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chemistry...
S2/3 CHEMISTRY
INTRODUCTION
From the moment you are born and throughout life you are surrounded by chemistry – in the air you breathe, the food you eat and the clothes you wear. Chemistry is the study of substances; what they are made of, how they interact and what role they play in living things. Chemistry not only helps you understand the world; it also opens up a world of opportunities!
Chemistry All Around Us
In Chemistry All Around Us you will study the following topics:
1. Metal mania
2. Water water everywhere
3. Acid attack
4. Check the rate
5. Forensic feast
Metal mania
Can you imagine a world without metals - impossible! We are in fact surrounded by them. Steel bridges, aluminium drink cans, silver jewellery, gold electrical connections in computers and even iron in our blood! In this unit you will find out where metals come from, what they look like and what they do.
Water water everywhere
Water – vital for life. Without it we cannot survive. In this unit you will find out about the important role water has in chemistry.
Acid attack
Acid rain – you’ve heard about this in the news. Acid in our stomach helps digest food. Fizzy drinks also contain acid. But what is an acid? In this unit you will find out about
this very important group of chemicals.
Check the rate
Some reactions are lightning fast – explosions! Others are very, very slow and can take place over thousands of years. In this unit you will find out how to make reactions faster. The faster a product is made the cheaper it is so this is very
important to industry where time costs money!
Forensic feast
Ever watched the CIS programmes on TV? Fancy being a forensic investigator? In this unit you find out about
different tests and techniques used to identify chemicals. You will even take your own fingerprints. At the end of the unit you will put your new-found knowledge to the test when you have to solve a mystery!
Chemistry In Action
In Chemistry in Action you will study the following topics:
1. Soap stories
2. Clothes to “dye” for!
3. Plastics
4. Kitchen Chemistry
5. Hazards and Warnings
Soap Stories
Imagine a life where you cannot easily clean your clothes or your dishes, imagine the smell, imagine the mess! Here we will be looking at how soaps and detergents work – both for cleaning our clothes and our dishes. We will also be making our own soaps and trying them out!
Clothes to “dye” for!
Here we will look at what colour is and how we can dye materials particular colours.
Plastics
It’s only when we think about it that we realise how much of our life revolves around plastics - they have almost become essential to our way of life! We will look at their uses, advantages, disadvantages and how to recycle and dispose of them. We will also be making some plastics in class.
Kitchen Chemistry
We will look at how different items and foods we use in the kitchen are in fact chemicals we use in the Lab! Salt, bicarbonate of soda, nonstick pans and food colourings
are examples.
Hazards and Warnings!
We cannot really study Chemistry without realising that we need to be careful when handling chemicals - they can be dangerous! Here we will find out how to work with and
dispose of hazardous and dangerous materials.
ASSESSMENT
At the end of each unit there will be a unit test and there are practicals and some investigations to be assessed in each unit.
PROGRESSION
The skills you learn in this course will be helpful if you decide to choose the one year Standard Grade Chemistry course in S4.