Course Details

You are advised to follow the recommendation of the science department when making your choice of a science subject(s) for S3. There is no option to transfer later to another subject if you find you have made an inappropriate choice.

There are many reasons why you may wish to study Chemistry beyond second year and the Standard Grade Chemistry course has been designed with this in mind. The course will contribute to your general education by helping to make you aware of the part Chemistry plays in everyday life : the food we eat, the clothes we wear; the plastics and metals we use to construct everyday items; our need for fuels and the associated environmental implications.

The Standard Grade course will also provide a base of knowledge and understanding which will prepare you for further study - (to Higher Grade or beyond), for training or for work. There are many jobs which require two standard grade science subjects. If you hope to study one of the undernoted subjects at University you must study Chemistry together with either Biology or Physics at Higher and therefore you should choose Chemistry plus one other science subject at Standard Grade.

Chemistry	Chemical Engineering	Biological Sciences	Medicine
Dentistry	Veterinary Science	Nursing
(For other specialised science / medical courses check with university prospectus in the library.)

chemical reactions	speed of reactions	how atoms combine
atoms and the periodical table	fuels	hydrocarbons
properties of substances	acids and alkalis	reactions of acids
making electricity	metals	corrosion
plastics & synthetic fibres	fertilisers	carbohydrates

In addition to helping you to build up a body of knowledge of chemical facts the course will help you to develop problem solving skills and various practical techniques.

The formal assessment will consist of written exams at General & Credit levels, which cover Knowledge & Understanding and Problem Solving, each lasting 1 1/2 hours, and a series of practical assessments which take place during class time and account for 1/5 of the marks.

Standard Grade Chemistry is a demanding course which requires a commitment from you to work consistently throughout the two years both in class and at home. Homework will take the form of regular written exercises; but you must also spend time revising current work and reading the text book which is provided.

STANDARD GRADE	S5	S6
Grade 1 or 2 - Credit Chemistry and Grade 1 or 2 - Mathematics	Higher	Advanced Higher
Grade 3 or 4 Chemistry with Mathematics grade 3 or 4 or Biology, Physics or Science at Grades 1 to 3 with Mathematics grade 3 or 4	Intermediate 2	Higher
Intermediate 1 Chemistry	Intermediate 2	Higher