Chemistry

Pure substances and mixtures

This topic explores the classification of substances as pure or mixtures and examines how their characteristic physical properties are used for separation and identification. It covers essential laboratory techniques such as filtration, crystallisation, and distillation, while introducing chromatography as a method for characterising substances through Rf values.

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This subtopic explores the historical development of the periodic table, from early attempts by scientists like Döbereiner and Newlands to the modern arrangement by Mendeleev and its subsequent refinements. It examines how arranging elements by atomic number rather than atomic mass resolved inconsistencies and allowed predictions of undiscovered elements. Understanding this progression highlights the nature of scientific discovery and the predictive power of the periodic table in chemistry.

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Carbon compounds

This topic explores the chemistry of carbon compounds, focusing on crude oil as a primary source of hydrocarbons and the industrial processes of fractional distillation and cracking. It covers the homologous series of alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, and carboxylic acids, emphasizing functional groups, structural formulae, and the principles of addition and condensation polymerization.

Production, use and disposal of important chemicals and materials

This topic explores the industrial production of chemicals, specifically the Haber process, and the manufacture of nitrogenous fertilizers. It also covers the properties and uses of materials including metals, alloys, and ceramics, alongside the principles of corrosion, life cycle assessment, and recycling.

The Earth and its atmosphere

This topic explores the geological evolution of the Earth's atmosphere and the composition of the present-day atmosphere. It examines the mechanisms of the greenhouse effect, the evidence for man-made climate change, and the environmental impact of atmospheric pollutants, alongside methods for ensuring potable water supplies.

Particles and atomic structure

This topic explores the particulate model of matter, covering states of matter, physical versus chemical changes, and the structure of the atom. It details the nuclear model, subatomic particles, electronic structure for the first 20 elements, and the concept of isotopes in relation to relative atomic mass and the Periodic Table.

Chemical formulae, equations and amount of substance

This topic focuses on the quantitative aspects of chemistry, including the use of chemical symbols to write formulae and balanced equations. It covers the mole concept, relative formula mass, and stoichiometric calculations, including the use of the Avogadro constant and molar gas volumes.

The Periodic Table and properties of elements

This topic explores the physical and chemical properties of elements in Groups 0, 1, and 7, alongside representative transition metals. It focuses on deducing reactivity trends based on electronic structure and utilizing laboratory tests and instrumental analysis to identify chemical species.

Bonding, structure and properties

This topic explores the particulate nature of matter through ionic, covalent, and metallic bonding models. It examines how these bonding types and their resulting structures determine the physical properties of substances, including the unique properties of carbon allotropes and nano-scale materials.

Reactivity series and extraction of metals

This topic explores the reactivity series of metals, established through displacement reactions, and introduces redox processes defined by oxygen and electron transfer. It covers industrial extraction methods for iron and aluminium, the principles of electrolysis for molten and aqueous compounds, and the evaluation of alternative extraction techniques like phytoextraction.

Chemistry of acids

This topic covers the qualitative investigation of acid reactions with metals, bases, and carbonates, and their application in the preparation of soluble salts. It defines acids by their ability to donate hydrogen ions in water and introduces the pH scale as a quantitative measure of acidity, including logarithmic relationships for higher tier students. The topic also incorporates titration methods and calculations involving concentration in mol/dm³.

Energy changes in chemistry

This topic explores the energy changes that occur during chemical reactions, distinguishing between exothermic and endothermic processes based on temperature changes in the surroundings. It covers the use of reaction profiles to represent energy changes, the concept of activation energy, and the calculation of energy changes using bond energies. Additionally, it introduces the principles of electrochemical cells and evaluates the role of hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells in energy production.

Rate of chemical change and dynamic equilibrium

This topic explores the factors influencing the rate of chemical reactions, including temperature, concentration, pressure, surface area, and the use of catalysts. It also introduces the concept of dynamic equilibrium in reversible reactions, where the rates of forward and reverse reactions are equal, and examines how changing conditions can shift the equilibrium position.