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.
Unit 1 Structures, Trends, Chemical Reactions and Analysis
Module overview →- What is inside an atom, and how do we describe and count its particles?The structure of the atom in terms of protons, neutrons and electrons, atomic number and mass number, isotopes, and the calculation of relative atomic mass from isotopic abundances.9 min answer →
- How are electrons arranged in atoms, and how does this explain the Periodic Table?Electron arrangement in shells for the first 20 elements, writing electron configurations, and the link between outer-shell electrons, the group number and chemical reactivity.8 min answer →
- How do we classify matter, and how do we separate mixtures?Elements, compounds and mixtures, the difference between physical and chemical change, and the separation techniques of filtration, crystallisation, distillation, fractional distillation and chromatography.9 min answer →
- How do the properties of elements change within Groups 1, 7 and 0?The properties and trends of the Group 1 alkali metals, the Group 7 halogens and the Group 0 noble gases, including reactivity trends and displacement reactions of the halogens.9 min answer →
- How is the Periodic Table organised, and why is it useful?The development and modern organisation of the Periodic Table by atomic number into periods and groups, the position of metals and non-metals, and how the table predicts properties.8 min answer →
Unit 1 Structures, Trends, Chemical Reactions and Analysis
Module overview →- How do non-metals bond by sharing electrons?Covalent bonding as the sharing of electron pairs between non-metal atoms, drawing dot-and-cross diagrams for simple molecules, and the properties of simple molecular substances.8 min answer →
- Why do diamond, graphite and silicon dioxide behave so differently?Giant covalent structures, the structures and properties of diamond, graphite and silicon dioxide, and how bonding explains hardness, melting point and electrical conductivity.8 min answer →
- How do metals and non-metals bond by transferring electrons?Ionic bonding as the transfer of electrons to form charged ions, drawing dot-and-cross diagrams, the giant ionic lattice, and how the structure explains the properties of ionic compounds.9 min answer →
- How are metals bonded, and why are alloys harder than pure metals?Metallic bonding as positive ions in a sea of delocalised electrons, how this explains the properties of metals, and why alloys are harder than the pure metal.8 min answer →
- What are nanoparticles, and why do they behave differently from bulk material?Nanoparticles and nanoscience, the large surface area to volume ratio of nanoparticles, their uses, and the benefits and risks of nanotechnology.8 min answer →
Unit 1 Structures, Trends, Chemical Reactions and Analysis
Module overview →- What are acids and bases, and how do they react to form salts?Acids, bases and alkalis in terms of hydrogen and hydroxide ions, the pH scale and indicators, neutralisation, and the reactions of acids with metals, oxides, hydroxides and carbonates.9 min answer →
- How do we prepare a pure, dry sample of a salt?The solubility rules for salts, preparing a soluble salt from an acid and an insoluble base, and preparing an insoluble salt by precipitation.8 min answer →
- How do we use balanced equations to calculate reacting masses?Using the mole and balanced symbol equations to calculate reacting masses, the conservation of mass, and finding empirical formulae from mass or percentage data.9 min answer →
- How do we count atoms by weighing them using the mole?Relative formula mass, the mole as a counting unit, the relationship between moles, mass and relative formula mass, and calculating percentage composition by mass.9 min answer →
- How do we write and balance chemical equations?Writing chemical formulae from ions, constructing word and balanced symbol equations with state symbols, and writing simple ionic equations for neutralisation and precipitation.9 min answer →
- How do we identify ions and gases in the laboratory?Qualitative analysis: flame tests and sodium hydroxide tests for metal ions, tests for halide, sulfate and carbonate ions, and the tests for hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and chlorine.9 min answer →
Unit 2 Further Chemical Reactions, Rates and Equilibrium, Calculations and Organic Chemistry
Module overview →- Why does iron rust, and how can corrosion be prevented?The rusting of iron and the conditions needed, and methods of preventing corrosion including barrier methods, galvanising and sacrificial protection.8 min answer →
- How does electrolysis split compounds, and what forms at each electrode?Electrolysis of molten ionic compounds and of aqueous solutions including brine, predicting the products at each electrode, and writing electrode half-equations.9 min answer →
- How is the method of extracting a metal decided by its reactivity?How the reactivity of a metal determines its extraction method, the extraction of iron by reduction with carbon in the blast furnace, and why reactive metals are extracted by electrolysis.9 min answer →
- How do we rank metals by reactivity, and what are displacement reactions?The reactivity series of metals, the reactions of metals with water and acid, and displacement reactions of metals with metal salt solutions.9 min answer →
- What are oxidation and reduction in terms of electrons and oxygen?Oxidation and reduction defined in terms of oxygen and of electrons (OIL RIG), identifying redox in displacement and other reactions, and writing half-equations.9 min answer →
Unit 2 Further Chemical Reactions, Rates and Equilibrium, Calculations and Organic Chemistry
Module overview →- How are alkenes turned into plastics, and what are the disposal issues?Addition polymerisation of alkenes to form polymers, drawing the repeating unit, naming common addition polymers and their uses, and the problems of plastic disposal.9 min answer →
- What are alcohols, how are they made, and what are they used for?Alcohols as a homologous series with the OH functional group, the production of ethanol by fermentation and by hydration of ethene, and the uses and combustion of alcohols.9 min answer →
- What are alkanes and alkenes, and why do we crack hydrocarbons?Alkanes and alkenes as saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, their general formulae and combustion, the bromine water test for unsaturation, and cracking.9 min answer →
- How do we calculate concentration, titration results and percentage yield?Concentration in g per dm cubed and mol per dm cubed, using titration results to find an unknown concentration, and calculating percentage yield.9 min answer →
- What is crude oil, and how is it separated into useful fractions?Crude oil as a mixture of hydrocarbons, its separation by fractional distillation into fractions, and how the properties of fractions change with chain length.9 min answer →
- What is the atmosphere made of, and how does burning fuels pollute it?The composition of the atmosphere, the pollutants from burning fuels (carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, particulates), and the greenhouse effect and global warming.9 min answer →
Unit 2 Further Chemical Reactions, Rates and Equilibrium, Calculations and Organic Chemistry
Module overview →- Why do the rate factors work, and how do catalysts speed reactions up?Collision theory, activation energy, how concentration, temperature and surface area change the frequency and energy of collisions, and how catalysts work by lowering activation energy.9 min answer →
- How do reactions release or take in energy, and how do we measure it?Exothermic and endothermic reactions, energy level diagrams, and measuring temperature changes using calorimetry to compare the energy released by fuels.9 min answer →
- What affects how fast a reaction goes, and how do we measure it?The factors that affect the rate of reaction (concentration, temperature, surface area and catalysts), how rate is measured by gas volume or mass loss, and interpreting rate graphs.9 min answer →
- What is a reversible reaction, and how is the Haber process optimised?Reversible reactions and dynamic equilibrium, how changing conditions shifts the position of equilibrium, and the conditions used in the Haber process to make ammonia.9 min answer →