Chemistry; a survivors guide

Acid_Violet

So, as the title suggests and as many people would agree, I'm sure, chemistry is tough. I'd be hoping to do a very good leaving and would be looking for very good points in at least six subjects (aren't we all I suppose). Out of my three worst subjects, with a bit of perseverance I reckon I could do best in chemistry, even though my teacher is an oul' wagon..... Any tips from anyone who's done/doing chemistry on how to get by with it, anyone with similar complaints, any tips on how to get the all elusive A1?

JSK 252

Acid Violet I would definitely agree with you that chemistry is hard subject but to be quite honest its probably the easier of my subjects for the leaving. The wierdest thing is, I find chemistry easier than Biology for some crazy reason even though the majority would be the opposite. One of the main things I find that is beneficial is that you write your 28 mandatory experiments perfectly, as this will be an indispensible reference tool come June 09 ( me thinks your in 5th year the same as me? ) as this a guaranteed 3 questions out of 8 covered on the exam paper as you have to do at least 2 out of 3 questions from section A on the exam paper and from my looking at the exam papers and the topics my class has covered, I would try and answer on all 3 experiment questions. Do you write your experiments into a normal lab book? because I write mine into a special chemistry activity book which has the template for the write ups but more importantly has exam type questions which appear after each experiment. I can give you the name of the book if you want?

Another thing is. Enjoy the subject. Try to like the subject. Even though the exam is extremely important try to enjoy all the experiments you do in class as I have had the biggest craic doing all the titrations etc. etc. with all my best friends and for some reason the more fun you have, the easier the information will get into your head at the end of the day. We have a great time in class because there is only 9 of us and I have a brilliant teacher who is really funny and helps us with any problems we might have with any topics in class. Another thing is, what book ae you using? If you are using Chemistry Live by Declan Kennedy then thats the best book you can possibly use as anything thats covered in his book is all that can be asked in the exam and I find it really useful the way he does out a sample answer to a sample question at the end of each chapter in the book. My teacher said that all the other books are rubbish!:D

Just wondering what topics have you covered and the rest of the people doing chemistry have covered so far being only christmas 5th year? I have covered The Atom, Arrangement of Electrons in the atom, Acids and Bases, Volumetric Analysis : Acid-Base, Rates of reaction, and the just the definitions of the Periodic Table.

JSK 252

I just wanted to get a bit of feedback on the exam I did for chemistry at Christmas just to see what ye would have thought of it:

Fifth Year Chemistry Exam
Christmas 2007
Answer all questions.
Time: 2 hours

Q1.
(a) List the apparatus needed to carry out a titration and describe in detail how any two pieces of the glassware mentioned are prepared. (10)

(b) A 25 cm3 sample of vinegar was diluted to 100 cm3 in a volumetric flask. The diluted solution was titrated against 20 cm3 of 0.14M NaOH. The balanced equation for the titration is: CH3COOH + NaOH = CH3COONa + H2O

Find the conc of the ethanoic acid solution in (a) moles/litre (b) g/l and (c) %w/v (20)

(c) Name a suitable indicator for the above titration and describe the colour change at the end point. (10)

(d) Ethanoic acid is described as a weak acid. Explain the underlined term. (10)

Q2.

(a) Describe John Daltons image of the atom. (5)

(b) JJ Thomson calculated the e/m of the electrons. What does the e/m stand for? (5)

(c) Explain the difference between an emission line spectrum and an absorption spectrum. (5)

(d) What colour is observed when a sample of Barium is burnt? (5)

(e) Write the equation linking energy and frequency of a wave. (5)

(f) The idea of electrons having a wave motion was suggested by a French Scientist. Name him. (5)

(g) Describe using a diagram the shapes of both s and p orbitals. (5)

(h) Explain the term energy level. (5)

(i) How many sublevels are present in the n=3 main energy level. (5)

(j) What is an orbital?. (5)

Q.3

(a) Define (i) Catalyst and (ii) Activation energy. (12)

