Scottish National 4 (Nat 4) Chemistry (National 4) Syllabus

Chemistry (National 4) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Chemistry (National 4) in Scottish National 4 (Nat 4), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Chemical Changes and Structure

   4 topics

   • Rates of reaction
     • Factors affecting rate
     • Measuring reaction speed
   • Atomic structure and the periodic table
     • Protons, neutrons and electrons
     • Groups and periods
   • Bonding and compounds
     • Elements, compounds and mixtures
   • Acids and bases
     • The pH scale
     • Neutralisation reactions
2. 2

   Nature's Chemistry

   3 topics

   • Fuels and combustion
     • Fossil fuels and pollution
     • Hydrocarbons
   • Plastics and synthetic materials
     • Properties and uses of plastics
   • Everyday chemistry
     • Chemicals in the home
3. 3

   Chemistry in Society

   3 topics

   • Metals and their reactions
     • Reactivity series
     • Extraction of metals
   • Materials and properties
     • Choosing materials for a purpose
   • Fertilisers and the environment
     • Nutrients and crop growth
4. 4

   Practical Chemistry Skills

   3 topics

   • Planning experiments
     • Variables and fair testing
   • Practical techniques
     • Filtration, evaporation and titration basics
     • Safe handling of chemicals
   • Analysing results
     • Drawing valid conclusions

Chemistry (National 4) flashcards for Scottish National 4 (Nat 4)

25 of 50 cards from the Chemistry (National 4) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is meant by the "rate of reaction"?

   It is a measure of how quickly reactants are used up or products are formed — i.e. the change in quantity of reactant or product per unit time.

2. List four factors that can increase the rate of a chemical reaction.

   Increasing temperature, increasing concentration (or pressure for gases), increasing surface area (smaller particle size) and adding a catalyst.

3. What is a catalyst and what happens to it during a reaction?

   A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a reaction without being used up — it can be recovered chemically unchanged at the end.

4. How does increasing surface area speed up a reaction?

   Breaking a solid into smaller pieces (powder) exposes more particles to collide with the other reactant, so collisions are more frequent and the reaction is faster.

5. For the reaction of marble chips with acid, how can you measure the rate of reaction?

   By measuring the mass lost over time (gas escaping) on a balance, or by measuring the volume of $\ce{CO2}$ gas collected over time.

6. How is average rate of reaction calculated from a graph?

   $$\text{average rate} = \frac{\text{change in quantity}}{\text{change in time}}$$ e.g. volume of gas divided by time taken.

7. What are the three subatomic particles in an atom, and their charges?

   Proton (positive, $+1$), neutron (neutral, $0$) and electron (negative, $-1$).

8. Where in the atom are protons, neutrons and electrons located?

   Protons and neutrons are in the central nucleus; electrons move around the nucleus in energy levels (shells).

9. What does the atomic number of an element tell you?

   The atomic number equals the number of protons in the nucleus (and, in a neutral atom, the number of electrons).

10. What does the mass number of an atom represent?

    The mass number is the total number of protons plus neutrons in the nucleus: $\text{mass number} = \text{protons} + \text{neutrons}$.

11. What are isotopes?

    Isotopes are atoms of the same element (same number of protons) that have different numbers of neutrons, and therefore different mass numbers.

12. How are elements arranged in the modern periodic table?

    In order of increasing atomic number, in rows called periods and columns called groups; elements in the same group have similar chemical properties.

13. What name is given to Group 1, Group 7 and Group 0 of the periodic table?

    Group 1 = the alkali metals; Group 7 = the halogens; Group 0 (or 8) = the noble gases.

14. Why are the noble gases (Group 0) very unreactive?

    They have a full (stable) outer electron shell, so they have little tendency to gain, lose or share electrons.

15. How many electrons fill the first three electron shells of an atom?

    First shell holds up to 2 electrons, second shell up to 8, and third shell up to 8 (for the first 20 elements).

16. What is a covalent bond?

    A covalent bond is a shared pair of electrons between two non-metal atoms, holding the atoms together.

17. What is an ionic bond?

    An ionic bond is the electrostatic force of attraction between oppositely charged ions, formed when a metal transfers electrons to a non-metal.

18. What is the difference between an element, a compound and a mixture?

    An element contains only one type of atom; a compound contains two or more different elements chemically joined; a mixture contains substances not chemically joined together.

19. How can you tell from a chemical name whether a compound contains two or more than two elements?

    Names ending in "-ide" usually contain two elements (e.g. magnesium oxide); names ending in "-ate" or "-ite" contain oxygen plus other elements (e.g. copper sulfate).

20. What is a diatomic molecule? Give two examples.

    A molecule made of two atoms bonded together, e.g. hydrogen $\ce{H2}$ and oxygen $\ce{O2}$ (also $\ce{N2}$, $\ce{Cl2}$).

21. What is the pH scale used for, and what is its range?

    It measures how acidic or alkaline a solution is, running from about $0$ to $14$.

22. What pH values indicate acidic, neutral and alkaline solutions?

    Acidic: pH less than $7$; neutral: pH equal to $7$; alkaline: pH greater than $7$.

23. What colour does universal indicator turn in a strong acid and in a strong alkali?

    Red in a strong acid, and blue/purple (violet) in a strong alkali.

24. Name two common laboratory acids and two common alkalis.

    Acids: hydrochloric acid $\ce{HCl}$ and sulfuric acid $\ce{H2SO4}$. Alkalis: sodium hydroxide $\ce{NaOH}$ and potassium hydroxide $\ce{KOH}$.

25. What is neutralisation?

    A reaction between an acid and a base (or alkali) that moves the pH towards $7$, producing a salt and water.

See more Chemistry (National 4) flashcards →

Planning Chemistry (National 4) for Scottish National 4 (Nat 4)

Chemistry (National 4) (Scottish National 4 (Nat 4)) FAQ