Helping students understand chemistry, I’ve realised you have to hold a lot of things in your head to even know what a chemistry textbook is talking about. A lot of students find they just can’t hold together all the things they have to know at once. Back in 2015, I realised what students can benefit from is a concentrated set of notes, like a dictionary or a glossary but in full sentences, that fits as much of chemistry as you can on a single page that you can keep referring back to to decode what’s going on. My students liked it, and I’ve worked to create definitions that are concise and clear to fit as much as possible on one page. It’s helpful for giving students just starting the course to have to refer to every now and then, and for students who need remedial help because the concepts are slipping out of reach. The notes include quick basic definitions of: structure of an atom how to read the periodic table ionic, covalent and metallic bonding properties of ionic chemicals oxidation and reduction properties of ionic chemicals acids, bases and alkalis the idea that in neutralisation the salt name depends on the acid

Revision notes for A-level chemistry on cracking for the AQA A-level specification in comparison table format, and the same table but empty for students to fill in themselves. An example cracking equation is given for students to fill in and suggest names for the products and there is an emphasis on practicing the unit conversions and working out the formulas and names of products. Update for 2023: expanded resource based on student feedback, with a link to a video demonstration and bullet-point list of products.

Notes on one page covering all the tests for cations for Edexcel GCSE chemistry, including the precipitation equations, and links to videos of them being done. I’ve also included model equations, both complete and ionic, for the precipitation reactions, with examples for a +2 and +3 ion, and the equation for the ammonium ion test. Versions included both in colour and in black and white for photocopying. Update: a missing 2 in a formula has been added. My apologies for the mistake.

Notes on the tests for anions for AQA GCSE chemistry courses on a single page. A lot of work went to squeezing everything in! 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. There’s versions of the resource for colour and black and white printing. This set of notes was particular written targeting the AQA GCSE chemistry course, but it’s suitable for most GCSE courses as well as recap for students coming in to A-level.

Revision notes of the negative ions for Edexcel GCSE chemistry on one page, including both complete and ionic equations for the reactions. Versions both in colour and for black and white printing. 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 capture mark, release and recapture population estimates, suitable for courses including A-level biology and Edexcel GCSE statistics. Covering one page, the assumptions and the idea of a reciprocal are explained and there’s two model calculations.

Worksheet and worked examples with two intuitive stories of how people could need to use a reciprocal to find a whole quantity when they only know a fraction of it. Could be suitable for KS2, KS3 or advanced KS1 students. There’s versions in poster form, a problem sheet and (probably most useful for students) a version with notes and worksheet merged onto one page. (The answers are 30 minutes and 12 minutes.) To make it approachable for students in a range of countries I have versions where the money is UK pounds, the Euro or dollars-with appropriate Emoji images! Comment if you’d like a version in a different currency, I’ll add it.

Some of the hardest questions for many GCSE chemistry students are the long answer 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 for AQA 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. A version with colour pictures is included. 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. This set of notes was written against the current AQA GCSE science specifications. Past paper mark schemes consulted include: ionic bonding: 4.3 from 8464/C/2H, 2018, specification reference 5.2.2.3. giant covalent bonding: 5.1 from 8464C1H 2018, specification reference 5.2.3.1 3.4 from 8465/3H 2019, specification 4.8.1.1 simple molecular bonding and intermolecular forces: 4.4 from 8464/C/1H 2019, 5.1.2.6 and 5.2.2.4 7.1 from 84644C2H specimen, 5.2.2.4 concentration and rate: 5.5 from 8464/C/2H 2019, specification reference 5.6.1.3 temperature and rate: 6.4 from 8465/3H 2019, reference 4.7.4.3 metallic conductivity: 2.6 from 84643C1H specimen paper, reference 5.2.1.5/5.2.2.8 equilibrium: 4.3 from 8465/3H 2019, 4.7.4.8 4.7.4.10 7.2 from 84644C2H specimen, 5.6.2.4

One-page resource on electronegativity, covering a bullet point definition of electronegativity, polar bonds, the effect of dipoles cancelling, and which elements are most electronegative. Links to other areas of the course are made by explaining that although electronegativity is what you see in covalent bonded molecules, it correlates with higher first ionisation energy. Suitable for all A-level specifications, but particularly ties into the AQA and OCR content. An extract of a table of electronegativity is included covering all the common non-metals.

