foods, fabrics and other materials, from neon lights to shatter-proof glass. They also use it to understand the world around us, from why leaves change colour to discovering invisible pollutants in the air. Pick up a can of soft drink and you’ll find chemistry everywhere, from the metal can you’re holding, to the paint used to cover it and the liquid inside. Just breathe in and out and you’re performing a chemical reaction, which is a little scary, but pretty great too…