Here is a detailed syllabus of the bronze and silver tiers. The gold tier uses the IChO standard syllabus and, as such, is not detailed here.
As shown in the table below, a more detailed description can be found about the bronze tier syllabus.
| Analytical Chemistry |
---|
Titration | - Acid and Base (strong, weak, and polyatomic).
- Choice of indicators.
- Redox (Permanganate, Iodometric).
|
Qualitative Analysis | InorganicCations (NH4
+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Zn
2+
, Cu2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Ca
2+
, Ba2+, Pb2+, Ag+). Anions (NO3
-, S2-, SO3
2-, SO4
2-, Cl-, Br-, I-, CO
3
2-, PO4
3-, OH-). - Flame colors (Na, Li, K, Ca, Sr, Cu, B).
- Amphoteric oxides (Zn, Sn, Pb, and Al).
Organic- Alkene, halogenoalkane, alcohol, aldehydes, carboxylic acids.
|
Spectroscopy | UV/Visible- Dyes: colour vs structure (aromaticity and chromophore).
- Beer's Law.
|
| General Chemistry |
---|
Radioactivity | - Counting of nucleons.
- Isotopes.
- Types of radioactivity.
- Radioactive decay (alpha, beta, and gamma).
Nuclear reactions (alpha and beta decay, positron emission, electron
capture, gamma emission, and spontaneous fission).
|
Chemical Calculations | - Balancing equations.
- Stoichiometric calculations.
- Mass and volume relations (including density).
- Mass, volume, and mole percent.
- Empirical formula.
- Avogadro's number.
- Concentration calculations.
|
| Inorganic Chemistry |
---|
Periodic Trends | Main group elements (electron configuration, Pauli exclusion
principle, Hund's rule, electronegativity, electron affinity, first
ionization energy, atomic size, ion size, highest oxidation number). Main group trends in physical properties (melting point, boiling
point, metal character, magnetic properties, and electrical
conductivity) Reactivity series (K, Na, Ca, Mg, Al, C, Zn, Fe, Sn, Pb, H, Cu, Hg,
Ag, Au).
|
Chemical Bonding | - Bond types (polar/nonpolar and covalent/ionic bonds).
Electronegativity (determine type of bond: ionic, polar, and
nonpolar). - Lewis structures.
- Octet rule.
- Formal charges.
VSEPR (no more than four electron pairs about the central atom with
the central atom exceeding the "octet rule"). - Delocalization and resonance.
|
Inorganic Reactions | - Combination reactions
- Decomposition reactions.
- Precipitation, single and double-replacement reactions.
- Redox reaction (neutral, alkaline, and acidic).
|
Nomenclature | - Main group and transition metal compounds.
|
Groups 1 and 2 | - Trend in Reactivity of (heavy elements more reactive).
- Products of reaction (water, halogens, and oxygen).
- Basicity of oxides.
|
Groups 13-18 and Hydrogen | Binary molecular compounds of hydrogen, formulas, and acid-base
properties (CH4, NH3, H2O, H
2S).
|
Group 13 | |
Group 14 | - Si's oxidation state in its chloride and oxide is +IV.
- The +II and +IV oxidation states of carbon, tin, and lead.
|
Group 15 | Oxides of nitrogen (Reaction of NO to form NO2, dimerization of NO
2, Reaction of NO2 with water). Redox properties of nitrogen (HNO3 and nitrates).
|
Group 16 | |
Group 17 (Halogens) | |
Group 18 | |
Transition Elements | Common oxidation states of common transition metals: Cr(+II), Cr(+III)
Mn(+II), Mn(+IV), Mn(+VII) Ag(+I) Fe(+II), Fe(+III), Co(+II), Zn(+I),
Cu(+I), Cu(+II), Ni(+II). - The insolubility of Ag, Hg, and Cu in HCl.
