Important pointers for students
Francine Taylor-Campbell, Contributor

Chemistry is a subject that requires specific knowledge about a body of facts. Students must not only know the facts but should be able to apply and analyse the information readily and accurately.

The student who wishes to pursue and sit this subject in external examinations must note the following:

• There are some fundamental topics in chemistry which must be understood and mastered for success to be attained. These include atomic structure and bonding, chemical formulae and equations and properties of substances and the periodic table. A sound knowledge of these areas will provide the necessary foundation for a clear understanding of the concepts to be encountered. From teaching experience, students who fail to understand these basics struggle throughout and never quite master this subject.
• Students must know the symbols for the elements and use the proper notation when writing them. Hence, the first letter symbol of any element MUST be a capital letter and any other letters will be COMMON. All too often incorrect symbols will prevent the awarding of marks, especially where formulae and equations are required. For example, iron has the symbol Fe and not FE. Also, elements whose symbols are totally different from their names must be noted. Common mistakes are potassium - P - and sodium - S. These should be K and Na, respectively. Incorrect symbols are not rewarded marks in CXC.
• Examiners are looking for the correct chemical formulae of a substance. Time must be spent deriving the formulae of substances using the valencies of elements and radicals. Continued practice will ensure mastery of this topic. Remember that chemical formulae influence balancing of chemical equations. Sodium ion (Na+) with a valency of (1) combines with the carbonate ion (CO32-) with a valency of 2 to form the compound Na2CO3. Remember valency refers to the number of bonds that can be formed.
• To be proficient at writing and balancing equations, a good foundation must be set at bonding and formulae. To obtain marks with calculation questions especially the student must understand and be able to set out in what ratio reactants combine and from this obtain a balanced equation. Thus the formulae of the reactants must be correct and the number of elements on each side of the equation must be checked. In most questions which require the construction of an equation, a high percentage of students are unable to formulate a balanced one.
• Failure to read questions and note key terms also contribute to poor exam performance. Thus, where a question asks students to explain some concept, the examiner is looking for more than just a listing of the facts. Reasons must also be included.
• Chemistry is a practical subject and the experimental skills of the student are very important. Some students may do well in the actual exams but place little emphasis on the school-based assessment (SBA) component. The SBA contributes 20 per cent of the total marks. Thus, a wise student will spend time doing the laboratory exercises carefully and properly to obtain maximum points from this 20 per cent. Remember that your experimental skills are also assessed in the structured paper (Paper 2). This question carries the most marks for this paper and requires knowledge of laboratory work, identification and analysis of cations and anions, and the ability to plan and design an experiment to solve a problem. If you didn't think labs were important, think again!

So, students, examine your study techniques and use these pointers to prevent making the mistakes that others have made.

In the series of lessons we hope to do this year, more time will be spent assessing and answering questions and noting common responses to questions. Examiners' comments will be provided to guide you and correct common mistakes.

Former Governor General of Jamaica, Sir Kenneth Hall, presents 18-year-old Shantel Brissett with the HHF Scholarship award named in his honour. Brissett is a past student of the Montego Bay High School in St James. She commenced studies at the University of the West Indies this month. - Photo by Claudia Gardner

Francine Taylor-Campbell is an independent contributor.