Chemistry
Why do oil and water not mix? Why does ethanol boil at 78°C and water at 100°C? How can we make and purify aspirin? Why does an icepack turn cold when you shake it?
Chemistry is the study of matter, and we study how different compounds act and interact with each other. All students follow the mandatory Chemistry course in S5, and students with a special interest in Chemistry can choose the Advanced Chemistry course in S6 and S7.
Teaching
Chemical is a practical science, and an important part of the course is obtaining knowledge through experimental work, such as titrations, spectroscopic measurements and organic syntheses.
In S5, we cover the following topics:
- The atom and the periodic table
- Chemical bonding: ionic bonding and covalent bonding
- Solubility and miscibility: electronegativity and polarity
- The mole concept and how this is used in calculations
- Organic chemistry: alkanes and alkenes
- Acids and bases: weak and strong acids and bases, pH-scale
- Redox reactions
In S6 and S7, we delve further into the topics from S5:
- Electronic structure of the atom and the periodic table: orbitals, electron configuration, periodic trends
- Chemical bonds: resonance structures, VSEPR, sigma and pi-bonds
- Intermolecular forces: London forces, dipole-dipole interactions, hydrogen bonding
- Ideal gases
- Thermodynamics: enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs free energy
- Reaction kinetics: rate of reaction, collision theory, catalysis
- Organic chemistry: isomers, aromatic compounds, alcohols, aldehydes and ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, fats and oils, amines, amides, amino acids, reaction mechanisms
- Equilibrium: Le Chateliers Principle, equilibrium constants and reaction quotients
- Acids and bases: strong and weak acids and bases, buffers, pH calculations
- Electrochemistry: oxidation states, balancing redox reactions, voltaic cells, electrolytic cells, redox titration
Exam
In S5, you will sit one B-test in the autumn/winter. The format is up to the teacher. You will also sit a written B-test in June. The duration of the test is 90 minutes.
If you choose to follow the Advanced Chemistry course as part of your baccalaureate program, you can choose to sit Chemistry at an oral or written exam (or not at all). The written exam is 3 hours long and is without any aids. The oral exam is 20 minutes preparation followed by 20 minutes examination.