Everything you need to know about A Level H2 Chemistry
H2 Chemistry (Syllabus 9729) is one of the many subjects offered at Singapore GCE A Levels.
Students taking H2 Chemistry need to have knowledge and understanding of O-Level Chemistry (Pure or Combined).
This syllabus focuses more on understanding and application of chemistry concepts and less on memorising facts.
Here is a list of everything you need to know about A Level H2 Chemistry, meticulously compiled by Chemistry Guru, one of the most reputable JC chemistry tuition centres in Singapore:
| Contents (click to jump to section) |
1. What are the aims of H2 Chem 3. Will H2 Chem remain relevant in the future? 4. What are the topics covered in H2 Chem? |
What are the aims of H2 Chemistry?
1. The aims of H2 Chemistry is for students to:
- develop an interest in chemistry and have the knowledge and skills for further studies in related fields
- be scientifically literate and ready for the challenges of the 21st century
- understand how scientific knowledge is generated, established, communicated and applied to society
- understand how matter at the atomic/molecular level affects its structure and properties
- explain and make predictions about chemical systems and structures from the relationship between the submicroscopic and macroscopic levels
2. Why is H2 Chemistry important?
H2 Chemistry is a subject requirement for many professional degrees such as medicine, dentistry and pharmacy.
Students will need to get very good grades in H2 Chemistry to have a chance to study these coveted courses.
Out of the 3 sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), Chemistry is the core science subject required to study medicine and related fields.
For instance, students will need a "good H2 pass in Chemistry and H2 pass in either Biology or Physics" to apply for NUS Medicine.
Therefore the most popular subject combination for sciences in A Levels are Biology + Chemistry and Chemistry + Physics.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of undergraduate courses at some local universities in Singapore that require students to pass H2 Chemistry for A Levels:
| University | Courses that require pass in H2 Chemistry | Source |
| Nanyang Technological University, NTU | aerospace engineering, bioengineering, chemical & biomolecular engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, computer science, engineering, electrical & electronic engineering, materials engineering, mechanical engineering, biological sciences, biomedical sciences & medicine (double degree), physical sciences, bachelor of medicine / bachelor of surgery, bachelor of dental surgery, chemical engineering, and environmental engineering | Source (NTU) |
| National University of Singapore, NUS | computer engineering, dentistry, food science and technology, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and pharmaceutical science | Source (NUS) |
| Singapore Institute of Technology, SIT | digital supply chain, robotics systems, pharmaceutical engineering, food technology, diagnostic radiography, dietetics and nutrition, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, radiation therapy, speech and language therapy, and applied artifical intelligence | Source (SIT) |
To have a better sense of the value of these university courses that require H2 Chemistry, here are the gross monthly median salary and employment numbers for fresh university graduates in Singapore:
| Course | Proportion of Graduates in Full-Time Permanent Employment (2023) | Gross Monthly Median Salary (2023) |
| Business1 | 88.3% | $4,150 |
| Dentistry | 100.0% | $4,550 |
| Health Sciences | 95.9% | $3,910 |
| Information & Digital Technologies1 | 88.7% | $5,500 |
| Sciences | 79.0% | $4,000 |
| Biomedical Sciences and Chinese Medicine | 85.2% | $3,350 |
| Law1 | 97.7% | $7,000 |
| Medicine2 | 100.0% | $5,600 |
| Pharmacy3 | 95.1% | $4,000 |
Source: MOE | 2023 GES Employment Rates and Salaries of NUS, NTU, SMU, SUSS by course cluster
1Other popular courses, which do not require H2 Chemistry, included for comparison
2Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, NTU, 2022 [source]
3Statistics from 2022
3. Will H2 Chemistry remain relevant in the future?
The current world and economic landscape is rapidly changing.
There is a real fear of investing years of effort studying a course only to find it obsolete in the near future.
Will H2 Chemistry remain future-proof, or will it be replaced with the breakneck advancement in technology and artificial intelligence?
According to US Career Institute, jobs safest from artificial intelligence and automation are ones that "require human qualities that a robot cannot replicate", such as social skills, emotional intelligence, interpersonal relationships and creativity.
Fields that are complex, flexible and do not follow a fixed routine are less likely to be replaced by AI.
