This discussion is now closed.
Check out other Related discussions
- unsure about physics A-level
- which science is the hardest? (chemistry, physics or biology)
- GCSE
- Which A level is harder physics or further maths?
- Is Chemistry better at A-level than at GCSE?
- A level options
- Hardest And Easiest Highers
- Is chemistry a level hard?
- National 5 2017 - In order of difficulty
- Chemistry A-level
- does anyone do this a level combo?
- Needing feedback on A-level choices
- How hard are A levels?
- what r ur honest gcse opinions :)
- A level options
- Chemistry and physics
- Can I do engineering without chemistry in a levels
- A-level Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Further Maths
- Physics Chem or fm pls help
- Imperial Physics low student satisfaction
Why is Chemistry harder than Physics?
Hey guys,
I thought Physics was the hardest A level, although apparently Chemistry is voted harder than Physics. I wonder, why is this? What makes Chemistry harder than Physics, which includes both mathematics and Scientific concepts that are quite tricky to get your head around, such as quantum phenomenon. Whereas, I view Chemistry as endless practical experiments with the hardest part being the balancing of equations. That was the impression I got from GCSE anyway.
What makes it considerably harder at A level?
I thought Physics was the hardest A level, although apparently Chemistry is voted harder than Physics. I wonder, why is this? What makes Chemistry harder than Physics, which includes both mathematics and Scientific concepts that are quite tricky to get your head around, such as quantum phenomenon. Whereas, I view Chemistry as endless practical experiments with the hardest part being the balancing of equations. That was the impression I got from GCSE anyway.
What makes it considerably harder at A level?
Scroll to see replies
On chemsitry:
Balancing equations seems hard at gcse, but it doesn't get any harder at A level - it's the least of your worries! There are lots of hard concepts to get your head around which are a massive step up from gcse knowledge. If you can cope, once you know the equations, rules, patterns etc I think it's actually really easy and enjoyable. In my experience the practicals tend to go wrong and just be a laugh, you don't need to be good at them to pass an exam. Chemistry has some maths, at AS it shouldn't trouble you but at A2 it gets complicated.
I can only say what my friends who do physics tell me... which is that it is hard, but is basically just dependent on whether you can handle maths, and has little scientific content. I think chemistry is harder in the first few weeks, but levels off, whereas physics gets harder. As far as I know there's nothing 'quantum' at A level.
Chemistry is the best
Balancing equations seems hard at gcse, but it doesn't get any harder at A level - it's the least of your worries! There are lots of hard concepts to get your head around which are a massive step up from gcse knowledge. If you can cope, once you know the equations, rules, patterns etc I think it's actually really easy and enjoyable. In my experience the practicals tend to go wrong and just be a laugh, you don't need to be good at them to pass an exam. Chemistry has some maths, at AS it shouldn't trouble you but at A2 it gets complicated.
I can only say what my friends who do physics tell me... which is that it is hard, but is basically just dependent on whether you can handle maths, and has little scientific content. I think chemistry is harder in the first few weeks, but levels off, whereas physics gets harder. As far as I know there's nothing 'quantum' at A level.
Chemistry is the best
I found chemistry to be a larger step up from GCSE.
I also just can understand physics a little, and when I look at questions I know the direction I can go.
With chemistry, I have to work extremely hard (not saying I dont work hard for my other subjects) but for example, mole equations, even at A2 I find them hard. The way the question is put out can just throw me off course. I found it to be the same with mass spectrometry, though, Im finding the A2 analysis topics easier than AS.
Its just what your frame of mine is like. You may find chemistry easy and physics hard. Its about you as a person as much as anything
I also just can understand physics a little, and when I look at questions I know the direction I can go.
With chemistry, I have to work extremely hard (not saying I dont work hard for my other subjects) but for example, mole equations, even at A2 I find them hard. The way the question is put out can just throw me off course. I found it to be the same with mass spectrometry, though, Im finding the A2 analysis topics easier than AS.
