[STPM] Chemistry reference books

[blumarine]

Hello to all the recom members..I have few questions that need your help..Actually i am new student in form 6..I felt difficult to understand the syllabus of chemistry plus my class teacher had finished 3 chapter..I cant suit her teaching style and chapter 3 is quite difficult..Do anyone can explain briefly how to understand what is on the book especially chapter 3...Other than that can anyone tell me teach me how to study well besides UNDERSTANDING method??

Xon : i merged "stpm reference" to this thread as that thread also discussion about chemistry books.

Thread title changed to STPM Chemistry books as the threads discusses more about them
seehua

[chenchow]

Hi, I guess I would change the topic is this thread to Chemistry STPM. We have another thread specifically to Physics STPM already and another thread for Tips to Study in STPM. So, may be you can post your questions accordingly. This will help other students too!

I guess may be to increase the number of students that can help you, you can mention what the chapter is about. Some ReCom members who are doing Chemistry or Chemical Engineering or other majors could help out too.

Another thing, invite more of the friends of you guys here to come and discuss on questions. I think the Physics STPM thread is developing well.

[iQing]

I suggest that we have a new section in ReCom where people can ask and answer academic questions like physics, biology etc.

I am thinking of asking things on material science too... but fear that opening too many threads in education forum might mess things up...

so i think this special section will help organise these threads...

I think from these kind of thread I can learn something from u...
might be interested to see biotech stuffs being asked and answer here.. I can learn something too.. hehe

[USSDefiantNX74205]

Chapter 3 of STPM Chemistry eh? The liquid and solid states. I'm browsing through my book as I type. Now where do we start...

Chapter 3 basically deals with that the title says - the liquid and solid states of matter. It explains the freezing, melting and vaporization process in more detail that what you've learnt in F5 I believe. After that, its about lattice structures and crystals. This part deals mostly with the way atoms are packed in a crystal structure, and the types of structures there are. Lastly, you will be introduced to phase diagrams, which are diagrams that show the phase of a substance at different pressures and temperatures. Its a relatively short chapter, and one of the easier ones if you ask me. Heck, phase diagrams are one of my favorite parts in STPM chemistry just because they're easy to understand! What I would recommend is to read the entire chapter through in your book. Only then will you know what its all about. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

[greyhair]

blumarine, mine teacher oso almost finish 3 chapter...........
while m tuition teacher r too slow............nearly 1 month, but still in chapter 1........school teahcer will give us a test soon....wondering
plus my english is weak.....can't get use to new term esp bio
bio teacher oso the same

[blumarine]

hi guys!Is there any good exercise books and reference books to recommend??I study the Fajar Bakti book but i cant understand the text,need a lot of times to analyse and understand because it is the first all the syllabus are in English lo...It may have some problems lo...So its there any method to study Chemistry well???

[knkh_87]

blumarine, are you referring to Tan Yin Toon's Fajar Bakti book? I find that book very comprehensive....but I fail to comprehend its text too well. Perhaps I don't really like his presentation.

For the STPM reference books, I would recommend two books: Pelangi's Physical Chemistry by Loh Yew Lee and N. Sivaneson and Kursus Lengkap Sarjana STPM Physical Chemistry (Pustaka Sarjana) by Lee Chwee Neo. For any one chapter, I usually read the former first (they are actually my college lecturers, but I am not promoting their book because of that) because it is very simple in conveying its message, and then the latter as it covers more. If you are looking for questions, I propose Federal Study Aids (Federal Publications). I think that these three books are sufficient for the course.

[blumarine]

My school teacher is using Tan Yi Yoon's book..But i felt difficult to understand..Is there any exercise book to recommend?Is there easy method to understand the text?

[knkh_87]

If you don't like his book, you can use a different reference book at home. Some may like his book, some won't. It depends on how much you like his style.

As for the workbook, I recommend Federal Study Aids Physical Chemistry by Kho Chin He (Federal Publications)-as I have stated before.

For Chemistry, I like reading related chapters or subtopics in small 'groups'. For example, I like reading on the sub-topic of ionisation energy and simultaneously, I will read on periodicity and a bit about bonding. It would enable you to see the overall picture more easily.

[USSDefiantNX74205]

I'm using the Tan Yin Toon book from Fajar Bakti. While my teacher also recommends it, I personally find it quite long-winded and not really straight to the point. Also, the huge amount of text (and hence the big size of the book) is a big turn off for me. Still, I haven't tried other books by other publishers or authors yet (even though they may be thinner and have less text), so I'm not in a position to recommend any. But remember, make a wise choice because these books don't come cheap (usually around RM25 - RM35).

[ElansarGelmir]

Lattice structure? let me recall... Lattice bond = (Q- X Q+)/(r-+r+)
where Q = charge and r = ionic radius.... rite?

the phase thingy... i dun think i know about it.... learnt this in A Levels, under bonding...

[bill]

my godness...i havnt started stpm yet...even the orientatoin!i m in jb n due to the exam of upper 6 in my sch,i hav to wait till 14 june to start ORIENTATION.but i notice there is 3 types o reference books -physical,organic n inorganic.my fren said ino is not important as jus 1 o 2 question will be asked in actual exam,izzit rite?the LONGMAN (white cover)1 have 4 VERSION...!any 1 know which 1 is better o worthy?

[ElansarGelmir]

After looking at how you guys are frantically searching for good reference books, i have to consider myself lucky coz i dun have to lift my fingers to get those books. All my books were inherrited from my elder sister... Just take whatever she chucked at me...

[greyhair]

After looking at how you guys are frantically searching for good reference books, i have to consider myself lucky coz i dun have to lift my fingers to get those books. All my books were inherrited from my elder sister... Just take whatever she chucked at me...
can it suit 2 u? ur elder sis is in upper 6 now arr? if not, their books is in malay, how can u jz use them though the concept r the same.

[ElansarGelmir]

Oh, i didn't mean Form 6 coz i dun study Form 6... Only the books from F1 - F5... I dun think my sis bought any F6 reference books. She relies totally on tuition notes.

[chenchow]

For discussion about STPM, please join the Guidance for SPM and STPM Special Interest Group, this thread will be moved in on Tuesday 1am Malaysia time. You won't see this thread if you don't join in.

http://recom.homelinux.org:8000/~recom/modules.php?name=SIG&id=SPM

Click on the top right, Join, to join the SIG.

[wawa]

Those books I think should be regarded as Revision Books rather than understanding books. If you understand, its really easy (to revise), but it you don't, I don't think they're very conceptual. Just my two cents.

I used to use the Chemistry book by Raymond Chang, while quite a number of students(and most teachers) in my school used to study the book Central Science. They're more geared towards self-study and understanding.

You guys can borrow from the library i think, cause these books don't come cheap.

[Daniel]

Those books I think should be regarded as Revision Books rather than understanding books. If you understand, its really easy (to revise), but it you don't, I don't think they're very conceptual. Just my two cents.

I used to use the Chemistry book by Raymond Chang, while quite a number of students(and most teachers) in my school used to study the book Central Science. They're more geared towards self-study and understanding.

You guys can borrow from the library i think, cause these books don't come cheap.

Which company publish this book?

[david_david]

wawa, do you mean chemistry, the central science by Lemay, Brown, Bursted(something like that ...)?It's an American book right??I think it is very enjoyable and interesting to read . is it published by Prentice Hall?

[Daniel]

1) How come in mass spectrum, the molecules of H2O (Water) can be fragmented into (OH)+ and H+ ??? I thought it should be OH- and H+ ???

2) Is there any difference between (OH)+ and OH+ (without the bracket ???

Thank you for advance

[knkh_87]

1) In a mass spectrometer, a high-energy electron is bombarded into the gaseous sample to form a positive ion. For example,

M(g)-->M+(g) + e

Species on the mass spectrometer are generally unipositive ions (due to limitations of the energy of the bombarded electron to knock out electrons from the atoms of the sample).

Water dissociates into hydrogen and hydroxyl ions. But species on the mass spectrometer do not show negative ions (as explained above). All species are positive ions (though some are originally negative in nature, the bombarding electrons knock the electrons off the atoms of the gaseous sample)

2) (Subject to confirmation) Not too sure, but usually i do not use brackets to denote these species. For example, I just use CH2OH+. Surveying most "good" books, not many use brackets, but I am sure that is a more accurate way of notation.

[chenchow]

I would say that bracket is typically used when you want to define the entire ion, as having certain power, for instance:-

say (SO4)2- would make sense, rather than SO42- where the 2- is the superscript belongs to the entire SO4, rather than only O4

[knkh_87]

Just a question for discussion. I have looked through many websites pertaining this question but I can't find one certain and convincing answer.

1) Why do electrons stay in a cloud encircling the positive nucleus in different principal energy levels (saying ORBIT the nucleus would be inappropriate, wouldn't it?)and not crash into the nucleus as a result of opposite charges, positive protons and negative electrons?

[wawa]

Why do electrons stay in a cloud encircling the positive nucleus in different principal energy levels (saying ORBIT the nucleus would be inappropriate, wouldn't it?)and not crash into the nucleus as a result of opposite charges, positive protons and negative electrons?

It has to do more with physics than chemistry. The crashing into the nucleus is a classical concept, which is inaccurate. It has to do with quantum physics, where the electrons are stable in their respective energy levels, and will emit EM radiation only when it moves from one energy level to another.

[vision]

Has anyone heard of this book: 'General Chemistry by Petrucci , Harwood, and Herring (Eighth Edition) - Prentice Hall? It's recommended in the Chemistry Syllabus. Do you think it's suitable to own this book? :roll:

[bill]

i remembered tat my chem teacher in AJ(although now i m not there any more)said tat book is really complete with notes only if u able to understand all stuff.(but i can't sure the lecturer means tat only tat topic -bonding,or as a general reference book)...pardon for my poor explanation.. :wink:

[Mew2]

Can anyone help me to clear my doubt on the chapter on arrangement of electrons ? I dun understand a thing here especially the spectrum and the Series like Lyman and Balmer. I still catch no ball after many times i read it.

[wawa]

According to a theory (Bohr I think), electrons orbit around the nucleus in fixed energy levels.

If a potential is applied, these electrons will absorb energy. Because
(a) they can only jump from one energy level to another (that means they can only have certain fixed amount of energy) and
(b) higher energy levels are unstable,

they have a tendency to 'jump' back to the lower energy levels.

When they return to the lower energy levels, they will need to release the extra energy that they've absorved previously. The way is by emitting radiation.

As (a) , it means that the amount of energy released when the electron moves from energy level A to energy level B is always a constant. As such, you will see bright lines which show that the energy is quantumized.

Someone correct me if i'm wrong. Thanks..

[caffe_mocha]

can anyone here help me with chapter 6 chemical bonding?
it's hard for me to understand wat is it about...

[caffe_mocha]

but actually i suggest to read tan yin toon fajar bakti for the first time..cus it's in detail....but to revise....read another in simple one...

[oinkoink]

The other day i went to the book store and only found the following reference books. Fajar Bakti and Pelangi. I think fajar bakti is better than pelangi.. But i do found a lot of those american chemistry reference books... which mostly cost around RM 100++.. There's a lot of variety for that.. donno which one better...

[wawa]

caffe_mocha: which part of the chem bonding you do not understand? Please be more specific or i am unable to help you.

