Chemistry A Level

Here are some sources which might be useful, make a note of which ones you used and the date on which you accessed them. Add other references that you find to your bibliography. 

• Atomic Model timeline  
• Atomic structure teaching resources | the science teacher 
• Rutherford Scattering 
• Scale Model of a Hydrogen Atom 
• Early ideas about atoms – Atomic structure – AQA – GCSE Chemistry (Single Science) Revision – AQA – BBC Bitesize 
• Molecular Expressions: Electricity and Magnetism: Interactive Tutorial – The Rutherford Experiment 
• Atom Models – Democritus, Dalton, Thompson, Rutherford, Bohr 
• Atomic Theory I | Chemistry | Visionlearning 
• The History of the Atom – Theories and Models – Compound Interest 

Now you have your timeline; pick at least two of the following topics and do your own research into them, you will be using this information in your first chemistry lesson in September. 

How useful are isotopes? 

What are isotopes? How do scientists use them to find out about our world? How do scientists use them to discover more about our history? 

Here are a few resources to start you thinking – see what else you can find (keep a note of the sources you use in your bibliography) 

• Free Teaching Resource about Richard III and Isotopes 
• Why you need A-level chemistry to study geology | Feature | RSC Education 
• RTC Week 2015 – #1: Isotopes & The Search For Life – Compound Interest 

Nuclear power is used as an alternative to fossil fuels but what happens to the nuclear waste? 

What is the waste? How could it be disposed of? How long does the waste take to decay? 

Here are a few resources to start you thinking – see what else you can find.

(keep a note of the sources you use in your bibliography) 

• Nuclear waste and its disposal – Compound Interest 
• Storage and Disposal Options for Radioactive Waste – World Nuclear Association

Ice cores; Atmospheric time machines? 

Ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica are being used to provide historical data and information about our atmosphere and climate. How are ice cores taken? What sort of information is being gathered? How could this be useful to us? 

Here are a few resources to start you thinking – see what else you can find  

(keep a note of the sources you use in your bibliography) 

• The science of ice cores: Atmospheric time machines 
• About Ice Cores | NSF Ice Core Facility. 
• https://edu.rsc.org/download?ac=501698  

Where do the chemical elements come from? 

Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen – some of the elemental building blocks of life on earth. But where did they come from? The theory of evolution of the stars shows how heavy elements can be formed from lighter ones. The development of this theory is one of the major scientific achievements of the 20th century but how did scientists come up with the theory? 

Here are a few resources to start you thinking – see what else you can find.

(keep a note of the sources you use in your bibliography) 

• Where Do Chemical Elements Come From?  
• Origin of the Chemical Elements 
• Background: Dispersion of Elements 
• How do scientists determine the chemical compositions of the planets and stars? | Astronomy.com 

How to structure a bibliography for websites:

• https://astronomy.com/magazine/ask-astro/2019/06/how-do-scientists-determine-the-chemical-compositions-of-the-planets-and-stars accessed 18/5/22 

• https://edu.rsc.org/download?ac=501698 accessed 12/5/22 

Add the relevant number of your source to your text showing where you have used information from this source. 

*This is a representation of your learning space and may not be the exact room you will be using