(b) 25cm3 of a standard 0.2M Na2S2O3 solution was diluted to 100cm3 and poured into a conical flask; 10cm3 of dilute HCL was added. The time was measured for the solution to turn cloudy. The experiment was repeated at different temperatures and the folloqing results obtained:

Temp/C 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Time/Sec 39 27 22 18 12 10 8

(i) Why was the standard 0.2M solution diluted? (6)

(ii) What steps would you have taken to ensure that the same degree of cloudiness was taken for each temperature? (6)

(iii) Plot the graph of rate (1/t) agains temperature. (18)

(iv) If the reaction had been carried out at 45C what time would have elapsed before the solution became cloudy. (6)

(v) Draw an energy profile diagram of a reaction. On the diagram show the effect of introducing a catalyst. (9)

(vi) Explain autocatalysis and give an example. (5)

Q.4

(a) Give the Bronsted Lowry definition of an acid. (5)

(b) Write the conjugate base of HSO4-

(c) Water is described as being amphoteric. Explain. (5)

(d) What are Dobereiners triads? Give an example. (5)

(e) What is meant by the atomc number of an element? (5)

(f) Explain briefly why different metals give different colours to Bunsen Flames? (5)

(g) What feature of volumetric flasks make them useful when making up solutions? (5)

(h) Find the mass of one mole of Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4) (5)

(i) What effect would Sodium Hydroxide have on your skin? How would you treat this? (5)

(j) Name two of the elements found in the catalytic converter of a car. (5)


my verdict: A1

Hahahaha some guy in my class wrote down tha there was 14 sub levels in the n=3 energy level!
The only thing on the whole exam which I I was like wtf! was how would you treat sodium hydro on your skin. I was like..... you wash it off with water???
IS that right does anybody know?

Acid_Violet

The only subject we covered was question 2. It was pretty easy stuff if you ask me, doesn't require a lot of thinking, just rote learning. Granted, I couldn't get full-marks now because I don't remember the stuff I learnt, but still......

nedward

NaOH on the skin-rinse with vinegar or a weak acid close to hand to neutralise it.

The best thing to do for Chem, Violet, is just do paper after paper. I did every Chemistry paper, a few mocks, sample papers from two companies, and I recognised almost all of the questions on last year's paper, and I recognised a lot of the Xmas exam posted above. In Chem, a lot of people aiming for an A1 are around the same level, and the main method of differentiation is exam technique, eg specific words without which you won't get marks, like a titration becoming "colourless" or for example when describing Dobereiner's triads, mention that the middle element has the average mass and properties.

lemansky

Yes, just hit the papers as hard as you can. Loads of the questions are in essence asking the same thing on a regular basis, so from writing out those answers you'll be set for the exam. Again, as with any subject, try and understand the material, not learn it off. If you learn it off without trying to understand it as many do, then any odd question regardless of how comfortable you are with the section overall, will throw you. UNderstanding things means that odd questions whose answers don't necessarily lie in the book and that require you to think them out won't be a problem. Also understanding helps you retain more information as everything is logical to you as you can follow it and work out the facts, rather than have them on a sheet and try and commit them to memory. People try that then they start sinking when they realsie that they have 6 other subjects to study for, let alone the entire chemistry book to learn off.

Know your experiments. There isn't much variety in the questions asked. There can be the odd strange question but thats only a few marks, and really if you understand the stuff it won't be an issue. In all sections also, use precise wording. The point was made earlier for example about saying colourless, instead of what many people do which is say clear. Things like that make the difference. In definitions, if you want the A1 you need to get down all the information, and in answering questions you need to zero in on the little points and put down ALL that you know.

It can be an interesting subject, so as was said earlier, just try not to hate it or anything and you'll do fine. Chemistry was one of the classes I looked forward to in school so that helped I'd imagine.

