A-LEVEL CHEMISTRY INTRODUCTION WORK

TASK 1

NAME: ……………………………………………………………………..

This booklet is designed to help you prepare for your AS Chemistry course. Throughout the booklet there

will be links to videos and websites that will help you consolidate your understanding from your GCSE work

and prepare you for the next stage.

Other useful websites that you can use at any point to help you further your understanding of topics both

now and as you study AS chemistry are:

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry

The Kahn academy is a free, virtual classroom. There is a library of online videos and interactive challenges

(each about 15 to 20 minutes long) which allow you to explore and learn at your own pace. The following

sections are relevant to review and stretch from GCSE to A-level:

Introduction to the Atom

Orbitals and electrons

Periodic table, trends and bonding

Chemical reactions (stoichiometry)

http://www.youtube.com/user/NewcastleChemistry/videosThis is a selection of videos aimed specifically at different aspects of your AQA AS and A2 chemistry syllabus. They will be useful as you progress through your course to reinforce/revise your understanding of key areas. (2012 Syllabus)

Remember learning, like revising, is not just reading and copying down notes but instead should be an

active process. As you make the transition to A-level courses you will need to develop your skills as a

proactive, independent learner. You will do best at A-level if you view a task that you find difficult as a

challenge; where am I going to go to find an answer/understand this further, not a reason to stop and wait

for someone to tell you what to do.

The golden rule is that what makes you think makes you learn.

PLEASE BRING COMPLETED BOOKLETS TO YOUR FIRST CHEMISTRY LESSON IN

SEPTMEMBER

ATOMIC STRUCTURE

Possible places to review your understanding:

http://www.docbrown.info/page20/AQAscichemc11.htm - whilst not the prettiest site this contains a lot of

very useful and nicely explained information. Make sure you keep scrolling down; there are revision notes

and quizzes to help check your understanding.

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/atoms/properties/gcse.html#top - this page revises the simple ideas about

atomic structure that you will have come across at GCSE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5HpZFcT01U&list=PLA91D37E416C975B2 – this is the

“myGCSEscience” video on atomic structure.

ACTIVITY:

Define the following terms:

ELEMENT

CATION

ANION

COMPOUND

LATTICE

MOLECULE

In the space below draw an atom of Phosphorous and give its electronic configuration:

Answer the following questions:-

A fluorine atom can be represented by

a. Use the numbers in the box below to answer the following question:

1 7 9 10 11 19

Each number can be used once, more than once or not at all.

Complete the following sentences.

I. Fluorine has _______________ protons

II. The atomic number of fluorine is ______________

III. The mass number of fluorine is ________________

IV. Fluorine has __________________ neutrons.

b. Tick the box next to the correct statement.

I. At atom of fluorine has

No charge

A positive charge

A negative charge

II. An electron has a charge of

+1

0

-1

Fill in the blanks for the particles in an atom:

Particle Location in atom (Relative) Mass (Relative) Charge

BONDING

Possible places to review your understanding:

http://www.docbrown.info/page20/AQAscichemc21.htm - make sure you keep scrolling down

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/atoms/bonding/ionic.html#top - Ionic bonding: Includes a simple view of

ionic bonding and the way you need to modify this for A level purposes.

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/atoms/bonding/covalent.html#top - Covalent bonding: Includes a simple

view of covalent bonding and the way you need to modify this for A level purposes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ5yoJi6WPI&list=PLA91D37E416C975B2 - this is the

“myGCSEscience” video on ionic bonding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uovOPdYEx7k&list=PLA91D37E416C975B2 - this is the

“myGCSEscience” video on covalent bonding.

COVALENT BONDING:

Complete the following table:-

MOLECULE FORMULA CHEMICAL STRUCTURE DOT AND CROSS

BROMINE Br2

WATER

CH4

IONIC BONDING:

In the box below show how Magnesium and Chlorine atoms form ions to form Magnesium Chloride:-

Use the charge on the ions to explain why the formula of magnesium chloride is MgCl2

State the ions formed by the following atoms:-

ATOM ION FORMED

F

Ba

Al

O

Complete the following table working out the formula, the charge on the ions or the name of the

compound as appropriate.

Name of Compound Cation Anion Formula

Magnesium chloride Mg2+ Cl-

Sodium oxide

Strontium Carbonate C032-

SO42- NiSO4

ISOTOPES

Possible places to review your understanding:

http://www.docbrown.info/page04/4_73calcs01ram.htm - Takes you through what isotope are and how to

use them to calculate the relative atomic mass of an element, if you scroll down there are quizzes to

support the calculations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K540affA7HI – this is the “myGCSEscience” video on isotopes

ACTIVITY:-

Define the term “isotope”

State why isotopes of an element have similar chemical properties

RELATIVE FORMULA MASS AND ATOM ECONOMY

Possible places to review your understanding:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_aqa/atomic_structure/

atomic_structurerev3.shtml - Revision of how to work out the relative formula mass.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_aqa_pre_2011/chemcalc/

chemcalc_higherrev5.shtml - Description of what atom economy is and how to calculate it.

Activity: Use the periodic table on the back page to work out the following values to 1 decimal place:-

SPECIES RELATIVE FORMULA MASS (Mr)

Cl2

CH4

NH4NO3

C4H9OH

CH3CH2CH2COOCH3

(NH4) 3PO4

Atom Economy: The atom economy of a chemical reaction is a measure of the amount of starting materials that become useful products. It can be calculated using the following equation

Use this equation and the periodic table on the back to calculate the atom economy of the following reactions:-

What is the atom economy for the formation of Calcium chloride from Calcium Oxide and Hydrochloric Acid?

CaO + 2HCl → CaCl2 + H2O

What is the atom economy for the formation of Water from Calcium Oxide and Hydrochloric Acid?

CaO + 2HCl → CaCl2 + H2O

WRITING WORD EQUATIONS

Complete the following word equations:-

Magnesium + Oxygen → _____________________

Iron + Sulfuric Acid → _____________________ + _____________________

Caesium + Water → _____________________ + _____________________

Calcium Carbonate → _____________________ + _____________________

Sodium oxide + Hydrochloric acid → ___________________ + ____________________

Lithium Carbonate + Nitric acid → _____________ + ______________+ _____________

BALANCING EQUATIONS

Possible places to review your understanding:

http://www.docbrown.info/page01/ElCpdMix/EleCmdMix3.htm - revision notes and practise quizzes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj9Z_ffOYps&list=PLA91D37E416C975B2 - this is the “myGCSEscience”

video on balancing chemical equations.

Activity: Balance the following equations by entering the correct numbers, pencil may be best!

_Fe + _H2SO4 → _Fe2(SO4)3 + _H2

_C2H6+ _O2 → _H2O + _CO2

_KOH + _H3PO4 → _K3PO4 + _H2O

_SnO2 + _H2 → _Sn + _H2O

_NH3 + _O2 → _NO + _H2O

_KNO3 + H2CO → _K2CO3 + _HNO3

_B2Br6 + HNO3 → _B(NO3) 3 + _HBr

_BF3 + _Li2SO→ _B2(S03) 3 + _LiF

_(NH4) 3PO4 + _Pb(NO3) 4 → _Pb3(PO4) 4 + _NH4NO3