M2+ arising from the dissolution of the other metals in
HCl. Permanganate and Dichromate are strong oxidants in acid solution.
|
Coordination Chemistry | - Definition of coordination number.
Writing equations for complexation reactions given all formulas. Formulas of common complex ions (Ag(NH3)2
+, Ag(S2O3)2
3-,FeSCN+, Cu(NH3)4
2+).
|
| Organic Chemistry |
---|
| Drawing structures (Condensed Formula, Kekule & Skeletal Structures). - DBE (double bond equivalent).
- Properties, isomerism (structural and stereoisomerism).
Substance classes: hydrocarbons (alkane, alkene, alkyne, simple
cycloalkane and alkadiene), alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic
acids, and esters, as well as structure and properties of the
substance classes amines, phenols, amides, and amino acids. Types of organic reactions: complete combustion, oxidation,
substitution, addition, elimination, condensation, hydrolysis and
decarboxylation.
|
| Physical Chemistry |
---|
Gas | - Ideal gas law.
- Dalton's law.
|
Thermodynamics | First Law (Concept of systems and surroundings, Energy, Heat, and
Work). - Enthalpy (Relationship between internal energy and enthalpy).
- Enthalpy is a state property (Hess's law).
- Reaction enthalpy (use of standard formation enthalpies).
- Reaction entropy and disorder.
Reaction Gibbs energy and definition (ΔG = ΔH –
TΔS). - Using ΔG to predict the direction and spontaneity.
- Relationship between Gibbs and equilibrium constant K.
|
Equilibrium | - Equilibrium constant (homogeneous and heterogeneous).
- Reaction quotient (Q/Y).
Relating equilibrium constants of pressure (Kp) and
concentration (Kc). - Le Chatelier's principle.
Solubility constant (product) definition (Ksp). Calculation of solubility in water from Ksp. - Common-Ion Effect.
Complex formation constant (KK) - Simple coupled equilibria.
|
Acid-base | - Arrhenius definitions of acids and bases.
- Bronsted-Lowry definitions.
- Conjugate acids and bases.
pH, Kw definition and Ka or Kb as a
measure of acid and base strength. - Acidity or basicity of ions.
- Buffer system and capacity.
Calculation of pH from pKa (weak acid). - Calculation of pH of a simple buffer solution.
Simple knowledge of amphoterism and their pH (pH = ½(pK
S1+pKS2)).
|
Chemical Kinetics | - Factors affecting reaction rate.
- Reaction coordinates and the basic idea of a transition state.
- Differential rate laws.
- Concept of reaction order.
- Rate constant definition.
0, 1, and 2 order reactions and their integrated rate laws (single
reactant). - Dependence of concentration on time.
- Concept of half-life.
- Relationship between half-life and rate constant.
Determine reaction order (method of initial rates and graphs of
integrated rate laws). Reaction mechanisms (concept of molecularity, rate-determining step). - Basic concepts of collision theory.
- Arrhenius's law.
Catalysts and how it affects activation energies (homogeneous,
heterogeneous, and biocatalysts).
|
| Mathematics Skills |
---|
| - Solving quadratic equations.
- Use of logarithms and exponentials.
- Solving simultaneous equations with 2 unknowns.
- Elementary geometry such as Pythagorean's theorem.
- Plotting graphs (normal, exponential, and logarithmic).
|
As shown in the the table below, a more detailed description can be found about the silver tier syllabus:
Analytical Chemistry |
---|
Spectroscopy | Mass Spectrometry- Recognition of molecular ions.
- Recognition of fragments with the help of a table.
- Recognition of typical isotope distribution.
x-RayInfraredInterpretation using a table of frequencies (N-H stretch, O-H stretch,
C-H stretch (sp2), C-H stretch (sp3), C=O
stretch and C=C stretch). - Recognition of hydrogen bonds.
NMRGeneral concepts (chemical shift, integration, spin-spin coupling, and
coupling constants). Interpretation of a simple 1H spectrum - Identification of o- and p-disubstituted benzene.