Best of luck:)


EDIT: @JSK 252, The leaving won't be harder than that. I mean in the leaving you may get some questions that require more soul searching than your exam, but not enough of them to come near costing you an A1.The bulk of the leaving will be the same as that, so seems like you're on the right track:D

Aoibheann

Exam papers, exam papers, exam papers.. you do them all, there's not a whole pile else they can ask you. The exam is ridiculously repetitive, and the paper's a lot easier than you'd expect once you've done the papers!

Chunky Monkey

Throughout my chemistry course I consistently failed in class tests (actually my score was usually around 28%). However come February in sixth year, it all became so clear and this was for everyone in my class! Okay I only got a C1 the first time but that was because I didn't study. Last year got an A1 baby! But yes exam papers, exam papers, exam papers, do every single one you can get your hands on. If you have finished the course, ask your teacher go through it again from the start setting you revision homework for each night and then testing you on it the next day. Our teacher did this and it was amazing how when it was organised you could study and understand the material better. Shockingly it's actually not that hard, and this is coming from someone who's fairly thick

Acid_Violet

Chunky Monkey: I think you may be in the same school as me, my teacher marks ridiculously hard!

dfx-

A survivors guide - Chemistry has an undeserved reputation

For the Leaving Cert, it's ok and from what I remember a easy enough paper.

rainbowtrout

As a chemistry teacher I would agree with most of what has been said here. Know your mandatory experiments and try and do all three if possible. it's probably not worth studying the three that came up on last years paper, they won't be on this years one, so three less to learn. organic chemistry can get you about 40% on the paper alone if you answer all the questions on it, a lot of teachers don't like teaching it and subsequently a lot of students don't like studying it and avoid it, which means less choice on the paper overall.

have a look at the marking schemes on the State Exams Commission website to check answers to past papers, it was mentioned above as one example but for colour changes 'colourless' is the only acceptable answer. 'Clear' will not be accepted. the guy who writes the paper is extremely picky on stuff like that and will not back down even though it's perfectly clear that the student understands the concept being examined.

Unless you know the course inside out, avoid Question 4 - the short answer questions, they cover too wide a range of topics.

My personal choice would be :

Q1,2,3 - all three experiment questions
Q5 - Generally on trends in Periodic Table (first 7 chapters approx of Chemistry Live)
Q6, 7 - both normally on Organic Chemistry
Q11 c - the option from the workbook, usually a easy question, and then other options are not usually long
Chemical equilibrium, a lot don't like this topic but it comes up every year


And for any maths type questions, working out moles etc, do not leave out any steps, you will not get full marks for answer even if it is correct if full method is not shown.

Those little green boxes with definitions are the best possible wording of the definitions in the book, they are there for a reason and almost every question starts off with a 6 mark definition on the topic in question

6 x 8 = 48 marks = 12% . Ignore them at your peril.

rainbowtrout

dfx- wrote: »

A survivors guide - Chemistry has an undeserved reputation

For the Leaving Cert, it's ok and from what I remember a easy enough paper.

I wouldn't agree having taught it for a number of years. Chemistry has a reputation as being a difficult subject and therefore is largely ignored by students who are average at science or looking for a soft option (in my school that's ag science, which i also teach). most students in my experience take chemistry because they need it as a subject requirement, and want to do science in college. Generally those students are good at science and are interested and want to study the subject.

However there are many who end up doing chemistry because there wasn't any other suitable option available to them, or who want to do forensics (damn CSI) and think chemistry is all about walking around a crime scene wearing sunglasses, who find maths difficult and therefore the mathematical content causes them problems, as does the vocabulary used in the course. they get a land when reality hits home in fifth year.

So again, like everything else, easy when you know how.

Chunky Monkey

Acid_Violet wrote: »

Chunky Monkey: I think you may be in the same school as me, my teacher marks ridiculously hard!

Geoghegan?

or who want to do forensics (damn CSI) and think chemistry is all about walking around a crime scene wearing sunglasses

Haha I thought that too but it was a fun subject anyway

Killaqueen!!!