The list of jobs that require chemistry knowledge with the lowest risk of automation by AI and robots are:
- Nurse practitioners
- Physician assistants
- Mental health counselors
- Nursing instructors and teachers
- Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
- Soil and plant scientists
- Psychiatrists
- Paramedics
- Clinical nurse specialists
- Critical care nurses
- Dentists
- Surgeons
- Doctors
With an increasingly aging population in Singapore, there will be a need for more health care workers such as doctors and nurses.
The world also needs more scientists and researchers pushing invention and innovation to combat climate change.
As such, Chemistry Guru firmly believes H2 Chemistry will remain a core subject and continue to be relevant in the future.
4. What are the Topics covered in H2 Chemistry?
The topics in H2 Chemistry are organised as two levels:
(a) Core ideas: Core ideas of Matter, Structure and Properties, and Transformation form the basis for further learning of advanced chemical systems
(b) Extension topics: Advanced chemical systems such as chemistry of aqueous systems, organic chemistry, electrochemistry and transition elements
Here are all the topics taught in H2 Chemistry and their content summary. You can also find out more details about the learning outcomes for each topic.
Core Idea 1 – Matter
1. Atomic Structure
- The nucleus of the atom: neutrons and protons, isotopes, proton and nucleon numbers
- Electrons: electronic energy levels, ionisation energies, atomic orbitals, extranuclear structure
Core Idea 2 – Structure and Properties
2. Chemical Bonding
- Ionic bonding, metallic bonding, covalent bonding and co-ordinate (dative covalent) bonding
- Shapes of simple molecules and bond angles
- Bond polarities and polarity of molecules
- Intermolecular forces, including hydrogen bonding
- Bond energies and bond lengths
- Lattice structure of solids
- Bonding and physical properties
3. The Gaseous State
- Ideal gas behaviour and deviations from it
- pV = nRT and its use in determining a value for Mr
- Dalton’s Law and its use in determining the partial pressures of gases in a mixture
4. Theories of Acids and Bases
- Arrhenius, Brønsted-Lowry and Lewis theories of acids and bases
5. The Periodic Table
- Periodicity of atomic and physical properties of the elements: variation with proton number across the third period (sodium to chlorine) and down the group (Group 2 and Group 17)
Core Idea 3 – Transformation
6. The Mole Concept and Stoichiometry
- Relative masses of atoms and molecules
- The mole, the Avogadro constant
- The calculation of empirical and molecular formulae
- Reacting masses and volumes (of solutions and gases)
7. Chemical Energetics
- Enthalpy changes: ΔH, of formation; combustion; hydration; solution; neutralisation; atomisation; bond energy; lattice energy; electron affinity
- Hess’ Law, including Born-Haber cycles
- Entropy and Free Energy
8. Reaction Kinetics
- Simple rate equations; orders of reaction; rate constants
- Concept of activation energy
- Effect of concentration, temperature, and catalysts on reaction rate
- Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis
- Enzymes as biological catalysts
9. Chemical Equilibria
- Chemical equilibria: reversible reactions; dynamic equilibrium
- factors affecting chemical equilibria
- equilibrium constants
- the Haber process
Extension Topics
10. Chemistry of Aqueous Solutions
10.1 Acid-base Equilibria
- Acid dissociation constants, Ka and the use of pKa
- Base dissociation constants, Kb and the use of pKb
- The ionic product of water, Kw
- pH: choice of pH indicators
- Buffer solutions
10.2 Solubility Equilibria
- Solubility product; the common ion effect and complex ion formation
11. Organic Chemistry
11.1 Introduction
- Empirical, molecular and structural formulae
- Functional groups and the naming of organic compounds
- Common terms for organic reactions and reactivities
- Shapes of organic molecules; σ and π bonds
11.2 Isomerism
- Isomerism: constitutional (structural); cis-trans; enantiomerism
11.3 Hydrocarbons
- Alkanes (exemplified by ethane)
- free-radical substitution reactions
- Alkenes (exemplified by ethene)
- electrophilic addition, including Markovnikov’s rule
- reduction and oxidation reactions
- Arenes (exemplified by benzene and methylbenzene)
- influence of delocalised πelectrons on structure and properties
- electrophilic substitution reactions
- oxidation of side-chain
- Hydrocarbons as fuels
11.4 Halogen Derivatives
- Halogenoalkanes
- nucleophilic substitution
