Year 12 Chemistry truly has some fascinating concepts embedded within it. Throughout the year, you will be covering topics from all aspects of chemistry – from physical, to organic, and even biological. 

Before you delve into the new topics, it is worthwhile to set aside some time to go over the important Chemistry principles that you would have learnt in Year 11. These will form the foundation of what you will cover this year, and most teachers will assume you have these concepts nailed down already. 

Not sure what these concepts are? This article will outline them all!

1. A solid understanding of the periodic table

Source: Adapted from Emeka Udenze/CC-BY-SA-4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Periodic_Table-1.png

Source: Adapted from Emeka Udenze/CC-BY-SA-4.0/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Periodic_Table-1.png

The periodic table pretty much underpins everything that we do in chemistry. 

You should know:

  • How the periodic table is organised; elements are ordered in terms of the number of protons in their nucleus. 

  • The difference between protons, electrons, and neutrons, and where they are found in an atom. 

  • How to calculate the molecular mass of a compound, by adding the masses of individual components together.

  • How the location of an element affects the type of bonding they undergo (metals vs. non-metals), and how that impacts whether they undergo ionic, covalent, or metallic bonding.

  • Being able to write out the formula of an ionic compound using the cross method. 

In case you’ve forgotten about atoms, this video will have you covered!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2HiqAzo0qE

2. The concept of moles

Avogadro and his moles are back! In all seriousness, the concept of moles is probably the most important topic that you should revise before Year 12. It comes up in lots of different areas of Chemistry, and you should be very comfortable converting between moles (n), molecular mass (M), and mass (m).  

In case you have forgotten: 

  • A mole is a unit of measurement. One mole of a substance contains 6.02 x 1023 units of that substance (atoms, molecules of ions). 

  • 6.02 x 1023 is known as Avogadro’s number.

  • The formula that relates moles (n), mass of sample (m), and molar mass (M) is n = m/M. That is, to find the number of moles you simply divide the mass of the sample by the molar mass of the chemical compound. You can also rearrange this formula using some simple algebra to find the molar mass or sample mass. 

  • You can also convert between the number of particles and number of moles. 

–   To go from moles to number of particles, multiply by Avogadro’s number.

–   To go from number of particles to moles, divide by Avogadro’s number.

3. Chemical reactions and equations

Being able to balance chemical equations is also extremely important in Year 12 Chemistry. When balancing chemical equations, you need to follow the Law of Conservation of Mass and make sure that you have the same number of each atom on either side of the chemical equation. This is done by adding numbers in front of the molecule. 

A lot of students tend to struggle a lot with balancing equations, especially at the beginning. The secret to getting better at balancing is by doing a lot of practice questions. There are plenty of practice tests available for you to do, both free and to buy. VCAA have the final exam papers from previous years availavble on their website for free. Although these might be a little hard to start with, so you can also find practice tests for 1&2 here. 

Don’t stress though, you will have plenty of time during the year to practise these skills.

4. Hydrocarbons and the basics of organic chemistry

In Year 11, you would have been introduced to the concept of organic compounds. The naming system of alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes will be assumed knowledge, as well as being able to draw out the compounds using the structural formula. You can see below some of the formulas you need to know for the alkanes!

Find more handy tables like these in the ATAR Notes VCE Chemistry Notes. 

You may have also learnt about the difference between polar and non-polar molecules. Most organic compounds are non-polar, and throughout the year you will learn how this affects their physical properties.

5. Basics of redox reactions

Redox reactions – the topic where you might have learnt about OIL RIGS or LEO the lion goes GER. 

It is very likely that your teacher will re-teach the entirety of this topic, as it goes into way more detail in Year 12. However, recapping the definitions of oxidation and reduction will really help set you up for Year 12.

The idea of half equations and balancing redox reactions will also come up often in Units 3&4 this year, so it is worth looking over as a lot of students struggle with this!  

6. Report writing skills and the scientific method

Ah, report writing. This topic is so easily neglected but it is truly something that you shouldn’t forget. Just like in Year 11, you will do multiple experiments and investigations this year that will require you to write up some reports. Therefore, it would be useful to recap:

  • The different types of variables (independent, dependent, and controlled).

  • How to write a hypothesis, aim, and a conclusion.

  • The types of errors that can occur during an experiment (random and systematic).

This is extra important in 3&4 as you will have a major assignment where you need to create a scientific poster based on an experiment you've done. So not only do you need to be succinct (you've only got 600 words to play with) but you need to have each of the above things nailed to get full marks! Having a thorough understanding of each of the components of report writing before you start is going to help you a lot!  

And that’s it – all the major knowledge from Year 11 that you need to know for Year 12! Don’t stress if you have forgotten most of it though, you will have time during the year to revise these topics again.  

Best of luck for your studies in Chemistry this year!