This section introduces the boys to the subject of Chemistry, with the first half of the section focusing on practical skills.  The boys will learn how to carry out practical activities safely, how to recognise and draw apparatus and safety symbols, how to use different measurement apparatus and how to safely use a Bunsen burner.  They will then move on to chemical and physical changes, the three states of matter and the water cycle.

 

This second section involves a selection of practical activities designed to lead the boys towards definitions and properties of elements, compounds and mixtures.  By the end of the section they will be able to identify whether a substance is an element, a compound or a mixture and will be able to name simple compounds, understanding that the name indicates which elements the compound contains.

 

 

In this section a range of practical activities have been designed to help the boys understand several new scientific terms including soluble, insoluble, solute, solvent, solution, aqueous solution, dilute, concentrated, saturated, unsaturated and suspension.  They will be able to explain the effect that temperature has on solubility and will also grow their own crystal of copper sulphate. 

 

 

The last section of the year focuses on some more advanced practical techniques including filtration, evaporation, decanting, distillation and chromatography.  The boys will be able to use their knowledge of the three states of matter from the basic skills course to understand why and how the various separation techniques are used.