Paper 1
Chemistry 1
- Key Concepts in Chemistry
- States of Matter and Mixtures
- Chemical Changes
- Extracting Metals and Equilibria
- Transition Metals, Quantitative Chemistry and Industrial Processes
1 hour 45 minutes100 marks50%
Edexcel GCSE Chemistry, memorised fast.
Long notes are boring. Brain-hack the whole 1CH0 specification with active recall and actually remember it.
- Spec 1CH0
- 9 topics
- 133 subtopics
Edexcel GCSE Chemistry 1CH0
Key Concepts in Chemistry
Topic overviewFormulae, word equations and balanced equationsHazard symbols and assessing riskThe changing model of the atomProtons, neutrons and electronsThe nucleus, mass number and atomic massElements and isotopesCalculating particle numbers and relative atomic massMendeleev's periodic tableHow the modern periodic table is arrangedElectronic configuration and the periodic tableHow ionic bonds formIons in ionic compoundsFormulae of ionic compounds and ionic equationsNaming compounds and the ionic latticeCovalent bonds and moleculesDot and cross diagrams for simple moleculesClassifying substances and the properties of ionic compoundsProperties of simple molecular substances, and forms of carbonGraphite and diamondFullerenes and graphenePolymers and models of bondingThe properties of metalsRelative formula mass and percentage compositionEmpirical and molecular formulaeConservation of mass in closed and open systemsReacting masses from balanced equationsConcentration in grams per cubic decimetreMoles and the Avogadro constantLimiting reactants and stoichiometry
States of Matter and Mixtures
Topic overviewThe three states of matter and changes of stateEnergy changes during changes of state, and predicting statePure substances and melting point dataChoosing a separation techniqueSeparating a mixture in practicePaper chromatography and interpreting a chromatogramInvestigating inks by distillation and chromatographyMaking water potable
Chemical Changes
Topic overviewAcids, alkalis and the pH scaleIndicators: litmus, methyl orange and phenolphthaleinHydrogen ion concentration and the pH scaleInvestigating pH change when neutralising an acidDilute and concentrated, weak and strong acidsBases and alkalisReactions of acids, and testing for hydrogen and carbon dioxideNeutralisation and its ionic equationPreparing soluble salts from insoluble and soluble reactantsPreparing pure, dry copper sulfate crystalsCarrying out an acid-alkali titrationSolubility rulesPredicting precipitates and preparing an insoluble saltElectrolytes and what electrolysis isMovement of ions and predicting the products of molten electrolysisElectrolysis with inert electrodesWriting half equationsOxidation and reduction at the electrodesElectrolysis of copper sulfate solutionInvestigating the electrolysis of copper sulfate
Extracting Metals and Equilibria
Topic overviewInvestigating the reactivity of metalsDisplacement reactions as redox reactionsThe reactivity seriesOres, oxidation and reductionChoosing a method to extract a metalBiological methods of metal extractionCorrosion resistance and recycling metalsLife cycle assessmentReversible reactions and dynamic equilibriumThe Haber process and its conditionsChanging the position of an equilibrium
Transition Metals, Quantitative Chemistry and Industrial Processes
Topic overviewTransition metals and their propertiesCorrosion and electroplatingPreventing rustingAlloys and alloy steelsHow the uses of metals relate to their propertiesConcentration in mol dm-3 and titration calculationsCarrying out an accurate titrationPercentage yieldAtom economy and choosing a reaction pathwayMolar volume of a gasAvogadro's law and gas volumesThe Haber processConditions used in industrial reactionsFertilisers and ammonium saltsPreparing ammonium sulfate in the lab and in industryChemical cells and fuel cellsEvaluating fuel cells
Groups in the Periodic Table
Topic overviewThe groups of the periodic table, and the alkali metalsReactions of the alkali metals with waterThe pattern in alkali metal reactivity and why it happensPhysical properties of the halogensThe test for chlorine, and halogens reacting with metalsHydrogen halides, and explaining halogen reactivityDisplacement reactions of the halogensGroup 0: the noble gases
Rates of Reaction and Energy Changes
Topic overviewInvestigating the rate of a reactionMeasuring rate and interpreting rate graphsCollision theory and factors affecting rateCatalysts and enzymesExothermic and endothermic changesBond breaking, bond making and the overall energy changeBond energies, activation energy and reaction profiles
Fuels and Earth Science
Topic overviewHydrocarbons and crude oilFractional distillation and the fractionsProperties of the fractions and homologous seriesComplete and incomplete combustionCarbon monoxide and sootPollutants and acid rainHydrogen and fossil fuels comparedCracking and why it is necessaryThe Earth's early atmosphereHow the oceans formed and how oxygen appearedThe test for oxygen and the greenhouse gasesToday's atmosphere and evidence for climate change
Chemical Analysis, Organic Chemistry and Materials
Topic overviewWhy an ion test must be unique, and flame testsTests for metal ions and for ammoniaTests for carbonate, sulfate and halide ionsIdentifying the ions in an unknown saltInstrumental methods and flame photometryAlkanes and why they are saturatedAlkenes and why they are unsaturatedReactions of alkenes, and combustionWhat a polymer is, and how poly(ethene) formsOther addition polymers, and monomers from polymersUses of polymers, and natural polymers including DNAPolyesters and condensation polymerisationProblems with polymers and recyclingAlcohols and the -OH functional groupComparing the energy released by alcohol fuelsMaking ethanol by fermentation and distillationCarboxylic acids and the -COOH functional groupOxidising alcohols to carboxylic acids, and homologous seriesThe size of nanoparticlesUses and risks of nanoparticlesChoosing a material for a use
What Edexcel GCSE Chemistry covers
Edexcel GCSE Chemistry (specification 1CH0) is one of the three separate sciences and is examined by two written papers of 1 hour 45 minutes and 100 marks each, worth 50% apiece. Both papers are sat at the same tier. This is the Higher tier: it carries everything on the Foundation papers plus the higher-tier content, and grades 4 to 9 are available, with a grade 3 allowed for a mark just below the grade 4 boundary.
Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9–1) in Chemistry 1CH0, issue 4, March 2024. Read the Pearson specification ↗
How it is assessed
Paper 2
Chemistry 2
- Key Concepts in Chemistry
- Groups in the Periodic Table
- Rates of Reaction and Energy Changes
- Fuels and Earth Science
- Chemical Analysis, Organic Chemistry and Materials
1 hour 45 minutes100 marks50%
The full specification
9 topics, 133 subtopics. Open any topic to see what is inside it.
01Key Concepts in Chemistry29 subtopicsOpen topic
- Formulae, word equations and balanced equations
- Hazard symbols and assessing risk
- The changing model of the atom
- Protons, neutrons and electrons
- The nucleus, mass number and atomic mass
- Elements and isotopes
- Calculating particle numbers and relative atomic mass
- Mendeleev's periodic table
- How the modern periodic table is arranged
- Electronic configuration and the periodic table
- How ionic bonds form
- Ions in ionic compounds
- Formulae of ionic compounds and ionic equations
- Naming compounds and the ionic lattice
- Covalent bonds and molecules
- Dot and cross diagrams for simple molecules
- Classifying substances and the properties of ionic compounds
- Properties of simple molecular substances, and forms of carbon
- Graphite and diamond
- Fullerenes and graphene
- Polymers and models of bonding
- The properties of metals
- Relative formula mass and percentage composition
- Empirical and molecular formulae
- Conservation of mass in closed and open systems
- Reacting masses from balanced equations
- Concentration in grams per cubic decimetre
- Moles and the Avogadro constant
- Limiting reactants and stoichiometry
02States of Matter and Mixtures8 subtopicsOpen topic
- The three states of matter and changes of state
- Energy changes during changes of state, and predicting state
- Pure substances and melting point data
- Choosing a separation technique
- Separating a mixture in practice
- Paper chromatography and interpreting a chromatogram
- Investigating inks by distillation and chromatography
- Making water potable
03Chemical Changes20 subtopicsOpen topic
- Acids, alkalis and the pH scale
- Indicators: litmus, methyl orange and phenolphthalein
- Hydrogen ion concentration and the pH scale
- Investigating pH change when neutralising an acid
- Dilute and concentrated, weak and strong acids
- Bases and alkalis
- Reactions of acids, and testing for hydrogen and carbon dioxide
- Neutralisation and its ionic equation
- Preparing soluble salts from insoluble and soluble reactants
- Preparing pure, dry copper sulfate crystals
- Carrying out an acid-alkali titration
- Solubility rules
- Predicting precipitates and preparing an insoluble salt
- Electrolytes and what electrolysis is
- Movement of ions and predicting the products of molten electrolysis
- Electrolysis with inert electrodes
- Writing half equations
- Oxidation and reduction at the electrodes
- Electrolysis of copper sulfate solution
- Investigating the electrolysis of copper sulfate
04Extracting Metals and Equilibria11 subtopicsOpen topic
- Investigating the reactivity of metals
- Displacement reactions as redox reactions
- The reactivity series
- Ores, oxidation and reduction
- Choosing a method to extract a metal
- Biological methods of metal extraction
- Corrosion resistance and recycling metals
- Life cycle assessment
- Reversible reactions and dynamic equilibrium
- The Haber process and its conditions
- Changing the position of an equilibrium
05Transition Metals, Quantitative Chemistry and Industrial Processes17 subtopicsOpen topic
- Transition metals and their properties
- Corrosion and electroplating
- Preventing rusting
- Alloys and alloy steels
- How the uses of metals relate to their properties
- Concentration in mol dm-3 and titration calculations
- Carrying out an accurate titration
- Percentage yield
- Atom economy and choosing a reaction pathway
- Molar volume of a gas
- Avogadro's law and gas volumes
- The Haber process
- Conditions used in industrial reactions
- Fertilisers and ammonium salts
- Preparing ammonium sulfate in the lab and in industry
- Chemical cells and fuel cells
- Evaluating fuel cells
06Groups in the Periodic Table8 subtopicsOpen topic
- The groups of the periodic table, and the alkali metals
- Reactions of the alkali metals with water
- The pattern in alkali metal reactivity and why it happens
- Physical properties of the halogens
- The test for chlorine, and halogens reacting with metals
