Calculations in AS/A Level Chemistry - Jim Clark

...for so I assume the calculations in A-Level chemistry are pretty universal over all the major exams boards. (I am with AQA and the majority of the book is relevant for me.)

The book is split into 11 chapters - from chapters containing basic formulae to chapters with more difficult aspects of chemistry. Each chapter has information about calculations including worked examples complete with model answers. This gives information about ...
...chapters start off with basic calculations and gradually progress in difficulty.

The book assumes only basic knowledge of GCSE so although I just started using this at the start of A2 it looks as though it would be very good for bridging the (rather large!) gap between GCSE and AS level.

There are notes in the margin, which aid understanding. I like reading these notes, as there are tips to help you do your best in ... more

I started doing AS chemistry 3 weeks into the course and I am now the only person in my A2 Chemistry class as the other three students restarted the year! You would think as I'm the only person in the class that I would be getting fantastic tuition but one of my teachers is also the Assistant Head so I don't see much of him (three lessons a fortnight- when he's here!) hence I do a lot of studying of my own. So that's where this book comes in.

** For those of you that don't know, AS stands for Advanced Subsidiary and is half an A-level. They take one year to complete. AS levels count as a qualification on their own or an additional year's study can make it an A-level. The additional year's study can be known as A2. AS and A2 produce a full A-Level qualification. **

I borrowed this book from the library. It is for the whole A-level course and contains all the information on the types of questions based around calculations. I have looked all over the book and I can't find which specification it is for so I assume the calculations in A-Level chemistry are pretty universal over all the major exams boards. (I am with AQA and the majority of the book is relevant for me.)

The book is split into 11 chapters - from chapters containing basic formulae to chapters with more difficult aspects of chemistry. Each chapter has information about calculations including worked examples complete with model answers. This gives information about when you would use these calculations in chemistry as well as showing you how they are done before giving some problems for you to try. There are answers and some worked solutions at the back of the book, which help you check your progress. The chapters are broken down into 'chunks', which are easily digested. The chapters start off with basic calculations and gradually progress in difficulty.

The book assumes only basic knowledge of GCSE so although I just started using this at the start of A2 it looks as though it would be very good for bridging the (rather large!) gap between GCSE and AS level.

There are notes in the margin, which aid understanding. I like reading these notes, as there are tips to help you do your best in the exam. There are a few little techniques that I now find clearer by using these.

There are lots of variants of each type of calculation, which help you prepare for the exam as you have experience in answering lots of different types of question.

There are revision problems at the end of each chapter (there are answers to the problems but no worked solutions). These are excellent for checking I understand a topic and provides more practice, which is very important at A-level. It doesn't matter too much that there are no worked solutions to these questions because if I get an answer incorrect I can use the correct answer to work out where I have gone wrong.

Obviously, this book is not enough on its own when you are studying AS or A-Level chemistry as this only provides help for the calculations and lots of chemistry is not based on calculations.

Main faults of this book - its in black and white (I prefer colour but beggars can't be choosers!), it only covers calculations and I probably don't use it as much as I should - that said I think I'll go and do some questions now… after all, they say practice makes perfect (and come to the summer exams that's what I'd like to be!:-)

Overall this is a very good book, which provides lots of practice for the calculations in your chemistry studies. I would definitely recommend this book!

Chapter 1: Formulae, Equations and Oxidation States
Chapter 2: Basic Calculations Involving Formulae and Equations
Chapter 3: Basic Calculations Involving Gases
Chapter 4: Basic Calculations Involving Solutions
Chapter 5: Thermochemistry
Chapter 6: Orders of Reaction
Chapter 7: Chemical Equilibria
Chapter 8: Acid - Base Equilibria
Chapter 9: Other Equilibria
Chapter 10: Redox Equilibria
Chapter 11: Entropy and Free Energy

ISBN 0582411270
Author: Jim Clark
Price: RRP £15.99

Thanks for reading xx
 

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