You should be able to:
(high tier in bold)
recall the formulae of elements and simple compounds in the module
represent chemical reactions by word equations; write simple balanced equations
and use the state symbols (s), (l),
(g) and (aq)
write balanced equations to describe and explain a wide range of reactions
including ionic equations
and those occurring in electrolytic cells
Metals
You should be able to:
9.01 recall some everyday uses of iron/steel, aluminium and copper ()
Extracting metals from
their ores
You should be able to:
9.02 recall that most metals are extracted from their ores which are found in
their natural state in the Earth
9.03 understand that reduction is the loss of oxygen from a compound, eg the
formation of copper from copper
oxide
9.04 define oxidation in terms of loss of electrons and reduction in terms of
gain of electrons
9.05 understand that the extraction of metals involves reduction of their ores
9.06 relate
the order of reactivities of metals to the stabilities of their ores and to
their method of extraction
– by heating the ore with carbon
monoxide (eg iron)
– by using electrical energy (eg
aluminium)
9.07 describe the process by which
iron is extracted from iron oxide in a blast furnace, including outline
diagrams, raw materials, reactions and the formation and uses of slag
9.08 recall that a chemical reaction caused by electricity is called
electrolysis
9.09 understand that electrolysis is the movement of charged ions to the anode
and cathode, followed by discharge
9.10 describe the extraction of aluminium from purified bauxite including simple
cell diagrams, nature of
electrolyte and electrodes and reactions
9.11 describe the purification of copper by electrolysis, including a simple
diagram of the cell
The transition metals
You should be able to:
9.12 locate the position of the transition metals in the periodic table
9.13 describe the physical properties of the common transition metals (high
melting points, good conductors of
heat and electricity and high density as exemplified by iron and copper)
9.14 recognise that transition metals form coloured compounds
9.15 describe some uses of transition metals and their compounds as catalysts
The alkali metals
You should be able to:
9.16 recall that lithium, sodium and potassium are alkali metals
9.17 recall that the alkali metals have comparatively low melting points and are
soft
9.18 describe the reactions of lithium, sodium and potassium with water to form
hydroxides which are alkaline
(pH>7), and hydrogen gas
9.19 describe the pattern in reactivity of the alkali metals lithium, sodium,
and potassium towards water, and
use this pattern to predict the reactivity of other alkali metals
Rocks and their uses
You should be able to:
9.20 recall that hydrogen, chlorine and sodium hydroxide are produced by the
electrolysis of concentrated
aqueous sodium chloride (rock salt)
9.21 recall the uses of sodium chloride, hydrogen and sodium hydroxide
9.22 understand that the crystalline nature of igneous rocks and the fact that
they do not contain fossils are
evidence for their formation from hot, molten magma
9.23 understand that crystal size in igneous rocks depends on the rate of
cooling
9.24 understand that the presence of fossils in a rock is evidence that it has
been formed from sediments
9.25 understand that in sedimentary rocks the deepest layers are usually the
oldest, that sedimentary rocks may
contain fossils, and that the type of fossil can help to date the rocks
9.26 explain how metamorphic rocks are formed by the action of heat and pressure
on existing rocks
9.27 understand that metamorphic rocks having the same composition as other
rocks is evidence for their
formation from these rocks – for example marble and limestone are both calcium
carbonate
The atmosphere
You should be able to:
9.28 recall the current composition of the atmosphere
9.29 understand that the early atmosphere was probably formed from the gases
produced by volcanic activity
9.30 recall that originally the atmosphere probably contained a large amount of
carbon dioxide together with water
vapour, hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon monoxide
9.31 explain the origins of the oceans by condensation of water vapour and
describe how the percentage of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was consequently reduced
9.32 explain that the first primitive plants released oxygen as a result of
photosynthesis and that the
percentage of oxygen gradually increased
9.33 explain
that at present the atmosphere is in a state of approximate balance because
– the process of photosynthesis
produces oxygen in the presence of sunlight
– respiration and the burning of
fuels use oxygen and produce carbon dioxide
– carbon dioxide is absorbed by
the seas and oceans
Useful products from
air
You should be able to:
9.34 recall the conditions under which nitrogen, from air, and hydrogen can be
combined to form ammonia and that
the Haber process is an important industrial process
9.35 understand that this reaction is reversible and may reach a dynamic
equilibrium
9.36
explain the choice of conditions used in the Haber process in terms of rates of
reaction and of the effects on
equilibrium and yields of
– catalyst
– pressure
– temperature
9.37 recall that nitrogenous
fertilisers promote growth in plants
9.38 understand that a nitrogenous fertiliser is manufactured by neutralising
ammonia with nitric or sulfuric
acid
9.39 describe the environmental consequences of the over-use of fertilisers
The noble gases
You should be able to:
9.40 describe the noble gases as chemically inert compared with the other
elements
9.41 relate this lack of reactivity to the electronic arrangement in their atoms
9.42 describe some uses of the noble gases in, for example, fluorescent lights,
airships, balloons and light bulbs