Are you taking a chemistry class? Chemistry may be challenging, but there are many things you can do to help yourself succeed. Here are some tips to help you pass chemistry.
- Just
keep your mind cool and read everything on the paper, most students just
don't read long paragraphs of text carefully. Practicals are not that hard
so try to score most here, the best solution to this is to try as many
practicals as many possible.
- Don't
perform unnecessary titrations, if you did two and got results close to
each other then there's no need for a third one.
- Always
draw a triangle on the graph to find the gradient, if you are asked to
find it.
- Latest salt analysis sections contain a trick with aluminium and lead (II) ions
because they have the same results with ammonia and sodium hydroxide. The
test that distinguished them is addition of HCL, it will form a
precipitate with lead (II) ions but not with aluminum ions. (Lead (II)
ions can be distinguished from aluminium ions by the insolubility of lead
(II) chloride.)
- Always
read carefully the names of the solutions before working with them, 1
small mistake and you might have to start from the beginning.
- Always
heat solutions in a boiling tube and not the test tube.
- Make
sure the burette is closed before adding solutions to it.
- If you're
quick at experiments then I recommend washing the apparatus with distill
water before using. (But only if you're sure you can complete the
experiment in time.)
- Don't
spend more than 45 mins on Salt Analysis.
- When
you write the observation for some gas that is released, always include a
confirmatory test. You should actually never perform these confirmatory
tests (to save time) just use your knowledge of chemistry to find which
gas is released but always include the test in the observations. E.g. when
a carbonate is reacted with an acid, you should write the observation;
"Colorless gas released which turns lime water milky."
- Remember
some gases are hard to see when released in a test tube, so where you
expect some gases to be released, look carefully for the observation. A
good idea is to use the white tile or if you're not provided with it then
use your paper as the background when looking at the test tube.
- Try to
memorize the smell of ammonia. I know it’s very disturbing to smell it but
you need to identify it from others when they ask you so just smell it
enough that you can distinguish it from other gases.
- In the
paper you want both speed and accuracy, so do the easy parts fast like
pouring solutions and stuff and use the time saved on important parts like
observing changes and stuff.
- In the
exam if you think some solution has some impurity or you put something
into it by mistake then just ask them to replace it, don't use it.
- Remember
to not to use the same dropper for two different solutions.
- If
some solution involves heating and then heating strongly then you really
need to heat it strongly so don't write no change too fast.
- Always
wash the thermometer before using, and make sure it’s working before
using, when not dipped into any solution, it should give a constant
reading of 25-30 °C.
- Some
solutions need shaking to mix them and sometime you will need to shake it
really hard to work it out. Just wash your hands and close the top of the
test-tube with your thumb and shake.
- Be
careful with the amount of solutions you use, you need to finish all the
experiments in the amount of solutions provided don't think that you can
get more if you're empty because some examiners might be strict.
- Try to
work in a clean and objective-oriented environment, what I mean is when
you're working with 1 part of the paper then just keep the solutions
needed for that part to yourself and keep the others away. This helps a
lot.
- Always
draw tables (similar to how they give you in the questions) to represent
results and observations, don't just write them down in lines.
- One
last thing and this is really important; understand the question before
doing it, if you can't then try drawing diagrams on a paper to help you
visualize what you are going to do and if you still don't get it then skip
that part you can do it in the end unless it is related to any other part,
if so then just try to copy whatever is instructed in the question.
If you have anything else to add feel free to do so.