Eeek! People here are finding chemistry easy? I'm in 5th year and Chemistry is one of my favourite subjects. My teacher is dead sound but not a very good one. At least I'm not the only one in my class who is so confused! I think it will get beter though, because it seems to me that everything will fit in only when you cover the whole course. i.e after finishing one chapter I could be totally confused but then in a months time after doing another chapter thats related to it, it makes a bit more sense.

I enjoy chemistry but I don't understand the experiments - and from this thread it seems they are the most important in the exam?! I don't think I got many marks for the experiment questions on my xmas exam (which I probably failed - not underestimating here...luckily I think I did grand on all subjects except chemistry!) but I find the Mole Concept pretty easy. So hopefully, when we do stoichiometry I'll be good at that and it'll cover at least a couple questions on the LC!

Chunky Monkey

I'd say work very hard at it during the year and work through your exam papers even if you don't think you understand it cos that way you can go back to your books and look up the specific problems you're having and it won't seem like such a big task. I use the conditional because I didn't do that. Last year though I went through the book and wrote out detailed notes, diagrams and all. I also got two different revision books and studied from both of them writing things in the margins that I'd read in the other books but weren't in that book. Worked on the exam papers the whole time. Finally before the exam I went through my notes just and wrote them out rough again to really commit them to memory.

dfx-

Killaqueen!!! wrote: »

I enjoy chemistry but I don't understand the experiments - and from this thread it seems they are the most important in the exam?! I don't think I got many marks for the experiment questions on my xmas exam (which I probably failed - not underestimating here...luckily I think I did grand on all subjects except chemistry!)

The experiments are guaranteed questions, so to know and understand them helps a lot. That's why I think they are regarded as so important. I did the Leaving in 2003, at the start of the new course and still remember we got a whole question on the production of ethyne and I think the main experiment question was no.2 and was on KMnO4 and Iron tablets.

rainbowtrout wrote: »

I wouldn't agree having taught it for a number of years. Chemistry has a reputation as being a difficult subject and therefore is largely ignored by students who are average at science or looking for a soft option (in my school that's ag science, which i also teach). most students in my experience take chemistry because they need it as a subject requirement, and want to do science in college. Generally those students are good at science and are interested and want to study the subject.

So again, like everything else, easy when you know how.

I'd agree generally, but again first off, we mention Chemistry has a difficult reputation, but I don't think the Leaving course deserves that. It always seems that the subject has to fight that reputation. It seems hard, but that again comes back to the reputation it has - a small problem becomes impossible, feeding the negativity again. Essentially, mud sticks - for want of a better phrase.:)

I didn't take to it either at first and planned to do commerce, but now six years on, I've an honours degree and glad I did it. In 2003 with the new format, the paper was more predictable than Maths Paper II which nearly started a war or Biology which threw everyone. I know which I'd prefer - yet Maths is compulsory and Biology was the dominant science.

Yet still there was only 14 of us and it was a bumper year, apparently. Only the numbers for Honours Irish was worse.

JC 2K3

JSK 252 wrote: »

My teacher said that all the other books are rubbish!:D

Understanding Chemistry got me an A1, no extra notes from the teacher and only occasional use of Wikipedia....

Chemistry was really very easy. I averaged Cs for most of 6th year, but that was more to do with lack of concern for them than anything.

The most important thing to do in Chemistry is to split it all into different sections: Titration experiments, Org Chem experiments, other experiments, Atomic Theory, Gas Laws/The Mole/Stoichiometry, Acids and Bases, Redox Reactions/Titrations, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Equilibrium, Water etc.. and focus on studying and understanding one section at a time.

JSK 252

JC 2K3 wrote: »

Understanding Chemistry got me an A1, no extra notes from the teacher and only occasional use of Wikipedia....

Chemistry was really very easy. I averaged Cs for most of 6th year, but that was more to do with lack of concern for them than anything.

