Chemistry

The IB Chemistry Higher Level / Standard Level course is designed to bring students to a level of knowledge that gives them a general understanding of how science works. Chemistry is a prerequisite for many other courses in higher education, such as medicine, biological science and environmental science, and serves as useful preparation for employment. Students develop an appreciation of the possibilities and limitations of science and technology, learn to apply a body of knowledge including methods and techniques of science, and are trained to be patient and persistent in solving problems in a variety of contexts. They also learn to present their results and communicate clearly, and come to appreciate historical and multicultural aspects of chemistry.

For the Standard Level course, no specific background or deeper knowledge of science is presumed; the students' approach to study – as inquirers, thinkers and communicators – is significant. For students considering Higher Level, some previous exposure to the subject is strongly recommended. The core topics for both levels are the same; higher-level students are taught in a more explanatory, in-depth and advanced way.

The two-year course includes the essential principles of the subject and, through a selection of a compulsory option, allows some flexibility to meet the needs of the students. Short histories of chemical pioneers and events are also part of the lessons, and we keep in touch with the renowned chemistry department of Göttingen University, a centre of internationally oriented research since the university's foundation in 1737. The course covers all the core topics of the 2023 syllabus. An interdisciplinary Collaborative Science Project gives students the opportunity to share and explore natural-science knowledge.

Chemistry combines academic study with the acquisition of practical and investigational skills. Throughout the course, continuous investigations prepare students for their Scientific Investigation; as an important part of the final assessment, each student performs one investigation based on a personal research question, moderated by the teacher and an external examiner. Students receive feedback after each core chapter to help them evolve their work according to the IB criteria and assess their overall progress.

The core topics cover:

• Stoichiometric relationships
• Atomic structure
• The periodic table
• Chemical bonding and structure
• Energetics
• Chemical kinetics
• Equilibrium
• Acids and bases
• Redox processes
• Organic chemistry
• Measurement and data processing