United Kingdom A Level Chemistry Syllabus

A Level Chemistry in the UK is offered by various exam boards, including AQA, Edexcel, OCR, and CIE. While the specific modules and assessment methods may vary, the core topics covered are generally consistent. The syllabus typically includes Physical, Inorganic, and Organic Chemistry. Practical skills development is also an integral part of the course.

Physical Chemistry

Physical chemistry explores the physical properties and behavior of matter at the atomic and molecular level. Key topics include:

• Atomic Structure: This covers the structure of the atom, isotopes, mass spectrometry, electron configuration, and ionization energy. Resources for AQA:
• Amount of Substance: This involves mole calculations, stoichiometry, empirical and molecular formulas, and calculations involving solutions and gases.
• Bonding: This encompasses ionic, covalent, and metallic bonding, as well as intermolecular forces and their impact on properties like melting point and boiling point. Resources for AQA:
• Energetics: This includes enthalpy changes, Hess's Law, calorimetry, and bond energies. Resources for AQA:
• Kinetics: This covers rates of reaction, rate equations, reaction mechanisms, and the factors affecting reaction rates, such as temperature and catalysts. Resources for AQA:
• Equilibria: This involves dynamic equilibrium, equilibrium constants (Kc, Kp), and Le Chatelier's principle. Resources for AQA:
• Redox Reactions: This includes oxidation and reduction, oxidation numbers, balancing redox equations, and electrochemical cells. Resources for AQA:
• Thermodynamics: This covers entropy, free energy, and spontaneity of reactions.
• Acids and Bases: This includes pH, pKa, buffers, and acid-base titrations.

Inorganic Chemistry

Inorganic chemistry focuses on the properties and reactions of inorganic compounds, including:

• Periodicity: This covers trends in the periodic table, such as electronegativity, ionization energy, and atomic radius.
• Group 2 (Alkaline Earth Metals): This explores the properties and reactions of Group 2 elements.
• Group 7 (Halogens): This examines the properties and reactions of Group 7 elements.
• Transition Metals: This covers the properties and reactions of transition metals, including complex ions, colored compounds, and catalysis. Resources for general Inorganic Chemistry:
• Other important topics: May include Period 3 elements and their oxides.

Organic Chemistry

Organic chemistry is the study of carbon-containing compounds. Key topics include:

• Introduction to Organic Chemistry: This covers nomenclature, functional groups, isomerism, and basic organic reactions. Resources for AQA:
• Alkanes: This explores the properties and reactions of alkanes.
• Halogenoalkanes: This examines the properties and reactions of halogenoalkanes.
• Alkenes: This covers the properties and reactions of alkenes, including addition reactions and polymerization.
• Alcohols: This explores the properties and reactions of alcohols.
• Other important topics: May include carbonyl compounds (aldehydes and ketones), carboxylic acids and their derivatives, amines, aromatic compounds (benzene), and organic analysis techniques (NMR, IR, mass spectrometry). General Organic Chemistry resources:

This represents a general overview of the A Level Chemistry syllabus. Students should consult the specific syllabus of their chosen exam board for detailed information on assessment objectives and weighting of topics.