The two main types of Hess cycles shown on a poster: cycles with combustion enthalpy data and formation enthalpy data. There’s versions both in colour and black and white. The diagram focuses on teaching them using a vector method which shows which arrow needs to be reversed. The answers of what to do are on the side of the poster.

Colourful revision notes in checklist form of all the bond angles for the AQA course over two pages. It’s very helpful to be able to run quickly down a list of all the bond angles and check you remember them-this is very common in foreign languages where you have to learn lots of vocabulary: you cover the answers and run through them one by one. Lists of both the standard case study chemicals from the textbooks, and also others students may run into e.g. organic chemicals, which the textbook doesn’t link to this topic but exam questions may do. There’s also an explanation of the key points to make in explaining why bond angles exist based on past paper questions. There’s versions both in colour and black and white.

One-page reference of the most common oxidation numbers for A-level with clear layout. Lists the elements which have particularly unpredictable oxidation numbers and gives case studies of them. Also lists the most common oxidation numbers of transition metals, with half-equations for the reduction of manganate(VII) and dichromate(VI) ions. Versions in colour and in black and white for photocopying. Specification references include OCR A 2.1.5 and AQA 3.1.7.

Flow diagram showing the menstrual cycle on one page, suitable for OCR Gateway GCSE biology. Clean modern design, easy to follow. Explains roles of follicle stimulating hormone, luteinising hormone, oestrogen and progesterone, the pituitary gland and ovaries, as well as the hormonal contraception methods. Two versions are included. One includes details of contraception methods, one doesn’t to give you a version with less text. This version of these notes is designed for OCR Gateway GCSE biology. I have an alternative version of this diagram for the AQA and Edexcel courses (amongst others) which contains some extra content, including more details about progesterone.

One-page reference giving a case study of how to answer questions on experiment design. Suitable for GCSE and A-level students. The case study is testing catalase-catalysed decomposition of hydrogen peroxide at different temperatures. This set of notes is oriented towards exam technique and how to answer multi-mark questions on this kind of topic: the need to define and set up an independent variable, to measure a dependent variable, define some control variables, and maybe plot the data and mention some safety precautions. I specifically mention that you don’t need to give too many control variables-students often think they can get more marks listing dozens.

Notes on the tests for anions for OCR Gateway GCSE chemistry on a single page. 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. A lot of work went to squeezing everything in clearly! There’s versions of the resource for colour and black and white printing.

Notes on gas chromatography and GC-MS for the current Edexcel 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.

I’ve found respiration is one of the most important things for students to get right studying biology. The equations are so important, but many GCSE and even some weaker A-level biology students can’t instantly give them. I explain to students that they’re an instant grade boost. Here’s a worksheet and set of notes on one page on the most common respiration questions. There’s the word equations, a guide through the standard question about how your heart and breathing rate change with exercise, and there’s links to some recommended videos. Versions included for colour and black and white printing. Full mark scheme included with the worksheet. Remembering the equations for respiration is one of the last things I always go over with students just before their exams, because it’s such a morale booster to instantly get full marks on one of these questions. I will never forget what one student told me in 2021: “It came up! Exactly what you said, it came up!” Although this worksheet and set of notes works for students taking any exam board and A-level students who need a recap, it was particularly written with an eye to AQA 9-1 GCSE mark schemes. Questions consulted included: 8461/1H 2021, question 7 8461/1F 2020, question 4 8461/2F 2018, questions 7 and 11 BL2HP 2017, question 5 I’ve got a separate set of notes for Edexcel iGCSE which uses the term “lactate” instead of lactic acid.

Poster showing how you divide by a fraction. There’s two case studies, one simple, dividing a fraction by another fraction, and another more complicated, starting from a whole number. Suitable to be printed large on a classroom wall or at small size for students to stick into their exercise book or folder. Suitable for students around KS2 to KS3 and weaker GCSE students. As an advanced point for students doing well, it introduces the idea of reciprocals.

Here’s a one-page diagram of reverse percentages, showing and explaining the idea that you have to find the single percentage change that turns into old into new and reverse it. Both % increase and % decline are covered as examples. Suitable for students to glue into their book as an example or for putting as a poster in a classroom.

Notes on one page covering all the tests for cations for OCR Gateway 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 included both in colour and in black and white for photocopying.