Chemistry igcse Topic checklist (extended curriculum indicated by bold text) Topic 1: Particle Theory 1 2 I can describe the properties of solids, liquids and gases in terms of volume and shape I can describe the arrangement of particles in the three states of matter in terms of separation, movement and attractive forces between particles I can explain changes of state it terms of energy and kinetic particle theory I can desrcibe and explain what is meant by the term diffusion I know what Brownian motion is and how it provides evidence for particle movement I can explain the effect of molecular mass on the rate of diffusion Topic 2: Experimental techniques I can name a range of appropriate chemistry lab apparatus for the measurement of time, temperature, mass and volume. I understand the concept of a pure substance and the importance of purity of substances in everyday life (e.g. foodstuffs, drugs.) I know how to identify substances and assess their purity from melting and boiling point information I can describe paper chromatography and interpret simple chromatograms (to include Rf values) I know what a locating agent is and how it helps us to use chromatography techniques with colourless substances I know which purification methods are suitable for insoluble solids in liquids I can describe both evaporation and crystalisation as purification methods I can describe what happens during both simple distillation and fractional distillation. (I also know what a fractionating column is and how it works) When given information about substances in a mixture I can suggest suitable purification techniques to use. Topic 3: Atoms, Elements and Compounds I can describe the basic structure of an atom and the relative postion of protons, neutrons and electrons within that structure I know the relative charges and masses of protons, neutrons and electrons I can define proton number and nucleon number and use these numbers to work out how many protons, neutrons and electrons are in an atom. I am aware that proton number and atomic structure form the basis of the periodic table. I can define and understand the term isotope I know the difference between radioactive and non-radioactive isotopes. I can state some medical and industrial uses of radioactive isotopes I know that electrons build up in shells and can describe the electron configuration of the first 20 elements in the periodic table I know what the term valency means and can state the valency of a number of ions including common compound ions I understand the significance of electron structure in terms of reactivity of elements and in particular can explain the significance of noble gas electron arrangements.
I can find where metals and non-metals are located on the periodic table and list some key differences between metals and non-metals I know what is meant by the term chemical element I can describe some of the major difference between mixtures and compounds I understand what an ion is and I know how ions form by the loss or gain of electrons I know what an ionic bond is and can describe the formation of such bonds between elements from group 1 and group 7 in the periodic table I can describe the formation of ionic bonds between other combinations of metallic and non-metallic elements I can describe the lattice structure of ionic compounds I know and cen describe what is meant by the term covalent bond and how this is different from an ionic bond I can describe (using dot/cross diagrams) the electron arrangement in the formation of simple single covalent bonds I can describe and draw dot/cross diagrams to show the electron arrangement in more complex covalent molecules I know key differences between covalent and ionic substances in terms of volatility, solubility and conductivity I know what the term macromolecule means and can describe the giant covalent structures of the allotropes of carbon - graphite and diamond I can relate the structures of both graphite and diamond to some of their uses in everyday life I can describe the macromolecular structure of the compound silicon dioxide I can relate the similar properties of diamond and silicon dioxide to their structure I can describe what is meant by the term metallic bonding and how this differs from the other types of bonding I can explain the electrical conductivity and malleability of metals in terms of mettallic bonding 1 2 Topic 4: Stoichiometry: Quantities and Equations I can use the chemical symbols of the elements to write down the formulae of compounds I can use the relative numbers of atoms present in a simple compound to deduce the formula I can also deduce chemical formulae either from simple diagrams or from models I can determine the formula of an ionic compound from the charges on the ions present I can construct both word equations and symbol equations for simple chemical reactions I can construct symbol equations using state symbols to show the state of the substances involved I can write balance chemical equations and can balance an unbalanced symbol equation I can write ionic equations to show changes involving transfer of electrons I can write a balanced equation for a chemical reaction I can calculate relative atomic mass (RAM) and relative formula mass (RFM) I can calculate reacting moles and masses I understand the concept of the mole and Avogadro s number I can calculate reacting volumes of gas using the mole concept I can calculate the molarity of solutions using the mole concept
