Chemistry
A LEVEL
AQA CHEMISTRY
Y11 BRIDGING WORK
Now that you’ve chosen to study Chemistry in more depth, you may be feeling rather unsure about starting your A-Level chemistry course. But do not worry - this guide is designed to help you with the transition to the A-Level course.
Below is a list of topics that you should already be familiar from GCSE but you may need to refresh your memory!
- Atomic structure
- Bonding
- The halogens
- Alkanes and alkenes
- Chromatography
Your task is to research one of the areas and produce a presentation of your chosen topic. The way in which you present your ideas is entirely up to you but your presentation should last approximately 5 minutes. Some examples are….produce a powerpoint….make a model….create an animation….make a video….write a poem…the more creative the better!
Having an awareness of current issues is always useful, especially if you are considering a career in chemistry related subjects. Get into the habit of checking the news, either online, television or newspapers. You could also read New Scientist magazine.
Recommended reading:
- The Disappearing Spoon and Other Extraordinary True Tales from the Periodic Table - Sam Kean
- Why Chemical Reactions Happen - James Keeler
- The science of chocolate – S.T. Beckett
- The chemistry of explosives - Jacqueline Akhavan
- Maths Skills for A Level Chemistry - Dan McGowan
- Any ‘Introduction to A level Chemistry books
Recommended TedEd video playlists:
- https://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_wilker_what_sticky_sea_creatures_can_teach_us_about_making_glue - What sticky sea creatures can teach us about making glue
- https://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_rossiter_a_robot_that_eats_pollution - A robot that eats pollution
- https://www.ted.com/talks/cathy_mulzer_the_incredible_chemistry_powering_your_smartphone - The incredible chemistry powering your smartphone
- https://www.ted.com/talks/rick_doblin_the_future_of_psychedelic_assisted_psychotherapy - The future of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy
Recommended websites:
- http://mw.concord.org/modeler/ - Microscopic understanding of our macroscopic world
- https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters.html - interesting, relevant and up to date Chemistry articles
- http://nobelprize.org - Details of the history of the best scientific discoveries
- http://nature.com - The site of the scientific journal
- http://royalsociety.org - Podcasts, news and interviews with scientists about recent scientific developments
- http://www.nhm.ac.uk - The London Natural History Museum’s website with lots of interesting educational materials