Big believer in the power of beautiful lesson plans to make learning easier. My resources cover the sciences and geography. My biochemistry degree and tuition work I do mean I create resources for a lot of courses as and when I need a resource-always feel free to comment and request something if you want something else or an adaptation. Oxford biochemistry graduate.
Big believer in the power of beautiful lesson plans to make learning easier. My resources cover the sciences and geography. My biochemistry degree and tuition work I do mean I create resources for a lot of courses as and when I need a resource-always feel free to comment and request something if you want something else or an adaptation. Oxford biochemistry graduate.
Worksheet as a reminder of how the ideal gas law works, showing all the unit conversions and with a model calculation. Also includes a diagram of why a cubic metre = 1 million cubic centimetres, something students often have trouble with. Suitable for all A-level chemistry and 16+ exam boards e.g. AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Cambridge. The assumptions the ideal gas law makes are also explained.
Ready reference notes on the group 7 elements, covering their colour and state as elements, their colours dissolved in water and organic solvents, the precipitation reactions with silver nitrate, and their redox reactions with concentrated sulphuric acid. Both an attractive, colourful version showing all the colours and a version in black and white for photocopying. Suitable especially for the AQA exam board.
I’ve also added a version squeezing everything onto a single page. It looks very compact but won’t photocopy well as well as the text gets quite small.
Notes on one page covering all the tests for cations for AQA 9-1 GCSE chemistry, including the precipitation equations. I’ve also included model equations, both complete and ionic, for the precipitation reactions, with examples for a +2 and +3 ion. Versions both in colour and in black and white for photocopying and links to videos of the tests.
Diagrams showing conjugate acid-base pairs with a bold, vibrant, eye-catching design that would look good for revision notes. Suitable for courses such as the Edexcel A-level chemistry specification, section 12.1, AQA, OCR and others.
Covers dissociation of strong and weak acids, and a strong acid protonating a weaker acid.
Versions of the resource in colour and in black and white for better photocopying are included.
Notes on gas chromatography and GC-MS for the current AQA A-level specification. There’s pictures and diagrams, explanation of a calibration curve and links to three top recommended videos in this one-page resource.
In preparing this set of notes, I found question 6 from the specimen paper 2 (set 2) especially useful for knowing what the current examiners are looking for, so I really recommend this for exam practice of this topic.
Revision notes on the Arrhenius equation for the OCR A A-level chemistry specification on two pages.
A lot of students by the second year of A-level have forgotten how to do things like find the equation and intercept of a straight line graph, so this set of notes has a lot of recap. There’s also a lot of detailed breakdown of the log equation and how it’s a straight line graph. I explain what ln(A) is and how to calculate it.
Includes a lot of model calculations, recap of straight line graphs and explanation of the confusing units of the H432/01 2018 paper’s graph.
Update, 13/05/24: a missing 0 in the explanation of the 2018 paper’s units has been corrected, my apologies for the glitch.
One-page poster of the transition metal formulas and colours of aqua ions and reactions with hydroxide ions, ammonia, carbonate ions and HCl. Covers Fe2+, Fe3+, Al3+, Cu2+ and Co2+ ions. Versions in full colour and black and white. For AQA A-level chemistry.
These notes are inspired by vocab check lists you use when you learn a foreign language-you cover the answers and read through. Getting the points to learn into an order you repeat over and over is really helpful for learning everything.
UPDATE, October 2023: based on feedback from students, more details on the cobalt complexes and the problem of what you are and aren’t asked to know, the half-equation for oxidation by dissolved oxygen in alkaline solution has been added, the equation of ammonia acting as an alkali in water, and an explanation that on non-course materials you may see the hydroxide formulas without showing that they’re hydrated.
Notes on one page each covering all the tests for anions and cations for AQA GCSE chemistry, including the precipitation equations. Versions both in colour and in black and white for photocopying.
With the positive ion tests, I’ve included model equations, both complete and ionic, for the precipitation reactions, with examples for a +2 and +3 ion. With the negative ion tests, there’s both a full and ionic equation for carbonate, sulfate and halide ion reactions to give students good models. To show the differences in formulas between compounds of metals that form +2 and +1 ions, there’s equations for both sodium and calcium carbonate too.
