Chemistry

Coeurdepirate

Absolute depression.

Any predictions? Or pointers as to what to study? I just wanna pass it with minimal effort, 40% and I'll be ecstatic.

reznov

From my experience of Chemistry, it is not a subject where you completely regurgitate information, but have to apply the theory learned. It's a difficult one to cram really, but then again, every person has varied abilities. I suggest knowing all quintessential topics such as periodic table, equilibrium, bonding, oxidation and calculations. Basically all topics up to Electrolysis and Organic Chemistry. DEFINITELY know calculations and trends in periodic table. Know how to navigate that table as though it were an abacus. It is extremely beneficial knowledge.

Unlike Biology for example, you cannot simply take topics out of order, study the most common ones and pass on the day. Fundamental understanding of basic concepts is compulsory in Chemistry. Cramming will be of little use without it. Within 3 months I am sure you can cover more than half the book. Dedicate 2 hours a day to it. Do not think you can lay back and do it "the day before", you'll fail harder than Claudius murdering Hamlet. This will take hard work if you are at a beginners level. That Chemistry book is your significant other, treat it as so and bring it with you everywhere. ALSO purchase other literature, if you feel the book is inadequate. Once you establish momentum, you'll be fine.

You can definitely obtain 40%, but only if you're willing to dedicate your heart and soul to it. Start now, don't wait until Pluto becomes a planet once more. It just won't occur.

QueenOfLeon

In my experience a lot of people struggle with chemistry right up until they start doing exam papers, and with a lot of revision and practise it finally starts to get easier. While its not the most predictable of papers, the great thing about it is that questions from year to year are quite repetitive, and if you get into the habit of giving answers which cater to the marking scheme, you can definitely do well.

My advice would be to take the paper/textbook section by section. For example, start with chemical equilibrium. First do the chapter in the book. Make your own notes to it, make sure you understand it, do the short questions at the end of the chapter if your book has them.

If you need to go further, read the same chapter in a revision book, look up youtube videos or notes online. Then move on to the papers. Do that question for every year you have in your set of papers. Correct them all off the marking scheme.

Once you've tackled one section it'll seem much more doable, and if you get even a little bit more confident you mightn't dread the paper so much

As for pointers, obviously experiments and the organic chemistry sections are huge, so if you know them inside out they're enough to pass!

RoundBox11

QueenOfLeon wrote: »

In my experience a lot of people struggle with chemistry right up until they start doing exam papers, and with a lot of revision and practise it finally starts to get easier. While its not the most predictable of papers, the great thing about it is that questions from year to year are quite repetitive, and if you get into the habit of giving answers which cater to the marking scheme, you can definitely do well.

Exactly! I know it's a bit of a pain to go through the exam papers and actually answer all the questions but if you do as many years a syou can it will really pay off.
If you do as many years as you can between now and the exam your grade will really jump!

Stalin and rugby

reznov wrote: »

you'll fail harder than Claudius murdering Hamlet.

Haha that's some funny stuff. Organic Chem is key. 2 sometimes 3 questions

Coeurdepirate

Thanks for the advice guys. Today I did the Q6 (Fuels and Heats of Reactions and Thermochemistry question) for the years 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 & 2007 and I referenced the marking schemes, I'm planning on doing the rest of the past questions for Q6 and then learning off the answers, and doing the same for other questions. Is this an effective way of studying or am I wasting my time?

David1994

I personally think that is a good way of studying and funny enough I did that yesterday :P

K_1

If you're using chemistry live, maybe consider getting rapid revision chemistry - it's by the same authors, but condensed without all the unnecessary stuff. Much easier to study from!

rainbowtrout

Coeurdepirate wrote: »

Thanks for the advice guys. Today I did the Q6 (Fuels and Heats of Reactions and Thermochemistry question) for the years 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 & 2007 and I referenced the marking schemes, I'm planning on doing the rest of the past questions for Q6 and then learning off the answers, and doing the same for other questions. Is this an effective way of studying or am I wasting my time?

Q6 as you said is normally Fuels/Thermochemistry, there are normally 2 other organic questions in Section B. There is always an organic experiment in section A, usually Q2.

So just with organic/fuels, which in chemistry live is covered by 3 chapters of the book, you could theoretically answer 4 questions out of the 8 you need to answer.


It's very hard to avoid org. chem on the paper, if you do you leave yourself no choice, so it's as well to embrace it and make your life easier.

Q1 is always a titration so worth learning them: there are only about 8 titrations and the ones that came up in 2011,2010 are unlikely to appear again for some time so you could just focus on the others.

Coeurdepirate

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Q6 as you said is normally Fuels/Thermochemistry, there are normally 2 other organic questions in Section B. There is always an organic experiment in section A, usually Q2.

So just with organic/fuels, which in chemistry live is covered by 3 chapters of the book, you could theoretically answer 4 questions out of the 8 you need to answer.


It's very hard to avoid org. chem on the paper, if you do you leave yourself no choice, so it's as well to embrace it and make your life easier.

Q1 is always a titration so worth learning them: there are only about 8 titrations and the ones that came up in 2011,2010 are unlikely to appear again for some time so you could just focus on the others.

Thanks for the advice! I've also noticed that question 5 is always on atomic theory, is the same true for that question as is for Q1 in general? Like could I leave out topics that came up last year?

rainbowtrout

Coeurdepirate wrote: »

Thanks for the advice! I've also noticed that question 5 is always on atomic theory, is the same true for that question as is for Q1 in general? Like could I leave out topics that came up last year?

Leaving out experiments in Section A is more clear cut than section B as the experiment questions are just on one experiment.

So I wouldn't go leaving out stuff in Section B just because it was on last year, it could still be asked this year just in a slightly different format or maybe as part of a question instead of a full question

But if you look at it like this:

Q1 - titration
Q2 - organic exp
Q3 - experiment from remaining experiments


Q4 short questions
Q5 atomic theory/bonding/periodic table Ch3-7 in Chemistry Live
Q6 - fuels/thermo
Q7/8/9 Two of these are normally organic
Q10/11 normally have a choice in each of them, along with one of the previous questions cover everything else. 11c is always the option from the workbook.


While most people opt for 2 experiments from A and 6 questions from B, remember that you do have the option of all 3 experiments from A and 5 questions from B. If you like the experiments that is.