[Daniel]

what does saturated vapour pressure means?
This is the question that i get.
"A thermometer was accidentally broken and some mercury was split on the laboratory bench. What mass of mercury vapour would be found in each cubic metre of the laboratory air? (Saturate vapour pressure of mercury is 0.165 Pa at 30 celcius; relative atomic mass of mercury=200.6; the laboratory temperature = 30 celcius)"

I am confused how the mercury is going to form vapour and released to the air as the vapour pressure is 0.165pa which is lower than the external pressure of the air. Can someone explain it for me?

[reign226]

Daniel
PostPosted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 7:11 pm Post subject:
what does saturated vapour pressure means?
This is the question that i get.
"A thermometer was accidentally broken and some mercury was split on the laboratory bench. What mass of mercury vapour would be found in each cubic metre of the laboratory air? (Saturate vapour pressure of mercury is 0.165 Pa at 30 celcius; relative atomic mass of mercury=200.6; the laboratory temperature = 30 celcius)"

I am confused how the mercury is going to form vapour and released to the air as the vapour pressure is 0.165pa which is lower than the external pressure of the air. Can someone explain it for me?

I think SVP means the pressure exerted by the substance once it is in a gaseous state. It doesn't mean pressure exerted by the liquid form of mercury.

As for your question, I believe we need to apply the formula pV=nRT.

p = 0.165
V = 1 cubic meter
n = mass in one cubic meter divided by 200.6 (relative atomic mass)
R = constant / 8.31
T = 273 + 30

plugging in the numbers

0.165 X 1 = (A/200.6) X 8.31 X 303

A = 0.0131 grammes

Please tell me if I am horribly wrong XD

As a sidenote, are you sure they didn't provide the volume of the laboratory?

[caffe_mocha]

caffe_mocha: which part of the chem bonding you do not understand? Please be more specific or i am unable to help you.


covalent bond....hybridisation

thanks...

[salyeo]

caffe_mocha, are u frm SamTet?

[nicodemus]

What do we study actually in Chemistry STPM?

I mean the books actually...

Today I went to the book store and i saw 4 text books for Chemistry STPM...

1. Chemistry
2. Organic Chemistry
3. Inorganic Chemistry
4. Physical Chemistry

So, which one do we use actually? Do we use four of them? :?

[nxwen]

You study physical, inorganic, and organic chemistry in STPM. The chemistry book you mentioned would be a 3-in-1 book, which is good when you are studying last minute (not that I'm encouraging it) or as final preparation for exam. As for the individual books, they have more detail. So, it depends on you. However just by using the chemistry book will be sufficient, provided you understand and remember everything inside. I used all four as I'm interested in knowing further details.

Hope this helps. :)

[wawa]

Yup, i suggest that you study individual books if you have the timeand money.. 8) Plus, they don't break your back.

[pandaboy]

Yeah, agree with wawa....buy if u have time and money. But dont read them like when u read your SPM textbooks...remember to use the index. :wink:

[PatrickTheDog]

i think use wat book or any books is not necessary for now....wat important, be frank to say, is do u really understand wat's chemistry and wat's the heck it talk about this is more important, since many ppl have a myth about the good book guide u well. well indeed good tool for good works but if good book without good understanding means u spoil a good tool~.......i rather juz read watever can read and i recommend only 1 book for additional reading....silbeberg 's chemistry from mcgrawhill.....well it's nice to read~for those wanna read more...go work hard for STPM together!

[baby_ghost]

Hi,I am a new user here!Nice to meet you guys(concern in study)!!
I am a lower six student...still new to it!!
I have a few questions :
1)Any recommend books which are suitable for STPM student?My teacher recommend Longman but I haven't come across..is it good?
2)Chemistry is a subject which need memorizing,understanding or just do a lot of exercises?(which one is priority)
3)My school haven't started any chapter,but in tuition already started a few chapters.From the tuition,I found that form6 chemistry is completely different from form 5...which is much much much more harder.Right now,I just can't catch up with the teacher cause the previous chapter I haven't master up...it need a lot of time to really understand it.Is there any effective ways to study chemistry?
Besides tuition notes, is it wise to buy a chemistry reference?
Thanks to those who kindly reply!

[Rius]

Hi, Bluemarine..actually chapter 3 is quite easy to understand. I think you can't understand maybe because you begin to nervous. Whenever u can't understand few part then u will also think that other part also very difficult. if you're like wat i'm describe..i think u should overcome this...ok?

[scorpstreet]

Hi,I am a new user here!Nice to meet you guys(concern in study)!! I am a lower six student...still new to it!!
Hi. ^^ Same here, also a newbie in Form 6.

Any recommend books which are suitable for STPM student?My teacher recommend Longman but I haven't come across..is it good?
My teacher suggested us to buy Fajar Bakti though. I hear that the pictures in Longman are better than Fajar Bakti's, but the notes provided are not as detailed as FB's. *shrugs*

2)Chemistry is a subject which need memorizing,understanding or just do a lot of exercises?(which one is priority)
It's quite even between the three study methods that you've mentioned, at least according to my teacher that is, and my tuition teacher. You need exercises and understanding for Physical Chem, and memorizing work for Organic and Inorganic Chem.

3)My school haven't started any chapter,but in tuition already started a few chapters.From the tuition,I found that form6 chemistry is completely different from form 5...which is much much much more harder.Right now,I just can't catch up with the teacher cause the previous chapter I haven't master up...it need a lot of time to really understand it.Is there any effective ways to study chemistry?
Same here. That's why i'm trying to use this holiday to catch every bits and pieces of information lost. Let's say during the study process and you don't comprehend some thing, mark it up and ask your tuition teacher or school teacher when you meet him/her. That's what i usually do, since lower form until now.

Besides tuition notes, is it wise to buy a chemistry reference?
I go to the school library and borrowed a few foreign books.

[baby_ghost]

Dear scorpstreet,
Thanks for replying!So,you will be buying the fajar bakti one,right?or you are going to buy both...FB & longman?
The foreign book which you mentioned,is it use by A-level student...which have more information and some not in form 6 syllabus,right?
Thanks!

[scorpstreet]

Dear scorpstreet,
Thanks for replying!So,you will be buying the fajar bakti one,right?or you are going to buy both...FB & longman?
I've chosen Fajar Bakti's over Longman, since having two books at a time is not so cost effecive though, IMO that is. If you want, you can exchange with your friends who own Longman's or possibly borrow from them.

The foreign book which you mentioned,is it use by A-level student...which have more information and some not in form 6 syllabus,right?
Not really though, some foreign books provide a better picture about some topic discussed in our local book. And it's no harm reading it. ^^ It's a matter of learning anyway.

[baby_ghost]

Dear scorpstreet,
Thanks for the advice!By the way,what is IMO?Which foreign books are you refering?Thanks

[scorpstreet]

Dear scorpstreet,
Thanks for the advice!By the way,what is IMO?Which foreign books are you refering?Thanks
uh..IMO is an acronym of "in my opinion". And the foreign book that i'm using now (Physical Chemistry) is published by Thomson, written by Kho Chin He, Zaharah Aiyub, William L. Masterton and Cecil N. Hurley. As for Organic and Inorganic, i haven't looked for them yet, since my school Upper 6 only start teaching ma.

[reign226]

Meaning no offense, but is it normal to only start organic this late? My school has already finished Organic and Physical.

[baby_ghost]

Dear scorpstreet,
I shall consider those books before buying!Thanks anyway!

[joebf86]

Meaning no offense, but is it normal to only start organic this late? My school has already finished Organic and Physical.

*speechless* my teacher is yet to finish physical chem. still in thermochemistry... we once questioned her, "cikgu boleh habis ke?""jangan tanya itu, tanya diri kamu blh faham ke tak!"

that's the situation in my school. the students there need to work harder...and own their own..

[joebf86]

*on their own...

[seiken]

Meaning no offense, but is it normal to only start organic this late? My school has already finished Organic and Physical.

U know wat my school did? My teacher taught physical chemistryup to chapter 8, then skipping to last chapter of physical, which is Thermochem. Then she started organic. Now we finished the whole organic. Then she came back to chapter 9 of physical chemistry and at the same time started teaching Inorganic chapter 1 and 2...sounds funny right? :lol:

[scorpstreet]

wah, everything happens concurrently. That is sure pressuring, neh?...
Well lucky you, at least your teacher gets to catch up the syllabus within 1 1/2 year. As for me, i hardly believe that my teacher can finish it on time, therefore i have to work out most of the lessons by myself..
-_-;

On a sidenote, to clarify myself, i'm only a lower six student. Sry for the previous post i've made that has confused anyone who has read it. :P

[reign226]

oh, you're lower six? then it's okay. finishing physical by the end of this year is probably a do-able goal. IMO Physical is much harder than organic tho, so sometimes don't rely on your teacher to tell you when to study.

What about Inorganic books? I cannot find any save for a very thin 'textbook'.

[jinnee]

i'm an upper 6 student..

my teacher finished phyisical and now we are in alcohol. there's stil half of organic and a whole book of inorganic to be finished. i don't know whether will we able to finish everything be4 trial exam in sept..

our physical text book is fajar bakti (the orange one) and organic is also fajar bakti (the red one). but we only use these 2 books for exercises. teacher wil provide notes and i just depend on it for exam. she told us to a lot of exercise and recommend us to buy federal study aid physical chemistry and topical practise exercises stpm physical chemistry, both by federal publications.

bout imported books, she dint recommand us to buy, but sometimes she'll photostat exercises from those books for us to do. this is wat happened in my school la..

[leng_cyl]

just to share a bit about my school's chemistry teaching,
my teacher is teaching chemistry of form 6 for the first year. But she teaches chemistry of form 4 before, besides, this is only the second year of form 6 in my school, so many of my teachers are not experienced in teaching form 6 but they are dedicated.

She uses power point to teach us, and I think it's quite a good teaching method. She always prints out the notes she made and photostat them for us (although we need to pay for it). She always says that spent time to copy notes is wasting time and useless, it's better for us to pay attention to what she is saying and understand it.
As a result, we almost finish chapter 5 (periodic table)now. I think it's quite fast compared to many other schools ( I mentioned before in other thread) :o
but actually we always stay back everyday Wednesday to study chemistry and discuss questions prepared by her also =p
so.. I believe we can finish physical chemistry by the end of this year :)

[belindango]

my teacher finish teaching everything oredi mebbe except for the final chapter of inorganic which i heard was veryvery tough..well,last year he was like speeding so fast dat we completed organic last year..but then iots hard to remember all the chemical equations..or the reactions..but i think by now every sch shud be starting their revisions..my sch is..coz STPM is really really near o..

[belindango]

my teacher finish teaching everything oredi mebbe except for the final chapter of inorganic which i heard was veryvery tough..well,last year he was like speeding so fast dat we completed organic last year..but then iots hard to remember all the chemical equations..or the reactions..but i think by now every sch shud be starting their revisions..my sch is..coz STPM is really really near o..

[belindango]

my teacher finish teaching everything oredi mebbe except for the final chapter of inorganic which i heard was veryvery tough..well,last year he was like speeding so fast dat we completed organic last year..but then its hard to remember all the chemical equations..or the reactions..but i think by now every sch shud be starting their revisions..my sch is..coz STPM is really really near o..

[belindango]

my teacher finish teaching everything oredi mebbe except for the final chapter of inorganic which i heard was veryvery tough..well,last year he was like speeding so fast dat we completed organic last year..but then its hard to remember all the chemical equations..or the reactions..but i think by now every sch shud be starting their revisions..my sch is..coz STPM is really really near o..

