Practical Skills for A-Level Chemistry Paper 2

Revising Chemistry Practicals for Paper 2:
Paper 2 A-Level Chemistry is just 2 days away, and it's crucial to revise the essential concepts of the required practicals that will be tested. Understanding these practicals is not only important for direct questions but also for applying your knowledge to more complex scenarios. Here are some key areas to focus on and tricky questions that might come up for each practical:
For AQA
Distillation of a Reaction Product (RP 05)
- Key Concepts: Understand the principles of simple and fractional distillation, including how different boiling points allow separation of components.
- Tricky Questions: You might be asked to explain why certain impurities remain in the distilled product or how to improve the purity of the final product. Be prepared to calculate the percentage yield and discuss factors affecting it.
Organic Tests (RP 06)
- Key Concepts: Familiarize yourself with tests for functional groups like alkenes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids.
- Tricky Questions: Be ready to identify compounds based on a series of tests or to explain false positives and negatives in test results. You may also need to suggest alternative tests for confirmation.
Measuring the Rate of a Reaction (RP 07)
- Key Concepts: Know how to measure reaction rates using different methods (e.g., gas collection, mass loss, color change) and understand the factors that affect reaction rates.
- Tricky Questions: You could be asked to design an experiment to measure the rate of a new reaction or to interpret complex data from a rate experiment. Questions might also involve calculating the rate constant or discussing the effect of catalysts.
Preparation of Organic Solids and Liquids (RP 10)
- Key Concepts: Understand the synthesis, purification, and characterization of organic compounds, including recrystallization and distillation techniques.
- Tricky Questions: Be prepared for questions on yield calculations, purity assessments, and potential side reactions. You might need to suggest improvements to the synthesis process to increase yield or purity.
Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC) (RP 12)
- Key Concepts: Know how to set up and interpret TLC, including the choice of solvent, spotting technique, and Rf value calculations.
- Tricky Questions: You could be asked to compare the effectiveness of different solvents or to identify compounds in a mixture based on TLC results. Questions might also involve troubleshooting common issues like streaking or poor resolution.
At least 15% of the overall assessment of A-level Chemistry will assess knowledge, skills, and understanding in relation to practical work. Revising these experiments thoroughly is essential for your success.
5 Tips for the Last 2 Days Before the Exam:
1. Focus on Weak Areas: Identify your weakest topics and concentrate on them. Practice problems and review concepts until you feel confident.
2. Practice Past Papers: Complete past exam papers under timed conditions. This will help you get familiar with the exam format and improve your time management.
3. Revise Practical Skills: Go over the key practicals, especially RP 10 and RP 07. Ensure you understand the steps, calculations, and the theory behind each experiment.
4. Create Summary Notes: Condense your notes into key points and formulas. Use these summaries for quick revision sessions.
5. Stay Healthy: Ensure you get enough sleep, eat well, and take short breaks during your study sessions to keep your mind fresh and focused.
Understanding and revising these experiments are crucial for your exams. Let's dive deep and ensure you're fully prepared!
OCR paper 2 Required Practicals:
PAG05 - Synthesis of an Organic Liquid
PAG 06 - Synthesis of an Organic Solid
PAG 07 - Qualitative Analysis of Organic Functional Groups
EDEXCEL - Core Practicals
CP 01 - Finding molar volume of a gas
CP 04 - Rate of hydrolysis of halogenoalkanes
CP 05 - Oxidation of ethanol
CP 06 - Chlorination
CP 07 & CP 15 - Analysis of unknown compounds
CP 12 - Transition metal complex preparation
CP 13 - Iodine reactions
CP 14 - Activation energy
CP 15 - Analysis of some inorganic and organic unknowns
CP 16 - Synthesis of aspirin