GCSE Chemistry practice, marked as they go.

1. 1Structure and Bonding+

   • Develop understanding of the states of matter from KS3
   • Use the particle model to explain the energy transfers involved when substances change state
   • Know that covalent bonding is the sharing of one or more pairs of electrons between non-metal atoms
   • Know that ionic bonding involves a metal and a non-metal atom, with the metal losing one or more electrons and the non-metal gaining one or more
   • Know that metallic bonding involves a delocalised sea of electrons surrounding the positive metal ions
   • Describe the difference in bonding and properties of giant ionic structures, simple covalent molecules and giant covalent structures (including different arrangements of carbon)
   • Understand that covalent, metallic and ionic bonding is strong, but that how the particles interact (intermolecular forces) determines properties such as melting point, boiling point and electrical conductivity
   • Learn about nanoparticles and their properties, and explain how the surface area to volume ratio of nanoparticles differs from bulk material and how this affects their uses
2. 2Quantitative Chemistry: Part One+

   • Build on understanding of the structure of atoms and sub-atomic particles to understand relative atomic mass and relative formula mass
   • Use relative atomic masses to calculate relative formula masses of compounds
   • Higher tier: relate this to the mole and Avogadro's constant, and use number of moles = mass (g) ÷ Ar
   • Higher tier: use moles to balance symbol equations and calculate reacting masses
3. 3Quantitative Chemistry: Part Two (Triple only)+

   • Students studying AQA GCSE Chemistry learn how to calculate the percentage yield of a reaction
   • Students studying AQA GCSE Chemistry learn how to calculate the percentage atom economy of a reaction
4. 4Chemical Changes: Metals+

   • Revise and develop understanding of the reactivity series from KS3
   • Study the reactions of potassium, sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and copper with water and acids, and recall and describe these reactions
   • Apply understanding of the reactivity series to displacement reactions and the extraction of metals
   • Higher tier: understand oxidation and reduction as the loss and gain of electrons respectively
5. 5Chemical Changes: Electrolysis+

   • Explain why ionic compounds can undergo electrolysis when molten or in solution
   • Explain the movement of particles during electrolysis and the reactions that occur at the electrodes
   • Apply understanding of electrolysis to the extraction of aluminium
   • Investigate the electrolysis of a solution
   • Predict the products of electrolysis; Higher tier write balanced half equations
6. 6Chemical Changes: Acids+

   • Learn about salts and how they are prepared, including from metals and acids, acids and bases, and acids and carbonates
   • Prepare a pure, dry sample of a salt from an insoluble metal oxide or carbonate (required practical)
   • Learn about the pH scale
   • Higher tier: explain how pH relates to H⁺(aq) ion concentration and the difference between strong and weak acids
7. 7Chemical Changes: Acids and Titration+

   • Apply understanding of relative atomic mass, relative formula mass and moles to concentrations
   • All students: carry out calculations with concentrations in g/dm³
   • Students studying AQA GCSE Chemistry: be confident with concentrations in mol/dm³ and with calculating moles in gases
   • Carry out a titration as part of the required practical; Higher tier use results to calculate the concentration of an unknown solution
   • Titration is not in the Combined Science: Trilogy specification, but Combined Science students also carry it out as an important practical technique
8. 8Energy Changes+

   • Learn about the energy transfers that occur during chemical reactions
   • Understand that an exothermic reaction transfers energy from the system to the surroundings, and an endothermic reaction transfers energy from the surroundings to the system
   • Interpret experimental data to identify if a reaction is exothermic or endothermic, and describe some uses of both
   • Sketch and interpret reaction profile diagrams
   • Higher tier: use bond energies to calculate overall energy changes for a reaction
   • Apply understanding of the reactivity series and electrolysis to chemical cells and fuel cells
9. 9Rates+

   • Learn about the factors that affect the rate of a reaction: temperature, surface area, concentration and pressure
   • Explain the effect of each factor using collision theory: each factor increases the frequency of effective collisions, not just the number of collisions
   • Explain the effect of catalysts in terms of providing an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy
10. 10Rates and Equilibria+

