Pupils should be taught:

a to recognise differences between solids, liquids and gases, in terms of properties, eg density, compressibility, ease of flow, maintenance of shape and volume;

b a simple model of solids, liquids and gases, in terms of the arrangement and movement of particles;

c how the particle theory of matter can be used to explain the properties of solids, liquids and gases, including changes of state, gas pressure and diffusion;

d that elements consist of atoms and that all atoms of the same element contain the same number of protons;

e that elements can be represented by symbols and that the periodic table shows all the elements;

f how some elements combine through chemical reactions to form compounds, eg water, carbon dioxide, magnesium oxide, sodium chloride;

g that compounds have a definite composition, and to represent compounds by formulae;

h that mixtures, eg air, sea water, contain constituents that are not combined;

i about methods, including filtration, distillation and chromatography, that can be used to separate mixtures into their constituents;

j that most metallic elements are shiny solids at room temperature, that most are good thermal and electrical conductors, and that a few are magnetic;

k that non-metallic elements vary widely in their physical properties, that many are gases at room temperature, and that most are poor thermal and electrical conductors;

l to use these properties to classify elements as metals or non-metals.

a that when physical changes, eg changes of state, formation of solutions, take place, mass is conserved;

b that solutes have different solubilities in different solvents and at different temperatures;

c that different materials change state at different temperatures;

Pupils should be taught:

d to relate changes of state to energy transfers;

e how materials expand and contract with changes in temperature, and that the forces that result are sometimes considerable;

f how rocks are weathered by expansion and contraction and by the freezing of water;

g that the rock cycle involves sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous processes that take place over different timescales;

h that rocks are classified as sedimentary, metamorphic or igneous on the basis of their processes of formation, and that these processes affect their texture and the minerals they contain;

i that when chemical reactions take place, mass is conserved;

j that virtually all materials, including those in living systems, are made through chemical reactions;

k to represent chemical reactions by word equations;

l that there are different types of reaction, including oxidation and thermal decomposition;

m that useful products can be made from chemical reactions, including the production of metals from metal oxides;

n about chemical reactions, eg corrosion of iron, spoiling of food, that are generally not useful;

o that energy transfers that accompany chemical reactions, including the burning of fuels, can be controlled and used;

p about possible effects of burning fossil fuels on the environment.

a the reactions of metals with oxygen, water and acid;

b the displacement reactions that take place between metals and solutions of salts of other metals;

c how a reactivity series of metals can be determined by considering these reactions;

d how this reactivity series can be used to make predictions about other reactions;

e that pH is a measure of the acidity of a solution;

f to use indicators to classify solutions as acidic, neutral or alkaline;

g the reactions of acids with metals and bases, including carbonates, to form salts;

h some everyday applications of neutralisation, eg the treatment of indigestion, the treatment of acid soil;

i how acids in the atmosphere can lead to corrosion of metal and chemical weathering of rock.