Edexcel A-level Chemistry

What is included

What this course covers

• Topic 1 — Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table

  • 1.1 – Protons, neutrons and electrons, atomic number and mass number
  • 1.2 – Isotopes, and relative isotopic, atomic, molecular and formula mass
  • 1.3 – Mass spectrometry: relative atomic mass, mass spectra of diatomic molecules and relative molecular mass
  • 1.4 – First and successive ionisation energies, and what influences them
  • 1.5 – First ionisation energy across a period and down a group
  • 1.6 – Evidence for quantum shells and sub-shells from emission spectra and ionisation energies
  • 1.7 – Quantum shells, orbitals and sub-shells
  • 1.8 – Electronic configurations, the blocks of the Periodic Table and chemical properties
  • 1.9 – Periodicity across periods 2 and 3: melting and boiling temperatures, ionisation energy and atomic radii

• Topic 2 — Bonding and Structure

  • 2.1 – Bonding
  • 2.2 – Structure

• Topic 3 — Redox I

  • 3.1 – Oxidation numbers and calculating them
  • 3.2 – Oxidation and reduction, electron transfer and oxidation number, and oxidising and reducing agents
  • 3.3 – Disproportionation, and oxidation number in the classification of reactions
  • 3.4 – Roman numerals, formulae from oxidation numbers, and metals and non-metals forming ions
  • 3.5 – Ionic half-equations and full ionic equations

• Topic 4 — Inorganic Chemistry and the Periodic Table

  • 4.1 – The elements of Groups 1 and 2
  • 4.2 – The elements of Group 7 (halogens)
  • 4.3 – Identifying carbonate, hydrogencarbonate, sulfate and ammonium ions

• Topic 5 — Formulae, Equations and Amounts of Substance

  • 5.1 – The mole, the Avogadro constant and molar mass
  • 5.2 – Empirical and molecular formulae, and pV = nRT
  • 5.3 – Balanced full and ionic equations, and amounts of substance in reactions
  • 5.4 – Reacting masses and reacting volumes of gases
  • Core practical 1: Measure the molar volume of a gas
  • 5.5 – Solution concentrations and simple acid-base titrations
  • Core practical 2: A standard solution from a solid acid, and the concentration of sodium hydroxide
  • Core practical 3: Find the concentration of a solution of hydrochloric acid
  • 5.6 – Measurement uncertainties and errors, and minimising percentage error
  • 5.7 – Percentage yield and atom economy
  • 5.8 – Ionic equations for test tube reactions, and risks and hazards in practical procedures

• Topic 6 — Organic Chemistry I

  • 6.1 – Introduction to organic chemistry
  • 6.2 – Alkanes
  • 6.3 – Alkenes
  • 6.4 – Halogenoalkanes
  • 6.5 – Alcohols

• Topic 7 — Modern Analytical Techniques I

  • 7.1 – Mass spectrometry: relative molecular mass and fragmentation patterns
  • 7.2 – Infrared spectra and functional groups
  • Core practical 7: Analysis of some inorganic and organic unknowns (Modern Analytical Techniques I)

• Topic 8 — Energetics I

  • 8.1 – Standard conditions, enthalpy change and enthalpy level diagrams
  • 8.2 – Standard enthalpy changes of reaction, formation, combustion and neutralisation
  • 8.3 – Measuring enthalpy changes: Q = mcΔT, sources of error and calculations
  • 8.4 – Hess's Law and enthalpy cycles
  • Core practical 8: To determine the enthalpy change of a reaction using Hess’s Law
  • 8.5 – Bond enthalpies and mean bond enthalpies

• Topic 9 — Kinetics I

  • 9.1 – Collision theory, activation energy and calculating the rate of a reaction
  • 9.2 – The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution and how temperature affects the rate of a reaction
  • 9.3 – Catalysts, reaction profiles and the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution
  • 9.4 – Heterogeneous catalysts in industrial reactions and their economic benefits

• Topic 10 — Equilibrium I

  • 10.1 – Dynamic equilibrium and the effect of a change in temperature, concentration or pressure
  • 10.2 – Yield versus rate in industrial processes, and the expression for Kc

• Topic 11 — Equilibrium II

  • 11.1 – Kp, and calculating Kc and Kp from experimental data
  • 11.2 – The effect of temperature on the equilibrium constant, and what does not affect it

• Topic 12 — Acid-base Equilibria

  • 12.1 – Brønsted–Lowry acids and bases and conjugate acid-base pairs
  • 12.2 – pH and hydrogen ion concentration
  • 12.3 – Strong and weak acids, and the pH of a strong acid
  • 12.4 – Ka and the pH of a weak acid
  • 12.5 – Kw, the pH of a strong base, and pKa and pKw
  • 12.6 – Analysing pH experiments, and calculating Ka from experimental data
  • 12.7 – Titration curves and selecting a suitable indicator
  • 12.8 – Buffer solutions: their action and calculations
  • 12.9 – Buffer action on titration curves, enthalpy changes of neutralisation, and the pH of blood
  • Core practical 9: Finding the Ka value for a weak acid

• Topic 13 — Energetics II

  • 13.1 – Lattice energy
  • 13.2 – Entropy

• Topic 14 — Redox II

  • 14.1 – Oxidation and reduction as electron transfer and changes in oxidation number
  • 14.2 – The standard electrode potential, the standard hydrogen electrode and methods of measuring it
  • Core practical 10: Investigating some electrochemical cells
  • 14.3 – Standard emf, cell diagrams and the importance of conditions
  • 14.4 – Predicting thermodynamic feasibility from standard electrode potentials, and its limitations
  • 14.5 – The electrochemical series, disproportionation and storage cells
  • 14.6 – Fuel cells
  • 14.7 – Redox titrations and their calculations
  • Core practical 11: Redox titration

• Topic 15 — Transition Metals

  • 15.1 – Principles of transition metal chemistry
  • 15.2 – Reactions of transition metal elements

• Topic 16 — Kinetics II

  • 16.1 – Rate equations, orders, the rate constant and half-life
  • 16.2 – Experimental techniques for rate data: initial-rate and continuous monitoring methods
  • 16.3 – Deducing orders and the half-life from graphs and initial rates
  • 16.4 – The iodination of propanone, the rate-determining step and reaction mechanisms
  • 16.5 – Rate equations as evidence for SN1 and SN2 mechanisms
  • 16.6 – Finding the activation energy graphically
  • Core practical 13a and 13b: The rate of the iodine-propanone reaction, and a clock reaction
  • Core practical 14: Finding the activation energy of a reaction

• Topic 17 — Organic Chemistry II

  • 17.1 – Chirality
  • 17.2 – Carbonyl compounds
  • 17.3 – Carboxylic acids

• Topic 18 — Organic Chemistry III

  • 18.1 – Arenes - benzene
  • 18.2 – Amines, amides, amino acids and proteins
  • 18.3 – Organic Synthesis

• Topic 19 — Modern Analytical Techniques II

  • 19.1 – Mass spectrometry: accurate relative molecular masses
  • 19.2 – Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
  • 19.3 – Chromatography

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