Course Outline
Aim
The revision course is designed for students who will be sitting one of the new-style AS courses introduced in 2008. Although some of the material may be taught in a different order and be examined in different unit papers, nearly all of it is common to all boards.
The emphasis of this course will be on examination technique and the consolidation of basic principles and facts. Past paper questions will be worked through and examiners’ mark schemes and comments provided.
Key Topics Covered
- Atomic structure and electronic structure.
- The Periodic Table with special reference to Groups 2 and 7. Chemical and physical properties of the elements and their typical compounds as given by hydroxides, sulphates, nitrates and carbonates; Flame tests and volumetric analysis (titration technique and calculations).
- Bonding and structure; ionic and covalent interactions, Allotropes of carbon.
- Shapes of molecules and ions.
- Intermediate bonding schemes Bond polarity.
- Intermolecular forces. Hydrogen bonding; dipole bonding and van der Waals / London forces. Redox. Rules for assigning oxidation number and the application of these to deriving balanced half equations and full redox equations.
- Group 7 [halogens] Properties and redox characteristics; disproportionation and thiosulphate titrations. Halide ion chemistry.
- Introductory organic chemistry; Alkanes and alkenes; Isomerism and skeletal formulae. Nomenclature.
- Alcohols; structural classification and reactivity towards substitution and oxidation.
- Halogenoalkanes. Nucleophilic substitution reactions.
- Mechanisms in organic chemistry; free radical substitution in alkanes, nucleophilic substitution and electrophilic addition.
- Mass spectrometry; fragmentation patterns.
- Infra-red spectroscopy; interpretation of spectra using correlation tables. Molecular origin of infra red absorption. Greenhouse gases.
- Formulae, equations and chemical calculations.
- Energetics; Hess’s Law and associated calculations; Experimental methods of determining ∆H; Bond enthalpy values and their applications and limitations. Hess’ Law cycles.
- Kinetics. Factors influencing reaction rates; Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution curves and catalysis.
- Chemical equilibria. Qualitative interpretation of dynamic systems at equilibrium.
- Green chemistry and environmental issues such as carbon sequestration & atom economy.
Other Information
The Course Outline describes the principal topic headings from the new courses (Sep 2008 onwards).
Students attending the course are requested to have scientific calculators with them.
No practical work will be undertaken.
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