πŸ§ͺ Chemistry Exam Guide
βš”οΈ Battle Plan πŸ“– Detailed Notes πŸ“ Golden Questions πŸ“ Equation Tools πŸ“ Teacher Guide

βš”οΈ Chemistry Battle Plan βš”οΈ

Final Sprint Strategy - Trust Your Preparation

🚨 CRITICAL: Do NOT add new content. Focus on depth & speed of retrieval!

βœ“ Progress Tracker

πŸ’Ž KEY INSIGHT: You already possess the necessary tools and your strategic direction is correct. This is not a to-do list β€” it's a confirmation map showing which materials are most important.

🎯 Strategic Core Targets

Allocate 50% of time (2 hours) to:

Chapter 4: Chemical Bonding + Chapter 5: Structure & Properties

πŸ—ΊοΈ Map Priorities β†’ Your Weapons

Priority 1: Properties Comparison (Ionic, Covalent, Metallic)

πŸŽ–οΈ MOST IMPORTANT TASK TODAY

Master the golden templates for melting/boiling points and conductivity until they become muscle memory.

Level 3: Conceptual & Explanation Cards

Contains all "golden templates" for explaining properties

Priority 2: Dot-and-Cross Diagrams (LiF, Clβ‚‚, Lone Pairs)

Use the Dot-and-Cross Checklist. Redraw Naβ‚‚O and COβ‚‚, checking: charge, brackets, lone pairs.

Level 2: Procedural & SOP Cards

Includes "SOP for Ionic Compounds" and "SOP for Covalent Molecules"

Priority 3: Ionic Charges & Polyatomic Ions

Rapidly review all core ions' formulas and charges.

Deck 0: Chemical Formula & Ion Sheet Deck 1.1: Fact & Definition Cards

Priority 4: Apparatus & Gas Collection

Quick review of apparatus and separation techniques β€” easy marks on Paper 1!

Deck 2: Experimental Chemistry

Priority 5: Stoichiometry (mass/Mα΅£ = mol)

Confirm the three core formulae are memorized using the cheat sheet below.

Deck 1.1: Fact & Definition Cards

⏰ Ultimate One-Hour Action Plan

Dennis, if only one hour remains, abandon everything else and do ONLY these three things:

20 Minutes: Internalize Templates

Your Task: Write from memory and say aloud the "golden" explanation templates for melting/boiling point and electrical conductivity.

βœ… Golden Template for Melting/Boiling Points
For HIGH Melting/Boiling Points (e.g., Ionic Compounds like NaCl):
  1. "It has a giant ionic lattice structure."
  2. "There are strong electrostatic forces of attraction between the oppositely charged ions."
  3. "A large amount of energy is needed to overcome these strong forces."
For LOW Melting/Boiling Points (e.g., Simple Molecular substances like COβ‚‚):
  1. "It has a simple molecular structure."
  2. "There are weak intermolecular forces of attraction between the molecules."
  3. "Only a small amount of energy is needed to overcome these weak forces."
βœ… Golden Template for Electrical Conductivity
For Ionic Compounds:
  • Solid State: "In the solid state, the ions are held in fixed positions and are not free to move. Therefore, it cannot conduct electricity."
  • Molten/Aqueous State: "In the molten/aqueous state, the ions are free to move and can act as mobile charge carriers. Therefore, it can conduct electricity."

πŸ”‘ Core Principle Keyword: MOBILE CHARGE CARRIERS

20 Minutes: Process Review

Your Task: Draw the decision tree for salt preparation on a blank sheet. Recite the SOPs for excess method and precipitation method. Recite the 4-step stoichiometry SOP.

βœ… Salt Preparation Decision Tree
Is the Target Salt...?
  β†“
Soluble?
  β”œβ”€ NO β†’ Use PRECIPITATION Method
  β””─ YES β†’ Are Both Reactants Soluble?
      β”œβ”€ YES β†’ Use TITRATION Method
      β””─ NO β†’ Use EXCESS REACTANT Method
βœ… Key SOPs to Memorize
Excess Reactant Method SOP (Key Steps):
  1. Add excess insoluble solid to warm acid.
  2. Filter to remove excess.
  3. Heat filtrate to saturation, then cool to crystallise.
  4. Filter, wash, and dry crystals.
Precipitation Method SOP (Key Steps):
  1. Mix two suitable soluble solutions.
  2. Filter to collect the precipitate.
  3. Wash the precipitate with distilled water.
  4. Dry the precipitate.
4-Step Stoichiometry SOP (Key Steps):
  1. Calculate Moles of Known.
  2. Find Mole Ratio from the balanced equation.
  3. Calculate Moles of Unknown.
  4. Convert to the final answer (mass, volume, etc.).

