A Level Chemistry Resources

As you’ll already know from your GCSE chemistry studies, cations and anions are ions with opposite but complementary charges.  When an atom loses one or more electrons it becomes a positively charged cation. On the other hand, if an atom gains one or more electrons it becomes a negatively charged

If you’re revising for your upcoming A level organic chemistry exam, you’ll need to have a good grasp of chromatography. Keep reading to learn what it is, how it works, and the different chromatography techniques. What is chromatography? As a scientific laboratory technique, chromatography is the separation of the components

In our latest A level chemistry revision guide, we take a look at Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Read on to find out more about this important analytical technique so you can enter the exam room better prepared. Introduction to NMR spectroscopy NMR spectroscopy is an analytical technique used to

If you’re preparing for your A Level organic chemistry exam, you’ll need to have a good understanding of organic synthesis. This includes learning about the different types of synthesis and the methodology involved. Read on to find out more. Organic synthesis: an introduction The artificial synthesis of organic compounds is

The A level organic chemistry syllabus includes the study of amino acids, proteins and DNA. To help you prepare for your exam, we’ve put together a summary of the key points you need to revise. A brief timeline The relationship between amino acids, proteins and DNA is a relatively recent

If you’re revising for your A level organic chemistry exam, you’ll need to have a good grasp of how polymers are formed, as well as the different categories of polymers. To help you prepare, we’ve put together an overview of the key points. Introduction to polymers The English word ‘polymer’

A level organic chemistry includes the study of amines. This involves learning about the different types of amines, their structure, and their physical properties. To help you prepare for your exam, we’ve put together an overview of the key points you need to revise. Amines: an introduction Amines are organic

If you’re due to sit your A level organic chemistry exam, you’ll need to have a good grasp of aromatic chemistry. Continue reading for an overview of the key concepts so you can enter the exam better prepared. Aromatic compounds: what you need to know While you may not be

If you’re preparing to take your A level organic chemistry exam, you’ll need to have a good understanding of carboxylic acids and their derivatives. Here’s an overview of the key points to help get your revision off to a great start. Carboxylic acids and derivatives: an introduction Carboxylic acids occur

If you’re preparing for your A level organic chemistry exam, you’ll need to have a good understanding of aldehydes and ketones. This includes learning their names, functional groups, and properties. To help with your revision, we’ve put together an overview of the key points you need to know. Aldehydes and

Organic analysis is an important practical topic that you’ll learn in A level chemistry. If you’re hoping to pursue a career in chemistry, the analytical techniques that this topic will introduce you to will be a permanent part of your future profession.  From analysing environmental pollutants to solving crimes, organic

Alkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons that have double bonds shared by two carbons. This means that not all of the carbon atom bonds are connected to hydrogen atoms. Therefore, more hydrogen atoms can be added to make the hydrocarbon saturated. Alkenes can have one or more double bonds. More than one

Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons. This means that each carbon atom is single-bonded to another carbon atom. Alkanes exist in straight chain, branched (isomeric), and cyclic forms. You can use a general formula to determine the specific formulas based on the number of carbon atoms. You can also easily name alkanes

Organic chemistry is somewhere between inorganic chemistry and biochemistry. While it focuses on carbon-based substances, it isn’t concerned with the biological processes that produce many of the organic compounds that it studies. When revising for organic chemistry as part of your chemistry A level, you’ll also need a proper foundation

Many inorganic metallic compounds take the form of ions when dissolved in water (i.e. an aqueous solution). The laws that govern their reactions are similar to how compounds react, but with one important emphasis on the role of water in the reactions. In fact, their balanced equations involve water in

Period 3 elements are those in the third row of the periodic table. The way period 3 elements form oxides, and how they react with other chemicals, is related to their positions in the periodic table. Furthermore, you can compare the relative atomic radius, ionisation energy, and electron affinity of

The halogens are the six nonmetallic, highly reactive elements under Group VIIa (column 17) of the periodic table. They’re very strong oxidising agents, which means they take electrons from other substances. They’re also very reactive and usually form salts with Group 1a, i.e. the alkali metals. The name halogen literally

Alkaline earth metals, which are under Group 2 (the second column) of the periodic table, are highly reactive metals, though they’re not as reactive as the alkali metals. Their high reactivity is the main reason they aren’t found in a pure or elemental form in nature. Structurally speaking, these metals

Many elements were discovered long before the periodicity of elements was established by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869. Mendeleev arranged the then-known elements in tabular form and discerned a pattern. With this, he was able to predict the existence of elements that had not yet been discovered. Since ancient times, philosophers

Acids and bases are fundamental in the study of chemistry. The reactions between the two are fast and exothermic, meaning they release heat, which makes them measurable and observable. Even without precise instruments, you can easily estimate whether a reaction has reached its saturation point. Acids and bases are polar

One of the most important applications of chemistry is storing electrical energy for prolonged periods of time. Modern technological products like laptops, mobile phones, solar power, and hybrid cars would not have been possible without the invention of batteries, which are basically electrochemical storage devices that have two electrodes and

Analysing the chemical reactions of gases in homogeneous systems may seem daunting at first. Unlike a liquid solution, the volume of gas isn’t constant, so determining the concentration of specific gas reactants is difficult when you base it on volume. This is where the concepts related to the equilibrium constant

Determining the rate of chemical reactions can be done using rate equations, no matter what type of chemical reaction is taking place. Rate equations are crucial diagnostic tools that are used to analyse the efficiency of chemical reactions. For example, rate equations can be used by chemical manufacturing companies who

Thermodynamics is the study of how energy, particularly heat, dissipates in a system, and how the mass of substances flows as they’re converted from one form to another. In chemistry, thermodynamics is focused on how energy is transferred and transformed during chemical reactions. Studying thermodynamics allows A level chemistry students

Chemical equilibrium is achieved when the rate of the forward reaction is equal to the rate of the backward reaction. In other words, it’s the state of a system where the concentration of the reactants and products are constant, i.e. they do not change with time. All dynamic systems, including

If you’re revising energetics for your upcoming chemistry A level exam, it’s important to reinforce your knowledge of physics and maths. You’ll encounter a lot of questions in your A level chemistry exam that will require you to compute the energy involved in chemical reactions, so understanding the right units

Chemical reactions are about breaking and making bonds between atoms, which changes the way atoms share electrons. Bonds can be ionic, covalent, polar, or metallic. Bonding determines the molecular structure and physical properties of a substance. Chemical bonding is determined by various factors, like the number of valence electrons and

In chemistry, accurately and precisely measuring the amount of substance is crucial in virtually every task, which is why it’s an important topic at A level. Measurement is key to the analysis of substances and also equally important in the synthesis of substances. Various types of measurements, units, and concepts

The topics you study at A level chemistry will build on the knowledge you gained in GCSE chemistry, and one of the topics you’ll explore more thoroughly is atomic structure.  This involves learning how the modern atomic model has developed over time, from Dalton’s atomic theory, to Thomson’s, Rutherford’s, and