Singapore · SEABSyllabus
Chemistry syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the Singapore Chemistrysyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
Acids, Bases and Salts
Module overview →- What makes a substance acidic or alkaline, and how does the pH scale measure it?Describe the properties of acids and bases, use the pH scale and indicators, and explain neutralisation8 min answer →
- How do we choose and carry out the right method to make a pure, dry sample of a particular salt?Distinguish soluble and insoluble salts, describe the preparation of a soluble salt from an acid, and prepare an insoluble salt by precipitation9 min answer →
- What are the typical reactions of acids with metals, bases and carbonates, and how do we recognise the products?Describe the reactions of acids with metals, with bases and metal oxides, and with carbonates, and write the equations and identify the gases produced8 min answer →
Atomic Structure and Bonding
Module overview →- What is inside an atom, and how does the arrangement of electrons explain how an element behaves?Describe the structure of the atom, define proton number and nucleon number, work out the numbers of protons, neutrons and electrons, and draw electron shell arrangements9 min answer →
- How do non-metals share electrons to form molecules, and why do simple molecular substances have low melting points?Describe covalent bonding as the sharing of electrons, draw dot-and-cross diagrams for simple molecules, and relate simple molecular structures to their properties9 min answer →
- How do metals and non-metals form ionic bonds, and why do ionic compounds have such high melting points?Describe ionic bonding as the transfer of electrons, work out the formula of an ionic compound, and relate the giant ionic structure to its properties9 min answer →
Electrolysis
Module overview →- Why does electrolysing a salt solution sometimes give hydrogen or oxygen instead of the metal or non-metal you expect?Describe electrolysis of aqueous solutions, predict the products using reactivity, and explain the part played by water at the electrodes9 min answer →
- How can passing electricity through a molten ionic compound break it down into its elements?Describe electrolysis of a molten binary ionic compound, name the electrodes and products, and explain why the compound must be molten9 min answer →
- Where is electrolysis actually used in industry, and how does electroplating put a thin metal coat on an object?Describe everyday and industrial uses of electrolysis, including electroplating, and explain how an object is electroplated with a chosen metal8 min answer →
Energetics, Rates and Redox
Module overview →- Why do some reactions warm their surroundings while others cool them, and how do we show this on an energy diagram?Describe exothermic and endothermic reactions in terms of energy transfer, interpret simple energy level diagrams, and link energy change to bond breaking and bond making8 min answer →
- What do we really mean when we say something has been oxidised or reduced, and how can we spot it in a reaction?Define oxidation and reduction in terms of oxygen and of electrons, identify redox reactions, and name simple oxidising and reducing agents8 min answer →
- What makes a chemical reaction go faster or slower, and how can we measure its speed?Describe how concentration, temperature, surface area and a catalyst change the speed of a reaction, and explain these using the idea of colliding particles9 min answer →
Experimental Chemistry and Separation
Module overview →- How do chemists choose the right apparatus and measure quantities accurately in the laboratory?Name common laboratory apparatus and choose suitable apparatus to measure volume, mass, temperature and time, and read each scale correctly8 min answer →
- How can we separate a mixture into its parts using differences in their physical properties?Describe filtration, evaporation, crystallisation, simple and fractional distillation and chromatography, and choose the right method to separate a given mixture9 min answer →
- How do we tell whether a substance is pure, and how do we identify common gases?Use melting and boiling points to judge purity, interpret a chromatogram, and carry out simple tests to identify oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, water and ammonia8 min answer →
Metals and Reactivity
Module overview →- How is the way a metal is extracted and how it corrodes linked to its place in the reactivity series?Relate the method of extracting a metal to its reactivity, describe the extraction of iron in the blast furnace, and explain the rusting of iron and how to prevent it9 min answer →
- What are the general properties of metals, and why are alloys often more useful than pure metals?Describe the general physical properties of metals, explain what an alloy is, and explain why alloys are often harder and more useful than pure metals8 min answer →
- How can we order metals by how reactive they are, and use that order to predict reactions?State the reactivity series, compare the reactions of metals with water and acid, and use the series to predict displacement reactions9 min answer →
Organic Chemistry
Module overview →- What is ethanol, how is it made, and why is it such a widely used substance?Describe ethanol as a member of the alcohols, state how it is made by fermentation, and describe its main uses including as a fuel and solvent8 min answer →
- What are the alkanes, why do they make such good fuels, and what is produced when they burn?Describe the alkanes as a family of saturated hydrocarbons, write the combustion of a simple alkane, and compare complete with incomplete combustion8 min answer →
- What makes an alkene different from an alkane, and how does the bromine water test tell them apart?Describe the alkenes as unsaturated hydrocarbons, use the bromine water test to distinguish them from alkanes, and describe a simple addition reaction8 min answer →
The Particulate Nature of Matter
Module overview →- What happens to particles when a substance melts, boils or spreads out, and why does temperature stay constant during a change of state?Name and describe the changes of state in terms of energy and particle movement, and explain diffusion using the particle model8 min answer →
- What is the difference between an element, a compound and a mixture at the particle level?Define elements, compounds and mixtures, distinguish atoms, molecules and ions, and explain how a compound differs from a mixture8 min answer →
- How does the arrangement and movement of particles explain the properties of solids, liquids and gases?Describe the arrangement, movement and energy of particles in solids, liquids and gases and use the particle model to explain their properties8 min answer →
Stoichiometry and the Mole
Module overview →- How do we write the formula of a compound and balance a chemical equation so that no atoms are lost?Write formulae of common compounds from ion charges, write word equations, and balance symbol equations including state symbols9 min answer →
- How do we use a balanced equation and the mole to work out the mass of product from the mass of reactant?Use mole ratios from balanced equations to calculate reacting masses, work with concentration of solutions, and find a simple percentage yield9 min answer →
- What is a mole, and how does it link the mass of a substance to the number of particles it contains?Define relative atomic and molecular mass, define the mole and the Avogadro constant, and interconvert mass, moles and number of particles9 min answer →
The Periodic Table
Module overview →- How do the properties of elements change down Group I, down Group VII and across the noble gases?Describe the properties and trends of Group I metals, Group VII non-metals and the Group 0 noble gases, and link them to electron arrangement9 min answer →
- Where are metals and non-metals found in the Periodic Table, and what is special about the transition metals?Locate metals and non-metals in the Periodic Table, compare their properties, and describe the characteristic properties of the transition metals8 min answer →
- How is the Periodic Table arranged, and how does an element's position tell us about its atoms?Describe how the Periodic Table is arranged into groups and periods and relate an element's position to its electron arrangement8 min answer →