Higher Chemistry

Higher Chemistry

(For the 2015 Examinations, some schools may be pursuing the new Higher and others may be sticking with the old Higher for its last year)

The content below is based on the "old" Higher which we have been studying up until now. Much of the content is similar and I have highlighted any areas which are covered only in the "new" Revised Higher.

There are three sections in "old" Higher Chemistry :

1 Energy Matters
2 The World of Carbon
3 Chemical Reactions

For each section there are three Prescribed Practical Abilities (PPAs)
The final exam is 2.5 hours long and is separated into two sections - a multiple choice and an extended answers section where short answers and calculations are required.

To study Higher it is recommended that you have a minimum of a 2 at Standard Grade (KU2, PS2) or a B at Intermediate 2 or an A or B (or C) pass at National 5.

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To read EXACTLY what you need to know have a look at the Arrangement documents from the SQA :
http://www.sqa.org.uk/files/nq/ChemistryH.pdf

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Downloadable Notes for Coursework and to Accompany Prescribed Practical Abilities (PPAs)
Higher Notes and notes for Prescribed Practical Activities can be viewed at :

http://www.hsn.uk.net/resources/Higher-Chemistry
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Another excellent set of online notes :
http://www.torry.aberdeen.sch.uk/departs/chemistry/index.htm
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Past Papers
Always useful for Revision :
SQA Site
http://www.sqa.org.uk/pastpapers/findpastpaper.htm

Older Higher Chemistry Papers :
http://www.bearsdenacademy.e-dunbarton.sch.uk/page_viewer.asp?page=Higher+Chemistry&pid=1258
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Revision Questions and Answers Book
I can recommend the Revision Questions book here by Buchanan, Melrose and Briggs, and also the Answers book which is now almost unobtainable but you can get a pdf on CD of the answers from this contact form details :
http://www.chemcord.co.uk/directory/publication%20list%202011%20.pdf
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InfoChem Magazine from Royal Society of Chemistry
A very interesting magazine for 15-18 year olds - read online, download or print out.
http://www.rsc.org/Education/EiC/digitialedition/InfoChemdigitaledition.asp
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BBC Bitesize Revision - Old Higher Chemistry
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/chemistry/
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Photographs of Each Element Periodic Table

A fabulous periodic table to investigate - photographs of each element - definitely take some time to browse this !
http://periodictable.com/
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Royal Society of Chemistry - Periodic Table Trends

Very good information - very visual - particularly the trends of electronegativity and first ionisation energy are really clear here :
http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/trends
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Yet another Excellent Periodic Table to Investigate

This is fabulous and would also take you through into University level Chemistry with all the information on here.
http://www.ptable.com/
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Periodic Table Trends
Including Metallic bonding in Group 1 explanation :
http://www.chembook.co.uk/chap15.htm

Ionic Radii 
Comparing the sizes of atoms and their ions - look at the image on this page which shows the difference between

  • the elements on the right hand side of the table which form negative ions by gaining electrons, compared to, 
  • the ions on the left side of the table which lose electrons to form positive ions :
http://www.atomsinmotion.com/book/chapter3/ions
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Alkali Metals

Watch these Youtube videos of alkali metal reactions then explain what you are seeing using the terms "order of reactivity" "electron shells", "electronegativity" etc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6ZDiRIvc2E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCk0lYB_8c0&feature=related
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Caesium and Fluorine 

Captured for the first time on television !  The moment when these most opposite of elements react ! Largest difference in electronegativity in the periodic table !
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalInstitution?v=TLOFaWdPxB0
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The Story of the Discovery of Buckminster Fullerene :
Click here to read
and make a model of the 60 Carbon molecule buckminster fullerene - there are gaps for the pentagons in the model - it should look just like a football - click here
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Behaviour of Water

Water is quite unusual - even though it forms covalent molecules, the bonds within the molecules are polar covalent and this is what leads to an attraction between water molecules which we call Hydrogen bonding. This causes surface tension so you can see globules of water sitting on a desk rather than going flat and you can see a meniscus in a measuring cylinder because of surface tension. But what do you think happens if water is taken into space - how will it behave if you were to wring out a facecloth or washcloth ? Will the surface tension affect it ? See what happens when Chris Hadfield, an astronaut in the International Space Station tried this :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8TssbmY-GM&feature=youtu.be
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Bonding from BBC Bitesize - with great graphics

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/chemistry/energy/bsp/revision/1/
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 Spot the Bonding Exercise - From Royal Society of Chemistry
(keep for Revised Higher as is relevant)
http://www.rsc.org/images/Spot_the_bonding_tcm18-189324.pdf
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CROSS MULTIPLYING !!
If you don't know how to do this, print this out - its useful for all the calculations in Unit 1 or just useful anyway if you can get the hang of this !