I can calculate empirical and molecular formulae I know what is meant by, and can calculate, % yield and % purity of a substance. Topic 5 Electricity and chemistry I know that current is due to the flow of electrons from negative to positive. I know that graphite is a conductor of electricity and that it does not change chemically as it does so. I can explain why electrolysis occurs only with liquids and that this is accompanied by a chemical change at the electrodes. I know electrodes are pieces of metal or carbon through which current enters or leaves the electrolyte and I can describe the electrodes used in electrolysis as the anode (+) and cathode (-) I know that an electrolyte is a substance that conducts electric current when molten or dissolved in water, with chemical reactions at the electrodes. I can explain examples of electrolysis with inert electrodes including the changes at each electrode. I can write half equations to show what happens at the electrodes during electrolysis and also write full equations for the reactions taking place. I can describe and explain the electrolysis of aqueous copper sulphate with both carbon electrodes and with copper electrodes I can describe the difference between an active and an inert electrode I can predict products of electrolysis of halides (both dilute and concentrated soulutions I can describe the industrial processes that use electrolysis in the purification of copper I can describe the manufacture f aluminium from pure aluminium oxide dissolved in molten cryolite. I can describe the manufacture of chlorine, sodium hydroxide and hydrogen in the electrolysis of concentrated aqueous sodium chloride I can describe the reasons for using copper and aluminium in cables I can explain why ceramics and plastics are used as insulators Topic 6: Energy and chemistry I know what is meant by the terms exothermic and endothermic reactions I can describe bond breaking processes as endothermic and bond making processes as exothermic I can interpret an energy level diagram for both exothermic and endothermic reactions and know what delta H means. I can describe the burning (combustion) of fuels as exothermic processes I know that hydrogen is a good fuel and can give reasons for and against the use of hydrogen as a fuel. I know the basic workings of a hydrogen fuel cell. I know that radioactive isotopes such as uranium-238 are also used as energy sources. I can describe a simple cell as a chemical reaction that can produce electrical energy. I can relate the reactivity of the electrodes to the amount of energy produced. I know that batteries are convenient, portable energy sources I can calculate the overall energy change in a reaction if I am given the data on bond energies.
Topic 7.1 Rates of Reaction I know that rate of a chemical reaction is affected by concentration, surface area, temperature and the presence of catalysts I can suggest a practical way to measure reaction rate in reactions that produce gases. I can devise a suitable way of investigating the effect of a given variable on reaction rate. I know about the collision theory and can describe changes in reaction rate in terms of collisions between reacting particles. I know that fine powders and gases can cause explosive reactions and can explain this in terms of collision theory (eg. In flour mills or mines) I can describe and explain the effect of temperature and concentration on the rate of a chemical reaction in terms of collisions between the particles. I know that some reactions are speeded up by light (e.g photosynthesis in presence of chlorophyl, photography and the reduction of silver ions) Topic 7.2 Reversible Reactions I know that some reaction are reversible and this means that products (once formed) can change back into reactants I can describe the dehydration of copper sulphate as a reversible change. I know what is meant by the term dynamic equilibrium I know the equation for the Haber process and that this reaction (the manufacture of ammonia) is an economically important example of a reversible reaction. I can predict the effect of changing conditions (pressure, temperature, concentration) on the position of equilibrium using Le Chatelier s principle. Topic 7.3 Redox Reactions I can define oxidation and reduction in simple terms by referring to the gain or loss of oxygen. I can define redox by reference to electron transfer I can identify redox reactions by changes in oxidation state and know that this is useful for naming ions I can identify changes in oxidation state by colour changes involved when using acidified potassium manganate and potassium iodide
Topic 8: Acids, bases and salts 1 2 I can describe an acid as a substance that form H+ ions when dissolved in water. I also know why acids are called proton donors. I can describe the characteristic properties of acids in terms of their reactions with metals, bases, carbonates and their effect on litmus. I know a base is a substance that can neutralise an acid by accepting H+ ions. I also know why bases can be called proton acceptors. I can describe the characteristic properties of bases in terms of their reaction with acids, with ammonium salts and their effect on litmus. I know the difference between the terms weak and strong (for acids and alkalis) and can relate this to the degree of ionisation in aqueous solutions. I am familiar with the ph scale and know that the lower the ph the more acidic a substance is and the greater the concentration of H+ ions. The higher the ph the more alkaline a substance is and the greater the concentration of OH- ions. I can relate the strength of acid and alkalis to the ph and to the degree to which the substance will conduct electricity. I can describe causes of acidity in soil and also describe what can be done to solve this using crushed limestone. (I can also explain the complications of using lime of limewater to treat acidity in soil. I know that most metal oxides are basic and that most non-metal oxides are acidic. I am also aware that some oxides are amphoteric and can act as either acid or base in different circumstances, and that some oxides react with neither (neutral). Preparation of Salts I can describe titration as a method used to make