Chemistry - H or O

rorrissey

So I failed the Chemistry pre and my teacher suggested I drop to pass.

A couple of weeks ago I went to a revision course, where I was given a very detailed sheet of suggestions, the lecturer said that she has never been wrong before and that this year the paper is very predictable because of changes that are being made to the course.

So now I'm wondering if I should risk learning off everything on this sheet and hoping for the best, or if I should just drop to ordinary level. I'm not looking for an A or anything, just to pass.
The reason I'm so reluctant to drop is because I'm already doing ordinary level maths.

If anyone is interested, I'll post these suggestions here within the next few days...

Mr Pseudonym

rorrissey wrote: »

So I failed the Chemistry pre and my teacher suggested I drop to pass.

A couple of weeks ago I went to a revision course, where I was given a very detailed sheet of suggestions, the lecturer said that she has never been wrong before and that this year the paper is very predictable because of changes that are being made to the course.

So now I'm wondering if I should risk learning off everything on this sheet and hoping for the best, or if I should just drop to ordinary level. I'm not looking for an A or anything, just to pass.
The reason I'm so reluctant to drop is because I'm already doing ordinary level maths.

If anyone is interested, I'll post these suggestions here within the next few days...

Never been wrong before?! Well, either her predictions are so broad as to be of little worth, or she is a liar!

Huell

Send us a pic of the sheet yeah?
With all of the science subjects past papers are the key to a high grade so i would highly reccomend doing a paper year by year mark it and then correct all the mistakes.its tedious i know but it will seriously bring up ur grade

rainbowtrout

rorrissey wrote: »

So I failed the Chemistry pre and my teacher suggested I drop to pass.

A couple of weeks ago I went to a revision course, where I was given a very detailed sheet of suggestions, the lecturer said that she has never been wrong before and that this year the paper is very predictable because of changes that are being made to the course.

So now I'm wondering if I should risk learning off everything on this sheet and hoping for the best, or if I should just drop to ordinary level. I'm not looking for an A or anything, just to pass.
The reason I'm so reluctant to drop is because I'm already doing ordinary level maths.

If anyone is interested, I'll post these suggestions here within the next few days...

How bad was the fail? Was it in the 30s, that could be brought up to a D or are we talking <25%?

Revision tips from a lecturer who is never wrong? She might be wrong this year. It's not really relevant whether she is right or not. She won't be worrying about her predictions in June when you are sitting the exam. By and large the main changes to chemistry in the last couple of years are the fact that some of the chemicals used in the mandatory experiments can't be used anymore which means they have to be more creative in the way they ask some of the questions, that's all.

Consider this: you don't want to drop to OL but you only want to pass HL. Now unless you need to pass HL for a specific entry requirement a D3 at HL will get you 45 points. A B1 at OL will get you the same but will be substantially easier to achieve. Taking just the mandatory experiments section of the OL paper, a far narrower range of information is examined.

The titration on OL is always acid base, which mathematically goes no further than moles and grams. No solving for x type questions.

In the latter half of the paper, there is always half a question which is paragraph where you fill in the gaps, and the answers are provided.


Unless you are close to passing, it might be worth considering OL.

EoghanIRL

Pics or gtfo .

On a serious note , just don't rely on predictions .
Study everything and you will be get a decent grade . Predictions are bull **** .

weirdspider

The chemistry exam is almost 2 months away. You have plenty of time to study the HL course enough to at least secure a pass. Know organic chemistry very well. That will see you through 1-2 questions of Section A, 2 long questions and likely some part of the last 2 mixed questions (where you answer 2 of 3).
Its a well known fact (also a flaw...) that repeatedly doing exam questions and learning off marking schemes will get you a very good grade for LC science subjects in particular. Give it a shot-study a chapter, answer the exam paper questions and compare/grade your answers using the marking scheme. Your teacher may also be willing to do this if you ask.

rorrissey

Here are the suggestions... This is exactly how it was was written on the sheet.
I'm thinking if I learn all of this, surely enough of it will come up and I can pass... Or is that just wishful thinking?

Read these at your own risk.

Q1)
Ammonium Iron II Sulfate/Iron Tablets reacting with KMnO4 - Previously Standardised.

