The purpose of this text is to produce a reliable and free textbook, specifically tailored toward the needs of students studying VCE Chemistry in an attempt to gain the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). The eventual aim is to provide a practical alternative to standard textbooks, complete with exercises and worked examples.

Contents

Unit 1: The Big Ideas of Chemistry

The Periodic Table

In 1856, Mendeléev, a Russian scientist,was the first to construct a Periodic Table. He pointed out that elements with similar properties kept recurring at regular intervals or periods. He predicted that there were undiscovered elements which could fill these gaps .He even predicted the possible properties of these elements.

The modern Periodic Laws states that the properties of the elements are a periodic function of their atomic numbers.

Materials

Unit 2: Environmental chemistry

Water

The Atmosphere

Appendices: Unit 1 and Unit 2

Unit 3: Area of Study: Analytical Chemistry

Chemical Analysis

Unit 4: Chemistry at work

Industrial Chemistry

Supplying and Using Chemistry

Appendices: Units 3 and 4