    • Learn about the factors that affect the rate of a reaction and explain them using collision theory, including the effect of catalysts
    • Learn about reversible reactions and dynamic equilibrium
    • Apply knowledge of endothermic and exothermic reactions to equilibrium reactions, predicting the effect of temperature changes on the position of equilibrium
    • Higher tier: use Le Châtelier's principle to explain the effect of temperature and pressure on the position of equilibrium
11. 11Organic Chemistry: Crude Oil+

    • Learn about hydrocarbons and the alkanes; identify alkanes from their formulae and name and draw the displayed formula of the first four alkanes
    • Learn about the reactions of hydrocarbons, including complete and incomplete combustion and cracking
    • Write balanced symbol equations for the complete combustion of hydrocarbons and describe the conditions of cracking
    • Describe the test for alkenes (a product of cracking)
    • Learn about crude oil as a source of hydrocarbons and the fractional distillation of crude oil
    • Describe how the size of the hydrocarbon molecule affects its properties, including viscosity, boiling point and flammability
12. 12Organic Chemistry: Organic Reactions+

    • Learn about more organic functional groups: alkenes, alcohols, carboxylic acids and esters
    • Identify, name and draw the structural formula of the first four alkenes, alcohols and carboxylic acids, and identify, name and draw the ester ethyl ethanoate
    • Describe the reactions and conditions of alkenes (with halogens, water and hydrogen), alcohols (combustion, oxidation and reaction with sodium) and carboxylic acids (to make esters)
    • Explain why carboxylic acids are called weak acids
13. 13Organic Chemistry: Polymers+

    • Learn about different types of manufactured polymers, including addition polymers and condensation polymers
    • Identify an addition polymer from polymer and monomer diagrams, drawing the monomer from the polymer and the polymer from the monomer
    • Higher tier: describe the basic principles of condensation polymerisation
    • Study natural polymers, including polysaccharides, proteins and DNA, identify the types of monomers that form them and describe the basic structure of DNA
    • Higher tier: understand in greater detail how amino acids react together to form proteins
    • Understand the difference between the monomer and the repeating unit of the polymer
14. 14Chemical Analysis+

    • Understand the difference between a pure substance, a mixture and a formulation, and what is meant by purity
    • Analyse a chromatogram, qualitatively and quantitatively using Rf values
    • Describe the experimental tests for gases, including the procedure and positive result
    • Students studying AQA GCSE Chemistry: describe experimental tests for positive and negative ions and write balanced symbol equations for them
    • Apply knowledge of all the tests to plan an investigation to identify positive and negative ions
    • Study flame emission spectroscopy and interpret instrumental results
15. 15The Earth's Resources+

    • Revise the difference between finite and renewable resources: renewable resources are replaceable at a rate similar to the rate they are used up, whereas finite resources are used up faster than they can be replenished
    • Apply this to the need to reuse and recycle, and describe and evaluate ways of reducing the use of finite resources
    • Carry out life cycle assessments on products
    • Describe the different ways that water is treated, to create potable water and to remove waste products so it is safe to release into the environment
    • Higher tier: apply knowledge of metal-ore extraction and electrolysis to the extraction of copper, and understand alternative biological methods used to extract copper
16. 16Using Our Resources+

    • Understand how both water and air are required for iron to corrode
    • Explain how the two methods of preventing rusting, barrier methods and sacrificial methods, disrupt the oxidation of iron
    • Study alloys, polymers, ceramics, glass and composites, identifying key properties and linking them to common uses
    • Study the Haber process and how it is carried out economically on an industrial scale
    • Explain why the industrial conditions for the Haber process are described as a compromise
    • Recognise the importance of the Haber process in producing ammonia, an important feedstock for fertilisers, alongside potassium and phosphorus fertilisers

Topics follow the AQA 8462 specification. PrepAcer is independent and not affiliated with the exam board.