[Daniel]

I am having some problems naming functional group, i always got the wrong answer in the exam eventhough it seems simple

single bond(alkana)
double bond(alkane)
Hydroxyl or hydroxy or alcohol ???? (for alcohol)
arenes? (for arene)
carbonyl (for ketone)
carboxylate (carboxylic acid)
and so on.... please help me

what is the difference between phenyl and benzyl?

[windrunner]

If this would help
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/5118/obc/phen_fig/phenyl.gif

Just draw a table and memorise them, the only thing you need to know by heart in organic is the functional group, the rest needs logic ,hehehe.

[Tasslehoff]

if you are looking for the functional groups try this website

http://www.wpbschoolhouse.btinternet.co.uk/page06/FunctionalGroups.htm#ALKANE

it even has short tests to see how much you remember ;)

:D its rather interesting ;) thats why me and my friends like chemistry

have fun!

[bush]

I am having some problems naming functional group, i always got the wrong answer in the exam eventhough it seems simple

single bond(alkana)
double bond(alkane)
Hydroxyl or hydroxy or alcohol ???? (for alcohol)
arenes? (for arene)
carbonyl (for ketone)
carboxylate (carboxylic acid)
and so on.... please help me

what is the difference between phenyl and benzyl?

isn't it supposed to be Alkane, Alkene and Alkyne.

[Tasslehoff]

those are parts of it :D

most of them are stated in the website ;)

[littlepiglet]

do anyone know why the dattive bond is stronger than the covalent bond or not?
why the sigma bond must formed first before the pie bond being formed?
can anyone solve my problems? thanks.

[Ixora]

hi, a lower 6 student here... my teacher teaches pretty fast, in 4 months time she has already taught 6 chapters in physical chemistry, in organic chemistry until carboxylic acid... 8O sounds like bullet train, isn't it?

[vseehua]

better than the teacher teach slowly till cn't end the syllabus b4 stpm

[kelly86]

hello..i'm new here.in fact i just found this website today...i'm a upper six student this year n going to sit for stpm end of this year..i hv difficulties in answering physical questions n paper 2 questions...i'm now quite panic as the actual exam is coming soon...can any1 help me?thx.

[vseehua]

erm...the scope of physical chemistry is kinda big to be discussed generally..can you be more specific about your problems, in which part of the topics... then we are more able to help out here :)

[janewai]

physical chemistry is quite difficult and confusing, but interesting ^^

[vseehua]

and if you can get the basics about the shells and everything right then everything will be a breeze :)

[scorpstreet]

do anyone know why the dattive bond is stronger than the covalent bond or not?
why the sigma bond must formed first before the pie bond being formed?
can anyone solve my problems? thanks.

As far as i know, a dative bond has the same strength as a single covalent bond.

Sigma bond has to be formed first because electrons enter the s-orbital first (due to the lower energy level) before filling the p-orbital that forms the pi bond.

Hope this helps. :)

[confused-freaker]

sigh got back my trials marks....failed...i'm out of idea to study chemistry...help me!

[vseehua]

do anyone know why the dattive bond is stronger than the covalent bond or not?
why the sigma bond must formed first before the pie bond being formed?
can anyone solve my problems? thanks.

As far as i know, a dative bond has the same strength as a single covalent bond.

dative bond is actually covalent bond under another name due to the nature of it's formation..instead of both atom/molecules/ions donating a their share of electrons, both of the electrons in the shared pair come from only one of the species involved in the reaction :)

[confused-freaker]

whats the diff between optically active and optically non-active.....and between both of that, does both of them contain chiral carbons ?

[confused-freaker]

Q in help:

Name the reagent used and state the expected observations and write equations for the reactions that occur for a chemical test to differentiate the acidity between cyclohexanol and phenol.

(stpm 1999 7 b ii)

I dont think the answer in the book is right...so i hope someone kind could come and enlightened me, thank you in advance :)

[vseehua]

whats the diff between optically active and optically non-active.....and between both of that, does both of them contain chiral carbons ?

no..only optically active compounds have chiral carbon atoms...
they are considered optically active because they can twist plane-polarized monochromatic light in different directions for different optical isotopes....

due to lack of time here, i can't give you the picture...
i'll do so when i got back online later..
hope that helps ..c'ya :)

Hmm.... tell me the difference between

nitrogen oxide and nitrogen monoxide....
why carbon monoxide is not called as carbon oxide?

i am pretty confuse right now.....

[Ixora]

can anyone here help me about amines in Organic Chemistry? i don't quite understand about it... :?:

and also the differences between aliphatic compound and aromatic compound...

Thanx...

[vseehua]

Hmm.... tell me the difference between

nitrogen oxide and nitrogen monoxide....
why carbon monoxide is not called as carbon oxide?

i am pretty confuse right now.....

the word oxide isn't specific to the number of oxygen atoms within the molecule, as such nitrogen oxide can refer to both nitrogen monoxide and dioxide...

aliphatic compound are open carbon chains (ie, no rings) http://www.bartleby.com/65/al/aliphati.html

aromatic compounds are carbon chains that contains rings such cyclohexane or benzene, they are so called because of their smell :)


hope that helps :)

can we write the essay questions in point form??

[infested_ysy]

Just a quick question (lol last minute study before STPM kicks in yo):

Is there a shortcut method in knowing what color would a complex metal ion (transition metals) would show? I mean, there's like 3 dozens of elements bonded to different ligands showing different kind of colors despite having the same oxidation state, and it's a ***** to blindly memorise the list (and I don't see a pattern in the color change).

And questions that asks about the color of the complexes comes out rather frequently on Paper 1/2 (paper 2 in 1999,2001 and 2002 asked about this). So... yeah, help, plz? kthxbai.

[allison]

Hie..i'm a little confuse between electron donating groups and activating groups. I read from the book that activating groups are also electron donating groups.

However, activating groups are such as alkyl groups, -OH, -NH2 and -OR groups but electron donating groups are mainly alkyl groups only. -OH and -NH2 groups are electron withdrawing.

So, pls help. Thanx.. :)

[Penny]

... activating groups are also electron donating groups.

However, activating groups are such as alkyl groups, -OH, -NH2 and -OR groups but electron donating groups are mainly alkyl groups only. -OH and -NH2 groups are electron withdrawing.



It's different.

In benzene, -OH, -NH2 etc (those with lone pair) are electron donating groups.
Because the lone pair of the O strengthen the C-O bond, and becomes C=O, this is known as resonance effect.

But, in aliphatic case, eg. alkane, aliphatic acid etc, -OH, NH2, etc. are electron withdrawing.
Because O is more electronegative.

(Correct me if I'm wrong... :p )

[Daniel]

[Al(H20)3(OH)3] and Al(OH)3

What is the different between this twocompunds ? Some book will tend to write [Al(H20)3(OH)3] in their equation but others will also use Al(OH)3 for the same reaction. What is the significant of the water molecule inside the compound?

[reign226]

Aluminium will ALWAYS tend to form compounds with six dative bonds. IE it will always try to accept six pairs of electrons from lewis bases such as NH3 and H20. It's more complete when you write without leaving out the H2O but sometimes only the (OH)3 is important because maybe you're showing how it will turn into a solid ppt when it becomes (OH)4. Anyway i guess the book omits the H2O sometimes because it's not relevant to the question.

Mmyea i need help memorizing the colours of ions, as well as what happens when you add such and such reagents to it. Failing that, I guess we can always do other questions. *sigh*

[Daniel]

how can a buffer solution control it's acidity?
For example NH3 and NH4Cl...

If i add OH-, the NH4Cll ---> NH3 and H20
but how can it control the acidity since it's product contains NH3 which is like 0H- a basic as well??

same thing happen with adding H+
NH3 + H+ ---> NH4 (NH4 is an conjugate acid right? so it still have acid inside the solution. So how it gonna control the acidity???)

Please enlighten me... Thanks

[reign226]

Buffer:

Lets say a mixture of NH4Cl and NH3 (base and salt of base)

NH4Cl -> NH4+ and Cl- ions (1)
NH3 + H2O -> NH4+ and OH- ions (2)

upon addition of acid, ie H+ ions, it will react with OH- to form water

upon addition of OH- ions from a base, it will react with NH4+ to form NH3 and water. The NH3 won't react with the water to form back NH4 and Cl because the concentration of NH4+ is already too high (from fully disassociated ammonium chloride salt).

If you want to go the route of:

H+ plus NH3 -> NH4+

That's fine because even tho NH4+ is a conjugate acid, its formation does not involve creation of free OH- molecules. If you see the equation, the only products are NH4+ ions, which is in itself neutral. Acid/base is only when they react and somehow manage to release H+ and OH- into the equation. If they don't, the acidity/basicity remains constant.

[Tasslehoff]

^^ The main concept is explained in Le Chatelier's Principle...

[leng]

Does anyone here come across on why non-polar molecules dissolve in non-polar solvent? Any explanation?

[littlepiglet]

I not very understand the concept of Buffer solution. Do we need add hydrogen ion into the acidic buffer solution before adding the hydroxide ion into it. The pH remains unchange when the ion hydrogen is added into the acidic buffer solution first, but what will happen if we added the hydroxide ion into the acidic buffer solution first? The pH will still remains unchange or not?

Another question, how we know the substance undergoes oxidation or reduction? For example, KMnO4 and Cl2. At first i think that the Cl2 undergo reduction and MnO4- undergo oxidation, but don't have the oxidation process for the MnO4-. And now i really don't know how to recognised which substance undergoes oxidation and reduction. Hope that someone can help me to solve this problem. Thanks :)

[leng_cyl]

here is a sharing: Jonathan's Notes for Organic Chemistry Reactions

I found it from here : http://ibelieve.freeserverhost.com/projects.html
Click on the 'pdf' to download the pdf file.

it was created by Jonathan, a former form 6 student who got 4As

I think it's quite helpful for quick, last minute reading :D

[jeremy3232]

y is this thread look so dead? :?

[sunshine88]

is it because i'm not in this thread??? :( (dead,cuz lack of sunshine):D

[henry_yew]

I'm using the Tan Yin Toon book from Fajar Bakti. While my teacher also recommends it, I personally find it quite long-winded and not really straight to the point. Also, the huge amount of text (and hence the big size of the book) is a big turn off for me. Still, I haven't tried other books by other publishers or authors yet (even though they may be thinner and have less text), so I'm not in a position to recommend any. But remember, make a wise choice because these books don't come cheap (usually around RM25 - RM35).

My friend uses Tan Yin Toon's book and I have seen it. I'm not doing STPM but I find that her material are not only difficult to understand, but her diagrams and charts don't make remembering (or necessary memorisation) any easier, such as remembering the order of the configuration of electrons: 1s2, 2s2, 2p6, 3s2, 3p6, 4s2, 3d10, etc.

I'm not so sure about this, but if you happen to see any A Levels book that is comparable to that of STPM, wouldn't you consider buying them as reference? I could recommend Brown, LeMay and Bursten's General Chemistry (Prentice Hall). For Organic Chemistry, if necessary, you could also consider Solomon & Fryhle's Organic Chemistry (John Wiley & Sons), but it is really expensive!

If your books do not give you tips on how to remember certain concepts easily, ask your teachers for tips! I'm sure that some of them would have a way to remember certain facts (especially on the configuration of electrons!).

[henry_yew]

Does anyone here come across on why non-polar molecules dissolve in non-polar solvent? Any explanation?
As a general explanation, here goes.

