Sixth Form Entry Booklet

18 CHEMISTRY Examination Board: PEARSON EDEXCEL GCSE requirement: 7 in Chemistry or 7/7 in Combined Science and 6 in Mathematics How do you make Aspirin? Why do endothermic reactions happen? Why is copper sulphate solution blue? Do you enjoy practical work? If you want to know the answers to the f irst three questions and answered ‘yes’ to the last, Chemistry is the subject for you! Chemistry is a very popular and challenging A Level subject. This course not only gives you a good understanding of the basic principles of the subject but it also seeks to inspire the research scientists of tomorrow. It covers aspects of Chemistry often in the media and which affect everyone’s lives. It is important you have the necessary knowledge and understanding to explain aspects of contemporary Chemistry such as climate change, green chemistry, pharmaceuticals and smart materials. The specification followed is Pearson (Edexcel) A-level Chemistry (2015). It is a linear course with all examination-based assessment at the end of Year 13. Practical work gives you opportunities to use relevant apparatus and techniques to develop and demonstrate specific practical skills. These skills are assessed by completing a number of core practical experiments throughout the course. The assessment outcomes are reported on you r certificate as the “Practical Endorsement” - achieved or not achieved. Practical knowledge is also assessed in the written examinations. An understanding of Chemistry is essential or desirable for a host of university courses. Apart from pure Chemistry, these include: Pharmacy, Agriculture, Horticulture, Geochemistry, Geology, Medicine, Veterinary Science, Environmental Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Metallurgy, General Engineering, Microbiology, Biotechnology and Biochemistry. A Chemistry A-level is also useful when applying for many other subjects at university. Its greatest value for those not intending to pursue a scientific discipline lies in the reasoning, problem-solving and numerical skills you will develop. For those not yet committed to a specific career path, Chemistry in combination with Mathematics, Physics, Geography or Biology keeps open a very wide set of options. Several universities offer courses where Chemistry is taken with a Foreign Language with 1 year being spent at a European university. There are also courses where students spend a year of their study at an American, European or Australian university. Mr J Young