Revision notes on the Arrhenius equation for the AQA A-level chemistry specification on two pages. Includes a lot of model calculations, recap of straight line graphs and explanation of the confusing units, including a detailed explanation of the 2018 paper with T and t and how 1/t is proportional to k. A lot of students by the second year of A-level have forgotten how to do GCSE maths problems like understanding a straight line graph, so this set of notes has a lot of recap of straight line graphs. There’s also a lot of detailed breakdown of the log equation and how it’s a straight line graph. Model calculations are given for log and power of e so students can check they’re using their calculator right.

Helping students understand chemistry, I’ve realised you have to hold a lot of things in your head to even know what a chemistry textbook is talking about. A lot of students find they just can’t hold together all the things they have to know at once. Back in 2015, I realised what students can benefit from is a concentrated set of notes, like a dictionary or a glossary but in full sentences, that fits as much of chemistry as you can on a single page that you can keep referring back to to decode what’s going on. My students liked it, and I’ve worked to create definitions that are concise and clear to fit as much as possible on one page. It’s helpful for giving students just starting the course to have to refer to every now and then, and for students who need remedial help because the concepts are slipping out of reach. The notes include quick basic definitions of: structure of an atom how to read the periodic table ionic, covalent and metallic bonding properties of ionic chemicals oxidation and reduction properties of ionic chemicals acids, bases and alkalis the idea that in neutralisation the salt name depends on the acid

Revision notes for A-level chemistry on cracking for the AQA A-level specification in comparison table format, and the same table but empty for students to fill in themselves. An example cracking equation is given for students to fill in and suggest names for the products and there is an emphasis on practicing the unit conversions and working out the formulas and names of products. Update for 2023: expanded resource based on student feedback, with a link to a video demonstration and bullet-point list of products.

Poster explaining what global warming causes and why climate change is so important, using clear, simple images. Could be useful for geography, biology, chemistry, other sciences and general citizenship lessons. Included is a version for students to fill in. I also have a poster on how to stop global warming which is also available for free. If your teaching prefers the wording “climate change” rather than “global warming”, I also have a poster saying this, content is otherwise identical.

Notes on one page covering all the tests for cations for Edexcel GCSE chemistry, including the precipitation equations, and links to videos of them being done. I’ve also included model equations, both complete and ionic, for the precipitation reactions, with examples for a +2 and +3 ion, and the equation for the ammonium ion test. Versions included both in colour and in black and white for photocopying. Update: a missing 2 in a formula has been added. My apologies for the mistake.

Notes on one page each covering all the tests for anions and cations for Edexcel GCSE chemistry, including the precipitation equations. Versions both in colour and in black and white for photocopying. With the positive ion tests, I’ve included model equations, both complete and ionic, for the precipitation reactions, with examples for a +2 and +3 ion. With the negative ion tests, there’s both a full and ionic equation for carbonate, sulfate and halide ion reactions to give students good models. To show the differences in formulas between compounds of metals that form +2 and +1 ions, there’s equations for both sodium and calcium carbonate too, and details of what happens if you use different acids.

Notes on the tests for anions for AQA GCSE chemistry courses on a single page. A lot of work went to squeezing everything in! There’s both a full and ionic equation for carbonate, sulfate and halide ion reactions to give students good models. To show the differences in formulas between compounds of metals that form +2 and +1 ions, there’s equations for both sodium and calcium carbonate too. There’s versions of the resource for colour and black and white printing. This set of notes was particular written targeting the AQA GCSE chemistry course, but it’s suitable for most GCSE courses as well as recap for students coming in to A-level.

Revision notes of the negative ions for Edexcel GCSE chemistry on one page, including both complete and ionic equations for the reactions. Versions both in colour and for black and white printing. There’s both a full and ionic equation for carbonate, sulfate and halide ion reactions to give students good models. To show the differences in formulas between compounds of metals that form +2 and +1 ions, there’s equations for both sodium and calcium carbonate too.

Revision notes of the negative ions for Edexcel iGCSE chemistry on one page, including both complete and ionic equations for the reactions. Versions both in colour and for black and white printing. There’s both a full and ionic equation for carbonate, sulfate and halide ion reactions to give students good models. To show the differences in formulas between compounds of metals that form +2 and +1 ions, there’s equations for both sodium and calcium carbonate too.

Explanation of what “per” means: that it means you need to divide. Two stories are given as examples. Suitable for primary school maths and science. Because people have a lot of trouble learning this, this could be useful across a lot of ages, KS1, KS2, KS3 or weaker GCSE students who need a bit of help.

