OCR A-Level Chemistry B (Salters) Active Recall Guide (H433)
OCR · A-Level
OCR A-Level Chemistry B (Salters) Active Recall Guide
A question-and-answer revision guide for OCR A-Level Chemistry B (Salters), built to be worked in three passes rather than read.
- OCR
- A-Level
- Specification H433
- 13 topics
The 3-step active recall method
Re-reading notes is a futile process when your aim is to remember the information and successfully apply it in exam settings. Active recall is the method you use to ensure the information sticks for a long period of time. But even active recall can be futile unless you have a structured way of implementing it. This is where the 3-step active recall method comes in, a structured method that is signature to the Levo Learning guides.
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Step 1
Answer up to 10 questions cold, closed book, even if you are unsure on the topic.
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Step 2
Answer the same questions again, but open book. Write the correct answer down even if it seems pointless.
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Step 3
Repeat as step 1 and answer the questions closed book again.
Worked across the OCR A-Level Chemistry B (Salters) specification, one subtopic at a time.
The subject, and what is assessed
OCR A-Level Chemistry B, Salters (specification H433) is assessed by three written components. Component 01 covers the fundamentals of chemistry, lasting 2 hours 15 minutes and carrying 110 marks. Component 02 covers scientific literacy in chemistry, lasting 2 hours 15 minutes and carrying 100 marks. Component 03 covers practical skills in chemistry, lasting 1 hour 30 minutes and carrying 60 marks. The specification is taught through storylines such as Elements of Life and The Ozone Story, and chemical ideas introduced in one storyline are revisited in later ones.
| Paper | Covers | Length | Marks | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component 01 | Fundamentals of chemistry | 2 hours 15 minutes | 110 marks | 41% |
| Component 02 | Scientific literacy in chemistry | 2 hours 15 minutes | 100 marks | 37% |
| Component 03 | Practical skills in chemistry | 1 hour 30 minutes | 60 marks | 22% |
| Component 04 | Practical Endorsement in chemistry | Reported separately |
Memorisation, then application
Marks are given for applying content to the question that has been set, which cannot happen while the content is still being looked up. Step 1 shows what is actually held. Step 2 puts the correct wording in front of you while the gap is still fresh. Step 3 repeats the cold test, and the difference between the first and third attempt is the part that has moved.
Every question in the guide is paired with its answer in the same document, so step 2 is done from the guide itself rather than from a separate set of notes.
What is inside the guide
Questions are grouped by topic and then by subtopic, following the OCR specification. Open a topic to see its subtopics.
Module 1: Development of Practical Skills in Chemistry7 subtopics
- Planning experiments21
- Implementing: apparatus, units and recording data22
- Analysis: processing results, significant figures and graphs25
- Evaluation: errors, uncertainty and improvement25
- Practical skills assessed in the Practical Endorsement24
- Use of apparatus and techniques26
- Practical Activity Groups (PAG1-PAG12) and their specification links23
Elements of Life12 subtopics
- Amount of substance, formulae and equations26
- Atomic structure and electron configuration24
- Fusion reactions and the origin of the elements18
- Chemical bonding, structure and physical properties24
- Shapes of molecules and ions22
- The periodic table, ions and formulae of compounds23
- Group 2 chemistry and charge density21
- Ionisation enthalpy and trends in reactivity22
- Solubility of ionic compounds and tests for ions23
- Acids, bases and preparing salts22
- The electromagnetic spectrum and atomic spectra24
- Mass spectrometry and relative atomic mass18
Developing Fuels16 subtopics
- Gas volume calculations and the ideal gas equation24
- Bonding and shape in organic molecules20
- Enthalpy changes: definitions and standard conditions22
- Bond enthalpies21
- Measuring enthalpy changes experimentally24
- Hess' law and enthalpy cycles21
- Catalysis and cracking25
- Atmospheric pollutants from burning fuels25
- Organic nomenclature and homologous series26
- Combustion of organic compounds22
- Addition reactions of alkenes24
- Addition polymerisation20
- Electrophilic addition mechanism22
- Structural formulae and structural isomerism23
- E/Z and cis/trans stereoisomerism23
- Sustainable fuels: benefits and risks22
Elements from the Sea16 subtopics
- Atom economy21
- Extraction of the halogens from sea minerals20
- Electrolysis of molten salts and aqueous solutions26
- Redox as electron transfer22
- Oxidation states26
- Balancing redox equations and iodine-thiosulfate titrations26
- Systematic nomenclature of inorganic compounds22
- Physical properties of the halogens21
- Halogen reactivity and displacement reactions25