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Iodine Clock Reaction - as in Unit 1 PPA
Watch at 1.15 for a brief explanation and video of the reaction from PPA 1 of Unit 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TPnns-5UxA
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Unit 2 : Carbon Chemistry
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How Car Engines Work

An animation of how car engines, "the internal combustion engine" work when burning petrol as their fuel :
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine1.htm
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Fuels, naptha fraction, cracking etc.
Read this up to Figure 2 - dont go any further as it gets a bit too complicated for Higher after that!
http://www.essentialchemicalindustry.org/processes/cracking-isomerisation-and-reforming.html

Where we get ethene from - featuring Grangemouth too - this is important as it comes up in the exams quite a bit - and useful for making polythene too !!
http://www.essentialchemicalindustry.org/chemicals/ethene.html
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"Alternative Fuels"
We have got used to using petrol (gasoline) as a main fuel for cars but there are alternatives and some were originally used before petrol came to be in plentiful supply :
eg
Methanol : http://www.methanol.org/energy/transportation-fuel.aspx - interesting to read and watch the first video
Biofuels : http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/about-bp/bp-and-technology/lower-carbon-future/biofuels.html
Brazil and the major use of ethanol as a fuel (bio-fuel) for cars, produced from sugar cane - find out more here about the people who are involved - http://www.bp.com/en/global/alternative-energy/our-businesses/biofuels/biofuels-operations-technologies/brazil-ethanol-from-sugarcane.html
Biogas - with a memorably named "poo bus" - that will help you remember where biogas comes from !! (and from food waste too) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-30115137
and http://www.waste-management-world.com/articles/2014/11/video-poo-powered-bus-steams-into-bristol-thanks-to-biogas-from-food-waste-co-digestion.html
and lots about Alternative Energy at :
http://www.nature.com/scitable/spotlight/alternative-energy-8047050

Hydrogen - Hydrogen Fuel Cells - Hydrogen cars - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31926995

Why not Make a Mind Map of everything you know about Alternative Fuels - there is a lot of different bits and pieces to learn - ideal for this
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An Oil Refinery Game

Become an Oil Tycoon with this slightly silly game but has a few interesting questions about Carbon chemistry and Hydrocarbons. http://www.rsc-oilstrike.org/
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Synthesis Gas
Here is a company who make Synthesis Gas - just in case you thought chemistry was just all in books! http://www.linde-engineering.com/en/process_plants/hydrogen_and_synthesis_gas_plants/gas_products/synthesis_gas/index.html
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Esters
Some information about Esters
http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/introduction-to-chemistry-general-organic-and-biological/s18-07-physical-properties-of-esters.html

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/highersciences/chemistry/natureschemistry/fruitflavours/index.asp

here is a poster of the PPA on making Esters that you could print out :
http://blogs.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqscience/files/2011/02/chem-poster.jpg
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Naming hydrocarbons etc - rules - functional groups
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/chemistry/carbon/naming/revision/1/


 Fats and Oils
Fats and oils are made up from fatty acids and glycerol
Here is some examples of fatty acids - the main ones you hear about at Higher Chemistry are Oleic Acid and Stearic Acid - see what you can find out about them here :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_acid
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Aldehydes and Ketones


Tollens Silver Mirror Test for Aldehydes - nice video with clear explanation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMCVpE8p8yo
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Polymers

A famous Experiment - "The Nylon Rope Trick" - making nylon from a diamine and a diacid which are in two solutions. The solutions do not mix but nylon starts to form at the interface between the two solutions :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y479OXBzCBQ
Another really quick 38 second Nylon Rope Trick video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK664P9QwB8

The tragic history of Nylon : http://io9.com/the-tragic-life-of-the-man-who-invented-nylon-749783094
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Kevlar
A Strong Polymer with many many uses ! Invented by Stephanie Kwolek.
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Plastics - some common ones and their uses - http://composite.about.com/od/Plastics/a/Most-Common-Plastics.htm

A Bit About Plastics Find out some more about Plastics and Thermosetting and Thermoplastic plastics in an online game from nobelprize.org : http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/chemistry/plastics/ ________________________________________

My Polymers Mind Map :

Why not make your own mind map about polymers ?
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Everyday Miracles 
A fantastic TV programme about materials - including polymers - foam rubber - plastics - sofas - tights - nylon - playmobil - polystyrene - well worth watching
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01wcS3bGDpc

Polystyrene
Some worries about polystyrene packaging and some replacement packaging ideas including packaging made from mushrooms. Although as one of the comments points out - it is styrene which has the listing as being a carcinogen (a chemical which may cause cancer). So it would be workers working with styrene to make polystyrene who are most at risk ...... http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/aug/27/styrene-carcinogen-brands-polystyrene-foam-food-packaging
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Cellophane 
Made in Cumbria in England currently : http://inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventions/a/Cellophane.htm

Teflon
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blteflon.htm
and DuPont's own Teflon website :
http://www2.dupont.com/Teflon/en_US/

New Polymers
Some new polymers are very much improving sports and exercise clothing and other things too !
Find out more :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/edexcel_pre_2011/designerproducts/smartmaterialsrev1.shtml

