Chemistry

Course summary

Chemistry is concerned with the science of matter, particularly its structure, properties and reactions. It is of central importance to the sciences as a whole as chemical interactions are fundamental to all of science. The first year explores the fundamental principles that form the basis of Chemistry and includes atomic theory, bonding, energetics, equilibrium and organic chemistry. This is followed by units that develop the concepts of physical chemistry and introduce a quantitative treatment of kinetics and equilibria. The study of organic chemistry is extended to include compounds containing the carbonyl group, aromatic compounds, amines, amino acids and polymers. There is also a section on spectroscopic techniques and how they are used to determine the molecular formulae and structures of organic compounds. The emphasis is on problem solving rather than on spectroscopic theory. Finally, inorganic chemistry is extended and developed.