Its just what your frame of mine is like. You may find chemistry easy and physics hard. Its about you as a person as much as anything
It's like learning a whole new language. So many different concepts to learn + crap load of information.
I think it's because most people who take physics are good at maths, so everyone doing it says it's easier.
I've done chemistry at a-level and doing physics at degree level, and I personally found chemistry to be much harder.
For me it was because chemistry has a huge number of principles and definitions that must be remembered in order for theory to be applied, where as a lot of the stuff in physics can be derived mathematically or by logical thinking...so even if you don't know the principle (or can't remember it) you can work your way around and figure it out through methodological thinking.
That's why during a-levels I barely needed to do any work in Physics trying to read and remember stuff, once you get the pure understanding or something you can use maths and common sense to find and apply the principle.
With chemistry if I didn't read and store the core stuff in my memory there was no way I could get the answer. I either knew it or I didn't.
For me it was because chemistry has a huge number of principles and definitions that must be remembered in order for theory to be applied, where as a lot of the stuff in physics can be derived mathematically or by logical thinking...so even if you don't know the principle (or can't remember it) you can work your way around and figure it out through methodological thinking.
That's why during a-levels I barely needed to do any work in Physics trying to read and remember stuff, once you get the pure understanding or something you can use maths and common sense to find and apply the principle.
With chemistry if I didn't read and store the core stuff in my memory there was no way I could get the answer. I either knew it or I didn't.
Hahaha I treat chemistry like biology. All your doing is rote learning reactions especially in organic chemistry. Now rembering statements is easily done in biology but when these statements are just a random arrangement of letters and numbers it gets incredibly frustrating especially when the subject just tries to pass itself off as something like physics or mathematics whereby you have to know a few concepts and you can apply it to a whole load of situations.
This one yes they'll give concepts but if you came upon an unknown reaction and tried to apply those concepts to figure out how the reaction proceeds more often than not you'll get it wrong because in chemistry there are so many exception's to the rule so you basically have to rote learn like in biology. I got an A in it but it's tedious and overplays its problem solving element. In the chemistry A-level any calculation that needed to be figured out were so piss easy. The only think you had to worry about was remembering every reaction in oragnic chemistry and the different types of reactions etc.
To summarise: It's not hard if you have a good memory. The problem is that you get all these problem solvers who want to do a subject that requires problem solving and so choose chemistry over biology only to realise their mistake.
This one yes they'll give concepts but if you came upon an unknown reaction and tried to apply those concepts to figure out how the reaction proceeds more often than not you'll get it wrong because in chemistry there are so many exception's to the rule so you basically have to rote learn like in biology. I got an A in it but it's tedious and overplays its problem solving element. In the chemistry A-level any calculation that needed to be figured out were so piss easy. The only think you had to worry about was remembering every reaction in oragnic chemistry and the different types of reactions etc.
To summarise: It's not hard if you have a good memory. The problem is that you get all these problem solvers who want to do a subject that requires problem solving and so choose chemistry over biology only to realise their mistake.
(edited 13 years ago)
Panda Vinnie
I've done chemistry at a-level and doing physics at degree level, and I personally found chemistry to be much harder.
For me it was because chemistry has a huge number of principles and definitions that must be remembered in order for theory to be applied, where as a lot of the stuff in physics can be derived mathematically or by logical thinking...so even if you don't know the principle (or can't remember it) you can work your way around and figure it out through methodological thinking.
That's why during a-levels I barely needed to do any work in Physics trying to read and remember stuff, once you get the pure understanding or something you can use maths and common sense to find and apply the principle.
With chemistry if I didn't read and store the core stuff in my memory there was no way I could get the answer. I either knew it or I didn't.
For me it was because chemistry has a huge number of principles and definitions that must be remembered in order for theory to be applied, where as a lot of the stuff in physics can be derived mathematically or by logical thinking...so even if you don't know the principle (or can't remember it) you can work your way around and figure it out through methodological thinking.
That's why during a-levels I barely needed to do any work in Physics trying to read and remember stuff, once you get the pure understanding or something you can use maths and common sense to find and apply the principle.
