Cambridge International AS & A Level Chemistry (9701): Complete Study Guide
Complete study guide · Cambridge International AS & A Level Chemistry (9701)Cambridge International AS & A Level Chemistry (9701): Complete Study Guide
- AS and A Level routes
- Eight chemistry units
- Original worked examples
Move from the chemical object and command word to the right equation, structure, mechanism, table, graph, energy route, or apparatus plan. Keep units, species, conditions, evidence, and reaction direction visible from the first line to the conclusion.
- How the exam is assessed AS candidates take Papers 1, 2, and 3; the full A Level uses Papers 1 through 5 through a staged or same-series route.
- What the guide covers Physical, inorganic, and organic chemistry plus analysis at AS and additional A Level depth.
- How to earn clear credit Show the governing relationship, balanced chemistry, conversion chain, evidence, units, and justified precision.
- Worked practice The free example carries mass through amount, a balanced ratio, and gas volume.
What Cambridge Chemistry 9701 covers
The four routes each cover an AS domain together with its A Level extension where one exists. Cambridge International does not publish a per-unit weighting for this exam, so use the map to organize decisions rather than to invent a percentage for any topic.
AS uses three papers; A Level uses five
AS Level: Paper 1 accounts for 31%, Paper 2 for 46%, and Paper 3 for 23% of the AS Level result. Candidates take Papers 1, 2, and 3 in the same examination series.
A Level: Paper 1 accounts for 15.5%, Paper 2 for 23%, Paper 3 for 11.5%, Paper 4 for 38.5%, and Paper 5 for 11.5%. Candidates may take Papers 1, 2, and 3 first and Papers 4 and 5 later, or take all five in one examination series. Paper 4 assesses A Level content and requires AS knowledge.
| Level and paper | Time | Marks | Weight | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS Paper 1: Multiple Choice | 75 minutes | 40 | 31% | four-choice multiple-choice items |
| AS Paper 2: AS Level Structured Questions | 75 minutes | 60 | 46% | structured questions |
| AS Paper 3: Advanced Practical Skills | 120 minutes | 40 | 23% | practical work and structured questions |
| A Level Paper 1: Multiple Choice | 75 minutes | 40 | 15.5% | four-choice multiple-choice items |
| A Level Paper 2: AS Level Structured Questions | 75 minutes | 60 | 23% | structured questions |
| A Level Paper 3: Advanced Practical Skills | 120 minutes | 40 | 11.5% | practical work and structured questions |
| A Level Paper 4: A Level Structured Questions | 120 minutes | 100 | 38.5% | structured questions |
| A Level Paper 5: Planning, Analysis and Evaluation | 75 minutes | 30 | 11.5% | written practical-skills questions |
The official syllabus includes a Data section with chemical data tables and the Periodic Table. The available source confirms those reference contents but does not explicitly confirm when the complete section is issued to candidates, so check the current official syllabus before the examination. These details are stated as of 2026-10-09.
Carry a balanced ratio from mass to gas amount
Read each question as it appears on the exam paper, choose your answer, then tap it to see the feedback.
A 5.00 g sample of pure calcium carbonate is heated completely: CaCO₃(s) → CaO(s) + CO₂(g). Mᵣ(CaCO₃) = 100.0 g mol⁻¹.
Calculate the amount of carbon dioxide formed and its volume at room conditions. Use 24.0 dm³ mol⁻¹ as the molar gas volume at these conditions.
[4]Show all necessary working.
Give the final volume in dm³ with appropriate precision.
A. Divide 5.00 by 100.0, transfer the 1:1 mole ratio, then multiply by 24.0 to obtain 1.20 dm³ of CO₂.
✅ Correct! 😊 This follows mass → amount of CaCO₃ → amount of CO₂ → gas volume. It keeps the balanced ratio, stated condition, dm³ and three-significant-figure result visible.
B. Multiply 5.00 by 100.0, then multiply by 24.0 to obtain 12 000 dm³ of CO₂.
❌ Not quite 😭 Multiplying mass by molar mass does not produce moles. The route also skips the species-labeled amount and equation ratio that connect the sample to the gas.
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C. Divide 5.00 by 100.0, double the result because there are two products, then multiply by 24.0 to obtain 2.40 dm³.
❌ Not quite 😭 The number of different products does not set the mole ratio. The coefficient of CO₂ and the coefficient of CaCO₃ are both one, so their amounts are equal.
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D. Divide 5.00 by 100.0 and then divide by 24.0 to obtain 0.00208 dm³ of CO₂.
❌ Not quite 😭 The molar gas volume has dimensions dm³ mol⁻¹, so multiplying by moles gives dm³. Division produces incompatible dimensions and the wrong scale.
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Full explanation
- Step 1Convert mass to the named amount: n(CaCO₃) = 5.00 g ÷ 100.0 g mol⁻¹ = 0.0500 mol.
- Step 2Use the coefficients in the balanced equation: 1 mol CaCO₃ forms 1 mol CO₂, so n(CO₂) = 0.0500 mol.
- Step 3Use the conditional molar volume: V(CO₂) = 0.0500 mol × 24.0 dm³ mol⁻¹ = 1.20 dm³.
- Step 4State room conditions, the gas identity and dm³; round only the final value to three significant figures.