soluble salts from soluble bases (alkalis) and I know that this method is used to prepare salts of group 1 metals and ammonium salts. I know that some soluble salts can be prepared by reacting metals with acids and that this method is used to prepare salts of metals of medium reactivity (e.g. magnesium, zinc, aluminium and iron.) I know that some soluble salts can be made by reacting excess of an insoluble base with an acid and then filtering the base to leave the salt solution. I know this method is normally used for salts that cannot be made by the above two methods. I can describe the preparation of insoluble salts by precipitation reaction and also know which salts are insoluble. I can suggest a method for making a given salt from suitable starting material. Identifying ions and gases I know the chemical test associated with the following cations: aluminium, ammonium, calcium, copper, iron (ii and iii) and zinc. I know the chemical test associated with the following anions: carbonate, chloride, iodide, nitrate, sulphate. I know how to test for and identify the following gases: ammonia carbon dioxide chlorine hydrogen oxygen
Topic 9: Trends in the Periodic Table I know that the periodic table is a method of classifying elements and I also know that elements are arranged by increasing atomic number. I know that elements in the same group of the periodic table have similar properties and can use the periodic table to predict properties of elements I know that metals are found on the LHS and non-metals on the RHS of the periodic table and that there is a gradual shift to non-metallic character as we move across a period in the table. I know the general differences in the general properties (physical and chemical) of metals and non-metals I can describe the relationship between group number and number of valency electrons in elements. I can also relate group number to metallic and non-metallic character. Group properties in the periodic table I know the first three members of the alkali metals and know they are untypical metals that are relatively soft and have low MP and BP. I know the trends of reactivity and other density in group 1 metals and can explain why this trend exists. I know the trends in the halogen group and can describe the trend in physical and chemical properties of bromine, chlorine and iodine. I also know that the colour of halogens gets darker as we move down the group. I can use my knowledge of groups 1 and 7 to predict the properties of other elements in these groups of the periodic table. I know that group 0 (noble gases) are unreactive due to having a full outer shell of electrons. I also know some uses of noble gases: Helium (low density and used in balloons), Neon (brightly coloured advertising lights), Argon (fills lights bulbs because it is inert) I can identify trends in other groups when given information about the elements involved. Transition Elements I can identify where transition elements are located on the periodic table. I can list some of the general properties of transition elements: High density, high melting and boiling points, hard and strong. I know that the compounds of transition elements are coloured and can state some examples. Transition elements have more than one oxidation state (or valency) Transition elements are often used as catalysts (e.g. iron in the Haber process, Vanadium (V) Oxide in the contact process. 10. Properties of Metals I am familiar with the reactivity series of metals and know the reactions of the metals in this table with water and acid. I can look at a set of experimental results and deduce the order of reactivity of the metals involved from this. I can describe the action of heat on the hydroxides and nitrates of metals listed in the reactivity series. I can account for the apparent unreactivity of aluminium in terms of the oxide layer which adheres to the metal. I know the reactivity series relates to the tendency of a metal to form a positive ion I know that the reactivity of a metal is illustrated by its reaction with the aqueous ions and oxides of other metals (displacement reactions). I know that the reactivity series can be used to describe the ease in obtaining metals from their ores.
Extraction and uses of metals I know that most metal elements need to be extracted from ores and that the more reactive a metal is the more difficult it is to extract it from its ore. I know that iron is an example of a metal that can be reduced from its compound using carbon. This happens in the blast furnace and I can describe the reactions in the extraction of iron in the blast furnace. I can describe the conversión of iron into steel using basic oxides and oxygen I know the ore of zinc is called zinc blend and can describe the extraction of zinc from this ore. I know that bauxite is the main ore of aluminium I know aluminium is used in aircraft (as it is strong and low density) and also food containers (due to resistance to corrosion.) I know that alloys are mixtures of metals or mixtures of metals with non/metals I know how the properties of iron change by the controlled use of additives to form various steel alloys. I know that mild steel is used in car bodies and machinery and that stainless steel is used to make chemical plant machinery and cutlery. I know that zinc can be used for galvanising and for making the alloy brass. I know that copper has many uses related to its properties as a very good conductor of heat and electricity (electrical wiring and cooking utensils.) Topic 11: Air and Water I know at least one chemical test for water I understand and can describe how water is purified by filtration and chlorination I can name uses of water in the home and in industry I know that clean air is 79% nitrogen and about 20% oxygen I know that there are small amounts of the noble gases, carbon dioxide and water