United Kingdom · National Curriculum Attainment Targets
Year 11 Chemistry
This course explores the fundamental principles governing matter and its transformations. Students investigate atomic structure, quantitative chemistry, and the energetic drivers of chemical change to build a robust predictive model of the physical world.
01Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table
Students explore the subatomic world to understand how electron configurations dictate the organization of the periodic table and the reactivity of elements.
Investigating the historical progression of atomic theory from indivisible spheres to the discovery of the nucleus.
Exploring the Bohr model and how electrons occupy specific energy levels, influencing atomic stability.
Understanding protons, neutrons, and electrons, and the concept of isotopes and relative atomic mass.
Tracing the historical development of the periodic table, from early attempts to Mendeleev's contributions and its modern arrangement.
Connecting electron shell filling to the arrangement of elements in periods and blocks.
Investigating the general organization of the periodic table into groups and periods and their basic characteristics.
Analyzing the physical and chemical properties of alkali metals and their reactivity trends.
Exploring the properties and reactivity of Group 2 elements and their compounds.
Investigating the properties and reactions of halogens, including displacement reactions.
Exploring the characteristics of transition metals and the inertness of noble gases.
Analyzing how atomic radius and electronegativity vary across periods and down groups.
Investigating trends in ionisation energy and how they relate to chemical reactivity.
02Structure, Bonding, and Properties
An investigation into how different types of chemical bonds result in the diverse physical properties of metals, ionic compounds, and polymers.
Understanding the transfer of electrons to form ions and the electrostatic attraction in ionic lattices.
Relating the giant ionic lattice structure to the characteristic properties of ionic compounds.
Exploring the sharing of electrons between non-metal atoms to form covalent bonds and simple molecules.
Investigating the weak intermolecular forces and their impact on the physical properties of simple covalent compounds.
Examining the structures and properties of giant covalent substances like diamond, graphite, and silicon dioxide.
Understanding the 'sea of delocalized electrons' model and how it explains the characteristic properties of metals.
Exploring the arrangement and movement of particles in solids, liquids, and gases, and the energy changes involved in state transitions.
Investigating various methods for separating mixtures, including filtration, distillation, and chromatography.
Investigating the unique properties of materials at the nanoscale and their applications and risks.
03Quantitative Chemistry and Stoichiometry
Applying mathematical precision to chemical reactions to calculate yields, concentrations, and gas volumes.
Calculating relative formula mass and introducing the mole concept as a measure of amount of substance.
Mastering the skill of balancing chemical equations to ensure conservation of mass.
Using balanced equations and mole concept to calculate reacting masses and product yields.
Evaluating the efficiency of chemical reactions using percentage yield and atom economy.
Defining and calculating the concentration of solutions in g/dm³ and mol/dm³.
Performing calculations based on titration results to determine unknown concentrations.
Applying the concept of molar volume to calculate volumes of gases in chemical reactions.
Determining the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound and its actual molecular formula.
04Chemical Changes and Energy
Studying the reactivity series, electrolysis, and the enthalpy changes that accompany chemical transformations.
Defining acids and bases, understanding neutralization reactions, and the formation of salts.
Using the pH scale to measure acidity/alkalinity and selecting appropriate indicators.
Investigating the reactivity of metals through reactions with water, acids, and displacement reactions.
Exploring different methods of metal extraction, including reduction with carbon and electrolysis.
Defining oxidation and reduction in terms of oxygen, hydrogen, and electron transfer.
Understanding the process of electrolysis for molten salts and predicting products at electrodes.
Investigating the electrolysis of aqueous solutions, considering the presence of water.
Distinguishing between reactions that release and absorb energy, and their energy profile diagrams.
Understanding energy transfers in chemical reactions and the concept of activation energy.
Calculating enthalpy changes using average bond energies to quantify energy released or absorbed.
05Kinetics and Equilibrium
Exploring the factors that influence the speed of reactions and the conditions required for dynamic equilibrium.
Investigating experimental methods to determine the rate of a chemical reaction.
Understanding how particle collisions and activation energy determine reaction rates.
Investigating how temperature and concentration influence the frequency and energy of collisions.
Exploring the impact of surface area and catalysts on reaction rates.
Understanding the nature of reversible reactions and the conditions for dynamic equilibrium.
Applying Le Chatelier's Principle to predict the effect of temperature and pressure changes on equilibrium.
Applying Le Chatelier's Principle to predict the effect of concentration changes and catalysts on equilibrium.
Studying the Haber process as a key example of applying equilibrium principles in industry.
06Organic Chemistry and Analysis
An introduction to carbon-based chemistry, functional groups, and the analytical techniques used to identify substances.
Defining organic chemistry, homologous series, and general formulas.
Exploring the structure, nomenclature, and reactions of alkanes, including combustion and substitution.
Investigating the structure, nomenclature, and characteristic addition reactions of alkenes.
Introducing the functional groups, nomenclature, and reactions of simple alcohols and carboxylic acids.
Understanding the formation of esters from alcohols and carboxylic acids and their uses.
Understanding the formation of addition polymers from monomers and their uses and disposal.
Exploring the formation of condensation polymers like polyesters and polyamides.
Exploring crude oil as a finite resource and its separation into useful fractions.
Understanding the process of cracking hydrocarbons to produce smaller, more useful molecules, including alkenes.
Using chemical tests to identify common anions (carbonates, sulfates, halides) and cations (metal ions).
Learning to identify common gases such as hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and chlorine.
Introducing chromatography as a method for separating and identifying substances.