Chemistry 

Units 3 and 4

What is the subject about?

In Unit 3 Chemistry, students explore energy options and the chemical production of materials from the perspectives of efficiency, renewability and environmental impact. Students compare and evaluate different chemical energy resources, including fossil fuels, biofuels, galvanic cells and fuel cells. They investigate the combustion of fuels, including the energy transformations involved, the use of stoichiometry to calculate the amounts of reactants and products involved in the reactions, and calculations of the amounts of energy released and their representations. 

In Unit 4, students explore the characteristics of the carbon atom and its abundance in everyday life such as fuel, food and medicine. 

Units

Unit 3: How can chemical processes be designed to optimise efficiency?

Unit 4: How are organic compounds categorised, analysed and used?

Skills you will develop

• Develop aims and questions, formulate hypotheses and make predictions
• Plan and conduct investigations
• Generate, collate and record data
• Analyse and evaluate data and investigation methods
• Construct evidence-based arguments and draw conclusions
• Analyse, evaluate and communicate scientific ideas

Assessment

• Report on a laboratory investigation
• Data analysis 
• A response to a set of structured questions relating to key concepts

“ Chemistry is at the start of everything. It helps me know what everything is made of and how things relate.”

Zainab Mohd Ghazali

Pathways

Studying Chemistry can lead to the following careers

• Analytical chemist
• Research and development 
• Geochemist
• Hazardous waste chemist
• Pharmacologist
• Materials scientist
• Forensic scientist 

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for entry to Units 1, 2 and 3. 

If you are interested in this subject please see Mr Arnup