Notes on one page each covering all the tests for anions and cations for Edexcel iGCSE chemistry, including the precipitation equations. Versions both in colour and in black and white for photocopying.
With the positive ion tests, I’ve included model equations, both complete and ionic, for the precipitation reactions, with examples for a +2 and +3 ion.
With the negative ion tests, there’s both a full and ionic equation for carbonate, sulfate and halide ion reactions to give students good models. To show the differences in formulas between compounds of metals that form +2 and +1 ions, there’s equations for both sodium and calcium carbonate too, and details of what happens if you use different acids.
Some of the hardest questions for many GCSE chemistry students are the written questions, explaining things like why the rate of reaction increases when you increase the temperature, and how the position of equilibrium shifts. So I’ve written a one-page set of notes that covers all these questions, fitting them onto a single page.
These notes cover:
how temperature and concentration affect rate of reaction
melting point of ionic, molecular and giant covalent chemicals
equilibrium position
conductivity
It makes chemistry so much easier for students having everything on a single page.
Particularly intended for GCSE chemistry but I think it’s also pretty helpful for A-level students just starting the course who need to recap what they did last year, many will have forgotten these topics.
Purchase includes a “general” set of notes not written for any particular exam board, and specific versions for students taking Edexcel iGCSE and the AQA 9-1 GCSEs.
Changelog: a missing ‘no’ has been added in conduction. My apologies for the glitch.
Diagram of Born-Haber hydration, solution and lattice enthalpy laid out at a large size with a lot of space for notes and comments. Two versions, one for AQA which uses the term lattice dissociation enthalpy, the other for OCR and Edexcel which just call it the reverse of the lattice enthalpy.
Specification targets include: AQA 3.1.8.1, OCR A 5.2.1, Edexcel 13.1
Changelog, September 2023: more detail on the calculations.
Notes on one page each covering all the tests for anions and cations for Edexcel GCSE chemistry, including the precipitation equations. Versions both in colour and in black and white for photocopying.
With the positive ion tests, I’ve included model equations, both complete and ionic, for the precipitation reactions, with examples for a +2 and +3 ion.
With the negative ion tests, there’s both a full and ionic equation for carbonate, sulfate and halide ion reactions to give students good models. To show the differences in formulas between compounds of metals that form +2 and +1 ions, there’s equations for both sodium and calcium carbonate too, and details of what happens if you use different acids.
Notes on gas chromatography for the OCR A-level chemistry A specification on a single page. It particularly emphasises knowing how separation is achieved, a common topic for tough questions where getting the phrasing right is absolutely essential. There’s pictures and diagrams, explanation of a calibration curve and links to three top recommended videos.
Questions looked at to prepare these notes (and recommended for revision) included:
October 2020 paper 1, question 13 (MCQ)
June 2015 paper 4, question 1
June 2012 paper 4, question 5
June 2018 unit 2, question 21 c i)
One-page poster and revision notes showing how to work out the formula of ionic chemicals. Includes a list of common ions, and the three scenarios: swap and drop, the ions have the same charge, and there’s more than one of an ion made of more than one atom so you need brackets. Versions both in colour and carefully converted into black and white. Then there’s also a question sheet working out the formulas of 21 chemicals, and the answers on a separate sheet.
Suitable for both GCSE and A-level students-I find it really helpful as a recap for A-level students to recap the topic, since they’ve often forgotten it from GCSE.
September 2023 update: based on feedback from students, I’ve explained more about what iron(II) and iron(III) are, and turned the part about when you use brackets into a checklist of questions to ask. I’ve also created an additional version of the questions split into two sets so one can be homework. The questions in the homework set 2 are similar at each level but the hardest questions are in set 1.
Two-page revision checklist of all the transition metal colours on the OCR A A-level chemistry specification. Also includes list of notable catalysts, half-equations with dichromate(VI) and manganate(VII) ions, lists of the types of stereoisomerism, and links to videos of most of the reactions. There’s versions both in colour and black and white.
