How hard is ACID-Base equilbira in a level chemistry ?

kmat1893

12

Was wanting to know if I could revise the topic in a week ?

Reply 1

TypicalNerd

18

Original post

by kmat1893

Was wanting to know if I could revise the topic in a week ?

Depends a lot on how you go about teaching it to yourself.

It’s quite a number-heavy and theory-heavy topic, but the styles of questions that come up for this topic are usually pretty similar each year and so memorising the mark schemes for these questions is probably the best way. There will come a point with sufficient practice where you’ll be able to mindlessly recite the methods of calculation and all the important points for buffer solutions, should you be lucky enough to get a 6-marker on them.

To really understand acid-base equilibria, make sure you are familiar with the equilibrium topics that come up before it in the specification as concepts from these will be used.

Reply 2

ksmithk

3

Students struggle with this topic as they put emphasis on maths and not chemistry. Maths wise its easy. Press buttons on the calculator. You don't even need to know what a log is. Focus on understanding and use the papers extensively to work out how to do questions. It's all about method and familiarity. There's no need to teach yourself it now though. Chillout, enjoy your summer, unless you have a test on it when you go back.

Reply 3

kmat1893

OP

12

Original post

by ksmithk

Students struggle with this topic as they put emphasis on maths and not chemistry. Maths wise its easy. Press buttons on the calculator. You don't even need to know what a log is. Focus on understanding and use the papers extensively to work out how to do questions. It's all about method and familiarity. There's no need to teach yourself it now though. Chillout, enjoy your summer, unless you have a test on it when you go back.

I have actually done it in class, we are actually meant to finish the whole A-level course by december and I need to learn it for my mock in 4 weeks time

Reply 4

ksmithk

3

Original post

by kmat1893

I have actually done it in class, we are actually meant to finish the whole A-level course by december and I need to learn it for my mock in 4 weeks time

Fair enough. What exam board is it? I'd advice to split it into sections such as: strong acids, weak acids (Ka), Kw, pH curves and buffers. Buffers always cause the most problems. I ask which exam board as they do differ a bit with the content and questions. Use the past papers to work out what they usually ask on each section. For example Kw usually has theory about why the pH of water is not always 7 but is always neutral. Then they ask TWO calculation types: calculate the pH of an alkali or calculate the pH of water at diff. temps (can also do the question backwards). Do that for ALL the sections. Focus on the recurring questions and ignore any random one markers for now (those are the icing on the cake).

Reply 5

kmat1893

OP

12

Original post

by ksmithk

Fair enough. What exam board is it? I'd advice to split it into sections such as: strong acids, weak acids (Ka), Kw, pH curves and buffers. Buffers always cause the most problems. I ask which exam board as they do differ a bit with the content and questions. Use the past papers to work out what they usually ask on each section. For example Kw usually has theory about why the pH of water is not always 7 but is always neutral. Then they ask TWO calculation types: calculate the pH of an alkali or calculate the pH of water at diff. temps (can also do the question backwards). Do that for ALL the sections. Focus on the recurring questions and ignore any random one markers for now (those are the icing on the cake).

I am doing edexcel, is a level chem a lot of memorising ?

Reply 6

ksmithk

3

Original post

by kmat1893

I am doing edexcel, is a level chem a lot of memorising ?

Well it depends how you look at it. I'd always advise against memorising as it discourages understanding and problem solving which are essential for chemistry. Of course, you do need to remember a lot of facts and some things like flame colours require no understanding. But from experience, it's best to find ways to remember things rather than using memorising as a standard method. So yes there's a lot of content but you could say that about any subject. From what students tell me, biology is far more dense content wise. So it's a combination that works best and play to your strengths.

Reply 7

Nitrotoluene

11

Original post

by kmat1893

Was wanting to know if I could revise the topic in a week ?

Your personalised one-week schedule, IMHO...of course!

Days 1-3: Refresh and Refine
Review the basic concepts we covered earlier, including

•

pH scale

•

Strong and weak acids/bases

•

Conjugated acid-base pairs

•

Equilibrium constant

•

Henderson-Hasselbalch equation

Consult your textbook for practice questions to get a feel for the types of problems you'll encounter.
Make sure you have a solid understanding of the concepts and can apply them to simple scenarios.

Days 4-5: Weak acids and bases
Focus on weak acids and bases and how to use the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation to solve problems.
Practice solving problems involving weak acids and bases, such as

•

Calculating pH values

•

Determining equilibrium constants

Develop a deep understanding of how to use the equation to relate pH to the concentration of hydrogen ions and the dissociation constant of a weak acid or base.

Days 6-7: Practice and Refine
Practice a variety of problems, including those involving

•

Strong and weak acids/bases

•

Conjugation of acid-base pairs

•

Equilibrium constants

Review any topics that are giving you difficulty.
Confirm your understanding of the concepts and your ability to apply them to a variety of problems.

By following this schedule you'll be well prepared to tackle acid-base equilibrium and related topics.

Kind regards from Italy,
Nitrotoluene

(edited 1 year ago)

How hard is ACID-Base equilbira in a level chemistry ?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Articles for you

How The Student Room is moderated