Topic 1: Foundations
You’ll spend the first two weeks revising chemistry covered in OU level 1 science modules, giving you a solid grounding in critical areas. The topic concludes with an interactive computer-marked assignment that provides invaluable feedback on your preparedness and identifies areas to revisit, if necessary.
Topic 2: Key concepts
Over these two weeks, you’ll look at chemistry fundamentals, key concepts around atomic and molecular structure and the skills you’ll develop as the module progresses. You’ll examine redox reactions and a redox titration to determine the concentration of vitamin C in fruit juice. One study session focuses on an introduction to sustainability and ‘green’ chemistry and chemists’ role in a sustainable world.
Topic 3: Periodicity (1)
During this one-week topic, you’ll examine the elements in the main group (s-block and p-block) and consider how their physical and chemical properties reflect their position in the Periodic Table. You’ll look closer at the role of hydrogen as a future fuel and potential hydrogen storage materials.
Topic 4: Periodicity (2)
This two-week topic focuses on the chemistry of the Periodic Table's d-block and f-block. You’ll look at the chemistry of complex formation, including UV-visible spectra and magnetic properties. The topic also contains an activity where you’ll investigate reclaiming rare-earth metals from electronic waste.
Topic 5: Bonding and structure
The topic describes the formation of chemical bonds in molecules according to currently accepted theories. It also looks at the structure and chemistry of solids.
Topic 6: Coding
This week’s study introduces coding in chemistry - the process of creating and ‘running’ a set of instructions to enable a computer to carry out a particular task. You’ll discover why a basic understanding of coding is an essential skill for chemists. You’ll study further aspects of coding in subsequent topic blocks.
Topic 7: Thermodynamics
This three-week topic examines why chemical reactions occur, focusing on changes in energy (and entropy). You’ll conduct two interactive on-screen investigations around energy changes, collaborating with fellow students during some aspects.
Topic 8: Kinetics
This topic tackles how fast chemical reactions proceed, how chemists measure reaction rates, and the factors that affect reaction rates. It includes an interactive on-screen experiment.
Topic 9: Organic molecules (1)
During this week, you’ll consider carbon-based (organic) molecules in detail, particularly how they form the building blocks of substances familiar in everyday life – drugs, foodstuffs and cleaning products. You’ll also look at chemical bonding in organic molecules and different types of isomerism.
Topic 10: Organic molecules (2)
Here, you’ll look closely at functional groups in organic molecules. Using simple bonding models, you’ll consider how chemists synthesise chemical compounds.
Topics 11/12: Organic reactions/Making molecules
These topics focus on strategies for designing new molecules with potentially practical applications. You’ll develop skills in mechanism determination and how to apply this to any reaction by creating a series of rules. The topic ends with a chemistry in context section to show a real-world application of organic chemistry.
Topic 13: Spectroscopy
Finally, you’ll use the applications of several important spectroscopic techniques (UV-visible, IR, NMR and mass spectrometry) to characterise organic molecules and analyse unknown substances.
The module aims to:
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Course work includes:
The School of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences offers optional laboratory schools in Milton Keynes at an additional cost. Laboratory schools are not part of this module; however, they are compulsory if you’re studying towards one of the following chemistry qualifications:
If you’re not studying towards one of the above qualifications, the laboratory schools may be of interest if you wish to gain relevant hands-on laboratory experience.
Further information and instructions for booking are on the SS021 website.
You’ll have access to a module website, which includes:
Additionally, the website includes:
You can study this module on its own or use the credits you gain towards an Open University qualification.
S218 is a compulsory module in our:
S218 is an option module in our:
Concepts in chemistry (S218) starts once a year – in October.
It will next start in October 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2031.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
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There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
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