Led by Antoine Lavoisier
About this course
The sixth module of the Edexcel GCSE Chemistry course is the largest in Paper 1 — thirty-one spec points covering acids, alkalis, the pH scale, neutralisation, salt preparation, electrolysis, and oxidation and reduction. The student leaves the module able to write the four general acid-reaction patterns, identify acidic and alkaline solutions, prepare salts by three different routes (acid + insoluble base, acid + soluble base by titration, precipitation of insoluble salts), and predict the products of electrolysis for the spec's required electrolytes.
It is led by Antoine Lavoisier, whose 1789 Traité Élémentaire de Chimie established modern chemistry by destroying the phlogiston theory, defining elements rigorously, and proving the law of conservation of mass. He gave us oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and the systematic naming of compounds.
The student leaves the module able to apply the acid-base framework, prepare salts by three routes, work with electrolysis at both inert and copper electrodes, and execute Core Practicals 3.6 (pH change), 3.17 (copper sulfate preparation), and 3.31 (electrolysis of copper sulfate).
Led by Antoine Lavoisier
The question
What is an acid, what is an alkali, what happens when they neutralise each other, how does a chemist prepare a pure dry sample of a desired salt, and how does electrical energy decompose ionic compounds during electrolysis? The spec asks the student to define acids and alkalis in terms of H⁺ and OH⁻, apply the pH scale, write the four acid-reaction patterns, prepare soluble and insoluble salts, apply solubility rules to predict precipitates, predict the products of electrolysis for the required electrolytes, write half-equations (Higher), and apply oxidation and reduction in terms of electron transfer.
Outcome
the student can apply the acid-base framework and pH scale, write the four acid-reaction patterns and identify gases by chemical tests, prepare salts by three routes, apply solubility rules to predict precipitates, predict electrolysis products for the required electrolytes, write half-equations and apply OIL RIG, and execute Core Practicals 3.6, 3.17, and 3.31. *(Edexcel 1CH0 Paper 1 — Topic 3, spec points 3.1–3.31)*
Sub-units