Chemistry

Learners should be able to

• Choosing purification techniques
• Chromatographic purity testsHigher
• Chromatography theoryFoundation
• Elements, compounds and mixtures
• Filtration, crystallisation and distillation
• Formulations
• Interpreting chromatograms and Rf values
• Purity of substances

Specified practical work

• SP1A Melting-point determination
• SP1B Separation by distillation and paper chromatography

Learners should be able to

• Atomic structure (nucleus and electrons)Foundation
• Calculating subatomic particle numbers
• Electronic structure of first 20 elements
• Isotopes and relative atomic mass
• Limitations of the particle model (HT)
• Mendeleev's arrangement of the elements
• Nuclear atom (Rutherford evidence)
• Particle model and states of matter
• Periodic position from electron arrangement
• Predicting state from data
• Protons and neutrons in the nucleus
• Relative charges and masses of subatomic particles
• Size of atoms and small moleculesHigher
• Why atoms are electrically neutral
• Why the particle model fails to explain reactions

Learners should be able to

• Balanced chemical and half equations
• Calculating reacting masses
• Charges on ions in groups 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7
• Conservation of mass
• Empirical formula from numbers or diagrams
• Empirical formula from reacting mass data
• Formulae of ionic compounds and ionic equationsFoundation
• Mass-mole conversions (HT)
• Molar gas volume (HT)
• Relative formula massHigher
• State symbols in equations
• Stoichiometry and limiting reactants (HT)
• The Avogadro constant and the mole (HT)
• Writing formulae of elements and compounds

Learners should be able to

• Atomic structure and PT position
• Flame tests for metal ions
• General properties of transition metals
• Group 0 noble gases unreactivity
• Group 1 reactions with halogens, oxygen and water
• Group 7 reactions and halogen displacement
• Halide ion test with silver nitrateHigher
• Identifying species from test data
• Instrumental analysis advantages
• Interpreting instrumental analysis outputFoundation
• Metals vs non-metals properties
• Predicting properties from group trends
• Predicting reactions from PT position
• Reactions linked to electron arrangement
• Reactivity explained by electron shells
• Reactivity trends down Groups 1 and 7
• Tests for hydrogen, oxygen and chlorine
• Trends in melting/boiling point (Groups 1, 7, 0)

Specified practical work

• SP4 Identification of unknown substances

Learners should be able to

• Allotropes of carbon
• Bond strength and changes of state
• Bonding types overview
• Bulk vs nano-scale properties
• Carbon forms four covalent bonds
• Covalent bonding
• Diversity of organic compounds
• Dot-and-cross diagrams for covalent moleculesFoundation
• Dot-and-cross diagrams for ionic bonding
• Ionic bonding
• Limitations of bonding models
• Metallic bondingHigher
• Milli-, micro-, nano- prefixes
• Nano-scale dimensions vs atoms
• Properties of ionic compounds and lattice
• Properties of metals
• Properties of simple covalent substances
• Risks of nano-scale particles
• Surface area to volume and properties
• Uses of nano silver and titanium dioxide

Learners should be able to

• Aluminium extraction from bauxite
• Aqueous electrolysis competing reactions
• Bacterial and phyto-extraction
• Blast furnace iron extraction
• Deducing reactivity series order
• Electrolysis of molten ionic compoundsHigher
• Electrolysis of water
• Electrolysis to extract reactive metals
• Extraction method linked to reactivity
• Investigating metal reactivity by displacement
• Predicting molten electrolysis products
• Products at electrodes (inert)
• Properties of Al, Cu, Fe and Ti
• Properties-uses link for metals
• Reactivity of metals from ion-formation
• Redox in terms of electrons (HT)Foundation
• Redox in terms of oxygen
• Tests for Cu(II), Fe(II) and Fe(III) ions

Specified practical work

• SP6A Reactivities by displacement
• SP6B Aqueous electrolysis and electroplating

Learners should be able to

• Acids with metals, bases and carbonates
• Concentration from mass and volume (HT)
• Dilute/concentrated and weak/strong acids (HT)
• Generalised neutralisation H+ + OH-
• H+ in acids and OH- in alkalis
• Measuring pHFoundation
• Neutralisation as acid + base
• Neutrality and relative pH (HT)
• Observed differences between strong and weak acids
• pH and hydrogen ion concentration (HT)
• Preparing soluble salts from insoluble bases/carbonatesHigher
• Test for carbon dioxide
• Test for carbonate ions
• Test for sulfate ions
• Titration calculations (HT)
• Titration to prepare salts and find concentrations

Specified practical work

• SP7A Salt crystals from insoluble base/carbonate
• SP7B Strong acid-strong base titration

Learners should be able to

• Bond energy calculations
• Chemical cells produce potential difference
• Endothermic vs exothermic reactions
• Hydrogen-oxygen and other fuel cellsFoundation
• Reaction profiles and activation energy

Specified practical work

• SP8 Energy released by a fuel

Learners should be able to

• Catalysts and their effect on rate
• Catalytic action and activation energy
• Collision theory for temperature and concentration
• Dynamic equilibrium
• Effect of conditions on equilibrium position (HT)
• Effect of temperature, concentration, surface area on rate
• Enzymes as biological catalysts
• Identifying catalysts in reactionsHigher
• Interpreting rate of reaction graphs
• Mass changes in non-enclosed systems
• Methods for measuring rate of reaction
• Reversible reactions
• Surface area to volume effect on rateFoundation

Specified practical work

• SP9A Rate by gas collection
• SP9B HCl + sodium thiosulfate rate
• SP9C Catalyst on hydrogen peroxide decomposition

Learners should be able to

• Addition polymer structure deduction
• Addition polymerisation
• Alkane homologous series CnH2n+2
• Condensation polymerisation (HT)
• Cracking
• Crude oil as petrochemical feedstock
• DNA and natural polymers
• First four members of alkanes/alkenes/alcohols/carboxylic acids
• Fractional distillation of crude oil
• Functional group reactivity generality
• Functional groups and homologous seriesFoundation
• Hydrocarbon dependence and finite resource
• Predicting products of organic reactionsHigher

Learners should be able to

• Alloys and their composition
• Atom economy calculation
• Atom economy definition
• Choice of reaction pathway (HT)
• Comparing materials
• Corrosion and mitigation
• Evaluating recycling decisions
• Importance of the Haber process
• Industrial process conditions (HT)Higher
• Industrial production of fertilisers
• Interpreting LCA data
• Lab vs industrial fertiliser synthesis
• Life cycle assessment principles
• Material properties-uses link
• NPK in agricultural production
• Percentage yield
• Reaction conditions vs rate graphsFoundation
• Recycling for different use
• Siting chemical plants
• Tests for ammonia and ammonium salts
• Theoretical yield calculation
• Trade-off between rate and equilibrium (HT)

Specified practical work

• SP11 Percentage water in hydrated salt

Learners should be able to

• Atmospheric pollutants from fuelsHigher
• Composition of the present-day atmosphere
• Development of an oxygen-rich atmosphere
• Effects and mitigation of CO2 and CH4
• Enhanced greenhouse effect and global warming
• Evidence for man-made climate changeFoundation
• Increasing potable water supplies
• Origin of the Earth's atmosphere
• The greenhouse effect