What topics are hard in H2 Chemistry

MapPwner SG

Just enquiring here,but is it normal for a H2 chemistry student to experience difficulties in handling questions in topics such as Chemical equilibria calculation(excluding ionic),Ksp(solubility product) and electrochemistry?Been trying out prelim questions from other schools for these chapters and I find them ridiculously difficult to attempt,whereas other topics seem much more managable.

But on the other hand doing the A lvl chem paper is much more managable and easier than doing other sch prelim papers,in terms of time spent completing(3/4 then usual) and accuracy of answers.Should I be worried about being unable to solve complex questions regarding these chapters or just ensure my foundation and intermediate concepts are solid?

Lockheed2000 SG

where's ultima

UltimaOnline SG

Edit : Lockheed2000 is a J1 student this year.

MapPwner you a J2 student taking A levels this year 2017?

You know the answer yourself. Always "ensure your foundation and intermediate concepts are solid" first. Then after that, go ahead and expose yourself to tougher questions from Prelim papers. The point of Prelim papers is to have the opportunity to practice questions tougher than A levels.

If you're wondering : if you can only do TYS qns no probs, but can't do Prelim qns, can you still get A grade for A levels? The answer (unsurprisingly) is : it's still *possible* to get A grade just by doing TYS and not Prelim papers, but of course, the candidate who can do well in both TYS and Prelim papers will (naturally) have a higher chance of getting A grade compared to the candidate who can only do TYS papers.

Be that as it may, if you personally find that doing Prelim papers (whether for a particular topic or all topics) confuse and frustrate you, and is hence counterproductive for yourself, then obviously you'll be better off, not confusing and demoralizing yourself, and just sticking to TYS. You'll have a higher chance of getting A grade when you're not confused, frustrated and demoralized in a subject.

MapPwner SG

Yep im taking the A levels this yr for H2 Chem.

My sch tends to give out practice qns from other sch prelim papers for a broad spectrum of topics to those who got A for their Chem common test.So thats why i ended up having such questions to do and for those topics mentioned,is really very difficult to understand the thought process.But for topics like organic chemistry,those complex,difficult questions with novel processes and reaction mechanisms i find it relatively easy to comprehend and do.

Is possible for me to get A for H2 Chem even though I'm from a neighbourhood JC(My percentile is 90%)?Cos i use TYS as a form of supplement and dont really find any questions hard with exception of 2 to 3 sub questions carrying 3 to 4 marks for whole of P2 and P3.Only 2010 was relatively difficult for me,other years are very manageable.

UltimaOnline SG

Yep im taking the A levels this yr for H2 Chem.

Yes, possible, no worries. Of course, never be complacent. Every year, there are some students who get A for Prelims but B for A levels. Anything is possible, never be complacent.

Cambridge will increasingly (for new syllabus) set questions that combine across topics, eg. ElectroChem + Organic Chem.

If you have any queries on Prelim qns, you can post your queries here. Just specify the year and JC for the qn. Eg. 2016 RJC P2 Q3.

MapPwner SG

Yes, possible, no worries. Of course, never be complacent. Every year, there are some students who get A for Prelims but B for A levels. Anything is possible, never be complacent.

Cambridge will increasingly (for new syllabus) set questions that combine across topics, eg. ElectroChem + Organic Chem.

If you have any queries on Prelim qns, you can post your queries here. Just specify the year and JC for the qn. Eg. 2016 RJC P2 Q3.

Ok i will if i still have any lingering doubts after reviewing the questions,since my school also attaches the suggested answer along with the questions provided,so i can review the answers to understand the thought process of doing the questions.

UltimaOnline SG

That's perfect. So if you've any queries regarding *either* the Question *or* the provided Answer (assuming your school didn't modify the original JC's Answers), you can ask anything about them here, without having to take photos of the Q & A and upload them onto your social media account to link to your post here (which you'll have to do, if the source is not acknowledged ; JCs steal questions from each other all the time, some JCs acknowledge the source JC, some don't).