Waterproofing - did you know native American Indians used latex (a protein) from rubber trees and smeared it on their clothes to waterproof them in the 13th century ?  Here is a video about how waterproofing works in modern clothes using polymers - just read the subtitles as the video is in Spanish - http://www.aquimicadascoisas.org/en/?episodio=the-chemistry-of-waterproof-clothing
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 Animations of how Soap is made and works plus explanation of emulsions

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/highersciences/chemistry/natureschemistry/soapsandemulsions/index.aspnit 3
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Reactions
A fill in the blanks resource about  reactions etc :
http://www.new.chemistry-teaching-resources.com/Resources/CfENewHigher/Unit2/Topic5NotesSample.pdf
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Unit 3

 Chemical Industry
some good notes :
http://www.hsn.uk.net/files/HSN13400.pdf

Equilibrium

An easy to understand video explaining the terms "Dynamic Equilibrium" and "Open" and "Closed Systems" :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsoawKguU6A&feature=related

A video of three examples of dynamic equilibrium where increase in concentration of reactants, temperature or pressure affect the position of equilibrium: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omPAzyYuzBA&feature=related

  • At the beginning of the video you find out how removing or adding one of the reactants, namely H+, affects the position of equilibrium in a dichromate solution (see page 80 of Bright Red HIgher Chemistry book)
  • At 1 min 45 secs into the video you will see the example of N2O4 to NO2 from page 84 of the Success Guide "Higher Chemistry" book (or page 81 of the Bright Red Higher Chemistry book) :
  • and finally the end of the video shows how reducing the pressure using a vacuum pump affects a system which only has gases on the right side of the equation.
A further explanation : http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/equilibria/lechatelier.html

The position of equilibrium :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/triple_ocr_gateway/how_much/equilibria/revision/5/
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Hess's Law

Some worked examples with hints for you to work through !
(please note these are copyright - you can make a copy for own use but if copying for whole class please contact me to make arrangements)







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Nice Video about Haber Process

This video is quite slow to start with but definitely worth watching to the end :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4BmmcuXMu8&feature=related

Very clever sliders to experiment with conditions of temperature and pressure in the Haber process: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/triple_ocr_gateway/how_much/equilibria/revision/3/
and just reminding us that the Haber process is exothermic as we go :
    N2 + 3 H2 → 2 NH3   (ΔH = −92.4 kJ·mol−1)
Find out how temperature affects it :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_aqa_pre_2011/chemreac/reversiblereacrev3.shtml
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Fritz Haber and the Haber Process

Some interesting historical information about the history of Fritz Haber, World War 1, and how the Haber Process, when it was invented, had the potential to be very beneficial or to cause great harm !
http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/online-resources/chemistry-in-history/themes/early-chemistry-and-gases/haber.aspx

http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/dl/ce17088ec75ad077907895b507a5977d7ce59f92/2981-SATIS_207_208.pdf

some more history - http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=58157
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Further good example of Coursework if you are looking for some different revision examples. Nice layout of questions :

http://www.fife-education.org.uk/scienceweb/Chemistry_goodPrac/Chemistry_PowerPoint_H.htm
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Working out pH of Acids and Alkalis At Higher you need to know how to work out the pH from the concentration of Hydrogen ions, however the answer is usually a round number such as pH3. Or you may have to estimate pH within a range from a concentration so the answer might be for example - "between pH3 and pH 4"
Just out of interest (so will not come up at Higher) if you wanted to work out an exact pH (such as pH 3.5) or an exact concentration from a pH such as 3.5 then you need to use the "Log" button on your calculator which helps you work out values that are on a logarithmic (or exponential) scale. For some details read here : http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryquickreview/a/phreview.htm
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Nuclear Fission

Demonstrated in an American classroom - good fun video ! (or should I say Totally Awesome ! Cool!) http://pinterest.com/pin/243757398552375984/
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Unit 3 - PPA 2 - Redox Titration
copy out their working - and remember you can stop and rewind the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_N-Fdd3FBQ

Unit 3 - PPA 3 - Quantitative Electrolysis
(copy out their working so you can have a look at it)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ0PBlgO5Pg
and :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIy90g9x4LE
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Some Higher Chemistry Interactive Puzzles

http://www.fife-education.org.uk/scienceweb/Resources/Chemistry/Hot%20potatoes%20files/Higher%20Chemistry/Index.htm
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Interactive Laboratory

This is very useful at University level or even for Advanced Higher students. It shows interactive diagrams and photographs of laboratory apparatus by the Universities of Nottingham, Birmingham, Sheffield and Southampton.
http://www.chem-ilp.net/index.htm
Higher pupils may find the Distillation diagrams useful and interesting.

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An Aspirin Experiment :
http://www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry/resource/res00001644/aspirin-screen-experiment

The Chemistry Olympiad :
http://www.rsc.org/competitions/uk-chemistry-olympiad/
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Hello

I 'm Jen Wilson and I tutor  Chemistry, Biology and Human Biology  at Higher and Advanced Higher  in Scotland.    Tutoring Subjects ...

  • Hello
    I 'm Jen Wilson and I tutor  Chemistry, Biology and Human Biology  at Higher and Advanced Higher  in Scotland.    Tutoring Subjects ...