Chemistry Review

By Hodder Education
Review by Kate (Chemistry)

Learning chemistry at school was a undoubtedly a lot of fun; we introduced to so many interesting concepts and we got to carry out some seemingly magical experiments. However, I always wanted more of an explanation as to why all of these fascinating reactions occurred, and I found that Chemistry Review was a great place to start.

If there is a topic that has caught your interest, or you just want to discover some completely new chemistry, the magazines provide a broad and easily accessible range of articles that expand on A Level topics, and explain how they can be applied in industry. For example, I went on a taster day where we observed chemiluminescence (the product of the reaction glowed bright green in the dark!) and really wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the chemical reaction that gave rise to the result. I found an article in one magazine that presented the topic in a thorough and engaging way, while also improving my organic chemistry – working through more complex reaction mechanisms than anything I had come across previously was a challenge that I really enjoyed!

I’d say the articles are a really useful springboard when it comes to reading for personal statements – I came across topics by chance that I then went on to read more about and included in my application, such as NMR spectroscopy. Having a basic grasp of the concept enabled me to approach more complex books with a greater level of confidence. The great thing about the magazines is that they’re so easy to dip in and out of – the articles are never more than a few pages long, so you can find yourself learning about the applications of plasmas on one page, then artificial photosynthesis on the next.

I would highly recommend giving Chemistry Review a read to anyone who is at all interested in all the weird and wonderful things that Chemistry has to offer.

Chemistry Review – Hodder Education

Details at hoddereducation.co.uk