Many teachers will have begun planning for the new A-level chemistry specification which will start from september 2015.
Planning what practicals to run with your students and having a back-up plan can be time consuming but don't worry help is at hand.

                                         

Chrissie Maitland our Education Coordinator for the South East shares her A-level practical collection guide:

This guide has been written to help teachers make the most of the new practical assessment for students. Each exam board will provide a set of standard experiments that they recommend their teachers do, however, most of the exam boards are being flexible and are allowing teachers to choose the experiments they ask their students to complete. This guide gives a series of alternative experiments that match with the practical apparatus and techniques, so that you have the freedom to choose which experiments you do. Moreover, if you have students who have found some of the techniques difficult, but you don’t want to make them repeat the same experiment, then this guide again offers alternatives to help your student’s to master these techniques.

This resource on Learn Chemistry contains the most up-to-date version of the mapping table which now includes the WJEC specifications.

New Specification A-level: Practical Apparatus and Techniques
 

	Apparatus and Techniques
1	use appropriate apparatus to record a range of measurements (to include mass, time, volume of liquids and gases, temperature)
2	use water bath or electric heater or sand bath for heating
3	measure pH using pH charts, or pH meter, or pH probe on a data logger
4	use laboratory apparatus for a variety of experimental techniques including: titration, using burette and pipette distillation and heating under reflux, including setting up glassware using retort stand and clamps qualitative tests for ions and organic functional groups filtration, including use of fluted filter paper, or filtration under reduced pressure
5	use volumetric flask, including accurate technique for making up a standard solution
6	use acid-base indicators in titrations of weak/strong acids with weak/strong alkalis
7	purify: a solid product by recrystallization a liquid product, including use of separating funnel
8	use melting point apparatus
9	use thin-layer or paper chromatography
10	set up electrochemical cells and measuring voltages
11	safely and carefully handle solids and liquids, including corrosive, irritant, flammable and toxic substances
12	measure rates of reaction by at least two different methods, for example: an initial rate method such as a clock reaction a continuous monitoring method

 
Comparison Table – Practical Technique vs Exam board experiments
 

Practical Technique	AQA Experiment Numbers	Edexcel Experiment Numbers	OCR A and B Practical Activity Groups	Eduqas Topic References
1	1,2,3,7,9,10	1,2,4,6,8,11,12,13,14,16	1,2,3	C1.6,C2.1,C2.2, C2.3, PI1.2, PI3, PI5.1
2	3,4,5,6,10,11	4,5,7,15,16	5,6,7	C3.3,C3.4,OA4
3	6,9,11	9	2,11	PI5.2
4	1,2,4,5,6,9,10,11	1-16	2,4,5,6,7	C1,6,C2.1,C3.3,C3.4,PI1.2,PI5.1, PI5.2,OA2.2,OA4
5	1	2,3,11	2,11	C2.1,Pl1.2
6	9	2,3,13	2,11	C2.1
7	10	5,6,12,16	5,6	OA4
8	10	15,16	6	OA2.2, OA4
9	12	5,6,16	6	OA4
10	8	10	8	PI1.1
11	1-12	1-16	1-12	C2.1,C2.2,C3.3,PI1.2,OA2.2,OA4
12	7	13	9,10	C2.3, PI3

 
Practical techniques and suitable practical’s from Learn Chemistry
(matched were possible to the specification core experiments)
 

