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AQA GCSE Chemistry Paper 1 Revision Guide

Apr 26, 2025

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AQA GCSE Chemistry Paper 1: Quick Revision Guide

Overview

  • Applicable for both Higher and Foundation Tier
  • Covers Double Combined Trilogy and Triple Separate Chemistry
  • Topics: Atoms, Bonding, Quantitative Chemistry, Chemical and Energy Changes

Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table

  • Atoms are the basic unit of elements, represented by symbols on the periodic table.
  • Compounds: Substances with two or more different atoms chemically bonded (e.g., H2O).
  • Chemical Reactions: Atoms rearrange without being created or destroyed, requiring balanced equations.
  • Mixtures: Combination of elements/compounds not chemically bonded (e.g., air, solutions).
  • Physical Processes: Filtration, crystallization, distillation separate substances without chemical reactions.
  • States of Matter: Solids, liquids, gases with respective energy and movement characteristics.

Historical Models of the Atom

  • Evolution from JJ Thompson's "plum pudding model" to Rutherford's nucleus-based model.
  • Electrons are in shells (Bohr model); the discovery of neutrons (James Chadwick).

Periodic Table Insights

  • Atomic Number: Number of protons, determines the element.
  • Mass Number: Protons plus neutrons.
  • Isotopes: Same element, different neutrons.
  • Electron Configuration: Shell filling order up to 2,8,8,2 for calcium.
  • Groups: Indicate number of electrons in outer shell.
    • Group 1: Alkali metals, reactive with water.
    • Group 7: Halogens, less reactive down the group.
    • Group 0/8: Noble gases, very unreactive.

Bonding

  • Metallic Bonding: Lattice of ions with delocalized electrons, good conductivity.
  • Ionic Bonding: Metal to non-metal, forming ions in a lattice, high melting points.
  • Covalent Bonding: Non-metals sharing electrons, forming molecules.
    • Simple covalent (low boiling points, non-conductive) vs. Giant covalent (e.g., diamond).

Quantitative Chemistry

  • Conservation of Mass: Total mass conserved in reactions.
  • Moles: Unit for amount of substance, calculated as mass/RAM.
  • Stoichiometry: Moles ratio in balanced equations (e.g., 1:2 for methane to water).
  • Concentration: G/dm³ or mol/dm³ for solutions.
  • Limiting Reactants: Determines amount of product formed.

Chemical Changes

  • Reactivity Series: Ordering metals by reactivity.
  • Displacement Reactions: More reactive metals displace less reactive ones.
  • Redox Reactions: Involve transfer of electrons; "OIL RIG" (Oxidation Is Loss, Reduction Is Gain).
  • Neutralization: Acid + Alkali forms salt + water.
  • Electrolysis: Splitting compounds using electricity (e.g., aluminium extraction).

Energy Changes

  • Exothermic: Releases energy, temperature increases (e.g., combustion).
  • Endothermic: Absorbs energy, temperature decreases.
  • Energy Profiles: Visualize energy changes in reactions.
  • Bond Energy Calculations: Determine energy required to break/make bonds.
  • Fuel Cells: Convert chemical energy into electrical energy, non-renewable vs rechargeable types.

Key Equations and Concepts

  • Balancing Equations: Start with unique atoms, balance systematically.
  • Mole Calculations: Mass = moles x RAM.
  • Yield Calculations: Percentage yield, atom economy in reactions.
  • Titration (Triple): Determine unknown concentrations.

This summary is intended as a quick revision guide to cover all essential concepts for AQA GCSE Chemistry Paper 1. Review each section for a deeper understanding and practice problems for mastery.

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