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aqa alevel chemistry Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by

this will (hopefully!) be everything you need to know for aqa a level chem (as of 2023) i will try to use the exact phrasing markschemes use if i have missed anything please comment ^-^

This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

3.1 Physical Chemis­try

 
includes:
- atomic structure
- amount of substance
- structure and bonding
- energetics
- kinetics
- equilibria
- redox
(the following are A2 only)
- thermo­dyn­amics
- rate equations
- Kp
- electrode potentials
- acids and bases

3.1.1 Atomic Structure

Section:
Completed?
fundam­ental particles
yes
mass number, isotopes
no
electron config­uration
yes

Fundam­ental Particles

plum pudding model
a sphere of positive charge with balls of negative charge embedded within: essent­ially looks like a plum pudding
electron shell model
small, dense positive charged nucleus with protons and neutrons; electrons orbit in shells
Ruther­ford's gold foil experiment
(Geige­r-M­arsdon experi­ment)
 
shot alpha particles through thin gold foil
 
- vast majority pass through
 
- few deflected by large angles
 
- ~1/10000 deflected back to side it came from
Ruther­ford's conclu­sions
 
- nucleus is small, positive, dense, massive (heavy)
 
- most of the atom is empty space
relative mass
proton­/ne­utron = 1; electron = 1/1840
relative charge
proton = +1; neutron = 0; electron = -1

Electron Config­uration (1.1)

four atomic orbitals
s, p, d, f
 
s orbitals are spherical
 
p orbitals are dumbell shaped
 
(go practice some of these questions on paper)
spin
electrons in same orbital have opposite spin
first ionisation energy
energy required to remove 1mol of electrons from 1mol of gaseous atoms
 
always refer to "1 mole"
 
lower ionisation energy = easier to form ion
general equation (ionis­ation energy)
X₍₉₎ --> X+₍₉₎ + e¯
 
state symbols are import­ant!!
factors affecting ionisation energy:
> nuclear charge
more protons = more positively charged = stronger e¯ attraction = higher ionisation energy
> distance from nucleus
e¯ closer to nucleus = stronger attraction = higher ionisation energy
> shielding
higher num orbitals between nucleus and outer e¯ = weaker attraction = lower ionisation energy
trends in ionisation energy
down a group:
decreases
 
> each element down a group has an extra e¯ shell
 
- extra inner shells shield outer e¯ from attraction to nucleus
 
- extra shells also mean outer e¯ are further from nucleus
across a period
generally increases
 
> proton num increasing
 
- which means there's a stronger nuclear attraction
 
> little extra shielding or nuclear distance
 
- as all elements across period have same number of shells
(across a period cont)
focusing on period three elements
dip between group 2 and 3
ie between Mg and Al
 
Mg is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s²
 
Al is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p¹
 
Al outer e¯ is in 3p orbital
 
- 3p has a slightly higher energy level so is slightly further from nucleus
 
- shielded by 3s orbital
 
so ionisation energy drops slightly
 
provides evidence for electron subshell theory
dip between group 5 and 6
ie P and S
 
P is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p³
 
S is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁴
 
e¯ from S is being removed from orbital with two e¯
 
repulsion between e¯ in same orbital means e¯ are easier to remove
 
(P has single occupied orbital so no added repulsion)

equations and associated calcul­ations

 
 

Mass num, Isotopes (1.1)

mass num (A) =
num protons + num neutrons
atomic num (Z) =
num protons
isotope
atom with same number of protons but a different number of neutrons
mass spectr­ometry
stage 1: ionisation
 
the sample can be ionised by either electr­ospray or electron impact
electr­ospray
Sample (X) is dissolved in violent solvent; injected through a hypodermic needle to produce a fine mist; tip of needle is attached to positive terminal of high voltage power supply; ionised by gaining a proton; solvent evapor­ates; XH+ ions attracted to negative plate - accele­rated
electron impact
sample (X) is vaporised; high energy electron fired from electron gun - knocks off one outer shell electron from each particle; 1+ ions attracted to negative plate - accele­rated
stage 2: accele­ration
 
positive ions accele­rated using electric field so all ions have the same kinetic energy (Ek)
 
Ek = ½mv2 (Ek = ½ * mass * velocity2)
 
lighter ion = higher velocity
stage 3: flight tube (drift region)
 
lighter ions move faster than heavier ones (Ek is the same)
 
lighter ions reach the detector first
 
s = vt (distance = velocity * time)
stage 4: detection
 
positive ion hits negatively charged plate
 
ion gains an electron
why use mass spec?

moles, Avagadro const

Avogadro constant
number of particles in a mole

empirical and molecular formula

empirical formula
simplest whole number ratio of atoms of each element in a compound
molecular formula
actual number of atoms of each element in a compound

3.1.2 Amount of Substance

Section:
Completed?
Mr, Ar
yes
moles, Avogadro const
no
ideal gas equation
no
empirical and molecular formula
no
equations and associated calcul­ations
no

Ar, Mr (1.2)

relative atomic mass (Ar)
mean mass of an atom of an element divided by ¹⁄₁₂ mean mass of atom of C12 isotope
relative molecular mass (Mr)
mean mass of molecule of a compound divided by ¹⁄₁₂ of mean mass of an atom of C12
 
known as relative formula mass for ionic compounds

ideal gas equation

equation:
pV = nRT

3.1.3 bonding

Section:
Completed?
ionic
no
covalent, dative covalent
no
metallic
no
physical properties
no
shapes of molecules and ions
no
bond polarity
no
forces between molecules (imf)
no