These notes are inspired by vocab lists you use when you learn a foreign language-you cover the answers and read through. Getting the points to learn into an order you repeat over and over is really helpful for learning everything.
Changelog, 12/3/23: a broken link has been fixed.
One of the hardest questions the examiners can ask at A-level is how to predict the second and third ionisation energy. It’s not clearly labelled in the textbooks how to do this. So here’s a three-page set of notes on how to do this, working through some exam-style questions.
Specification references include: OCR A 3.1.1, AQA 3.1.1.3
Two page set of notes in table format on intermolecular forces, listing the forces, where they come from and how strong they are: instantaneous dipole-induced dipole forces, permanent dipole-dipole, hydrogen bonds. Also includes notes on which type of chemical has what forces. Page 2 explains how aldehydes and ketones and esters are hydrogen bond acceptors. Following the example of Chemguide, explains permanent dipole-dipole as more adding a bit of strength on top of instantaneous dipole-induced dipole forces forces than making the molecule highly polar and hydrophilic like hydrogen bonding. Bold, eye-catching typography and careful design sets this lesson plan out.
Special bonus! This pack contains three sets of notes depending on what your course calls instantaneous-induced dipole forces/van der Waals forces/London forces, so if you teach multiple courses you’re always covered: Cambridge/CIE, OCR, Edexcel, AQA. I sell multiple SKUs of this set of three notes to show up on searches for teachers teaching different courses, but they contain the same content: all three files in the same pack.
Two page set of notes in table format on intermolecular forces, listing the forces, where they come from and how strong they are: van der Waals, permanent dipole-dipole, hydrogen bonds. Also includes notes on which type of chemical has what forces. Page 2 explains how aldehydes and ketones and esters are hydrogen bond acceptors. Following the example of Chemguide, explains permanent dipole-dipole as more adding a bit of strength on top of van der Waals forces than making the molecule highly polar and hydrophilic like hydrogen bonding. Bold, eye-catching typography and careful design sets this lesson plan out.
Special bonus! This pack contains three sets of notes depending on what your course calls van der Waals forces/London forces/instantaneous-induced dipole forces, so if you teach multiple courses you’re always covered: AQA, OCR, Edexcel, Cambridge. I sell multiple SKUs of this set of three notes to advertise at teachers teaching different courses, but they contain the same content: all three files in the same pack.
Two page set of notes in table format on intermolecular interactions, listing the forces, where they come from and how strong they are: London forces, permanent dipole-dipole, hydrogen bonds. Also includes notes on which type of chemical has what forces. Page 2 explains how aldehydes and ketones and esters are hydrogen bond acceptors. Following the example of Chemguide, explains permanent dipole-dipole as more adding a bit of strength on top of London forces than making the molecule highly polar and hydrophilic like hydrogen bonding. Bold, eye-catching typography and careful design sets this lesson plan out.
Special bonus! This pack contains three sets of notes depending on what your course calls London forces/van der Waals forces/instantaneous-induced dipole forces, so if you teach multiple courses you’re always covered: Edexcel, OCR, AQA, Cambridge. I sell multiple SKUs of this set of three notes to advertise at teachers teaching different courses, but they contain the same content: all three files in the same pack.
Two page set of notes in table format on intermolecular forces, listing the forces, where they come from and how strong they are: London forces, permanent dipole-dipole, hydrogen bonds. Also includes notes on which type of chemical has what forces. Page 2 explains how aldehydes and ketones and esters are hydrogen bond acceptors. Following the example of Chemguide, explains permanent dipole-dipole as more adding a bit of strength on top of London forces than making the molecule highly polar and hydrophilic like hydrogen bonding. Bold, eye-catching typography and careful design sets this lesson plan out.
Special bonus! This pack contains three sets of notes depending on what your course calls London forces/van der Waals forces/instantaneous-induced dipole forces, so if you teach multiple courses you’re always covered: OCR, Edexcel, AQA, Cambridge. I sell multiple SKUs of this set of three notes to advertise at teachers searching for different courses, but they contain the same content: all three files in the same pack.