Northern Ireland · CCEASyllabus
Chemistry syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the Northern Ireland Chemistrysyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
A2 1 Further Physical and Organic Chemistry
Module overview →- How do we measure acidity using pH, Ka and buffers?The Bronsted-Lowry theory, strong and weak acids and bases, pH and the calculation of pH for strong and weak acids using Ka and Kw, titration curves and indicators, and the action of buffer solutions.13 min answer →
- How do amines and amino acids behave, and how do proteins form?Amines as bases and nucleophiles, their preparation from haloalkanes and nitriles, the structure and zwitterion behaviour of amino acids, the formation of peptide bonds, and the isoelectric point.12 min answer →
- Why is benzene so stable, and how does it react?The structure and delocalised bonding of benzene, the evidence for delocalisation, electrophilic substitution reactions including nitration and halogenation, and a comparison of the reactivity of benzene with alkenes and of phenol with benzene.12 min answer →
- How do aldehydes and ketones react, and how are they distinguished?The structure and reactions of aldehydes and ketones, nucleophilic addition with hydrogen cyanide and reduction, oxidation of aldehydes, and the chemical tests that distinguish aldehydes from ketones.12 min answer →
- How do carboxylic acids and their derivatives react?The acidity and reactions of carboxylic acids, the formation and hydrolysis of esters, acyl chlorides and acid anhydrides as reactive derivatives, and the production of soaps and biodiesel by ester hydrolysis and transesterification.12 min answer →
- How do we describe gaseous equilibria using partial pressures and Kp?Partial pressures and mole fractions, the equilibrium constant Kp for gaseous equilibria, calculating Kp and equilibrium amounts, and the effect of temperature, pressure and a catalyst on Kp and the position of equilibrium.12 min answer →
- How do stereoisomers arise, and why do they matter?Stereoisomerism including E-Z (geometric) isomerism in alkenes and optical isomerism in molecules with a chiral centre, the rotation of plane-polarised light, racemic mixtures, and the importance of stereochemistry in pharmaceuticals.12 min answer →
- How do rate equations and orders reveal the mechanism of a reaction?Rate equations, order of reaction and the rate constant, determining orders from initial rates and concentration-time graphs, half-life, the rate-determining step, and the effect of temperature on the rate constant.13 min answer →
- What makes a reaction feasible, and how do we build Born-Haber cycles?Lattice enthalpy and Born-Haber cycles, enthalpies of solution and hydration, entropy and the second law, and the use of free energy change to decide the feasibility of a reaction.13 min answer →
A2 2 Analytical, Transition Metals, Electrochemistry and Organic Chemistry
Module overview →- How are concentrations and amounts found accurately by titration and analysis?Redox titrations using potassium manganate(VII) and iodine-thiosulfate, the calculations involved, colorimetry for coloured ions, and the planning and evaluation of quantitative analysis with attention to uncertainty.12 min answer →
- How do chromatography and NMR separate and identify the parts of a molecule?The principles of chromatography including thin-layer and gas chromatography and the use of Rf values, and the principles of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy including chemical shift, the number of environments, integration and spin-spin splitting.10 min answer →
- How do electrode potentials predict the direction of redox reactions?Standard electrode potentials and the standard hydrogen electrode, the electrochemical series, calculating cell potentials, using electrode potentials to predict the feasibility of redox reactions, and the chemistry of electrochemical cells and fuel cells.10 min answer →
- How are organic molecules built in steps, and what are polymers?Multi-step organic synthesis and reaction pathways, choosing reagents and conditions and improving purity and yield, addition and condensation polymers including polyesters and polyamides, and the disposal and biodegradability of polymers.10 min answer →
- What gives transition metals their colour, variable oxidation states and catalysis?The characteristic properties of transition metals, variable oxidation states, the formation and shapes of complex ions, ligand substitution, the origin of colour from d-orbital splitting, and the catalytic behaviour of transition metals.10 min answer →
AS 1 Basic Concepts in Physical and Inorganic Chemistry
