Chemistry

Course summary

Chemistry is the study of the properties and reactions of substances and their applications in our lives. Chemistry is an essential subject for many scientific courses at university, such as Medicine, Materials Science and Biological Sciences, as well as Chemistry itself, due to its intellectual rigour and the fact it is the ‘central science’. Human existence is reliant upon, and is constantly being transformed by chemistry: medicines, drugs, dyes, pigments, foods, flavours, vitamins, antioxidants, fireworks, explosives, fuels, fertilisers, plastics, diamonds, batteries… the scope of study is boundless. The OCR specification slots the “Chemical Ideas” of the course into “Chemical Storylines” – “Elements of Life”, “Developing Fuels”, “Elements from the Sea”, “The Ozone Story”, “What’s in a Medicine”, “The Chemical Industry”, “Polymers and Life”, “The Oceans”, “Developing Metals”, and “Colour by Design”. All the traditional concepts of chemistry are present in the course with OCR being well known for its rigour and being excellent at preparing pupils for chemistry-based courses at university. Practical skills are taught throughout the course, linked to the relevant concepts, leading to fulfilment of the requirements of the Practical Endorsement.