Chemistry

Key Contact:  Alicia Upton acu@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk
Syllabus Information:  OCR A Level Chemistry A

Course Content

Year 12 – Physical and inorganic chemistry

• Half term 1: Module 2.2 – Electrons, bonding and structure
• Half term 2: Module 3.1 – Periodic table
• Half term 3: Module 3.2 – Enthalpy and enthalpy cycles
• Half term 4: Module 3.2 – Rates and equilibrium
• Half term 5: Module 5.1 – Rates
• Half term 6: Review and Module 5.1 – Rates

Year 12 – Organic chemistry

• Half term 1: Module 2.1 – Atoms and reactions
• Half term 2: Module 2.1 – Acids and titrations, Module 4 – Basic organic and alkanes
• Half term 3: Module 4.1 – Alkenes and polymers
• Half term 4: Module 4.2 – Alcohols and haloalkanes
• Half term 5: Module 4.2 – Synthesis and analysis
• Half term 6: Module 6.1 – Carbonyls

Year 13 – Physical and inorganic chemistry

• Half term 1: 5.1 – Rates review, equilibrium
• Half term 2: 5.2 – Enthalpy, entropy and free energy
• Half term 3: 5.2 – Electrode potentials
• Half term 4: 5.3 – Transition metals and redox titrations
• Half term 5: Revision and exam preparation

Year 13 – Organic chemistry

• Half term 1: 6.1 – Carbonyls review, aromatic compounds
• Half term 2: 6.2 – Nitrogen compounds and polymers
• Half term 3: 5.2 – Organic synthesis
• Half term 4: 6.3 – Organic analysis
• Half term 5: Revision and exam preparation

Assessment

Year 12 – Physical and inorganic chemistry

• Assessment 1: Electrons and ions
• Assessment 2: Covalent and metallic bonding
• Assessment 3: Intermolecular forces
• Assessment 4: Ionisation energies and periodicity
• Assessment 5: Mini PPE (modules 2.2 and 3.1)
• Assessment 6: Groups of the periodic table and testing for ions
• Assessment 7: Enthalpy and enthalpy cycles
• Assessment 8: Rates of reaction and equilibrium
• Assessment 9: Module 3 review
• Assessment 10: PPE
• Assessment 11: PPE
• Assessment 12: Module 5 rates

Year 12 – Organic chemistry

• Assessment 1: Atomic mass and moles
• Assessment 2: Gases and percentage yield
• Assessment 3: Acids and titrations
• Assessment 4: Mini PPE (module 2.1)
• Assessment 5: Basic organic chemistry
• Assessment 6: Alkenes and polymers
• Assessment 7: Alcohols
• Assessment 8: Synthetic routes and analysis
• Assessment 9: Module 4 review
• Assessment 10: PPE
• Assessment 11: PPE
• Assessment 12: Carbonyls

Year 13 – Physical and inorganic chemistry

• Assessment 1: 5.1 – Equilibrium
• Assessment 2: 5.1 – Acids and buffers
• Assessment 3: Module 5.1 review
• Assessment 4: 5.2 – Enthalpy, entropy and free energy
• Assessment 5: PPE 1 (AS and 5.1)
• Assessment 6: PPE 1 (AS and 5.1)
• Assessment 7: 5.2 – Electrode potentials
• Assessment 8: 5.3 – Transition metals and redox titrations
• Assessment 9: PPE 2 (full set of A level papers)
• Assessment 10: PPE 2 (full set of A level papers)

Year 13 – Organic chemistry

• Assessment 1: 6.1 – Benzene and phenols
• Assessment 2: Module 6.1 review
• Assessment 3: 6.2 – Nitrogen compounds and chirality
• Assessment 4: 6.2 – Nitriles and polymers
• Assessment 5: PPE 1 (AS and 6.1)
• Assessment 6: PPE 1 (AS and 6.1)
• Assessment 7: 6.2 – Organic reactions and synthesis
• Assessment 8: 6.3 – Chromatography and NMR
• Assessment 9: PPE 2 (full set of A level papers)
• Assessment 10: PPE 2 (full set of A level papers)

Homework

Students are expected to spend the same amount of time working independently as in lessons, 9 hours across a fortnight.  This will take the form of specific homework set by teachers and more independent revision and consolidation.  Students will be supported with this through department consolidation booklets, which will provide suggestions of a range of revision strategies and exam question practice.

KS5 Progression

Studying A level Chemistry allows students to reevaluate and improve the models they met at GCSE.  They will discover key principles of Physical, Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, and start to be able to explain fundamental questions about why reactions occur the way they do.  They will move from the more qualitative descriptions of GCSE to a more quantitative treatment of ideas such as rates of reaction and equilibrium, as well as discovering whole new ways of working, such as through mechanistic work in Organic Chemistry.

Students will also develop their practical skills through working towards their practical endorsement, covering a range of different practical techniques from calorimetry to the use of quickfit apparatus for synthesising organic molecules.  They will develop their investigative working skills and their confidence with using different data analysis tools and methods.  Through linking their practical work to theory, students will gain an appreciation for how experimentation drives science forward, allowing models to be refined so that we are constantly learning how to explain phenomena in a better, more accurate way.

KS5 End point

By the end of Y13 students will have a grounding in key areas of Chemistry and an appreciation of how they relate to each other and to other areas of Science.  They will be confident in applying mathematical techniques in a range of contexts and in using and manipulating different types of data to look for trends and make conclusions.  They will be confident in a range of practical skills and understand the importance of investigative work in Chemistry, seeing how it links with the theory that they have studied across the course.

Useful information, links and resources

• http://ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-a-level-gce-chemistry-a-h032-h432-from-2015 : specification
• http://www.chemguide.co.uk/ : A comprehensive online textbook
• https://www.physicsandmathstutor.com : Revision resources and practice exam questions
• https://chemrevise.org : Concise notes on all of the topics