Microscopic World I

The study of chemistry involves the linkage between phenomena in the macroscopic world and the interaction of atoms, molecules and ions in the microscopic world. Through studying the structures of atoms, molecules and ions, and the bonding in elements and compounds, students will acquire knowledge of some basic chemical principles. These can serve to further illustrate the macroscopic level of chemistry, such as patterns of change,
observations in various chemical reactions, the rates of reactions and chemical equilibria. In addition, students should be able to perform calculations related to chemical formulae, which are the basis of mole calculations to be studied in later topics.

Students should also be able to appreciate the interrelation between bonding, structures and properties of substances by learning the properties of metals, giant ionic substances, simple molecular substances and giant covalent substances. With the knowledge of various structures, students should be able to differentiate the properties of substances with different structures, and to appreciate that knowing the structure of a substance can help us decide its applications. While material s chemistry is becoming more important in applied chemistry,
this topic provides the basic knowledge for further study of the development of new materials in modern society.
 

Through activities such as gathering and analysing information about atomic structure and the Periodic Table, students should appreciate the impact of the discoveries of atomic structure and the development of the Periodic Table on modern chemistry. Students should also be able to appreciate that symbols and chemical formulae constitute part of the common language used by scientists to communicate chemical concepts.