Before we understand why non-polar solutes (or molecules) dissolve in non-polar solvents, we must first understand the inter-molecular forces of the molecules and the solvents.

First you need to identify the inter-molecular forces of the solute molecules and the solvent molecules. There are four types of inter-molecular forces: Ion-dipole, Dipole-dipole, Hydrogen bonding and London Dispersion Forces (apparently, some of my friends say that some books write it as Van Der Waals forces).

As a rule of thumb, if the inter-molecular forces of the solvent molecules are comparable or similar to the inter-molecular forces of the solute, then the solvent can dissolve the solute. Otherwise, the solvent will not dissolve anything at all! If the solvent and solute are liquid, then you will see two separate layers if they do not dissolve. This explains why oil (London Dispersion Forces) and water (Hydrogen bonding) do not dissolve homogenously, and two separate layers occur, with the oil on top of water.

Take note that water can dissolve salt (sodium chloride) because the inter-molecular forces of sodium chloride (dipole-dipole) is comparable to that of water (hydrogen bonding). Ethanol or methanol (hydrogen bonding) can also dissolve in water.

However, if you try to dissolve hexanol, decanol or any alcohol that has a very long carbon chain, you will find that it is difficult to dissolve in water but easier to dissolve in a non-polar solvent such as carbon tetrachloride. Although hexanol still has hydrogen bonding, the long carbon chain also possesses London Dispersion Forces (LDF) and as the number of carbon increases, the strength of LDF also increases. As a result, the LDF dominates the hydrogen bonding force, thus making it easier to dissolve in a non-polar solvent such as carbon tetrachloride compared to water. Take note that in a non-polar molecule, only LDF exists.

As an experiment, try dissolving cyclohexane in water (you will see two separate layers; both clear but one bearing a light colour) and cyclohexane in carbon tetrachloride!

Generally, most, but not all, organic compounds dissolve in organic solutions because they display London Dispersion Forces only. Thus, non-polar solvents dissolve non-polar solutes.

Comprende?

[sujend]

ermm...and anyone arrnange for me the energy of the orbitals accordingly..

we need to memorise all of em ahh
i know this only
1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d 4p 5s----(in increasing order)(i hafal dis oni..din bother about f and g

why 3d AS HIGHER ENERGY DEN 4s??
how we know the energy levels of the orbitals!!


and guys..u people..still remember garam ahh
i kinda forget em...i do i need to memorise dem for my edn term(lower 6)
since in covalent and ionic compound we learn about their properties of being soluable andinsoluble with expection for some like Ag,Pb...which i beleive has soemthing do to wif garam..i blame myself fro being so forgetful....but do we learn em in from 6..or its is considered ASAS..and wont be taught anymore.
aihh...i am so scared of chemistryy
and how u guys memorise the shapes ..in chap 7.??

issit compulaory to memorise the elements in period 2 and 3..since we learn..or just remember certain important things which is UNIQUE in a way..or repated multiple times in the book

i'm kinda worried of my studying method...i understand things...but i memorise em for exam..and tend to forget them when i study a different thing

is preserverence something possible??

guys share ur tips for ur end term(lower 6)

[sunshine88]

ermm...and anyone arrnange for me the energy of the orbitals accordingly..

we need to memorise all of em ahh
i know this only
1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d 4p 5s----(in increasing order)(i hafal dis oni..din bother about f and g

why 3d AS HIGHER ENERGY DEN 4s??
how we know the energy levels of the orbitals!!


and guys..u people..still remember garam ahh
i kinda forget em...i do i need to memorise dem for my edn term(lower 6)
since in covalent and ionic compound we learn about their properties of being soluable andinsoluble with expection for some like Ag,Pb...which i beleive has soemthing do to wif garam..i blame myself fro being so forgetful....but do we learn em in from 6..or its is considered ASAS..and wont be taught anymore.
aihh...i am so scared of chemistryy
and how u guys memorise the shapes ..in chap 7.??

issit compulaory to memorise the elements in period 2 and 3..since we learn..or just remember certain important things which is UNIQUE in a way..or repated multiple times in the book

i'm kinda worried of my studying method...i understand things...but i memorise em for exam..and tend to forget them when i study a different thing

is preserverence something possible??

guys share ur tips for ur end term(lower 6)

The f and g orbitals aren't in or syllabus....So,don't even bother about it..But if u still wanna know then here goes...I did this arrowing method...U can refer that in Longman's Pre-U Text,pg.85...But,i did some changes which is..I added 7s orbital under the 6s orbital...Then for the p orbitals,i added 6p under the 5p..and next to the p orbitals are the d orbitals.I added 6d under the 5d..and then next to it i added the f orbitals which is 4f and 5f...and in the end u have one 5g orbital.....That's it....The arrow method is the safest and worth scribbling on your exam paper..he..heh..

As for your question on why 3d orbital has a higher energy level than the 4s...he..heh...my answer is the rule says so.Or maybe it has something to do with stability..Try comparing the electronic confifuration of copper;filling up the 3d first and the other one 4s first.U will notice that when u fill in the 3d orbital first,u get a completely filled d sub-shells a half-filled 4s shell which is more stable than the other way round...It applies the same for other non-transition elements...I guess that helped a tad..Ask your chem teacher...if you're still unsure...

Hmm..about the garam..I don't think there's a nedd to memorise..So far I've reached the topic equilibrium..and i didn't encounter such garam things.I guess the seniors can answer this question better than me.Otherwise,sujend..try to get the SPM chemistry book or simply phothostate the part u needed.That should be enough....

He..heh..how to remember the shapes..I taught this to my friend before we sat for the final exam.K..let me share that with you as well.If u have the reference book,try refering to it as u read my tips here...(in my case,Longman)..Again,u don't have to know all the shapes..The main shapes that u should bear in mind are the linear,bent,trigonal planar,tatahedron,trigonal pyramid,octahedron,and square planar...First u have to compare(compare all the shapes that is the book u have if u wish to)..Ok,first identify the number of bond pairs..Base on the shape that i mentioned above,i shall start with 2 bond-pairs.The shapes that have 2 bonds are the linear and the bent.Then compare the lone pairs.The linear doesn't have the lone pair but the bent has one..Then,u move on with the 3 bond- pairs;trigonal planar,trigonal pyramid...Remember like this>>>if the 3 bond pairs has no lone pairs then the shape should be the trigonal planar...and if it has 1 lone pair then it's a t.pyramid....So,the number of lone pairs counts
a lot...Keep on comparing for 4 bond pairs and 5 bond pairs...eventhough most of 'em are rarely asked for...Sediakan payung sebelum hujan...It's ok if u don't prepare that now(for your final)but it's crucial for the real STPM...Who know what's in store for us in future.. 8)

No need to memorise what's in period 2 and 3..Just make sure u have the first 20 elements at your fingertips.If u can then..improve more to the transition elements...But it isn't necessary though...However,u need to know what increases and decreases down the group and accross the period..and why that happens..

The most important thing is to think a lot...The book may not have the information we wanted but it's up to our own initiative to master the skills..everyone has their own study techniques...and i'm still unsure if u could follow mines up there..he..heh..Don't get panic sujend..Relax..relax.. :)

Note..I did commit a few spelling errors.Please kindly adjust to it..He..heh.Thanks a lot..

[sunshine88]

anybody has this Federal Topical questions practice book for Chem..?I find it very tough la...

[sujend]

tat tough ahh tat federal book...maybe i should get it soon!!
i understand wha u haf mentioned...since i dun pay attention in class...i am kinda tsudying everything on my own and always get confused...if u dont mind..and u tell me basically wut are non-transition elements??
:roll:

[sunshine88]

tat tough ahh tat federal book...maybe i should get it soon!!
i understand wha u haf mentioned...since i dun pay attention in class...i am kinda tsudying everything on my own and always get confused...if u dont mind..and u tell me basically wut are non-transition elements??
:roll:

well..non-transition elements are the ones in period 1,2,13,14,15,16,17 and 18...HE..HEH...I used that term as a short cut......Always pay attention in class,ok..he..heh...

[sujend]

period or group??
i tought for 7 periods oni??
:roll:

[sunshine88]

Actually..i did it on purpose..whether anyone can detect it or not...I and my friends used to do mistakes on purpose in our homeworks,to test whether the teacher is really reading what we wrote...
Kudos for u ,sujend..U recognised what mistake i did...
8) 8) ..yeah..i know i'm bit annoying,huh...well thats sunshine... :P

[sunshine88]

hmm...looks like its just the 2 of us...here.Where the others have gone..???
Which chemistry books do u guys think that will provide students with challenging questions.?

[sujend]

sunshine....i asked certain form 6 kepala..in my skool..
and they said federal is more den enaough..
but the said that physical must be STRONG...since..we wont haf enough time to cover inorganic...so..must buck up now..
so next onwards..wanna start the serious revision eh??

[sunshine88]

for me,i've decided that i shall try out the federal book after i've really mastered a topic,meaning practice on other books before proceeding to federal's....When i used that federal to practise for my exam,i felt terribly bad...I thought was it me,or this book made me feel weak and dumb.I shut the book right away,thinking that even the teacher won't consider to set that sort of questions for school exams...he..heh
That book will be my ultimate tester one day...For the time being,i put it to rest .he..heh.

[henry_yew]

ermm...and anyone arrnange for me the energy of the orbitals accordingly..

we need to memorise all of em ahh
i know this only
1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d 4p 5s----(in increasing order)(i hafal dis oni..din bother about f and g

why 3d AS HIGHER ENERGY DEN 4s??
how we know the energy levels of the orbitals!!


To make your things easier in remembering the arrangement of the electron configuration, refer to the figure below:

http://img416.imageshack.us/img416/8431/electronconfigurationyn9.jpg

I made this image using Microsoft Word just for information sake. As you can see, I have listed down the electron configuration up to 7s2 (you can actually continue further if you want to). You don't need to memorise the arrangement of the electron configuration to get the arrangement right. Just list down all the configurations that you know, as shown in the picture.

Then, use arrows (shown in red) and cross every configuration. So, first cross 1s2 out. Then, you cross 2s2. Next, you cross 2p6 but if you let the arrow extend as far as you can, you'll see that it crosses 3s2 also. Now that the last orbital in quantum number 2 (2p orbital) has been crossed out together with 3s2, we move on by crossing 3p6. But extending the arrow, you'll find that it crosses 4s2 as well. Only then will you cross 3d10, 4p6, 5s2. Next in line is 4d10, 5p6, 6s2. So, based on this concept, what is next?

The reason that 3d10 is after 4s2 is because the energy level of 4s orbital is lower than 3d orbital. This means that if you were to fill electrons, the 4s orbital will be filled first (remember to fill electrons in orbitals with the lower energy; remember Hund's Rule, Aufbau's Rule and Pauli Exclusion Principle) only then you start to fill the 3d orbital (you'll notice that transition elements have partially or fully filled 3d orbitals).

But take note here! Let's say that we have zinc (electron configuration is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 or [Ar] 4s2 3d10). If zinc was ionised into zinc ion (Zn 2+), two electrons are removed, but from which orbital? The rule is that the electrons are always first removed from the orbital with the largest quantum number, regardless of the energy level. Therefore, instead of removing two electrons from the 3d orbital, you remove the two electrons from the 4s orbital, thus making it unfilled. In the end, your electron cofiguration for zinc ion is [Ar] 3d10.