vapour in the air I can describe how nitrogen and oxygen are separated from liquid air by fractional distillation I can give the uses of oxygen, nitrogen and the noble gases I know that carbon dioxide is produced both in the complete combustion of carbon compounds, in respiration and when acids react with carbonates I know that other pollutants in the air are: carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and lead compounds I know that carbon monoxide is produced in the incomplete combustion of carbon compounds I know that sulphur dioxide is formed when sulphur-containing fossil fuels are burnt, and it forms acid rain which damages buildings, fish and plants I know that lead compounds and nitrogen oxides can be found in car exhaust emissions. Lead compounds cause brain damage and nitrogen oxides also cause acid rain and irritate the nose and throat. I can explain how nitrogen oxides are formed in a car engine, and how a catalytic converter makes these and other emission gases safe. I can describe the various methods of rust prevention preventing contact with oxygen and water by coating I can describe further methods of rust prevention: galvanising, sacrificial and cathodic protection
I can describe the importance of ammonia and ammonium compounds, especially in fertilizers (NPK) I know that ammonia is released when ammonium salts are heated with sodium hydroxide (NB. Test for ammonium ions). I can describe the manufacture of ammonia (Haber process) I know the sources of hydrogen (equation) and nitrogen for the process I can explain the optimum conditions used for the process Topic 12: Sulphur I can name the sources of sulphur (countries of origin and process of extraction) I know the uses of sulphur, especially in the manufacture of sulphuric acid I know the conditions and catalyst used in the contact process, and can explain them I know that sulphuric acid, when dilute, behaves as a typical strong acid I know the uses of sulphur dioxide (wood pulp and food packaging) Topic 13: Carbonates I know or can predict the reactions of calcium carbonate, especially thermal decomposition I know that this thermal decomposition is used to make (quick) lime (and I know that lime is used to neutralise acidic soils) I know that calcium carbonate is used in the blast furnace and in making cement I know that slaked lime is manufactured by adding water to quicklime, and that slaked lime is used to neutralise acidic industrial waste Topic 14: Organic Chemistry I can name and draw the structures of: methane, ethane, ethanol, ethanoic acid, 1,2-dibromoethane, polyethene. I can recognise by name, that compounds ending in -ane are alkanes, -ene are alkenes, -ol are alcohols and -oic acid are carboxylic acids I can recognise from diagrams the structures of: alkanes, alkenes, alcohols and carboxylic acids I know that coal, natural gas (mainly methane) and other fractions of petroleum (crude oil a mixture of hydrocarbons) are fuels I know how petroleum is separated into its components (fractions) using fractional distillation I can name the fractions, and their uses: petrol in vehicles, paraffin for stoves and aircraft fuel, lubricating oil fo making lubricants and waxes/polishes, bitumen for road surfaces I know that a homologous series has the same functional group and similar properties I know and can manipulate general formulae for homologous series I know that alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons, are generally unreactive (I can describe and give conditions for the 3 reactions: combustion, substitution with halogens and cracking) I know that alkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons (contain a C=C double bond I know the addition reactions of alkenes: they decolourise bromine water (test for unsaturation)
they decolourise potassium manganate (VII) solution, they react with steam to form an alcohol and with hydrogen to give an alkane they are monomers in addition polymerisation I know that ethanol: combusts to give carbon dioxide and water (in excess oxygen) can be made by fermentation or from the reaction between ethene and steam (with catalyst) is used as a fuel and as a solvent I know that ethanoic acid can be made by the oxidation of ethanol by atmospheric oxygen or acidified potassium dichromate (VI). I know that ethanoic acid is a weak acid I know that ethanol and etahnoic acid react to form the ester ethyl ethanoate I know that macromolecules are large molecules built up from small units called monomers I know that different macromolecules result from the use of different monomers with different linkages between them I know that synthetic polymers (plastics and fibres) have particular uses but can cause environmental problems when they are non-biodegradable. I can work out the structure of a polymer from a given alkene monomer, and viceversa. I know that nylon and terylene are formed in condensation polymerisation reactions to give the following structures: I know that proteins, carbohydrates and fats are natural macromolecules and form the main part of our food I know that proteins have the same linkage as nylon (amide link) but are made up of different monomers (amino acids), which can be obtained by hydrolysis I know that fats have the same linkage as teryene (ester link), but have different monomers they are hydrolysed (in alkali) to make soap I know that complex carbohydrates are formed (polymerised) from a large number of sugar monomers (which can be represented as: The starch polymer is formed in a condensation polymerisation reaction to give:
which can be hydrolysed to recover the simple sugar monomers. I know that ethanol and carbon dioxide are formed when simple sugars are fermented. I know that the simple sugars and amino acids that result from the hydrolysis of starch and proteins can be separated and identified using chromatography