Module overview →- How do chemists count atoms and reacting amounts using the mole?The mole and the Avogadro constant, molar mass, empirical and molecular formulae, the ideal gas equation, concentrations of solutions, and reacting mass, gas volume and titration calculations including percentage yield and atom economy.9 min answer →
- How is the atom structured, and how do mass spectrometry and electron configurations explain its behaviour?Sub-atomic particles, isotopes and relative masses, the mass spectrometer and relative atomic mass calculations, electron configuration in s, p and d sub-shells, and ionisation energy evidence.9 min answer →
- How are atoms held together, and how does the type of bonding explain a material's properties?Ionic, covalent, dative covalent and metallic bonding, electronegativity and bond polarity, electron-pair repulsion and the shapes of simple molecules and ions, and the link between structure and physical properties.9 min answer →
- How is energy transferred in reactions, and how is enthalpy change measured and calculated?Enthalpy changes and standard conditions, exothermic and endothermic reactions, enthalpy of combustion, formation and neutralisation, calorimetry, Hess's law and enthalpy cycles, and mean bond enthalpy calculations.9 min answer →
- How do reversible reactions reach equilibrium, and how do conditions shift it?Dynamic equilibrium and reversible reactions, Le Chatelier's principle and the effects of concentration, pressure and temperature, the role of a catalyst, the equilibrium constant Kc, and applications to industrial processes such as the Haber process.9 min answer →
- What forces act between molecules, and how do they explain physical properties?Van der Waals (London) forces, permanent dipole-dipole forces and hydrogen bonding, how they arise from electronegativity and polarity, and how they explain boiling points, solubility and the anomalous behaviour of water.9 min answer →
- What controls the rate of a reaction, and how do catalysts and temperature change it?Collision theory and activation energy, the effects of concentration, pressure, surface area, temperature and catalysts on rate, the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, and how a catalyst provides an alternative pathway of lower activation energy.8 min answer →
- How do we track electron transfer using oxidation numbers and half-equations?Oxidation and reduction in terms of electron transfer, oxidation numbers and the rules for assigning them, identifying oxidising and reducing agents, and constructing and combining half-equations into balanced redox equations.8 min answer →
AS 2 Further Physical and Inorganic Chemistry and an Introduction to Organic Chemistry
Module overview →- How are alcohols made and what reactions do they undergo?The classification of alcohols as primary, secondary and tertiary, their production by hydration of alkenes and by fermentation, and their reactions including combustion, oxidation, dehydration and ester formation.9 min answer →
- How do alkanes, alkenes and haloalkanes react, and by what mechanisms?Alkanes as fuels and free-radical substitution, the reactions of alkenes including electrophilic addition and Markownikoff's rule, addition polymerisation, and the nucleophilic substitution and elimination reactions of haloalkanes.10 min answer →
- How do reactivity and properties change down Group II and Group VII?Trends in reactivity, melting point, solubility and thermal stability down Group II, the reactions of Group II metals and compounds, the trends in Group VII including colour, volatility and oxidising power, displacement reactions and tests for halide ions.9 min answer →
- How do infrared and mass spectra help identify organic molecules?Infrared spectroscopy and the absorptions of bonds and functional groups, the fingerprint region, mass spectrometry of organic molecules including the molecular ion and fragmentation, and the use of both to identify and determine the structure of compounds.8 min answer →
- How are organic compounds named and how do isomers arise?IUPAC nomenclature of organic compounds, functional groups and homologous series, general, structural, displayed and skeletal formulae, and structural isomerism including chain, position and functional group isomers.8 min answer →
- How do properties change across a period, and why?Periodicity of atomic radius, ionisation energy and melting point across Period 3, the structures and bonding of the Period 3 elements and oxides, and the trends in the acid-base character of the oxides.8 min answer →
- How do we identify ions and gases by their characteristic reactions?Tests for cations and anions including carbonate, sulfate, halide, ammonium and hydroxide, tests for common gases, flame tests, and the chemistry behind each observation.8 min answer →