When studying Chemistry, it is always best that you keep in mind some of the most important elements that you will always use (memorise the atomic mass unit of frequently used elements, the atomic number, etc.). There are certain things in Chemistry that you'll need to memorise because they are considered to be the basis (such as which type of salt dissolves in water and which does not). There are explanations behind all these, but things can be really complicated to the point that reasoning things out will not clear much doubts, thus making it easier to just memorise (of course, getting some understanding on how the reasoning comes about sure helps!).

[4seasonspring]

anybody has this Federal Topical questions practice book for Chem..?I find it very tough la...

Yeah, I hv one.....very tough....sigh....Chemistry is alwys tough....just finish Ionic Equilibria

[sujend]

ermm...and anyone arrnange for me the energy of the orbitals accordingly..

we need to memorise all of em ahh
i know this only
1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d 4p 5s----(in increasing order)(i hafal dis oni..din bother about f and g

why 3d AS HIGHER ENERGY DEN 4s??
how we know the energy levels of the orbitals!!


To make your things easier in remembering the arrangement of the electron configuration, refer to the figure below:

http://img416.imageshack.us/img416/8431/electronconfigurationyn9.jpg

I made this image using Microsoft Word just for information sake. As you can see, I have listed down the electron configuration up to 7s2 (you can actually continue further if you want to). You don't need to memorise the arrangement of the electron configuration to get the arrangement right. Just list down all the configurations that you know, as shown in the picture.

Then, use arrows (shown in red) and cross every configuration. So, first cross 1s2 out. Then, you cross 2s2. Next, you cross 2p6 but if you let the arrow extend as far as you can, you'll see that it crosses 3s2 also. Now that the last orbital in quantum number 2 (2p orbital) has been crossed out together with 3s2, we move on by crossing 3p6. But extending the arrow, you'll find that it crosses 4s2 as well. Only then will you cross 3d10, 4p6, 5s2. Next in line is 4d10, 5p6, 6s2. So, based on this concept, what is next?

The reason that 3d10 is after 4s2 is because the energy level of 4s orbital is lower than 3d orbital. This means that if you were to fill electrons, the 4s orbital will be filled first (remember to fill electrons in orbitals with the lower energy; remember Hund's Rule, Aufbau's Rule and Pauli Exclusion Principle) only then you start to fill the 3d orbital (you'll notice that transition elements have partially or fully filled 3d orbitals).

But take note here! Let's say that we have zinc (electron configuration is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 or [Ar] 4s2 3d10). If zinc was ionised into zinc ion (Zn 2+), two electrons are removed, but from which orbital? The rule is that the electrons are always first removed from the orbital with the largest quantum number, regardless of the energy level. Therefore, instead of removing two electrons from the 3d orbital, you remove the two electrons from the 4s orbital, thus making it unfilled. In the end, your electron cofiguration for zinc ion is [Ar] 3d10.

When studying Chemistry, it is always best that you keep in mind some of the most important elements that you will always use (memorise the atomic mass unit of frequently used elements, the atomic number, etc.). There are certain things in Chemistry that you'll need to memorise because they are considered to be the basis (such as which type of salt dissolves in water and which does not). There are explanations behind all these, but things can be really complicated to the point that reasoning things out will not clear much doubts, thus making it easier to just memorise (of course, getting some understanding on how the reasoning comes about sure helps!).

:lol: :)

thx for ur effort!
it really helped!..
are you in form 6 now??
do we learn salts which are soluble and insoluble in water?

[4seasonspring]

do we learn salts which are soluble and insoluble in water?

Yes, we need to......or at least, know some of the important insoluble salts.....try to belek balki ur SPM reference book

[sunshine88]

do we learn salts which are soluble and insoluble in water?

Yes, we need to......or at least, know some of the important insoluble salts.....try to belek balki ur SPM reference book


yeah......belek balki..balki..balki.....he..heh....sorry 4seasonspring..i just could resist it..... :twisted:

[4seasonspring]

do we learn salts which are soluble and insoluble in water?

Yes, we need to......or at least, know some of the important insoluble salts.....try to belek balki ur SPM reference book


yeah......belek balki..balki..balki.....he..heh....sorry 4seasonspring..i just could resist it..... :twisted:

haha......so naughty lah u.......ok, clarification....BELEK BALIK! Balik balik balik :twisted:

[henry_yew]

thx for ur effort!
it really helped!..
are you in form 6 now??
do we learn salts which are soluble and insoluble in water?

No, I'm not in Form 6. I'm now in UTP, studying Foundation for Civil Engineering. But I do cover Chemistry, too. Our syllabus follows the A Levels.

As for which salts are soluble and which are not, yeap, you'll need to revise your Form 5 SPM syllabus. Whatever we learnt in SPM Chemistry for soluble or insoluble salts apply to STPM.

Just for information: it is a known fact that salts such as sodium chloride, lithium hydroxide and the like have ionic bonding. But do you know that the bonding for aluminium chloride is covalent? There is a reason for this, but can anyone else reason out?

[leng_cyl]

Just for information: it is a known fact that salts such as sodium chloride, lithium hydroxide and the like have ionic bonding. But do you know that the bonding for aluminium chloride is covalent? There is a reason for this, but can anyone else reason out?

I just did a question similar to this few days ago....
I do the explanation below by referring to my reference books... haha... hope I'm right~

ok, let's consider Aluminium Oxide first

Aluminium Oxide is an ionic compound with strong covalent character which shows amphoteric properties.
It consists of Al3+ ion and O2- ions.
As a result of the high charge density of Al3+ ion (high charge with small ionic radius), the ion is able to polarise the electron cloud of the anion O2- to give a high degree of covalent character in the ionic bond.


so, for Aluminium Chloride...

The chloride ion, Cl- is a much larger anion than the oxide O2- ion.
Hence, Cl- can be polarised much more readily than the O2- ion.
The aluminium ion polarises the chloride ion so extensively that the bonding in aluminium chloride is considered to be covalent.

*according to Fajan's rules, an ionic compound will have a high degree of covalency if
a) the positive ion is small and highly charged (high polarising power)
b) the negative ion is large and highly charged (high polarisability).

hope this helps~

[sunshine88]

how do we know whether an acid or a base is weak or strong..I know that it has to do with dissociation..but do we have to memorise which is in which?

[leng_cyl]

how do we know whether an acid or a base is weak or strong..I know that it has to do with dissociation..but do we have to memorise which is in which?

For the general ones, you can memorize easily after reading and doing many exercises, such as HCl, H2SO4, are strong acids...; NaOH, KOH, Ca(OH)2 are strong bases.... the strong bases are the hydroxides of Group 1 & 2 metals...


However, normally we pay more attention to the organic acids..

The most important, you must know the Arrhenius theory, Bronsted-Lowry theory; and Lewis theory... the definition of the acid and base according to their theories.

e.g: based on Bronsted-Lowry theory, we can know that
The stronger the acid, the weaker its conjugate base;
The weaker the acid, the stronger its conjugate base.
Thus, ethanoic acid is a weak acid but its conjugate base, CH3COO-(aq) is a strong base.


Also, about the acid dissociation constant, Ka & the pKa
The smaller the Ka value, the weaker the acid.
The smaller the value of pKa, the stronger the acid.

For Organic Chemistry, we study many different groups of Functional Groups... the acidity of phenol, carboxylic acid, etc... are related to their structure.
The 2 factors affecting the acid strength -- inductive effect & delocalisation of electrons.

e.g: A carboxylic acid is a stronger acid than either an alcohol or a phenol because of
i) the negative inductive effect of the carbonyl group.
ii) the resonance effect of the carbonyl group.

Besides, the substituents of the acids affect the acidity too...
e.g: Electron-withdrawing groups increase acidity of Carboxylic Acids; electron-donating groups decreases acidity.


whatever the factors are, we have to remember that, the strength of acid depends on the extent to which a proton can be separated from its molecule and transferred to a base.

*I copy most of these from the Tan Yin Toon books ya... haha.. I just make a short summary for you =p
hope it does answer your question... aiks

[sunshine88]

:) thank u leng_cyl.....That helped me a lot...

[henry_yew]

Just for information: it is a known fact that salts such as sodium chloride, lithium hydroxide and the like have ionic bonding. But do you know that the bonding for aluminium chloride is covalent? There is a reason for this, but can anyone else reason out?

I just did a question similar to this few days ago....
I do the explanation below by referring to my reference books... haha... hope I'm right~

ok, let's consider Aluminium Oxide first

Aluminium Oxide is an ionic compound with strong covalent character which shows amphoteric properties.
It consists of Al3+ ion and O2- ions.
As a result of the high charge density of Al3+ ion (high charge with small ionic radius), the ion is able to polarise the electron cloud of the anion O2- to give a high degree of covalent character in the ionic bond.


so, for Aluminium Chloride...

The chloride ion, Cl- is a much larger anion than the oxide O2- ion.
Hence, Cl- can be polarised much more readily than the O2- ion.
The aluminium ion polarises the chloride ion so extensively that the bonding in aluminium chloride is considered to be covalent.

*according to Fajan's rules, an ionic compound will have a high degree of covalency if
a) the positive ion is small and highly charged (high polarising power)
b) the negative ion is large and highly charged (high polarisability).

hope this helps~

Very good explanation! Even I couldn't do any better. Remember that aluminium chloride has covalent bonding but aluminium fluoride has ionic bonding! Understand Fajan's rules and everything would be easy.

[sunshine88]

how about the titration graphs ?Do we have to memorise the pattern of very titration?Sometimes,i just get confused with one and the other...But i' able to remember the suitable indicato for every titration..

[leng_cyl]

ya, we should know the pattern of the curves... but I think there are methods to remember them... we just need to think logically~

for example, the Strong Acid-Strong Base titration

the pH value for 0.1M HCl is 1.0, pH value for 0.1M NaOH is 13.
When HCl (in the conical flask) is titrated with NaOH (from the burette), the curve starts from pH 1.0, and ends at pH 13.
It's logical right? because the strong acid is in the conical flask...
at the end, the pH will gradually become 13 as more of the NaOH is added from the burette to the conical flask.

if the situation is the opposite where strong alkali (in the conical flask) is titrated with the strong acid (in the burette), the curve starts at pH13 and ends at pH 1.0.........

and as for strong acid-strong base titration, the vertical line -- changes of pH (where the equivalence point is located) is very long, as the pH changes very sharply from 3.5 to 10.5


to memorize the suitable indicator for the titrations, if you know the pH range of the indicators and also the patterns of the curves, you can make it easily ya....

e.g: the pH changes very sharply from 3.5 to 10.5 for the strong acid-strong alkali titration, so any indicators that have pH range of these values can be used, such as
Methyl Orange with pH range: 3.2 - 4.2
Phenolphthalein with pH range: 8.2 - 10.0


I hope you can understand what I have written.
haha... refer to the graph in your book while read this?
by the way, I think what written in the Tan Yin Toon book is quite clear and in detail, after few reading, you may be understand =p

btw, I myself also can't memorize the pH range etc sometimes... haha

[sunshine88]

thank u again,leng_cyl...He.heh..besides answering these questions,u r also remembering back what u've learned as a form of prep. for STPM...

[leng_cyl]

haha.. ya...
if I have time, and if I know the answer, I will help to answer

[henry_yew]

haha.. ya...
if I have time, and if I know the answer, I will help to answer

Seconded. It's a good way of practising your Chemistry or any other subjects if you attempt to answer people's questions. That's how you can remember facts easily, right?

