s module focuses mainly on the inorganic and physical branches of chemistry. Many topics within this module will be familiar to students from GCSE but those foundations will be built open.
Skills developed in Module 2: Foundations in Chemistry, will be necessary to underpin the learning in the module.
Examples of concept developed in the module include:
- the concept of periodicity will be studied from several perspectives including the variation in the sizes of atoms, first ionization energies as evidence for electronic structure, and the nature of bonding within elements across a period.
- study of the chemistry of Group 2 and a comparison with Group 1, studied at GCSE.
- further study of the chemistry of Group 7 to demonstrate the ability of the halogens to form higher oxidation states in compounds.
- more sophisticated explanations of the effect of conditions on reaction rates by the use of Maxwell-Bolzman distribution profiles.
- a more quantitative approach to the description of equilibrium position through the calculation of equilibrium constant, Kc.
- the simple understanding of energy changes in chemical reactions, introduced in GCSE, will be strengthened by defining several specific enthalpy changes and by the application of Hess’s Law.