Revision:Edexcel GCE Chemistry Specification

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This page lists the topics in the Edexcel GCE Chemistry Specification for 2009 onwards. The Advanced Level is made up of 6 units, with units 3 and 6 worth 10% while the rest are worth 20%.

The Core Principles of Chemistry

Unit 1 is assessed by a 1h 15m exam worth 80 marks. There are 2 sections; part B will contain questions on practical chemistry.

Topics included in this unit include:

• Energetics
  • Definitions
  • Hess' Law
  • Specific Heat Capacity
  • Bond Enthalpy
• Atomic structure and the periodic table
  • Definitions
  • Mass Spectrometer
  • Orbitals
  • Trends across Period 2 and Period 3
• Bonding
  • Ionic
  • Covalent
  • Metallic
• Organic chemistry
  • Introduction
    • Nomenclature
  • Alkanes
  • Alkenes

Application of Core Principles of Chemistry

Unit 2 is assessed by a 1h 15m exam worth 80 marks. There are 3 sections; part C will focus on the chemistry behind a scenario (Comprehension I assume). Practical chemistry questions may be in part B or C.

Topics included in this unit include:

• Shapes of molecules and ions
• Intermediate bonding and bond polarity
• Intermolecular forces
• Redox
• The periodic table:
  • Properties down group 2
  • Chemistry of chlorine, bromine and iodine
• Kinetics
• Chemical Equilibria
• Organic chemistry
  • Alcohols
  • Halogenoalkanes
• Mechanisms
• Mass spectra and IR
• Green chemistry

Chemistry Laboratory Skills I

Unit 3 is assessed by practical work done in schools. There are 4 parts. There are 40 marks for this unit. There is no new content for this unit.

General Principles of Chemistry I - Rates, Equilibria and Further Organic Chemistry

Unit 4 is assessed by a 1h 40m exam worth 90 marks. There are 3 sections; part C will require the use of a data booklet.

Topics included in this unit include:

• How fast? - rates
• How far? - entropy
• Equilibria
• Application of rates and equilibrium
• Acid/base equilibria
• Organic chemistry
  • Chirality
  • Carbonyl compounds
  • Carboxylic acids
  • Carboxylic acid derivatives
    • Acyl chlorides
    • Esters
• Spectroscopy and chromatography
  • High resolution NMR
  • IR
  • Mass Spectra
  • Gas Chromatography and HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography)

General Principles of Chemistry II - Transition Metals and Organic Nitrogen Chemistry

Unit 5 is assessed by a 1h 40m exam worth 90 marks. There are 3 sections; part B will contain questions on practical chemistry, part C will focus on the chemistry behind a scenario (Comprehension I assume).

Topics included in this unit include:

• Redox and the chemistry of transition metals
  • Electrode potentials
• Organic chemistry
  • Arenes: benzene
  • Organic nitrogen compounds: amines, amides, amino acids and proteins
  • Organic synthesis

Chemistry Laboratory Skills II

Unit 6 is similar to unit 3.

Comments

This is a rough version of the Edexcel specification for 2009 onwards. Only the main topics are included here. Do not use this as a complete list of everything you need to know! The revision notes linked to here may not be specifically written for this specification, and as such they may miss certain points for some topics.

Links: Specification (p21-82)