A reaction between solutions A and B produces a gas. The effect of the initial concentration of A on initial rate is to be investigated.
Describe how the concentration of A should be varied, identify the measurements needed to determine initial rate, and state how reliability and a fair comparison will be achieved.
[5]Your plan must identify the independent, dependent and controlled variables.
State how the results will be processed.
A. Change [A], keep total volume, [B] and temperature constant, record gas volume against time, use initial gradients, and repeat each concentration.
✅ Correct! 😊 This varies one factor, measures a quantity from which initial rate can be obtained and controls conditions affecting collision frequency. Repeats expose spread and make the comparison more reliable.
B. Change [A] and temperature together, then compare the final gas volumes after different times.
❌ Not quite 😭 Changing temperature introduces a second cause of any rate difference. Different measurement times and final volumes do not provide a controlled comparison of initial rates.
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C. Keep [A] constant, vary [B], and record only the time when bubbling appears to stop.
❌ Not quite 😭 This investigates the wrong independent variable. A finishing time also hides the early gradient needed to determine initial rate.
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D. Use one trial at each [A], record the largest gas volume reached, and assume all temperature changes are negligible.
❌ Not quite 😭 A maximum gas volume measures extent rather than initial rate. Without repeats or active temperature control, random spread and a systematic condition change cannot be assessed.
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Full explanation
- Step 1Set initial [A] as the independent variable by dilution while keeping the total reaction volume unchanged.
- Step 2Keep initial [B], temperature and the gas-measurement method constant so that only [A] explains a rate difference.
- Step 3Record gas volume at short, regular times and obtain initial rate from the initial gradient of each volume–time graph.
- Step 4Repeat each concentration, retain all readings and compare the processed initial rates against initial [A].
Fifteen terms to use precisely
Use each definition with the matching species, equation, structure, measurement, or experimental decision.
- amount of substance
- Quantity measured in moles and related to particle number through the Avogadro constant.
- specific heat capacity
- Energy required to raise one gram by one kelvin.
- reduction
- Decrease in oxidation number or gain of electrons.
- nucleophile
- Electron-pair donor that forms a new bond.
- molecular ion
- Ion corresponding to the intact molecule in mass spectrometry.
- concordant titres
- Titres close enough to combine under the stated rule.
- rate constant
- Proportionality constant in a rate equation at a stated temperature.
- absorbance
- Logarithmic measure related to incident light absorbed.
- acylation
- Introduction of an acyl group.
- dependent variable
- Quantity measured in response.
- aliquot
- Measured portion transferred from a larger solution.
- initial rate
- Rate evaluated at the start of reaction.
- distractor
- Incorrect option representing plausible faulty reasoning.
- explain
- Link a cause or principle to the stated result.
- determine
- Use evidence or calculation to obtain a result.
What to expect and how to use this guide
Are the worked examples copied from examination papers?
No. The settings and values are independently written examples used to teach syllabus-supported methods.
How should units be handled?
Carry units through each conversion, retain extra digits during working, and round only the final reported result.
Is this guide produced or endorsed by Cambridge International?
No. This is an independent AskSia study guide. AskSia is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Cambridge International is a trademark of Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
What is the official Cambridge International AS & A Level Chemistry (9701) exam structure?
AS Level: Multiple Choice (75 min, 40 questions, 31%); AS Level Structured Questions (75 min, 46%); Advanced Practical Skills (120 min, 23%) | A Level: Multiple Choice (75 min, 40 questions, 15.5%); AS Level Structured Questions (75 min, 23%); Advanced Practical Skills (120 min, 11.5%); A Level Structured Questions (120 min, 38.5%); Planning, Analysis And Evaluation (75 min, 11.5%). These figures come from the current Cambridge International specification; where Cambridge International does not publish a per-unit weighting, this guide does not invent one.
Build a repeatable route from evidence to chemical conclusion
Pass 1 — identify the object and command. Decide whether the prompt asks you to calculate, identify, describe, explain, predict, compare, determine, suggest, or evaluate. Name the species, condition, and requested quantity before choosing a method.
Pass 2 — choose the representation. Use a balanced equation for reacting ratios, a displayed structure for connectivity, a mechanism for electron movement, a table for controlled comparisons, a graph for patterns, an energy route for signed changes, or an apparatus plan for practical work.
Pass 3 — reproduce complete examples. Work from Problem to Calculation to Answer without hiding unit conversions, signs, chemical direction, reaction conditions, or precision. Use the four-column check to compare your method with the evidence a reader can audit.
Pass 4 — mix calculation, explanation, and practical reasoning. Alternate focused repair with mixed-paper practice. Keep an error log that records the first chemical decision that should have been made, then redo the item with that decision visible.
Use reference data actively. Practice locating the relevant chemical data, naming the variables and conditions, and connecting the supplied value to the current equation or representation. A listed value does not choose the method or justify the conclusion for you.
Cambridge International does not publish per-unit percentages, so do not drop a topic because of an estimated planning weight. Give extra repair time to weak decisions while continuing to revisit all eight units.
AskSia is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Cambridge International is a trademark of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Exam structure is based on official Cambridge International information as of 2026-10-09; the worked settings and values in this guide are independently written for learning.