- Silver halide precipitation and tests19
- Preparation of the hydrogen halides20
- Properties of the hydrogen halides22
- Chlorine: risks, benefits and uses20
- Dynamic equilibrium19
- The equilibrium constant Kc24
- Using Kc to explain shifts in equilibrium position24
The Ozone Story18 subtopics
- Electronegativity and bond polarity20
- Intermolecular bonds22
- Boiling points and intermolecular bonds18
- Activation enthalpy and enthalpy profiles18
- Factors affecting rate: collision theory and the Boltzmann distribution24
- Catalysts and alternative reaction routes16
- Homogeneous catalysis and intermediates18
- Composition of gas mixtures by volume18
- Haloalkanes and amines: recognition and nomenclature23
- Properties and nucleophilic substitution of haloalkanes21
- Substitution, nucleophiles and the SN2 mechanism18
- Relative reactivity of the haloalkanes19
- Bond fission and radical chain reactions24
- Ozone depletion by haloalkanes20
- Ozone in the stratosphere and troposphere21
- Radiation of the Earth and the Sun16
- Effects of UV and visible radiation on molecules17
- Calculations with frequency, wavelength and energy22
What's in a Medicine?10 subtopics
- Formulae of oxygen-containing homologous series22
- Primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols20
- Properties and reactions of phenols23
- Reactions of alcohols and two-step syntheses26
- Preparing and purifying a solid organic product26
- Preparing and purifying a liquid organic product24
- Green chemistry23
- Elimination reactions19
- Mass spectrometry of organic compounds26
- Infrared spectroscopy26
The Chemical Industry11 subtopics
- Rate equations, orders and the rate constant26
- Half-lives22
- Experimental determination of orders and rate constants26
- The Arrhenius equation26
- Rate-determining step and mechanism19
- Effect of conditions on the magnitude of the equilibrium constant20
- Economic operating conditions for an industrial process20
- Kc calculations including units26
- Chemical reactions in industrial processes19
- Nitrogen chemistry26
- Costs, benefits and risks of industrial processes20
Polymers and Life18 subtopics
- Amino acids and proteins as condensation polymers26
- Protein structure20
- DNA and RNA structure22
- Base pairing and the genetic code20
- Molecular recognition19
- Enzyme kinetics21
- Characteristics of enzyme catalysis21
- Acidity of carboxylic acids19
- Amino acids as zwitterions18
- Basicity of amines18
- Nomenclature and formulae of further homologous series26
- Hydrolysis of esters and amides21
- Reactions of acyl chlorides18
- Condensation polymerisation21
- Optical isomerism20
- Further interpretation of mass spectra20
- NMR spectroscopy26
- Combined spectroscopic structure determination20
Oceans13 subtopics
- Solubility in aqueous and non-aqueous solvents20
- Enthalpy changes of solution, lattice and hydration26
- Charge density and the size of enthalpy terms19
- Entropy: qualitative treatment21
- Total entropy change and feasibility23
- Calculating the entropy change of the system18
- Solubility product25
- Bronsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases20
- Strong acids and strong bases18
- Weak acids, Ka and pKa21
- pH calculations25
- Buffer solutions23
- The greenhouse effect23
Developing Metals14 subtopics
- Redox titrations and titration calculations26
- Shapes of complexes and coordination number19
- Balancing redox equations involving acid-base reactions21
- Simple electrochemical cells20
- Action of an electrochemical cell18
- Standard electrode potentials, Ecell and feasibility26
- Transition metals: definition, oxidation states and colours21
- d-block electron configurations and variable oxidation states23
- Ligands and complex ions22
- Coordinate bonding and multidentate ligands23
- Reactions of Fe2+, Fe3+ and Cu2+ with hydroxide and ammonia22
- Catalytic activity of transition metals20
- Origin of colour in transition metal complexes21
- Colorimetry22
Colour by Design14 subtopics
- How dyes attach to fibres19
- Structure of a dye molecule20
- Fats and oils19
- Arenes and delocalisation21
- Representations of benzene and enthalpy of hydrogenation22
- Polyfunctional molecules and functional group tests26
- Electrophilic substitution of arenes26
- Diazonium compounds and azo dyes23
- Reactions of carbonyl compounds24
- Planning organic synthetic routes26
- Nucleophilic addition mechanism19
- Classifying organic reactions and unfamiliar mechanisms22
- Origins of colour in organic molecules22
- Gas-liquid chromatography23
Chemical Literacy2 subtopics
- Extracting and using data and information from a scientific text21
- Written communication and comprehension20
Mathematical Requirements (Assessed Across All Components)5 subtopics
- M0 Arithmetic and numerical computation26
- M1 Handling data22
- M2 Algebra25
- M3 Graphs24
- M4 Geometry and trigonometry24
Sample questions
Taken from the OCR A-Level Chemistry B (Salters) guide. Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Module 1: Development of Practical Skills in Chemistry
In a chemistry investigation, what is meant by the independent variable?