For those who will be or are learning Organic Chemistry (in STPM Chemistry), I have some advice here. Organic Chemistry isn't anything like Physical or Inorganic Chemistry! Organic Chemistry is about concepts, imagination and more concepts!

Generally, Chemistry might cover a bit of Organic Chemistry, but I had to get myself a 1400-page book just on Organic Chemistry to study about the reactions that take place. You can't cover everything on Organic Chemistry in just one day; it needs consistent revision.

Here's a tip to make things easier when learning Organic Chemistry: do not forget whatever that you've learnt in the Acid & Bases (definitions of Bronsted-Lowry and Lewis Acids/Bases) chapter and it is very important that you know how to calculate formal charges!

For many, Organic Chemistry is like hell. I say take it easy and do things one at a time.

As I am bringing up about Organic Chemistry, here is a question for you to attempt. A general one, OK? A rather simple one, too. The fishy smell of fish or any other types of sea products is the result of a type of organic compound. What is the functional group of that organic compound? Suppose that the refrigerator in your house bears that fishy smell, what can you do to eliminate it (honestly, I know what can be done to do away with the smell, but could anyone tell me the reason behind it because I've forgotten)?

[sunshine88]

As I am bringing up about Organic Chemistry, here is a question for you to attempt. A general one, OK? A rather simple one, too. The fishy smell of fish or any other types of sea products is the result of a type of organic compound. What is the functional group of that organic compound? Suppose that the refrigerator in your house bears that fishy smell, what can you do to eliminate it (honestly, I know what can be done to do away with the smell, but could anyone tell me the reason behind it because I've forgotten)?

is the organic compound amine...?
and to eliminate the fishy smell,do we use baking soda???or refrigerants like freon?

[sunshine88]

i guess organic group amine,and its functional group is alkyl...
And as for the remedy....my teacher told me charcoal....
henry_yew...pls. answer whether i'm write or wrong...cuz my head is going to burst..

[henry_yew]

i guess organic group amine,and its functional group is alkyl...
And as for the remedy....my teacher told me charcoal....
henry_yew...pls. answer whether i'm write or wrong...cuz my head is going to burst..

The organic compound is an amine, you got that right, but the functional group is the amino group.

The remedy is, yes, by using charcoal or you can also use sliced pieces of lemon. It is supposedly to absorb the amine and thus eliminate it from your refrigerator. How is this possible, I've forgotten. Can anyone care to explain?

Freon is used in refrigerators to maintain the cold temperature inside. How does freon helps cool down the refrigerators inside requires the theories of physics. As this is a Chemistry thread, I won't explain how it happens.

[henry_yew]

Let us have some sort of a Chemistry quiz here. Anyone is welcome to attempt to answer. Perhaps these questions can help you revise for STPM?

Graphite and diamond are allotropes of carbon. It was also found that buckminsterfullerene, also known as buckyball, is also an allotrope of carbon. What is its molecular fomula?

An electrolysis process is conducted on a sodium chloride solution using copper electrodes (assume that the solution is a dilute one, usually less than 2 M). What are the products that are EXPECTED to form at the anode and the cathode? What are the ACTUAL products formed?

How many isomers can be found for an alkene with the formula C4H8? How many of them are constitutional isomers and how many are stereoisomers?

How can you determine from Gibbs Free Energy whether a particular reaction is spontaneous or otherwise? How is Gibbs Free Energy related to standard potential reduction in spontaneity of a reaction?

Gee... these questions sure are useful for revision, huh? I wonder if they are all in your STPM syllabus.

[sunshine88]

Graphite and diamond are allotropes of carbon. It was also found that buckminsterfullerene, also known as buckyball, is also an allotrope of carbon. What is its molecular fomula?
well..the molecular formula is C60?(hey if wrong means,tell so..dun give the asnwer yet..he.he?

An electrolysis process is conducted on a sodium chloride solution using copper electrodes (assume that the solution is a dilute one, usually less than 2 M). What are the products that are EXPECTED to form at the anode and the cathode? What are the ACTUAL products formed?
hmm..tricky question...Is it oxygen in anode and hydrogen in cathode??juz guessing..

[henry_yew]

Graphite and diamond are allotropes of carbon. It was also found that buckminsterfullerene, also known as buckyball, is also an allotrope of carbon. What is its molecular fomula?
well..the molecular formula is C60?(hey if wrong means,tell so..dun give the asnwer yet..he.he?

An electrolysis process is conducted on a sodium chloride solution using copper electrodes (assume that the solution is a dilute one, usually less than 2 M). What are the products that are EXPECTED to form at the anode and the cathode? What are the ACTUAL products formed?
hmm..tricky question...Is it oxygen in anode and hydrogen in cathode??juz guessing..

C60 is correct. Well done sunshine88!

Hydrogen is produced at the cathode. That's correct. But oxygen produced at the anode is incorrect. Try again. Hehe...

[sunshine88]

haiyee...not oxygen..
hmm..chlorine is it..?

[henry_yew]

haiyee...not oxygen..
hmm..chlorine is it..?

That's right. It's chlorine gas, but there is also another (not so important) product, which can only be detected using the universal indicator. What is it?

An extra question here: for the electrolysis of sodium chloride solution using copper electrodes, what is the reaction that takes place at the anode and cathode? Express your answer in this manner: "One mole of hydrogen ions react with one mole of electrons to form half a mole of hydrogen gas."

[sunshine88]

That's right. It's chlorine gas, but there is also another (not so important) product, which can only be detected using the universal indicator. What is it?

hydroxide??

An extra question here: for the electrolysis of sodium chloride solution using copper electrodes, what is the reaction that takes place at the anode and cathode? Express your answer in this manner: "One mole of hydrogen ions react with one mole of electrons to form half a mole of hydrogen gas.

Reaction at cathode:
Two moles of hydrogen ions reacts with 2 electrons to form a hydrogen molecule

Reaction at anode:
Two moles of chloride reacts with two electrons to form one chloride molecule.

Hey,i dunno the answers for the other 2 questions..Haven't learn it yet.. :mrgreen: ..What are constitutional isomers anyway..??

[henry_yew]

That's right. It's chlorine gas, but there is also another (not so important) product, which can only be detected using the universal indicator. What is it?

hydroxide??

Yes, it is hydroxide ions.

An extra question here: for the electrolysis of sodium chloride solution using copper electrodes, what is the reaction that takes place at the anode and cathode? Express your answer in this manner: "One mole of hydrogen ions react with one mole of electrons to form half a mole of hydrogen gas.

Reaction at cathode:
Two moles of hydrogen ions reacts with 2 electrons to form a hydrogen molecule

Reaction at anode:
Two moles of chloride reacts with two electrons to form one chloride molecule.

Your reaction at the cathode explains why there is hydrogen gas produced, but does not explain why are there hydroxide ions. The reaction at the cathode should be:
Two moles of water react with two moles of electrons to give one mole of hydrogen gas and two moles of hydroxide ions.

At the anode, the reaction should be:
Two moles of chloride ions give one mole of chlorine gas and two moles of electrons. Your answer is wrong actually because you said "form one CHLORIDE molecule" but I assume you mean "form one mole of CHLORINE molecules". But still, your answer is incorrect because if you react chloride ions with electrons, you are actually adding more electrons; you should actually REMOVE the electrons from Chloride ions.

Hey,i dunno the answers for the other 2 questions..Haven't learn it yet.. :mrgreen: ..What are constitutional isomers anyway..??

In Organic Chemistry, there are isomers of a certain organic compound. But there are two types of isomers, namely constitutional isomers and stereoisomers. Constitutional isomers are isomers of a compound that have different arrangement of atoms and different naming of the compound but similar molecular formula. For example, 1-butanol and 2-butanol are constitutional isomers because in the first compound, the OH group is located at the first carbon whereas in the second compound, the OH group is located at the second carbon. Methyl-propane and butane are another example of constitutional isomers (draw the Lewis structures to see the difference).

Stereoisomers, however, are isomers that have the same nomenclature (or naming), same physical and chemical properties but different orientation. The study of stereoisomers are more complicating as it involves stereochemistry, where you will learn about chirality of compounds (here you will learn about mirror images of certain compounds whereby the mirror image is the isomer of the original compound, known as pair of enantiomers). Sometimes, the mirror image of a certain organic compound (with stereogenic centre or chiral carbon) may not be an isomer of the original compound; it is called meso compound. And there is another type of stereoisomer known as diastereomers. Confusing, isn't it?

Well, stereochemistry is, to me, the most difficult chapter to master in Organic Chemistry, because it involves a lot of theory and imagination. But you can never run away from stereochemistry if you are going to take up Organic Chemistry, because without stereochemistry, you will not be able to understand the rest of the materials in your Organic Chemistry.

If you haven't learnt about stereochemistry or even about constitutional isomers, I advise you to omit what I have written about stereochemistry above. I also encourage you to flip through the chapter on stereochemistry long before your lessons for Organic Chemistry.

[sunshine88]

i knew the hydroxide reaction..but i thought u were asking for reaction not reactions at anode and cathode..Haih..see how one letter can mess up ppl's answer.
oh..so henry_yew..u meant like the dissociation reaction for chlorine..?
My gosh..i totally forgot my SPM Chem.!!..Need to brush up my chem.I still ahevn't come accross to electrolysis topiv in STPM syllabus yet..
Thanks for the clarification anyway,henry_yew.. :wink:
Are u a fan of chemistry..?Next time i'll post my chem questions..cuz i will surely stuck somewhere n future when i'm learning chemistry.
Ok..i'll follow ur advice to study that stereochem. topic..

[henry_yew]

i knew the hydroxide reaction..but i thought u were asking for reaction not reactions at anode and cathode..Haih..see how one letter can mess up ppl's answer.
oh..so henry_yew..u meant like the dissociation reaction for chlorine..?
My gosh..i totally forgot my SPM Chem.!!..Need to brush up my chem.I still ahevn't come accross to electrolysis topiv in STPM syllabus yet..
Thanks for the clarification anyway,henry_yew.. :wink:
Are u a fan of chemistry..?Next time i'll post my chem questions..cuz i will surely stuck somewhere n future when i'm learning chemistry.
Ok..i'll follow ur advice to study that stereochem. topic..

I am a fan of both Chemistry and Physics, which is why I have chosen to take Civil Engineering.

Well, even though I stated reaction, instead of reactions at the anode and cathode, there are only one reaction occuring at the cathode and one reaction occuring at the anode. There is only one reaction occuring at the cathode, but it has two products, namely the hydrogen gas and hydroxide ions.

It's not about dissociation reaction for chlorine. At the anode, the chloride ions remove their "extra" electrons to form chlorine atoms, which will then form the chlorine gas. You mentioned before that you expected oxygen gas to be formed at the anode. The method in which you deduced oxygen to be your product is the same method in which you can use for chlorine.

It is true that many would expect oxygen gas to be produced at the anode instead of chlorine because the hydroxide ions (from ionisation of water) is below chloride ions in the electrochemistry series. However, there is a reason why chlorine, even under normal conditions, is produced instead of oxygen. The reason is due to overpotential, which I shall not cover due to the complexity of this topic.

[joebf86]

Can anyone give review of essay questions for 2006? thanks

[Duke88]

hi guys !!i am taking STPM this year and i need ur help !!!!
can anybody share the notes for chemistry which is easy to understand cos i'm really busy until i hav no time to make a notes for my chem subject......
ur help will me more easier to pass the exam ...TQ so much!!

