Wednesday 10 June 2009

To Our Leaving Cert Chemistry Students...

candle.gif image by mattlcohenFolks, just to let you know that I will be accompanying you all during each day of your exams in my prayers. Over the past years we have learned much, experienced much and shared much.

Now I continuously pray that "the Helper, the Holy Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of all I have said to you." Jn14:26

Sunday 10 May 2009

Electrochemistry Revision Slides

Please download the slides on electrochemistry as they will be presented in class on Monday along with the rest of the electrochemistry option.

Once you understand the workings of the simple cell and know the electrochemical series then the procedures given are common sense and they are nothing more that a description of the movement of electrons through a system causing 2 chemical reactions one at the anode and the other at the cathode.

The option we will study simply describes some industrial applications of electrochemistry. These will be given to you on handouts. 


Thursday 5 March 2009

Chromatography Videos

To see how each of the various chromatographic techniques are employed, I have added some videos of paper, thin layer, column, gas and high performance liquid chromatography which I would urge you to view.

Paper Chromatography
Thin Layer Chromatography
Column Chromatography
Gas Chromatography
High Performance Liquid Chromatography

There are two other instrumental techniques that need to be studied IR and UV Spectrometry. These two videos explain both techniques completely.

Thursday 29 January 2009

LC Chemistry Mock Exam 2009

Having reviewed the mock paper that you will sit next week, I have decided that it is only fair that I should alert you to the questions that as yet are still uncovered. I do not want you to waste any time entertaining questions that you simply cannot answer.

You have enough of your course covered now to allow a choice of 8 questions from the 11 offered.

All three practicals offered in Section A have already been covered. You may answer all three but must answer at least two.

Please remember the following:
1. Watch the marking scheme. Usually given in multiples of 3. Think of 3 marks representing one piece of information. Therefore a question offering 9 marks will require 3 points of information. (Not the same information given in three different ways so be careful!!)

2. Try in as far as is possible to accompany your answers with good sized pencil drawn labelled diagrams. Don't wait to be asked for a diagram. "Explain with the aid of a diagram..." means that you must give your answer in points of information and back them up with a diagram.

3. Chemistry questions can be answered in point form. Essay style answers are to be avoided at all costs!

4. Most of the more difficult chemical equations studied will be given on the paper. You must know how to read chemical equations and how to extract important information from them.

5. The only way you can get 0 marks is by leaving a blank space. Try everything!

5. We are not finished the course and we have not entertained any serious in-class revision of earlier topics yet so whilst the mocks serve a purpose they are not the end of the world.

As promised I have uploaded the solutions to all questions that are to be found in the workbook and in the textbook. They are in the 6th year folder and are simply called 'Tbook' and 'Wbook'.

Questions to be avoided.
Q7 (c)
Q10 (a) and (c)
Q11 (b) and (c)
This leaves you able to do all the following 8 questions: Q's 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9.
You may choose to put any three parts from Q7(a), Q7(b), Q10(b) and Q11(a) together to make up another question if you should so wish. Do not hesitate to contact me by email on 'chemistry(at)knocklyoncs(dot)ie' if you have any questions regarding the exam or any questions on the subject matter as you are revising. I will do my very best to contact you with the solutions or the information you require.
Best of Luck!
Mr. O'Neill

Monday 26 January 2009

5th Chem - Boyle's Law and Charles' Law

Please study the following animations of each law in order to understand the results of the work of these two scientists.

Boyle's Law - Animation

Charles' Law - Animation

Both of these laws give their own unique constant and the two used in the combined gas law gives its own unique constant.