Likely Topics to be tested for 2013 H2 Chemistry 9647 Paper 3
Disclaimer:
The “A” level exams is seldom predictable.
Do not take any information given here as DEFINITELY CORRECT.
Concepts tested in P2 would not be repeated in P3, which is not DEFINTELY.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------Major topics that have not been tested in Paper 2 are quite likely to come out significantly in paper 3
(as seen below).
Organic Chemistry:
Likely to have structural elucidation questions (only tested geometric isomerism in P2 so far – so
many reactions + distinguishing tests + optical
isomerism could still be tested using structural elucidation questions).
None of the mechanism has been tested in P2 – hence mechanism is likely tested, and likely to be
linked to the kinetics (order of reactions with respect to
the reactants (esp SN1 and SN2 mechanism – perhaps also the optical activity of the products).
No questions on distinguishing tests in P2 yet
Atoms molecules and stoichiometry
o Definition and calculations for relative atomic / molecular mass
o Determination of unknown oxidation state
Atomic structure + Periodicity (Major topic not tested in P2)
o Properties of, and behaviour of the elementary particles (p, e, and n) in electric field
o Electronic configuration of atoms and ions (including transition elements)
o Shapes of orbitals
o Reaction of elements with chlorine or oxygen + the reaction of its oxides and chlorides
with water.
o Variation of physical properties across the period (e.g. ionisation energy)
Chemical Bonding
o “Dot and cross” diagrams + VSEPR theory – shapes and bond angles
o Description of the various types of bonding (ionic, covalent – sigma and pi bonds,
metallic)
o Explain boiling points of simple molecular compounds using IMF, or compare melting
points of ionic compounds against simple covalent compounds etc
o Solid state – including ionic lattices
Gaseous state
o Calculations involving pV = nRT
o Average Mr of a sample of gas
o Explain difference in properties of an ideal gas and a real gas / deviation from ideality
Chemical Energetics
o Using the standard equations for
Hf,
Hc or drawing of energy cycle to calculate
Hrxn.
o Using average bond energies to calculate H of a reaction
o Comparing lattice energy of different compounds, including the drawing of Born Haber
cycle
o Comparing the magnitude of Hhydration and Hlattice dissociation (to calculate
predict the effect on the solubility of an ionic compound
Hsolution), and
Electrochemistry
o Oxidation states of various elements in different compounds
o Drawing of experimental set up for both electrochemical cell
o Commercial cells including fuel cell
o Prediction of the reactions that occur at the electrodes of a electrolytic cell using E o
values (for both aqueous and molten electrolyte) – partially covered in purification of
copper
o Calculations involving n = Q/F related to the amount of substances discharged /
dissolved at anode or cathode.
Equilibria
o Using “ICE” table to calculate Kc or Kp or vice versa
o Haber process / other industrial processes and the rationale for the conditions used
o Buffer solutions
o Calculate solubility of sparingly soluble solids given its Ksp value, and vice versa
(a commonly tested topic in paper 3)
Reaction Kinetics (Major topic that was not tested in P2)
o Clock Experiment and Continuous method (involving the plotting of concentration-time
graph or rate-concentration graph)
o Explain the impact of temperature, concentration, size of particles (for solids reactants),
and use of catalysts on reaction rate using collision theory + Boltzmann distribution
o Outline the action of homogeneous catalysis (due to the variable oxidation state of
transition elements, e.g. Fe3+ as catalyst for reaction between I− and S2O82−) or
heterogeneous catalysis (due to the availability of low lying d-orbitals in transition
elements for the adsorption of the reactant molecules, e.g. Haber process and catalytic
converters in cars) including catalysis by enzymes (lock and key model)
Group II
o Reactions of group II elements with oxygen and water (reducing power of Gp II
elements)
o Behaviour of the oxides with water
Group VII
o Describe colour and volatility of the halogens
o Relative reactivity of halogens as oxidising agent using E o values
o Reaction of chlorine with cold and hot NaOH
o Reaction of halides with conc H2SO4
o Relative thermal stabilities of group VII hydrides (HX) in relation to bond energies
Transition Elements
o Definition of a transition element
o Describe the tendency of transition elements to have variable oxidation states and to
predict the maximum oxidation state of a transition element
o Homogeneous catalysis and Heterogeneous catalysis (see reaction kinetics)
Organic Chemistry
o Mechanism (not tested at all in P2 − likely to test nucleophilic substitution and
nucleophilic addition since almost no reactions of halogenoalkane and carbonyl
compounds has been tested so far)
o Distinguishing tests (not tested at all in P2)
o Structural isomerism and Optical isomerism (not tested at all in P2)
o Structural Elucidation (not tested in P2 – likely to involve mainly reactions of
halogenoalkanes and carbonyl compounds + distinguishing tests + isomerism)
o Hybridisation of C in various organic compounds and their shape
o Environment concerns and industrial processes (internal combustion engine, catalytic
converters, use of CFCs)
o Comparison of the basicities of various types of amines (acidities tested already)
o Interpret different reactivities of halogenoalkanes and chlorobenzene in terms the
strength of C-Hal bond