[sunshine88]

next time,try to browse the forum first before strating on a new thread..This thread has existed before

http://recom.org/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=1002#100696

Just to inform u a little..It's always better if u compile your own notes
I cannot write the whole thing over & over again...so read up this
http://recom.org/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=4524&highlight=

Evryone's busy too... 8)

[Duke88]

TQ so much !!!!

[kpchen]

^ bump

Looks like the mass spectrometer is gonna be replaced by a super cool gadget...

http://science.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1270222.php/Scientists_invent_real-life_%60tricorder%60

[wawa]

^ bump

Looks like the mass spectrometer is gonna be replaced by a super cool gadget...

It is still a mass spectrometer mah...I think :?

Anyways, that it doesn't give more in depth explaination, but I'm guessing that not using vacuum probrably implies that its sensitivity is way down compared to a $100k spec.

[day_dreamer]

Any recomendation on books for STPM form 6 ??

I just bought one book by Tan Eng Tun..

[jeremy3232]

day_dreamer:

I supposed u were saying "Tan Yin Toon"? :lol:
His books aren't bad, it's just that some students find his books have too many unnecessary details (not mentioned in the syllabus) and very detailed explainations. But of course, if you don't mind reading extra, his books are certainly useful as his explainations can further strengthen your understanding on each topic. As for me, I find that book quite informative but a bit time consuming when it comes to revision for exams. :wink:

[sinf0ol]

anno~ :oops:
any1 noe any tips to get g0od result in chem???
im having huge prob of it.. :?

[GuanTyng]

I post this topic to ask the best reference books fo all subjects...........
Pls be kind to give opinions......

[leewai]

Any chance i scoring A for stpm if i start studying chemistry from scratch? :oops:

[lawteoh]

Any recomendation on books for STPM form 6 ??

I just bought one book by Tan Eng Tun..

Tan Eng Tun? who's that? haha.. oh ya.. what's his publisher? maybe I ought to buy what u buy.. :lol:

[day_dreamer]

Any recomendation on books for STPM form 6 ??

I just bought one book by Tan Eng Tun..

Tan Eng Tun? who's that? haha.. oh ya.. what's his publisher? maybe I ought to buy what u buy.. :lol:

Typing mistakes la.. XD

Better watch your toungue .. It may be some hentai books.. XD

[sammul]

For STPM go for foreign books. Local authors tend to make a lot of mistake especially in giving answers and explainations

[lawteoh]

hmm.. u mean Tan Yin Toon books got a lot of mistake? din noe that..

[day_dreamer]

Tan Yin Toon books don't make much mistake .. it's just that the topic some is already out of the syllabus ~

[forEVA]

TYT's books r very^zillion the long lah ok? although my school still uses it for all 3 of the chemistries (dont ask me y), there's one school that i know of doesnt bother using TYT anymore.. damn loh soh.. look at the book so thick also dont feel like reading it already.. better not use lah..

there's another inorganic book, forgot the name of the author n publisher already, saw it in my school's library, the cover is green in colour wan.. also a lot of freaking mistakes.. cheh

[fullerene]

for chem i rely on my tuition teacher's notes (but i think she refers to Tan Yin Toon)

whereas for bio, im now referring more to Biological Science (BIG red book, looks like the typical biology bible one.. im sure many school libraries have that) with Longman's one occasionally... my school teacher photostats notes from foreign books (Campbell, Biological Science, some A-Levels books)

=)

[exec]

TYT's book is great, it provides a lot of useful additional(which I don't prefer to say that they are out of syllabus even if it is a fact) information regarding Chemistry. Isn't is great that by providing extra information, some of the students may get interested in chemistry, and start getting themselves into that field?

For foreign books, they provide even more information which is further out of the syllabus. But the books are generally very interesting(for US books), and you would never get bored reading those, even when they stray a hundred miles away from the STPM syllabus.

Go go, TYT!

[nicodemus]

Yeah! Go go, TYT!

I personally like TYT, although it's quite long and more out of syllabus, but it's interesting to know more facts and get you more interested in the subject.

I recommend TYT for physical and organic chemistry, while for inorganic you can use the Pelangi one written by Fiore (i guess) That one was quite useful. :D

For biology, I depend on my tuition notes. Occasionally, i'll read from some foreign books but my favourite was Campbell. :D

[lawteoh]

Campbell? Not confusing ah? I got that book but then, I only refer occasionally.. Where got time to read through it? lol..

[exec]

Foreign books tend to be better than what our local publishers produce. (You may think of it as the grass on the other side is always greener, while in fact it is) But they also tend to stray too much away from the syllabus. It makes like you're reading college-level chem instead of pre-u level chem. Nevertheless, they are always great reference in case you don't understand certain topics because they tend to give microscopic explanations.

[lsw1990]

hey, im lower six this year. I want to ask something. Usually school teachers will start with Physical Chemistry right? So, can i study Organic or inorganic chemistry myself 1st while learning physical chemistry from my teacher??? is it a must to learn everything about physical chemistry 1st thn only you can study Organic or Inorganic??

[Xon]

hey, im lower six this year. I want to ask something. Usually school teachers will start with Physical Chemistry right? So, can i study Organic or inorganic chemistry myself 1st while learning physical chemistry from my teacher??? is it a must to learn everything about physical chemistry 1st thn only you can study Organic or Inorganic??

Umm,i am also in lower 6 now. i dont think we should do so. maybe,just pre-learn/pre-read the physical chemistry before lesson start. i think this is more than enough lor.

[Caprio]

hey, im lower six this year. I want to ask something. Usually school teachers will start with Physical Chemistry right? So, can i study Organic or inorganic chemistry myself 1st while learning physical chemistry from my teacher??? is it a must to learn everything about physical chemistry 1st thn only you can study Organic or Inorganic??

Yupp. It is highly advisable to do so, especially if you desire to take part in various competitions like Olympiad Chemistry, National Chemistry Quiz and the list goes on.

It is not necessary to learn everything about physical chemistry before proceding to organic or inorganic chemistry. By the way, since you are in lower sixth currently, I think you should focus on the stuff taught by the teacher first. After you have mastered all the stuff taught, perhaps you may do your self-study. It is no point to study extra things if you failed to master the stuff taught by the teacher.

Good luck.:p

[jayden]

hey, im lower six this year. I want to ask something. Usually school teachers will start with Physical Chemistry right? So, can i study Organic or inorganic chemistry myself 1st while learning physical chemistry from my teacher??? is it a must to learn everything about physical chemistry 1st thn only you can study Organic or Inorganic??

It's not a must to learn everything about physical chemistry first before studying organic and inorganic. It's just that most schools start with physical chem first probably since it is most important among the three. If you think you can handle it, sure, you can study organic and inorganic yourself. They're both more towards memorizing types anyway compared to physical where you need to apply formulas and such.

[lsw1990]

Thanks alot for the advices, guys!!! XD

[sugarspice]

My senior advised me not to buy Chem revision books which separate into 3 types, as in Physical, Organic and Inorganic cause it's too long winded.

Are books that combine the 3 types of Chem better?

[jayden]

Are books that combine the 3 types of Chem better?

There is a book called Success in STPM Chemistry that combines all three types. But I don't think it's a good idea to rely on that because everything is too compressed. It's touch and go on most topics.

If you look at the three Tan Yin Toon books (Physical, Organic and Inorganic) which has hundreds of pages each and compare it with the compressed version, you can imagine just how much stuff has been cut out.

I admit that the separated type is too long winded and certain information are not needed, but if you have the time, you should use those books. Of course, I hope you have good teachers who give you informative notes and exercises, which is as important as having good books.

[day_dreamer]

There is a book called Success in STPM Chemistry that combines all three types. But I don't think it's a good idea to rely on that because everything is too compressed. It's touch and go on most topics.

If you look at the three Tan Yin Toon books (Physical, Organic and Inorganic) which has hundreds of pages each and compare it with the compressed version, you can imagine just how much stuff has been cut out.

I admit that the separated type is too long winded and certain information are not needed, but if you have the time, you should use those books. Of course, I hope you have good teachers who give you informative notes and exercises, which is as important as having good books.

Actually Tan Yin Toon's organic chemistry is a very good book as it is very complete !

But his Physical Chem book sucks.. plenty of out of syllabus stuff like Rhyberg Equations ~

I rely on tuition notes and practice for physical Chem. As for organic chem .. memorise all those reactions like memorising my mantras ! LOL ~ Baca kitab kimia :P

[Gabrielle90]

since Tan Yin Toon's physical chemistry book is not so good, any suggestion for physical chemistry book???

[sugarspice]

How about Longman Inorganic/physical Chem by Lim You Sie and Yip Kim Hong?

And Longman Organic Chem by Ho Hon Yoon?

Anyone used Pelangi Physical Chemistry by Loh Yew Lee and N.Sivaneson? Any comments?

It seemed no one ever mentioned about Longman and Pelangi here. All I saw was Tan Yin Toon Tan Yin Toon.....

But I couldn't find Tan Yin Toon's inorganic and physical chem in POPULAR bookstore (Gurney Plaza, Penang) worr......

So many many different opinions from so many many seniors.....I really duno which book to buy leh.....:cry

[newney]

Tan Yin Toon is very famous.:nuts

How about Longman Inorganic/physical Chem by Lim You Sie and Yip Kim Hong?

And Longman Organic Chem by Ho Hon Yoon?

Anyone used Pelangi Physical Chemistry by Loh Yew Lee and N.Sivaneson? Any comments?

It seemed no one ever mentioned about Longman and Pelangi here. All I saw was Tan Yin Toon Tan Yin Toon.....

But I couldn't find Tan Yin Toon's inorganic and physical chem in POPULAR bookstore (Gurney Plaza, Penang) worr......

So many many different opinions from so many many seniors.....I really duno which book to buy leh.....:cry

I think i saw Tan Yin Toon's Inorganic and Physical Chem in POPULAR bookstore (Bukit Jambul Shopping Complex, Penang) 3 days ago if i'm not mistaken.

[sugarspice]

Tan Yin Toon is very famous.:nuts



I think i saw Tan Yin Toon's Inorganic and Physical Chem in POPULAR bookstore (Bukit Jambul Shopping Complex, Penang) 3 days ago if i'm not mistaken.

the one you saw is published in what year de?

My teacher said 2008 de come out liao.

[newney]

the one you saw is published in what year de?

My teacher said 2008 de come out liao.

It's the latest one. Newly wrapped in plastic bags n some of them are not arranged properly on the book shelf yet.

[day_dreamer]

It's the latest one. Newly wrapped in plastic bags n some of them are not arranged properly on the book shelf yet.

Ahahah !! That book is co-written with Mr. Kathiresan is it ??

That is my teacher !!!

[sugarspice]

It's the latest one. Newly wrapped in plastic bags n some of them are not arranged properly on the book shelf yet.

i hope the POPULAR in Gurney will have it too.....I am lazy to go to Bukit Jambul....so far away....

Ahahah !! That book is co-written with Mr. Kathiresan is it ??

That is my teacher !!!

Do you mean there are two authors?

[lsw1990]

new books?? GOSH, i just bought the old ones from someone and now they come out with new ones.... .T-T.... hopefully the contents are the same.!!

btw, do they have Inorganic Chemistry too??

[GreenTea]

My teacher recommend us Ace Ahead Chemistry by tan yin toon and its new anyway.

