IP Chemistry Upper Sec 01: Experimental Chemistry

Name: Eclat Institute Clementi Campus
Address: 442 Clementi Ave 3, #01-105, Singapore, 120442, SG

26 Nov 2025, 00:00 Z

These notes align with SEAB GCE O-Level Chemistry (6092) content used in IP programmes (exams from 2026).

Status: SEAB O-Level Chemistry 6092 syllabus (exams from 2026) checked 2025-11-30 - scope unchanged; remains the reference for this note.

What you must know

Precision and accuracy: match apparatus to the needed resolution (burette 0.05 cm³, pipette 0.01 cm³, stopwatch 0.01 s) and quote readings with correct sf/dp.
Gas handling: pick delivery tube vs gas syringe; choose drying agents (CaO for CO₂, conc. H₂SO₄ for most gases, CaCl₂ for HCl).
Separation and purification: filtration vs vacuum filtration, crystallisation vs evaporation to dryness, sublimation (iodine, ammonium chloride), simple vs fractional distillation, separating funnel for immiscible liquids, and appropriate condensers.
Paper chromatography: solvent choice, baseline/pencil line rules, locating agents, calculating Rf to compare against known dyes.
Purity checks: sharp melting point/constant boiling point plus single spot on chromatogram; mixtures show ranges or multiple spots.

Rate of reaction design: magnesium + excess dilute HCl measured by gas syringe. Control temperature/volume/concentration; collect volume every 30 s; plot volume–time graph.
Separating mixtures: rock salt → grind, dissolve, filter (sand residue), crystallise filtrate to obtain pure salt. Iodine + salt → gentle heat to sublime iodine, cool on watch glass.
Fractional distillation: ethanol/water mixture-fractionating column increases repeated vaporisation/condensation; thermometer near side arm to monitor distillate temp.
Chromatography: food dye mixture-draw baseline in pencil, spot samples small, ensure solvent below baseline, allow solvent front near top, dry and spray locating agent, compute Rf = distance spot / distance solvent.