Before you begin looking over what you will be learning in Units 3 and 4 Chemistry, it will be best for you to revise over some key concepts listed in this article. Having a solid foundation of these concepts will put you on the path in succeeding Chemistry.
So, what are the important concepts from Units 1 and 2 Chemistry?
- Moles – You would have encountered this topic in Unit 1 Chemistry. Ensure that you understand what a ‘mole’ is, and know how to perform calculations associated with moles.
- Intermolecular forces – dispersion forces, dipole-dipole attractions and hydrogen bonding are bonds that forms between molecules. They are important in determining the melting and boiling points of molecules.
- Organic compounds – in Units 3 and 4 Chemistry you will encounter more organic compounds in addition to the ones you learnt in Unit 1 Chemistry. Ensure that you are familiar with naming organic compounds according to the IUPAC system.
- Specific heat capacity – from Unit 2 Chemistry
- Acid-base reactions – know the general acid-base principles
- Redox reactions – know the general redox principles (oxidation, reduction, reductants, oxidants); also make sure that you know how to write a balanced half-equation
- Stoichiometry – a very important concept. If you are not familiar with the calculations associated with stoichiometry make sure that you seek help ASAP. It is crucial that you understand this topic!!
- Volumetric analysis – general concepts; will be covered again in Unit 4 Chemistry so make sure you are familiar with it!
- Chromatography – will essentially be again in Unit 4 Chemistry, so make sure that you understand the general principles behind chromatography.
These are the topics from Units 1 and 2 Chemistry which I think are important for you to go over before you begin Units 3 and 4 Chemistry. My revision tip would be for you to go over your notes that cover those topics and attempt questions from your textbook that relate to those topics. If you are struggling with some of the above-mentioned topics especially stoichiometry, make sure that you seek assistance from someone, and don’t just ignore it. You won’t be covering stoichiometry specifically in Units 3 and 4 Chemistry, but it will be something you are expected to know.
Good luck!
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