[wilson]

new books?? GOSH, i just bought the old ones from someone and now they come out with new ones.... .T-T.... hopefully the contents are the same.!!

btw, do they have Inorganic Chemistry too??

If I am not mistaken, the contents are the same in the two books by tan yin toon. But then, the old version one is written in esaay form, whereas the latest edition is written in point form, which is more easy to read.

But regarding the questions in the two books, The old edition physical chem has more questions. But then, the new edition one has more actual past year questions.

In fact, I use two books, which is the ace ahead chem volume 1 and the longman book for my physical chem. I think it's quite sufficient. And according to my teacher, we should do more questions to do well in physical chem. Reading alone is not enough, indeed.

[aH_LiN]

i second wilson...old physical is like an academic paper but ace ahead is like the notes someone makes after reading and understanding the text...in the old book there're more examples(but usually we ignore those, don't we?) which guide u to understand better...my teacher sed the old book shud b used as a reference...n u can get 3 yrs past yr from ace ahead...the previous years r published by longman

[Gabrielle90]

i saw a thick black stpm chemistry at popular bookstore... any comment about the book??? i didnt read it as it was wrapped in plastic...

[jayden]

i saw a thick black stpm chemistry at popular bookstore... any comment about the book??? i didnt read it as it was wrapped in plastic...

That book is always wrapped whichever book store you go. It's written by an Indian guy right? I heard that it's good. He's quite a popular tuition teacher or something.

[dvmpt]

ok here's my 2cents.
i think it's best if u just stick to 1 reliable reference book and supplement it with ur teacher's notes.
the thing is,you have to understand the subject thoroughly first. Next, you have to peak and perform at the correct time.
this was what i did. i used longman most of the time but i add whatever relevant from other reference books or my teacher's notes. haha,then it would be your ultimate chemistry guide! my point is you dun have all the time in the world especially stpm is just around the corner. build your confidence rather than losing it knowing u haven finish reading other reference books.

[Gabrielle90]

That book is always wrapped whichever book store you go. It's written by an Indian guy right? I heard that it's good. He's quite a popular tuition teacher or something.

no... some books are not wrapped in plastic... i'm not sure about the author's race... i just know that the title of the books are gold colour...

[mitsukolyn]

Those books I think should be regarded as Revision Books rather than understanding books. If you understand, its really easy (to revise), but it you don't, I don't think they're very conceptual. Just my two cents.

I used to use the Chemistry book by Raymond Chang, while quite a number of students(and most teachers) in my school used to study the book Central Science. They're more geared towards self-study and understanding.

You guys can borrow from the library i think, cause these books don't come cheap.

can you send a pic of the look of the pic to me?

[Malani]

im new to stpm science stream.. i choose bio package.. any of my seniors out there can guide me in choosing d correct reference book? plz.. there are so many books in bookshops.. n im tired to choose d exact book!! hope u guys can guide me:)

[Xon]

Bio stpm 2007 student here. Since this is a thread for Chem books, the only Chem book i read is Longman. Dont buy the 3 in 1 Chemistry. Buy 3 separate books - Inorganic, Organic n Physical. These 3 should be helpful :)

nah, i would suggest all. the 3 in 1 and also the seperated version. Cross-reference shall be a okay gua....=)

[Gabrielle90]

the thick black chemistry book with gold colour title i mentioned before this is written by Alagesan Jason Praba...

[Gabrielle90]

oh i borrowed that book from the library b4 exams to glance through. I think it's not really complete. in my opinion-lah.

then which ref book u prefer???

[dvmpt]

yea, i'm on the same boat with changminnie. i used the 3 longman books as well.
longman physical chem is concise but you have to do some addition here and there. refer to your teacher's notes and past year papers and you'll know what i mean.
basically, for inorganic and organic, your memorizing prowess and the ability to interconnect various reactions for different groups are important. so, any reference book will do as long as it is concise and exam-relevant.
haha...relekler...enjoy your f6!

[peihoon]

ok here's my 2cents.
i think it's best if u just stick to 1 reliable reference book and supplement it with ur teacher's notes.
the thing is,you have to understand the subject thoroughly first. Next, you have to peak and perform at the correct time.
this was what i did. i used longman most of the time but i add whatever relevant from other reference books or my teacher's notes. haha,then it would be your ultimate chemistry guide! my point is you dun have all the time in the world especially stpm is just around the corner. build your confidence rather than losing it knowing u haven finish reading other reference books.

tatally agree with it!
don't use too many books
u will get panic b4 the exam if u study too many books for a subject
u will feel like having no time to study
when exam is nearer, what is the most important is the confidence
it's just my opinion la...

for me, i stick to my chem teacher's notes and i wil add any relavant fact if i think i have to do so
u guys might feel weird whether a teahcer's notes is sufficient or not
but from what my senior (who was under my chem teacher also) said it is actually more than enough
notes in the reference books are sometime too complicated

in short, choose the books that suit you the most and just stick to them
don't choose too many books!

[Gabrielle90]

If I am not mistaken, the contents are the same in the two books by tan yin toon. But then, the old version one is written in esaay form, whereas the latest edition is written in point form, which is more easy to read.

But regarding the questions in the two books, The old edition physical chem has more questions. But then, the new edition one has more actual past year questions.

In fact, I use two books, which is the ace ahead chem volume 1 and the longman book for my physical chem. I think it's quite sufficient. And according to my teacher, we should do more questions to do well in physical chem. Reading alone is not enough, indeed.

is the publisher of the old version u mentioned fajar bakti??? i am using that... i dont really like it... no no method is shown in answer...

[Caprio]

I would say most if not all of the contents in the books are the same. It is just the cover which is different.

[sugarspice]

Issit OK if I don't use the Ace Ahead? I bought the old 3 in 1 by Tan Yin Toon days before the Ace Ahead was out. REALLY :sweat .....

[Caprio]

Issit OK if I don't use the Ace Ahead? I bought the old 3 in 1 by Tan Yin Toon days before the Ace Ahead was out. REALLY :sweat .....

Don't worry too much. Just focus on your study instead. I believe that during the lesson, your teacher will teach many other things which are not found insidet the book, pay attention to your lessons is a better choice. :)

[Gabrielle90]

yea... i prefer teacher's note... more understandable...

[wuenwuen]

currently using the longman 2007's chemistry(physical, organic, inorganic)series.. is it enough to tackle the stpm exam 2009?

thanks...

[Caprio]

currently using the longman 2007's chemistry(physical, organic, inorganic)series.. is it enough to tackle the stpm exam 2009?

thanks...

I used that book for my first reading. In my opinion, you just need something extra to tackle and score STPM. The content in the book is just very brief and the exercises provided by the book are not really sufficient.

[lsw1990]

oh.... and many mistakes.......need to be careful =.=

[sugarspice]

Where to get exercises for chemistry?

I couldnt find any books solely on exercises in the market.....

[peihoon]

yea... i prefer teacher's note... more understandable...

me too... i think my teacher's note is the best =) everything inside the note and everything taught by her are her experiences which can't be found in any reference books

Where to get exercises for chemistry?

I couldnt find any books solely on exercises in the market.....

ya, honestly, the STPM reference books and exercises are very limited in the market...
but i could find exercises published by Pelangi and Federal... maybe now the books are out of stock so do find the books then... there are STPM books sold, but really not many...

[Gabrielle90]

i am facing a problem... not really a problem... i found that i can understand what teacher taught... but when come to exercise, the questions are so different... i mean more twisted...

[seiryuu]

same here . read and do are different things actually . i'm scare about organic which the questions are so cacat one .

[miaofen]

I see. so currently wht kinda reference books do u think is recommended?
From wht i read from all the comments, I'm unsure which one to get. Thx for ya helps n opinion=P

[sugan]

federal publication? haven found any book from this publisher

[nicodemus]

I personally recommend STPM reference books by Fajar Bakti written by Tan Yin Toon. Currently the latest editions have a few more additional writers, one of them is my ex-teacher, M. Kathirasan. So proud of it! =D

A lot might say that Tan Yin Toon's book are too thick and crowded with information but to me, I think it is a wonderful book. The descriptions and explanations are very good and informative. =)

[sugan]

DO WE need any university books for chemistry?

[sugarspice]

DO WE need any university books for chemistry?

not really.

[nicodemus]

same here . read and do are different things actually . i'm scare about organic which the questions are so cacat one .

seiryuu, the organic chemistry is the easiest part in chemistry and also the easiest place to score points.. So master organic chemistry well.. :-)

DO WE need any university books for chemistry?

Nope, don't think so...

[rightthru]

ok, this is interesting, u all talked about physical chem, organic chem and inorganic chem..

but i cant seem to find it, my teacher says use chemistry volume 1 and chemistry volume 2 , i dun know, someone plz explain

what is the current 2009 syllabus? is it still using physical, org and inorg chem or volume 1 and 2 like bio vol 1 and vol 2, physics vol 1 and vol 2?

we study physical chem in lower 6,i think, then which one comes first in upper 6? organic or inorganic?

[nicodemus]

ok, this is interesting, u all talked about physical chem, organic chem and inorganic chem..

but i cant seem to find it, my teacher says use chemistry volume 1 and chemistry volume 2 , i dun know, someone plz explain

what is the current 2009 syllabus? is it still using physical, org and inorg chem or volume 1 and 2 like bio vol 1 and vol 2, physics vol 1 and vol 2?

we study physical chem in lower 6,i think, then which one comes first in upper 6? organic or inorganic?

I think the book in the market now splits the books just into volume 1 and volume 2.. Volume 1 constitutes physical chemistry, volume 2 constitutes organic & inorganic chemistry..

The 2009 syllabus should still be the same... You'll study physical first, then organic and finally inorganic chemistry...

[lawteoh]

ok, this is interesting, u all talked about physical chem, organic chem and inorganic chem..

but i cant seem to find it, my teacher says use chemistry volume 1 and chemistry volume 2 , i dun know, someone plz explain

what is the current 2009 syllabus? is it still using physical, org and inorg chem or volume 1 and 2 like bio vol 1 and vol 2, physics vol 1 and vol 2?

we study physical chem in lower 6,i think, then which one comes first in upper 6? organic or inorganic?

Some teachers will teach physical (until the chapter b4 kinetics), then they will move on to organic, and then back to physical - kinetics until the end.. it depends on ur teacher's preference, but most schools did it this way..

[sugan]

WHy????????????

[lawteoh]

WHy????????????

Erm.. what is ur school's preference?? Same like mine?

[sugarspice]

Duh, every school has a different system de....like for my school, the sequence is as follow:

Phy Chem chap 1 till kinetic > Organic chap 1 till hydroxyl > Phy Chem kinetic equilibrium till solubility product > Organic Carbonyl till Carboxyl > Phy Chem thermal equilibrium > ....unsure....

[nicodemus]

Maybe they do so to teach the easier topics first then only the more difficult ones..

Well my school system is physical chem first (except phase equilibrium), organic chem, then back to phase equilibrium and finally inorganic chem..

[sugan]

we just started . i'm in lower 6. i have not found any pattern yet

[lawteoh]

Did any of your teachers skip inorganic? My teachers did last time.. lol.. yeah, every school got different pattern i guess.. =)

[sugarspice]

Did any of your teachers skip inorganic? My teachers did last time.. lol.. yeah, every school got different pattern i guess.. =)

Our teacher is gonna rush the whole inorganic section within just one month after all other chapters are taught.