Mary Crimmins
John Breheny
Chemistry
Chemistry is the study of substances, what they are made of, how they interact and what role they play in living things. In fact it is the study of all materials and is vital to every aspect of your lives.
The Leaving Certificate course is designed to stimulate interest in and enjoyment of the subject. It seeks to develop an appreciation of scientific method, rational thought and to develop skills in laboratory procedures and techniques. To develop skills of observation, analysis, evaluation, communication and problem-solving.
The Chemistry syllabus is designed for 180 hours of class contact time or five class periods per week. Practical work is an integral part of the study of chemistry; it is assessed through the medium of a written paper. There are 28 experiments on the leaving certificate course. Students carry out all of these experiments in groups of two. Chemistry students sit a three hour examination paper for the Leaving Certificate.
Chemistry is an essential subject for entry to certain third level courses such as Veterinary, Dietician, Medical Laboratory Science and Pharmacy. Students find Leaving Cert. Chemistry a great foundation course for studies in Engineering, Science, Medicine, Nursing and many more courses at third level.