The Complete Teaching package

There are nine new experiments introduced as part of the revised syllabus:

• Verifying the law of conservation of mass.
• Preparing serial dilution solutions from a stock solution.
• Determining the concentration of an ammonia solution.
• Investigating the effect of surface area (particle size) on reaction rate.
• Investigating the heat of combustion of a series of alcohols.
• Electrochemistry investigations, including constructing a galvanic cell, constructing a voltaic pile and investigating displacement reactions.
• Electrolysis investigations, including the electrolysis of acidified water, copper chloride solution and potassium iodide solution.
• Preparing an ester using a reflux method.
• Preparing soap on a small-scale using household reactants.

The curriculum specification identifies a number of experiments as Experimental Investigations (EI). These include selected cation and anion tests, the law of conservation of mass, the determination of ethanoic acid in vinegar, percentage iron, several rates of reaction experiments, heats of combustion and enthalpy of neutralisation.

However, it is recommended that all practical experiments be taught using an investigative (inquiry-based) approach, regardless of whether they are formally designated as EI experiments.

Yes. It is recommended that students complete all of the practical investigations included in the Chemistry Live Laboratory Investigations Notebook. Practical work features prominently throughout the sample examination papers, so completing all experiments helps students prepare effectively for assessment.

Yes. Videos are available for all 27 prescribed laboratory experiments. They can be accessed through MY FOLENS Library and by scanning the QR codes included in both the textbook and the Laboratory Investigations Notebook. The videos are designed to support classroom teaching, revision and the development of practical skills.

Practical work has a much greater emphasis in the revised examination. Questions based on laboratory investigations are embedded throughout the written papers rather than being confined to a single section. Students should therefore be familiar with all of the prescribed experiments and be able to explain methods, identify apparatus and reactants, describe observations, interpret results and perform relevant calculations.

The sample papers include questions on a wide range of experiments, including:

• Percentage iron determination.
• Preparing an ester using reflux.
• Soap preparation.
• Constructing a galvanic cell.
• Rates of reaction.
• Volumetric analysis.
• Ethanoic acid in vinegar.
• Relative molecular mass of a volatile liquid.
• Synthesis of benzoic acid.
• Flame tests.
• Anion tests.
• Electrolysis.
• Enthalpy of neutralisation.
• Surface area investigations.

This highlights the importance of completing all prescribed laboratory investigations.

The unifying strand should be integrated throughout the teaching of practical chemistry rather than taught as a separate topic. It places particular emphasis on concepts such as:

• Accuracy and precision
• Selecting appropriate laboratory equipment
• Random and systematic errors
• Good laboratory technique

These themes are embedded throughout the Laboratory Investigations Notebook and are reflected in the sample examination papers.

Students should become familiar with:

• Selecting the correct apparatus for each task.
• The correct preparation and rinsing of laboratory equipment.
• Proper use of graduated cylinders, pipettes, burettes and conical flasks.
• The reasons behind each practical technique and the errors that can result if procedures are not followed correctly.

Understanding both the practical techniques and the underlying reasons for them is important for success in the examinations.

The Assessment and Exam Guide contains a wide range of multiple-choice and examination-style questions that test students' understanding of practical concepts, including accuracy, precision, laboratory equipment and experimental technique. These questions are designed to reinforce the links between the textbook, the laboratory investigations and the examination.

Students should present their answers as a numbered sequence of steps rather than writing a continuous paragraph. Numbering each stage helps to ensure the procedure is logical and complete. Where appropriate, students should also include a clearly labelled diagram, as this can help demonstrate their understanding and may earn additional marks.