The most important thing to do in Chemistry is to split it all into different sections: Titration experiments, Org Chem experiments, other experiments, Atomic Theory, Gas Laws/The Mole/Stoichiometry, Acids and Bases, Redox Reactions/Titrations, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Equilibrium, Water etc.. and focus on studying and understanding one section at a time.

I borrowed that book from my friend who is in another school for the christmas test and didnt think much of it and my teacher didnt think much of it either. Thats my opinion anyway.

kaki

re: the textbook, my teacher uses Understanding Chemistry, and I really don't think it's a patch on the Declan Kennedy book. The authors go into too much detail on some topics, give some skimpy definitions that don't withstand the marking schemes and, imo, deal w/ the practicals rubbish-ly.

I've got a copy of Chemistry Live at home, as well as the little revision book, and use both of them more than Understandng Chemistry.

It's been said countless times already, but the best way to improve your grade, esp. in Chemistry, is to go through the exam papers methodically. The repetition of similiar questions down through the years is astonishing, yet reassuring.

JC 2K3

kaki wrote: »

re: the textbook, my teacher uses Understanding Chemistry, and I really don't think it's a patch on the Declan Kennedy book. The authors go into too much detail on some topics, give some skimpy definitions that don't withstand the marking schemes and, imo, deal w/ the practicals rubbish-ly.

I've got a copy of Chemistry Live at home, as well as the little revision book, and use both of them more than Understandng Chemistry.

*Shrug.

It worked for me.

Chunky Monkey

I have Understanding Chemistry but I prefered Chemistry Live though I've always put it down to not liking the colours of it and the pages being too shiny

Splitting the course into sections is a good point. Being organised really helps.

JC 2K3

Chunky Monkey wrote: »

I have Understanding Chemistry but I prefered Chemistry Live though I've always put it down to not liking the colours of it and the pages being too shiny

Splitting the course into sections is a good point. Being organised really helps.

Indeed.

As with any LC subject, approach is infinitely more important than books or teachers.

Killaqueen!!!

Re. Exam papers - I'm in 5th year..should I be studying and using exam paper? I don't have them yet, as in our school the teachers order them in bulk for us next year and we do questions then. I don't think we touch exam papers this year in any subject. What would yis suggest?

JC 2K3

Nah, wait til 6th year to do exam papers. Just make sure you understand the core concepts you cover in 5th year.

Chunky Monkey

I'd say you could downlaod them. What JC says makes sense but at the same time I don't think it would do any harm to at least work on the short questions and become aware of the paper layout. The more you know about the exam layout now the more relaxed you can allow yourself to feel rather than stressing about marking schemes at the last minute when you should be getting all those niggling little details like definitions into your head (which didn't help me understand the topic at all but unfortunately you need to learn a load of them off by heart for the exam).

JSK 252

I got 95% in the exam I posted in an earlier post. Just got the result!:D

Yuugib

our exam was marked v. hard teacher even told me that in mocks i would of gotten A in it brrr! got B instead

alancork

It actually just all comes together after the mocks.. i failed the xmas test, got a D in the mocks, but I got an A1 in the real thing, basically from doing papers! Don't panic, the repetition will get you by at least..!

Daisies

Exam papers exam papers exam papers!!!!!!!!!!Without a doubt.Also look for the pattern in the papers.I know the three experiment questions are divided so you know which experiments are being asked in each question. Same in the rest of the paper.Each question covers a particular topic.

Acid_Violet

Chunky Monkey wrote: »

Geoghegan?

No actually.....

But Bleach is very good!

(Off topic in a thread I started, oops.)

aleyra

i did sweet feck all in 5th year and didn't have a clue what my teacher was talking about half the time.i usually got around 28% in test:rolleyes:

This year i actually tried to pay attention in class(even though my teacher is a bit crap,one of those people who understands the material but cant teach it)and read through the book,teaching myself as well-

i wouldn't call chemistry an easy subject but if you put a decent amount of effort into it,it makes life a whole lot easier.i got 90% in my Christmas tests:D