- Hydrogen halides, and explaining halogen reactivity
- Displacement reactions of the halogens
- Group 0: the noble gases
07Rates of Reaction and Energy Changes7 subtopicsOpen topic
08Fuels and Earth Science12 subtopicsOpen topic
- Hydrocarbons and crude oil
- Fractional distillation and the fractions
- Properties of the fractions and homologous series
- Complete and incomplete combustion
- Carbon monoxide and soot
- Pollutants and acid rain
- Hydrogen and fossil fuels compared
- Cracking and why it is necessary
- The Earth's early atmosphere
- How the oceans formed and how oxygen appeared
- The test for oxygen and the greenhouse gases
- Today's atmosphere and evidence for climate change
09Chemical Analysis, Organic Chemistry and Materials21 subtopicsOpen topic
- Why an ion test must be unique, and flame tests
- Tests for metal ions and for ammonia
- Tests for carbonate, sulfate and halide ions
- Identifying the ions in an unknown salt
- Instrumental methods and flame photometry
- Alkanes and why they are saturated
- Alkenes and why they are unsaturated
- Reactions of alkenes, and combustion
- What a polymer is, and how poly(ethene) forms
- Other addition polymers, and monomers from polymers
- Uses of polymers, and natural polymers including DNA
- Polyesters and condensation polymerisation
- Problems with polymers and recycling
- Alcohols and the -OH functional group
- Comparing the energy released by alcohol fuels
- Making ethanol by fermentation and distillation
- Carboxylic acids and the -COOH functional group
- Oxidising alcohols to carboxylic acids, and homologous series
- The size of nanoparticles
- Uses and risks of nanoparticles
- Choosing a material for a use
How you work through it
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Key term
Explain why ionic compounds have high melting points but conduct when melted or dissolved, and why magnesium oxide melts higher than sodium chloride.
Key term
Describe an atom's nucleus in terms of what it contains, its size and mass, and what its mass number counts.
Key term
Explain how an ionic bond forms and how the two kinds of ion involved are made.
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Chemistry revision questions
Common questions about revising Edexcel GCSE Chemistry. Tap any to open it.
How do you memorise Edexcel GCSE Chemistry?
By testing yourself, not rereading. Active recall, pulling each answer from memory then checking it, builds far stronger memory than highlighting notes. Levo runs the method for you across all 9 Chemistry topics and brings each one back on a spaced schedule so it stays memorised.
What is the fastest way to revise Chemistry for Edexcel?
Skip the long notes and go straight to retrieval. Levo turns the 1CH0 specification into short questions you drill with rapid recall, cram whole papers in one sitting, and a readiness score tells you exactly what is left to learn.
What topics are on Edexcel GCSE Chemistry (1CH0)?
There are 9 topics, split across 133 subtopics, from Key Concepts in Chemistry, States of Matter and Mixtures, Chemical Changes and more. Every topic is listed above, and each one opens to the subtopics inside it.
What do you get inside Levo for Chemistry?
Six ways to work the same material. The 3-step method for learning a set, Cram for sorting a whole paper into what you know and what you do not, Blank Blitz for making key facts automatic, Build It for assembling full-mark answers, Test It for catching misconceptions, and Brain Breaks between sessions. A readiness score tracks how much of the subject you have memorised.
Is active recall better than rereading your notes for Chemistry?
Consistently, yes. Rereading feels productive but fades quickly. Retrieving an answer from memory, the way Levo tests you, is what actually forms durable memory, and it shows you honestly what you do and do not know.
Does Levo cover the whole Edexcel Chemistry specification?
Every topic on the 1CH0 specification is covered, written from the published subject content. The full list is above, and each topic opens to its subtopics so you can see exactly what is there before you subscribe.
How can you encourage your teenager to revise?
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Can you revise Chemistry the night before an exam?
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Every question in Chemistry, on a schedule.
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