A level Chem without Maths?
Hi,
I am about to start year 12 and after getting GCSE results back I am thinking about a last minute A level subject change from Music to Chemistry. However, I would not do Maths a level alongside it.
I just wanted to know from peoples experience, is A level chemistry possible without it? Ideally I would get an A*, but I worry this would be unachievable or just too hard.
I did get a 9 in GCSE maths, but that was pure practice. I was getting 6s before, and I have no inherent maths skills.
Any advice or experiences would be so helpful.
I am about to start year 12 and after getting GCSE results back I am thinking about a last minute A level subject change from Music to Chemistry. However, I would not do Maths a level alongside it.
I just wanted to know from peoples experience, is A level chemistry possible without it? Ideally I would get an A*, but I worry this would be unachievable or just too hard.
I did get a 9 in GCSE maths, but that was pure practice. I was getting 6s before, and I have no inherent maths skills.
Any advice or experiences would be so helpful.
Reply 1
I personally did Maths and Chemistry but I know loads of people who did Chemistry without maths. They all said that they didn't really need maths alevel but sometimes they just needed to put in a little extra work for some maths based questions. But as you go through Chemistry you will see the maths all follows a similar structure so I think you will be fine
Reply 2
20
Original post
by G242244Hi,
I am about to start year 12 and after getting GCSE results back I am thinking about a last minute A level subject change from Music to Chemistry. However, I would not do Maths a level alongside it.
I just wanted to know from peoples experience, is A level chemistry possible without it? Ideally I would get an A*, but I worry this would be unachievable or just too hard.
I did get a 9 in GCSE maths, but that was pure practice. I was getting 6s before, and I have no inherent maths skills.
Any advice or experiences would be so helpful.
I am about to start year 12 and after getting GCSE results back I am thinking about a last minute A level subject change from Music to Chemistry. However, I would not do Maths a level alongside it.
I just wanted to know from peoples experience, is A level chemistry possible without it? Ideally I would get an A*, but I worry this would be unachievable or just too hard.
I did get a 9 in GCSE maths, but that was pure practice. I was getting 6s before, and I have no inherent maths skills.
Any advice or experiences would be so helpful.
Can you do basic algebra?
e.g. rearrange this equations to make b the subject:
y = a.b^2 / c^2
Can you press the buttons on your calculator in the right order?
Can you work out an average?
That's about all the maths you'll need for a level chemistry.
Reply 3
Agreed with Pigster, though I would also recommend recapping index laws briefly (though strictly this could be considered basic algebra), since you have to work out units for things like rate constants, equilibrium constants etc
Reply 4
G242244
OP
5
Original post
by TypicalNerdAgreed with Pigster, though I would also recommend recapping index laws briefly (though strictly this could be considered basic algebra), since you have to work out units for things like rate constants, equilibrium constants etc
Thanks guys
I would be able to do that maths, but i've heard that the actual A-level (we do OCR) is much less like the GCSE and basically every topic is not just answerable with an explanation or memorising facts but everything is replaced with a maths answer. Is that true? I partly enjoyed the GCSE because I could learn and memorise facts but if its no longer like that it may not be so good.
Reply 5
Original post
by G242244Thanks guys
I would be able to do that maths, but i've heard that the actual A-level (we do OCR) is much less like the GCSE and basically every topic is not just answerable with an explanation or memorising facts but everything is replaced with a maths answer. Is that true? I partly enjoyed the GCSE because I could learn and memorise facts but if its no longer like that it may not be so good.
I would be able to do that maths, but i've heard that the actual A-level (we do OCR) is much less like the GCSE and basically every topic is not just answerable with an explanation or memorising facts but everything is replaced with a maths answer. Is that true? I partly enjoyed the GCSE because I could learn and memorise facts but if its no longer like that it may not be so good.
To put it bluntly, that sounds little utter codswallop.
There are many styles of questions that come up at A level, with only around 20% of the marks overall being set towards mathematical skills. I’d say most questions you get do require you to recall facts (which may include definitions) and there are plenty of topics which aren’t even remotely mathematical - in particular anything you do for organic chemistry and virtually all of inorganic chemistry.
Physical chemistry topics such as redox do occasionally require some level of maths in the explanations, but this is usually a small part of the explanation (e.g. if asked to explain whether x substance can oxidise y substance using electrode potentials, all the maths you need to explain your answer is one simple subtraction or a comparison of which electrode potential is larger than the other).
Also if you want a more verbose guide as to what maths is required for OCR A level chemistry, have a look at their official maths skills handbook: https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/295468-chemistry-mathematical-skills-handbook.pdf
Reply 6
G242244
OP
5
Original post
by TypicalNerdTo put it bluntly, that sounds little utter codswallop.
There are many styles of questions that come up at A level, with only around 20% of the marks overall being set towards mathematical skills. I’d say most questions you get do require you to recall facts (which may include definitions) and there are plenty of topics which aren’t even remotely mathematical - in particular anything you do for organic chemistry and virtually all of inorganic chemistry.
Physical chemistry topics such as redox do occasionally require some level of maths in the explanations, but this is usually a small part of the explanation (e.g. if asked to explain whether x substance can oxidise y substance using electrode potentials, all the maths you need to explain your answer is one simple subtraction or a comparison of which electrode potential is larger than the other).
Also if you want a more verbose guide as to what maths is required for OCR A level chemistry, have a look at their official maths skills handbook: https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/295468-chemistry-mathematical-skills-handbook.pdf
There are many styles of questions that come up at A level, with only around 20% of the marks overall being set towards mathematical skills. I’d say most questions you get do require you to recall facts (which may include definitions) and there are plenty of topics which aren’t even remotely mathematical - in particular anything you do for organic chemistry and virtually all of inorganic chemistry.
Physical chemistry topics such as redox do occasionally require some level of maths in the explanations, but this is usually a small part of the explanation (e.g. if asked to explain whether x substance can oxidise y substance using electrode potentials, all the maths you need to explain your answer is one simple subtraction or a comparison of which electrode potential is larger than the other).
Also if you want a more verbose guide as to what maths is required for OCR A level chemistry, have a look at their official maths skills handbook: https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/295468-chemistry-mathematical-skills-handbook.pdf
Okay that is good to hear. Thanks.
Another question, do you know anyone who has done chem without maths? if so, how did they do?
Reply 7
Original post
by G242244Okay that is good to hear. Thanks.
Another question, do you know anyone who has done chem without maths? if so, how did they do?
Another question, do you know anyone who has done chem without maths? if so, how did they do?
I’ve known more than a few and they have scored variously between grades E and A*. It’s certainly possible to get top grades without A level maths taken as well, given the maths is only GCSE/pre-GCSE level and only accounts for 20% of your grade.
I would say that A level maths (or even L3 core maths) is helpful to take, but only for the extra practice with the algebra you will use. It is by no means absolutely necessary, as evidenced above.
(edited 2 months ago)
Reply 8
20
Original post
by G242244Okay that is good to hear. Thanks.
Another question, do you know anyone who has done chem without maths? if so, how did they do?
Another question, do you know anyone who has done chem without maths? if so, how did they do?
I didn't do A level maths and now I am a rather successful chemistry teacher.
Just to add to TN's answer, OCR A authors try their best to avoid plain recall in their Qs. There is a limit to how many recall Qs that they can set, but typically aim to reduce it to around 2%.
There is far more interpretation and analysis than you might realise. e.g. rather than asking for the trend in the BP of the alkanes and explain why, we'll be given the BPs of some of them and asked to explain why. Now you might argue that you can just memorise the explanation and largely you'd be right, but not in their eyes.
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