Practical Technique	Experiments from Learn Chemistry	Exam Board Experiment
1	Interactive Lab Primer – Lab Apparatus The Volume of Hydrogen Gas The Formula of Hydrated CuSO4 Finding the Formula of an Oxide of Copper Weighing Gases Heats of Reaction Exothermic and Endothermic A Reversible Reaction Measuring Enthalpy Changes Neutralisation – ‘Curing Acidity’ Thermometric Titration	OCR 1; Edexcel 1; Eduqas C2.3 Eduqas PI1.2 Eduqas PI1.2   AQA 2; Edexcel 8 AQA 2; Edexcel 8; Eduqas PI1.4 AQA 2; Edexcel 8 AQA 2; OCR 3; Edexcel 8; Eduqas C2.2, PI4.1
2	Fractional Distillation of Crude Oil Limonene from Oranges and Lemons Aspirin (or Aspirin) also Pre-lab resource Paracetamol	AQA 5 AQA 5, 10; Eduqas OA4 AQA 10; OCR 6; Edexcel 16; Eduqas OA4
3	Neutralisation of Indigestion Tablets On the Acid Trail Universal Indicators pH of Oxides Neutralisation – ‘Curing Acidity’ Gifted and Talented Chemistry – ‘Acids and Alkalis’	AQA 1; OCR 2, 11; Edexcel 2, 3; Eduqas C2.1 AQA 9; OCR 2, 11; Edexcel 9; Eduqas C2.1 AQA 9; OCR 2, 11; Edexcel 9; Eduqas C2.1 AQA 9; OCR 2, 11; Edexcel 9; Eduqas C2.1
4	Interactive Lab Primer – Titration Interactive Lab Primer – Distillation Interactive Lab Primer – Reflux Interactive Lab Primer – Filtration Limonene from Oranges and Lemons Neutralisation of Indigestion Tablets Titration of NaOH with HCl Fermentation Testing Salt for Anions and Cations Flame Tests Testing for Negative Ions Reactions of Positive Ions Reactions of the Halogens Fractional Distillation of Crude Oil The Oxidation of Alcohols Analysis of Aspirin Tablets Chromium, Molybdenum and Tungsten Aspirin (or Aspirin) Tannin in Wine Copper in Brass Testing for Aldehydes and Ketones Properties of Ethanoic Acid Testing for Unsaturation Properties of Transitions Metals Halogen Compounds Gifted and Talented Chemistry – ‘Acids and Alkalis’ Creative Problem Solving - ;Five White Solids’ Detecting Aspartame Paracetamol Hydration of Alkenes Thermometric Titration Silver and Lead Halides	AQA 5, 10; Eduqas OA4 AQA 1; OCR 2, 11, Eduqas C2.1 AQA 1; OCR 2, 11; Edexcel 2, 3 AQA 10; Eduqas C3.4 AQA 4, 11; OCR 4; Eduqas C1.6 AQA 4; OCR 4; Edexcel 7, 15; Eduqas C1.6 AQA 4; OCR 4; Edexcel 7, 15; Eduqas C1.6 AQA 4, 11: OCR 4; Edexcel 7, 15; Eduqas C1.6 Eduqas C1.6 AQA 5 AQA 6; OCR 5; Edexcel 5 AQA 1; OCR 2 AQA 11; OCR 4; Edexcel 15 AQA 10; OCR 6; Edexcel 16; Eduqas OA4 Edexcel 11 Edexcel 11 AQA 6; OCR 7; Edexcel 7, 15; Eduqas C3.4, OA2.2 AQA 6; OCR 7; Edexcel 7, 15; Eduqas C3.4 AQA 6; OCR 7; Eduqas C3.2 AQA 4, 11; OCR 4; Edexcel 7, 15 Eduqas C3.3       AQA 10; OCR 6; Edexcel 16; Eduqas OA4     AQA 4; OCR 4; Edexcel 7, 15; Eduqas C1.6
5	Interactive Lab Primer – Standard Solution	AQA 1; OCR 1, 2
6	On the Acid Trail	AQA 9; OCR 2; Edexcel 9; Eduqas C2.1, PI5.2
7	Interactive Lab Primer – Recrystallisation Interactive Lab Primer – Separating Funnel Paracetamol Hydration of Alkenes Purifying an Impure Solid	OCR 6; Eduqas OA4 OCR 5; Eduqas OA4
8	Interactive Lab Primer – Melting Point Observing the lowering of Melting Point Paracetamol	AQA 10; OCR 6; Eduqas OA4 AQA 10; OCR 6; Eduqas OA4
9	Interactive Lab Primer - TLC Chromatography of Leaves Aspirin (or Aspirin) also Pre-lab resource Chemistry Masterclass Detecting Aspartame Paracetamol	AQA 12; OCR 6 AQA 10, 12; OCR 6; Edexcel 16; Eduqas OA4 AQA 12; OCR 6
10	Electricity from Chemicals Accumulator Gratzel Cell Kitchen Currents	AQA 8; OCR 8; Edexcel 10; Eduqas PI1.1 AQA 8; OCR 8; Edexcel 10; Eduqas PI1.1 AQA 8; OCR 8; Edexcel 10; Eduqas PI1.1
11	All Experiments Interactive Lab Primer – Working Safely	All Experiments
12	Rate of Reaction – Concentration and Temperature Rate of reaction - Temperature Rate of Reaction - Concentration Iodine Clock Finding the rate expression Rate of Reaction – Magnesium and Hydrochloric acid Rates and Rhubarb Old Nassau	AQA 3, 7; OCR 9; Eduqas C2.3 AQA 3, 7; OCR 9; Eduqas C2.3 AQA 7; OCR 9; Eduqas C2.3 AQA 7; OCR 10; Edexcel 13; Eduqas C2.3 AQA 7; OCR 10; Edexcel 13; Eduqas C2.3, PI3

 
For more information you can also review an earlier forum post or just search Learn Chemistry for your choice of over 400 class practicals and demonstrations.
For those new to Learn Chemistry please note you can also visit our dedicated experimentation hub for teachers looking for practical resources.

By:
Lee Page, Royal Society of Chemistry, Education Executive.
Chrissie Maitland, Royal Society of Chemistry, Education Coordinator (South East)