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UPDATED TO 2023-2025 SYLLABUS

CAIE IGCSE
CHEMISTRY
SUMMARIZED NOTES ON THE THEORY SYLLABUS
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CAIE IGCSE CHEMISTRY

Chemical properties

1. Acids, Bases and Salts Base + acid → salt + water (+ CO2 when base is a metal
carbonate)
Base + ammonium salt → salt + ammonia gas + water
1.1. Properties of Acids

Acid: a substance that produces hydrogen ions (H+) when

1.3. Neutral
dissolved in water.
Neutral substances are pH 7.
Definition of Acids: Proton donors.
pH scale
Indicators
pH is the concentration of H+ ions per dm3 of solution
Have a pH between 1 (strong) and 6 (weak) Universal indicator solution is used to determine the pH of
Turns blue litmus red a substance by matching the color change to the pH color
Turns methyl orange indicator red chart.
Colourless in Thymolphthalein

Weak and Strong Acids

1. Strong acids: completely dissociated in aqueous

solution producing lots of H+ ions

e.g: HCl (aq) → H+ (aq) + Cl- (aq)

1.4. Types of Oxides
2. Weak acids: partially dissociated in aqueous solution
Metal oxides are basic, e.g. Copper oxide and Calcium
producing few H+ ions
oxide
Non-metal oxides are acidic, e.g. sulfur dioxide and
e.g: CH3COOH (aq) ⇌ H+ (aq) + CH3COO- (aq)
carbon dioxide
Chemical properties
Aluminium and zinc form amphoteric oxides, e.g. zinc
Acid + metal → salt + hydrogen gas oxide
Acid + base → salt + water Oxides that react with neither acids nor bases are neutral,
Acid + metal carbonate → salt + carbon dioxide + water e.g. nitrous monoxide and carbon monoxide

Colours of Transition Metal Compounds

1.2. Properties of Bases
Metal Compounds Colour
Bases: substances which neutralise acids to form salt and
water only. Copper (II) Sulfate Blue
Copper (II) Oxide Black
Definition of Bases: They are proton acceptors (form OH-
ions) Copper (II) Carbonate Green
Indicators Manganese (IV) Oxide Black
Iron (II) Salts Pale Green
Have a pH between 8 (weak) and 14 (strong)
Turns red litmus blue Iron (III) Salts Brown or Orange
Turns methyl orange indicator yellow
Turns Blue in thymolphthalein 1.5. Preparation of Salts
Weak and Strong Alkalis (Soluble Bases) Soluble Salts
1. Strong alkalis: completely dissociates in aqueous Method A: Soluble Salts from Excess Insoluble Bases (metal,
solution, producing lots of OH- ions metal oxide, carbonates)

e.g.: NaOH (aq) → Na+ (aq) + OH- (aq) 1. Warm acid (increases the speed of reaction)
2. Add an excess reactant + stir
2. Weak alkalis partially ionize in water producing OH- 3. Filter mixture
ions 4. Transfer to evaporating basin
5. Heat using a Bunsen burner
e.g: NH4OH (aq) ⇌ NH4+ (aq) + OH- (aq) 6. Leave to cool until crystallisation point

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CAIE IGCSE CHEMISTRY

7. Wash crystals with distilled water

1.6. Water of Crystallisation and
8. Dry crystals on filter paper
General Solubility Rules
Method B: Titration

1. Place a known volume of alkali into a conical flask

Water of Crystallisation
using a volumetric pipette.
A salt is a compound formed when a metal replaces all
2. Add indicator (e.g. thymolphthalein)
the hydrogen atoms of an acid.
3. Titration: add acid using a burette until the endpoint
Naming salts involves two parts: the name of the metal
has reached
and the acid-ending
4. Record the volume of acid added
eg. calcium + hydrochloric acid = calcium chloride
5. Repeat without indicator
The Water of Crystallisation is the water molecules
6. Transfer to evaporating basin
present in hydrated crystals.
7. Heat with Bunsen burner
8. Leave to cool until crystallisation point Type of Salt Acid used
9. Wash crystals with distilled water
Sulfate Sulfuric acid
10. Dry crystals on filter paper
Nitrate Nitric acid
Chloride Hydrochloric acid
Ethanoate Ethanoic acid

General Solubility Rules

Soluble Salts Insoluble Salts

All sodium, potassium and
None
Ammonium salts
All nitrates None
Chlorides Except for silver and lead

Insoluble Salts Except for barium, lead and

Sulfates
calcium
Precipitation: Insoluble Solid forms between two aqueous Potassium, Sodium and
All other carbonates
solutions. Ammonium Carbonates
Sodium, Potassium and
1. Mix two soluble salts
Ammonium Hydroxides Nearly all hydroxides
2. Filter to remove the precipitate
(partially calcium hydroxide)
3. Wash the precipitate with distilled water
4. Leave to dry

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CAIE IGCSE
Chemistry

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