Chemistry

Course summary

What will you study in Year 12? You will learn about atomic structure, bonding, shapes of molecules, trends in the periodic table, energetics, rates of reaction, equilibria, alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, halogenoalkanes, organic reaction mechanisms and analytical techniques. Some of these are areas that you have studied in GCSE chemistry, however, you now have the opportunity to develop your understanding further and begin to make sense of the world around you. Set practicals will be carried out throughout the year that will need to be undertaken as they will form part of your final examination in year 13. What will you study in Year 13? In your second year you will extend your knowledge further by studying topics including thermodynamics, further organic chemistry looking at carbonyl compounds, benzene and phenol as well as organic reaction mechanisms, Brønsted-Lowry theory of acids, kinetics, transition metals and their complexes and further analytical techniques such as NMR that are carried out by Chemists. Many of the topics studied in year 13 build on the material that you studied in year 12. Again set practical tasks will be carried out throughout the year and these will be the focus of questions in the final examinations.