Show the answer
It is the quantity the experimenter deliberately changes, such as the temperature or the initial concentration of a reactant. -
Elements of Life
What does the atomic number of an element tell you?
Show the answer
It is the number of protons in the nucleus of each atom of that element, and it is what fixes the element's identity and its place in the periodic table. -
Developing Fuels
What is meant by the molar gas volume?
Show the answer
It is the volume occupied by one mole of any gas under stated conditions of temperature and pressure. -
Elements from the Sea
What does the atom economy of a reaction measure?
Show the answer
It measures the proportion of the mass of the reactants that ends up in the desired product. -
The Ozone Story
How does electronegativity change from left to right across a period, and why?
Show the answer
It increases, because the nuclear charge rises while the bonding electrons stay in the same shell with similar shielding, so they are pulled in more strongly. -
What's in a Medicine?
What is the functional group of a carboxylic acid?
Show the answer
The carboxyl group, -COOH, in which a carbonyl and a hydroxyl group are joined to the same carbon atom. -
The Chemical Industry
Can the orders in a rate equation be predicted from the balanced equation?
Show the answer
No, orders can only be found by experiment, because they depend on the mechanism rather than on the overall stoichiometry. -
Polymers and Life
Which four groups are bonded to the central carbon atom of an amino acid?
Show the answer
An amino group NH₂, a carboxyl group COOH, a hydrogen atom and a side chain R.
Questions about this guide
How do you use active recall for OCR A-Level Chemistry B (Salters)?
Answer up to 10 questions cold and closed book. Answer the same questions again open book, writing the correct answer down. Then answer them closed book one more time. The difference between the first and third attempt is what has moved into recall.
How is OCR A-Level Chemistry B (Salters) assessed?
OCR A-Level Chemistry B (Salters) is assessed by 4 components: Component 01, fundamentals of chemistry (2 hours 15 minutes, 110 marks, 41%); Component 02, scientific literacy in chemistry (2 hours 15 minutes, 100 marks, 37%); Component 03, practical skills in chemistry (1 hour 30 minutes, 60 marks, 22%); Component 04, practical endorsement in chemistry (Reported separately).
What topics does the OCR A-Level Chemistry B (Salters) active recall guide cover?
It covers Module 1: Development of Practical Skills in Chemistry, Elements of Life, Developing Fuels, Elements from the Sea, The Ozone Story, What's in a Medicine?, The Chemical Industry, Polymers and Life, Oceans, Developing Metals, Colour by Design, Chemical Literacy and Mathematical Requirements (Assessed Across All Components).
Is the OCR A-Level Chemistry B (Salters) guide a PDF?
Yes. It is a digital PDF sent to the email address on your order after purchase. Check the address is correct at checkout, and check junk or spam if it has not arrived.
Does the guide include the answers?
Yes. Every question has its answer in the same document, grouped by topic, so step 2 of the method is done from the guide.
OCR A-Level Chemistry B (Salters) Active Recall Guide
Every question paired with its answer, grouped by topic, ready to work in three passes.