With chemistry if I didn't read and store the core stuff in my memory there was no way I could get the answer. I either knew it or I didn't.
lol I find it completely opposite, I guess it's just dependant on how your brain works. However, chemistry is way more confusing imo. If you know everything in physics and chemistry, you will probably still lose the odd mark in chemistry whereas physics is pretty straight forward once you understand the theory.
Physics A level isn't allowed to contain A level maths (or if it does, must be taught separately). As such, it doesn't actually contain much physics.
Tom2k10
Hey guys,
I thought Physics was the hardest A level, although apparently Chemistry is voted harder than Physics. I wonder, why is this? What makes Chemistry harder than Physics, which includes both mathematics and Scientific concepts that are quite tricky to get your head around, such as quantum phenomenon. Whereas, I view Chemistry as endless practical experiments with the hardest part being the balancing of equations. That was the impression I got from GCSE anyway.
What makes it considerably harder at A level?
I thought Physics was the hardest A level, although apparently Chemistry is voted harder than Physics. I wonder, why is this? What makes Chemistry harder than Physics, which includes both mathematics and Scientific concepts that are quite tricky to get your head around, such as quantum phenomenon. Whereas, I view Chemistry as endless practical experiments with the hardest part being the balancing of equations. That was the impression I got from GCSE anyway.
What makes it considerably harder at A level?
Because more stupid people take chemistry then physics.
perrytheplatypus
I think it's because most people who take physics are good at maths, so everyone doing it says it's easier.
It's not just about being good at maths. It's about understanding the concept behind the maths, and why things happen the way they do.
Billy Bryant
lol I find it completely opposite, I guess it's just dependant on how your brain works. However, chemistry is way more confusing imo. If you know everything in physics and chemistry, you will probably still lose the odd mark in chemistry whereas physics is pretty straight forward once you understand the theory.
That's also very true!
Different subjects just click naturally for each individual
i found chemistry slightly harder than physics
physics just seems like an a level in common sense
physics just seems like an a level in common sense
(edited 13 years ago)
I think the comment saying that in chemistry you can't apply theory to new situations is wrong. The last question on my AS organic paper was something like 17 marks and just gave a load of mass spec, IR spec and something involving moles, and told to work out its exact stucture. And when told to work out what reaction is going on, I find it really straightforward not impossible?
Clumsy_Chemist
I think the comment saying that in chemistry you can't apply theory to new situations is wrong. The last question on my AS organic paper was something like 17 marks and just gave a load of mass spec, IR spec and something involving moles, and told to work out its exact stucture. And when told to work out what reaction is going on, I find it really straightforward not impossible?
wtf is a mole?
Lol at the terminology.
Ah, moles are the thing you have to get to grips with at the start of year 12 in order to survive 
a mole is a number, something like 6022000000000000000000000000000000000000. So a mole of elephants is 60220000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 elephants.
a mole is a number, something like 6022000000000000000000000000000000000000. So a mole of elephants is 60220000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 elephants. Related discussions
- unsure about physics A-level
- which science is the hardest? (chemistry, physics or biology)
- GCSE
- Which A level is harder physics or further maths?
- Is Chemistry better at A-level than at GCSE?
- A level options
- Hardest And Easiest Highers
- Is chemistry a level hard?
- National 5 2017 - In order of difficulty
- Chemistry A-level
- does anyone do this a level combo?
- Needing feedback on A-level choices
- How hard are A levels?
- what r ur honest gcse opinions :)
- A level options
- Chemistry and physics
- Can I do engineering without chemistry in a levels
- A-level Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Further Maths
- Physics Chem or fm pls help
- Imperial Physics low student satisfaction
Latest
Trending
Last reply 20 hours ago
Edexcel A Level Politics Paper 1 (9PL0 01) - 21st May 2024 [Exam Chat]A-levels
10
Trending
Last reply 20 hours ago
Edexcel A Level Politics Paper 1 (9PL0 01) - 21st May 2024 [Exam Chat]A-levels
10
