Students will be expected to have an interest in Chemistry and to be well motivated. You should have gained a good knowledge of the whole of the GCSE course and ideally have achieved at least a grade 7 in Chemistry or in Trilogy.
A grade of at least 6 in GCSE Mathematics is also desirable. An interest in practical work is advantageous. You may wish to study AS Chemistry as a final qualification, allowing you to broaden your studies in the sixth form. The course is rigorous and a good work ethic is required.
AS and A level courses based on this specification should encourage candidates to:
- Nurture their passion for the subject and lay the groundwork for careers involving chemistry.
- Appreciate how society makes decisions about scientific issues and how sciences contribute to the success of the economy and society.
- Develop and demonstrate a deeper appreciation of the skills, knowledge and understanding of How Science Works.
- Develop essential knowledge and understanding of different areas of the subject and how they relate to each other.
Course Content
Studied throughout Year 12 and Year 13, this consists of three compulsory units. For the full A level award all the exams are sat at the end of the two year course. Practical skills are assessed on an ongoing basis throughout the two years.
- Atomic structure
- Amount of substance
- Bonding
- Energetics
- Kinetics
- Chemical Equilibria and Le Chatelier’s principle
- Oxidation, Reduction and Redox Equations
- Thermodynamics
- Rate equations
- Equilibrium constant, Kc, for Homogeneous systems
- Electrode Potentials and Electrochemical cells
- Acids and Bases
- Periodicity
- Group 2, The Alkaline Earth Metals
- Group 7, The Halogens
- Properties of period 3 Elements and their oxides
- Transition Metals
- Reactions of Ions in aqueous solution
- 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
- Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Course criteria entry
Students should have achieved a GCSE grade 7 in Separate Science or 7,7 in Trilogy if they are to be successful at A Level Chemistry.
Key Course Details | |
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Exam board | AQA |
Assessment | Written examination (100%) |