Interpretation of simple spectra of 13C (proton decoupled)
and other ½ spin nuclei.
|
Titration | - Complexometric titrations (EDTA).
|
| Inorganic Chemistry |
---|
Periodic Trends | Transition metal elements (electron configuration, Pauli exclusion
principle, Hund's Rule, electronegativity, electron affinity, first
ionization energy, atomic size, ion size, highest oxidation number).
|
The Atom | Shape, orientation, and Quantum numbers (n, l, m) of s, p, and d
orbitals. - Radial and angular nodes.
|
Chemical Bonding | |
Inorganic Reactions | - Comproportionation and disproportionation reactions.
- Special bonding (3c-2e) using molecular orbital theory.
|
Nomenclature | |
Group 1 and 2 | - Properties of hydrides.
- Other compounds, properties, and oxidation states.
|
Group 13-18 and Hydrogen | |
Group 13 | |
Group 14 | - The acid-base and redox properties of the oxides and chlorides.
- Other compounds, properties, and oxidation states.
|
Group 15 | Phosphorus (+III, +V) oxide and chloride, and their reaction with
water. Redox properties (HNO2 and NH2NH2). - Bi(+V) and Bi(+III).
- Other compounds, properties, and oxidation states.
|
Group 16 | - Other compounds, properties, and oxidation states.
|
Group 17 | |
Group 18 | |
Transition Elements | Colors of ions in aqueous solution: : Cr(+II), Cr(+III) Mn(+II),
Mn(+IV), Mn(+VII) Ag(+I) Fe(+II), Fe(+III), Co(+II), Zn(+II), Cu(+I),
Cu(+II), Ni(+II). Chromium hydroxide and Zinc hydroxide are amphoteric and the other +2
oxides/hydroxides of the metals listed above are basic. - pH dependence of products of permanganate acting as oxidants.
- Interconversion between chromate and dichromate.
- Other compounds, properties, and oxidation states.
|
Coordination Chemistry | - Formulas of other complex ions.
Ligand field theory (eg and t2g terms, high/low
spin, and color). - Color of complex compounds (spectrochemical series).
- Para and diamagnetic.
Isomerism (Structural, Coordination, Linkage, Geometric: cis/trans,
planar, octahedra, enantiomers).
|
Crystallography | - Unit cell (cubic).
- Coordination number.
- Packing type (aba, abc, abcd).
- Solid structures (metals, NaCl, CsCl, ZnS).
- Density for metals and salts.
|
| Organic Chemistry |
---|
| - IUPAC nomenclature, including E/Z and R/S stereoisomerism.
Draw stereochemically unequivocal structures for organic molecules. Account for optical activity and the difference between enantiomers,
diastereomers, and meso compounds. Differentiate between SN1/SN2 and E1/E2
reactions. - Draw resonance forms for cations and anions.
Predict reactivity of organic molecules based on structure, resonance,
and inductive effects. - Draw reaction mechanisms for simple and polar reactions.
Suggest syntheses in one or more steps of simple, organic molecules. - Design simple reactions with common functional groups.
Apply inorganic reagents for oxidation, reduction, and substitution in
synthetic planning. Account for structure and reactivity of carbohydrates, amino acids,
lipids, and nucleic acids.
|
| Physical Chemistry |
---|
Thermodynamics | - Born-Haber cycle for ionic compounds.
- Bond enthalpies (definition and use).
|
Electrochemistry | - Electromotive force (definition).
- Galvanic Cells.
- Notation of cell diagrams.
- Standard electrode potential.
- Nernst equation.
- Relationship between ΔG and electromotive force.
- Electrolysis.
- Corrosion.
|
Acids and Bases | - Lewis acids and bases (hard and soft).
- MCB (not too complex).
- Bjerrum plot (reading).
|
Chemical Kinetics | |
| Mathematics skills |
---|
| Mathematical equations may be provided for questions. |