- elimination
- Relative strength of the C-Hal bond
- Unreactivity of halogenoarenes
11.5 Hydroxy Compounds
- Alcohols (exemplified by ethanol)
- formation of halogenoalkanes
- reaction with sodium; oxidation; dehydration
- the tri-iodomethane test
- Phenol
- its acidity; reaction with bases and sodium
- nitration of, and bromination of, the aromatic ring
11.6 Carbonyl Compounds
- Aldehydes (exemplified by ethanal)
- oxidation to carboxylic acid
- nucleophilic addition with hydrogen cyanide
- characteristic tests for aldehydes
- Ketones (exemplified by propanone and phenylethanone)
- nucleophilic addition with hydrogen cyanide
- characteristic tests for ketones
11.7 Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives
- Carboxylic acids (exemplified by ethanoic acid and benzoic acid)
- formation from primary alcohols and nitriles
- salt, ester and acyl chloride formation
- Acyl chlorides (exemplified by ethanoyl chloride)
- ease of hydrolysis compared with alkyl and aryl chlorides
- reaction with alcohols, phenols and primary amines
- Esters (exemplified by ethyl ethanoate and phenyl benzoate)
- formation from carboxylic acids and from acyl chlorides
- hydrolysis (under acidic and under basic conditions)
11.8 Nitrogen Compounds
- Amines (exemplified by ethylamine and phenylamine)
- their formation
- salt formation
- other reactions of phenylamine
- Amides (exemplified by ethanamide)
- formation from acyl chlorides
- neutrality of amides
- hydrolysis (under acidic and under basic conditions)
- Amino acids (exemplified by aminoethanoic acid)
- their acid and base properties
- zwitterion formation
- Proteins
- formation of proteins
- hydrolysis of proteins
12. Electrochemistry
- Redox processes: electron transfer and changes in oxidation number (oxidation state)
- Electrode potentials
- standard electrode (redox) potentials, Eθ; the redox series
- standard cell potentials, Eθcell , and their uses
- batteries and fuel cells
- Electrolysis
- factors affecting the amount of substance liberated during electrolysis
- the Faraday constant; the Avogadro constant; their relationship
- industrial uses of electrolysis
13. Introduction to Transition Elements
- General physical and characteristic chemical properties of the first set of transition elements, titanium to copper
- Colour of complexes
5. What is the Exam Format for H2 Chemistry?
Students taking A Level H2 Chemistry have to attempt 4 Papers altogether.
Paper | Type of Paper | Duration | Weighting (%) | Marks |
1 | Multiple Choice | 1 h | 15 | 30 |
2 | Structured Questions | 2 h | 30 | 75 |
3 | Free Response Questions | 2 h | 35 | 80 |
4 | Practical | 2 h 30 min | 20 | 55 |
Paper 1 (1 h, 30 marks)
Paper 1 has 30 compulsory multiple choice questions.
Five to eight of these questions will be of the multiple completion type.
All questions will include 4 options.
Paper 2 (2 h, 75 marks)
Paper 2 has a variable number of compulsory structured questions including data-based questions which test higher order thinking skills and constitutes 20-25 marks.
Paper 3 (2 h, 80 marks)
Paper 3 has two sections:
- Section A (60 marks) with 3–4 compulsory free response questions. Each question constitutes 15–25 marks.
- Section B (20 marks) with two questions (20 marks each). Students are to answer any one question.
Paper 4 (2 h 30 min, 55 marks)
Practical Paper 4 will test on the following experimental skill areas:
- Planning (P) (5% weighting)
- Manipulation, measurement and observation (MMO)
- Presentation of data and observations (PDO)
- Analysis, conclusions and evaluation (ACE)
Skill areas MMO, PDO and ACE will have a weighting of 15%.
Find out more details about the scheme of assessment.
6. Is H2 Chemistry difficult?
The A Level H2 Chemistry syllabus has significantly more content as compared to O-Level Chemistry.
The concepts are more advanced and in-depth which may be intimidating to students.
Consistent effort is key to mastering this subject.
Students need to have good studying habits such as taking notes during lessons, attempting tutorials, practising past year prelim questions, making their own summaries and clarifying their doubts with their teachers.
They may also find it useful to attend tuition classes from experienced tutors who can explain abstract concepts in simple terms.
Chemistry Guru has been providing quality A Level H2 chemistry tuition to JC students since 2010.
All classes are taught by Singapore's top Chemistry tutor Maverick Puah with 19 years of experience.
Find out more about our chemistry classes at Bishan and online.