20 Minutes: Scan Traps

Your Task: Read ONLY the ❌ DON'Ts sections on all cheat sheets and mentally rehearse the high-frequency traps. This is your final defense against careless errors.

❌ Acids, Bases & Salts - Ultimate Pitfalls
  • Forgetting an alkali must be soluble.
  • Forgetting unreactive metals (like Cu) don't react with normal acids.
  • NEVER "evaporate to dryness" for crystallisation.
  • Forgetting to acidify first before Cl⁻/SO₄²⁻ tests.
  • Forgetting the key differentiator for Ca²⁺ (no precipitate with NH₃).
❌ Stoichiometry - Ultimate Pitfalls
  • THE #1 ERROR: Forgetting to convert cmΒ³ to dmΒ³ (divide by 1000).
  • Using the wrong mole ratio from the equation.
  • Using the moles of the excess reactant for calculations (use limiting reactant only!).
  • Applying gas volume ratios to non-gases (solid, liquid, or aqueous).
❌ Chemical Bonding & Structure - Ultimate Pitfalls
  • Forgetting brackets and charges for ionic diagrams.
  • Forgetting lone pairs for covalent diagrams.
  • THE ULTIMATE ERROR: Saying "covalent bonds are broken" when explaining the melting of simple molecules. It is ALWAYS the "weak intermolecular forces".
  • Forgetting the keyword "mobile" when explaining conductivity.
❌ Redox & Reactivity - Ultimate Pitfalls
  • Not memorising the reactivity series correctly.
  • Confusing the agent with the process (the agent undergoes the opposite process).
  • Incomplete explanation for sacrificial protection (must link "more reactive" to "preferentially oxidised").

πŸ’ͺ Dennis, You Are Now Fully Equipped

You have the tools. You have the templates. You have the trap warnings.
Trust your preparation. Execute with confidence. You've got this! 🎯

πŸ“‹ Stoichiometry & Mole Concept Cheat Sheet

βœ… DOs: Core Logic & Scoring Phrases ❌ DON'Ts: Common Pitfalls & Traps
MOLE DEFINITIONS & Mα΅£ CALCULATION
β€’ Mα΅£: Sum of Aα΅£s in formula
(e.g., Mα΅£ of Hβ‚‚SOβ‚„ = 2(1)+32+4(16) = 98)
β€’ Mole: The bridge between mass/volume & particles 		Forgetting to multiply by subscripts in Mα΅£ calculation, especially outside brackets (e.g., in Ca(NO₃)β‚‚, O is 3Γ—2=6)
CORE MOLE FORMULAE (The Mole Triangle)
1. Mass (g): n = m / Mα΅£
2. Solution (mol/dmΒ³): n = C Γ— V
3. Gas (dmΒ³ at r.t.p.): n = V / 24 		THE NO.1 ERROR: Forgetting to convert cmΒ³ to dmΒ³ (divide by 1000) for V in solution and gas formulas. ALWAYS CHECK UNITS FIRST!
UNIVERSAL 4-STEP CALCULATION SOP
1. Moles of Known: Calculate n of given substance
2. Mole Ratio: Get ratio from BALANCED equation
3. Moles of Unknown: Use ratio to find n of target
4. Convert to Answer: Convert n to final quantity 		Using an unbalanced equation or the wrong mole ratio (e.g., using 1:1 when it's 1:2). This is a critical error that fails the entire question.
LIMITING REACTANT (L.R.) SOP
β€’ When? When amounts of TWO or more reactants are given
β€’ How?
1. Calculate n for ALL reactants
2. Use mole ratio to find which runs out first
3. Use ONLY the moles of the L.R. for all product calculations 		After finding the L.R., accidentally using the moles of the reactant in excess for the rest of the calculation.
GAS VOLUME CALCULATION SHORTCUT
β€’ When? When reactants and products are gases at same T & P
β€’ Rule: Volume Ratio = Mole Ratio (from coefficients) 		Applying this volume ratio shortcut to any substance that is NOT a gas (i.e., (s), (l), or (aq))

πŸ”₯ You Are Well Prepared πŸ”₯

Trust your system. Execute this refocused plan with confidence.
This is not about making the warehouse bigger β€” it's about retrieving the right tool in one second.