Diagram of Born-Haber hydration, solution and lattice enthalpy laid out at a large size with a lot of space for notes and comments. Two versions, one for AQA which uses the term lattice dissociation enthalpy, the other for OCR and Edexcel which just call it the reverse of the lattice enthalpy. Specification targets include: AQA 3.1.8.1, OCR A 5.2.1, Edexcel 13.1 Changelog, September 2023: more detail on the calculations.

One-page set of notes on differential centrifugation to extract organelles, covering homogenization, the ice-cold, buffered, isotonic solution, extracting different organelles and recommended videos. This set of notes is particularly targeted towards revising the practical come exam time-it doesn’t go into a detailed practical methodology but does give some exam-oriented explanation of what a cold, buffered, isotonic solution is and why it’s needed.

Notes on gas chromatography for the OCR A-level chemistry A specification on a single page. It particularly emphasises knowing how separation is achieved, a common topic for tough questions where getting the phrasing right is absolutely essential. There’s pictures and diagrams, explanation of a calibration curve and links to three top recommended videos. Questions looked at to prepare these notes (and recommended for revision) included: October 2020 paper 1, question 13 (MCQ) June 2015 paper 4, question 1 June 2012 paper 4, question 5 June 2018 unit 2, question 21 c i)

A famous painting proves a jumping-off point for examining ecology and national heritage in this worksheet for students applying to study biology, environmental sciences and geography at university. There’s two formats: a worksheet for students to take home, but also if you want to replicate the format of a university interview with an interviewer posing questions, a sheet containing the painting to show the student as stimulus material and a set of questions and answers for the interviewer, with some possible extra hints if the student’s struggling. There’s questions about experiment design and statistical test to choose too. On a difficulty scale, I’d put this as about a three out of five: it’s an interesting case study with a nice, evocative stimulus material to get students thinking, but doesn’t really go beyond the A-level courses.

Worksheet as a reminder of how the ideal gas law works, showing all the unit conversions and with a model calculation. Also includes a diagram of why a cubic metre = 1 million cubic centimetres, something students often have trouble with. Suitable for all A-level chemistry and 16+ exam boards e.g. AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Cambridge. The assumptions the ideal gas law makes are also explained.

One-page set of notes on confocal microscopy targeting A-level biology (especially OCR A) with some selected images and a link to a recommended video. Although suitable for other courses, these notes were specifically targeted at OCR A-level biology A. The focus is on the images produced by confocal microscopy rather than on the details of how the mirror system works. Questions studied writing this pack (and recommended for exam technique) included: AS-level unit 2, question 1 from 2017 AS-level unit 2 specimen, question 6 (MCQ) A-level 2020 paper 1, question 2 (MCQ)

Notes on capture mark, release and recapture population estimates, suitable for courses including A-level biology and Edexcel GCSE statistics. Covering one page, the assumptions and the idea of a reciprocal are explained and there’s two model calculations.

Worksheet and worked examples with two intuitive stories of how people could need to use a reciprocal to find a whole quantity when they only know a fraction of it. Could be suitable for KS2, KS3 or advanced KS1 students. There’s versions in poster form, a problem sheet and (probably most useful for students) a version with notes and worksheet merged onto one page. (The answers are 30 minutes and 12 minutes.) To make it approachable for students in a range of countries I have versions where the money is UK pounds, the Euro or dollars-with appropriate Emoji images! Comment if you’d like a version in a different currency, I’ll add it.

Some of the hardest questions for many GCSE chemistry students are the long answer written questions, explaining things like why the rate of reaction increases when you increase the temperature, and how the position of equilibrium shifts. So I’ve written a one-page set of notes for the Edexcel iGCSE chemistry course that covers all these questions, fitting them onto a single page. These notes cover: how temperature and concentration affect rate of reaction melting point of ionic, molecular and giant covalent chemicals equilibrium position conductivity It makes chemistry so much easier for students having everything on a single page. Particularly intended for iGCSE chemistry but I think it’s also pretty helpful for A-level students just starting the course who need to recap what they did last year, many will have forgotten these topics. This set of notes was written consulting current Edexcel iGCSE chemistry papers and mark schemes. Questions consulted included: rate: 1CR June 2019, question 5d bonding: 1CR June 2019 9a and 9b equilibrium: June 2019, 2C 7b and 2CR 7b conductivity: 2CR June 2019 and Paper 1CR June 2019 9c diffusion: 1C Jan 2018, 3c ii) Versions with colour pictures and without pictures for photocopying. I also have a version for the AQA GCSEs and a combined set for a range of courses.