Chemistry for class 12 is a feared subject that requires a lot of memory power and theoretical “mugging up” in order to score marks in the CBSE exams. This general notion brings down the confidence level in many students. But Chemistry should be viewed as a subject which “throws away” marks to its students. Let us learn how to crack this chemistry.
Chemistry For Class 12:
Chemistry is divided into three parts – Organic, Inorganic and Physical.
1. Organic Chemistry
A sure shot scoring area as the concepts revolve around specific rules. Hence it is necessary to study these rules and exceptions for certain reactions.
Chapters like Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers and Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids (Unit 11 and 12) are the most important and have a higher weightage of questions. Fundamental reactions like Nucleophilic substitution/addition, Electrophilic substitution/addition and named reactions like Williamson, Wolff-Kishner, Hell-Volhard-Zelinsky, Clemmenson Reduction are important and 5 mark questions can be asked directly to explain each of the processes and questions like stepwise conversion from one compound to another are definitely expected every year.
Another part where stress should be given is the IUPAC naming of compounds and the use of different reagents to test the presence of compounds (like Tollens’, Baeyers’) will easily fetch you the short answer type questions allotted 1/2 marks.
2. Inorganic Chemistry
Without a doubt, the NCERT material provided in Inorganic Chemistry for class 12 is the primer in the field. It is important to read through the entire chapters of Inorganic Chemistry as the student is tested on his/her memory of certain reactions. Most of these questions are direct and Units 6 to 9 are the most important. This section will be taught after Physical Chemistry but it is always advisable to start preparing these topics in advance.
Coordination Compounds and p-Block elements (8+ Marks with a sure 5 Mark question expected from this chapter) are the most important chapters in Inorganic Chemistry. There is a soft spot for Noble gases and Halogens as there always are some questions asked from these topics in the exam. Develop a “Reaction Book”, a book listing ALL the reactions when you are preparing. This book should be gone through at least once a week and will prove to be very useful during the revision time at the end and also for your JEE Main and JEE Advanced and other entrance exams’ preparation time.
3. Physical Chemistry
One word. Toppr. Solve this question bank provided by Toppr on their website which contains a lot of problems in physical chemistry. One should be very thorough with their formulae and should be able to apply in any way modified. The only way to get a good sense over this would be to practise more and more problems.
Chapters like Surface Chemistry, Solutions, Electrochemistry and Chemical Kinetics come under this category and there is no exception as to which are important.
Practising the problems provided at the end of each of the chapters helps and sometimes, we can expect the same model questions appearing in the exams as well! Toppr applies to the Organic and inorganic chemistry as well. Also, solve the past year papers and write them as an exam during the final revision time so as to improve your answering speed and this will also give an idea of time management as the paper might get lengthy at times. Good for exam simulation.
All the best for your journey!