Finding x in Na2CO3 water of crystallisation *use of volumetric flask*

Ethanoic Acid in vinegar. (Dilution factor too concentrated reagents otherwise)

Q2)
Soap prep/reflux/brine in procedure (excess and limiting reactants lather and scum)

Ethyne


Q3)
Suspended and dissolved solids in water

Thiosulfate prep
Rate of Oxygen Produced.

Q4)

James Chadwick
Louis de Broglie
Cathode Rays

Electronic Config of an ion and the two exceptions Cu and Cr

Anion tests sulphates and sulfites.
Steam distillation.

Flame Test Colours

Alpha Particle is a helium nucleus

Chromatography principle.
Reaction between Ethanoic Acid and Na2Co3 or metals.

%w/v
CFC's
Warming symbol flammable and oxidising.

Q6)

Planar carbon hydrocarbons

Isomers
Mercaptans

Unsaturation

Oil refineries
Dehydrocyclisation on cracking
Isomers
Octane No

Hess Law Definition

Homologous series

Esters - Smell

Q 7) 8) 9)

Any other oxidation reduction/oxidizing and reducing agents/ oxidation numbers to balance electrolysis using insert electrodes

Halogens redox reactions
acids, bases (strong and weak definitions) and pH
Sewage treatment
BOD/eutrophication and swimming pool water
Free Chlorine (HOCl)

Chemical reactions associated with temp hardness
EDTA

Le Chatelier's principal with equilibrium experiements

Conjugate pairs and pH calculations/titration curves

Q10)
Avagadro, Gay Lussac and the mole
PV=nRT

Rates of reaction
energy profile diagram
activation energy

The carbonyl group and how it determines solubility

Molecular formula/empiricle formula and structural formula of eg: Benzene.

Ethanal/tests of distinguish ketones from aldehydes by oxidation

Q11)
Oxygen/Nitrogen
Residence time of CFC's
Acid Rain

rainbowtrout

ya, if you knew all of that of course you'd pass. That's basically the whole course that's listed there so not a very specific list of predications.

Can't see how anyone could predict Q4 anyway when it's 11 short answer questions, anything and everything could be asked in it.


Just another point.

Q1 is always titrations, in Q3 you have listed thiosulphate preparation. Realistically that comes under titrations, and they are not going to test the same type of experiment twice.


How far off passing were you in the mock?

rorrissey

rainbowtrout wrote: »

How far off passing were you in the mock?

I got 28% in the mock ...

EoghanIRL

I have all the exam papers done . Just do them ! You don't need predictions it's such a short course and same type of questions every year .

Hotale.com

Do exam papers. Nearly every year is the same, chemistry isn't that hard at all to pass.

rainbowtrout

rorrissey wrote: »

I got 28% in the mock ...

It is possible to bring that up to at least a D3.

Like everyone else says here practice the papers, Q1 is always a titration, sit down tomorrow and do the titration questions. There is always a part which asks about the procedure for making up solutions/filling pipettes/burettes. This is very straightforward. Usually worth 15 out of the 50 marks on offer for the question. There is typically a question on a colour change for the titration in the question. Go and learn your colour changes and suitable indicators. The final part of the question is mathematical and always asks for a mole calculation. Practice them they are very repetitive.

Check your answers against the marking schemes as you go. You will see what key phrases are needed in questions to be awarded marks. You will also see what parts are repeated frequently.

Next day, tackle Q2 the organic chemistry experiments.... and so on.


Not about to list off predictions, but experiments which were on the last two years are not likely to be on this year. You can probably safely leave them out in terms of learning colour changes/ reactions etc.


Q3 Is the experiments which remain which are not titrations or organic chemistry.


You must do 2 out of the 3 experiments in section A. If you do 2, then you must do 6 of the question in Section B.


You also have the option of doing all 3 experiments in Section A and doing 5 questions in Section B.


Each of the 8 questions you answer is worth 12.5%, so doing all 3 experiments could potentially mean 37.5% just from them alone. of course you have to allow for not getting everything right, but if you got the experiments nailed down, you'd be nearly there in terms of passing.