In this article, you will learn some unique ways that can help you master Chemical Reactions easily.

 

Every year, students dedicate their valuable time, energy, and hard work to learning different concepts. They learn a variety of concepts, some of which are easy to understand, and some of which require extra effort. Studying all these subjects and mastering them requires some effective strategies.

 

In the same way, students often request tips and strategies to master all the topics in Chemistry. Students struggle with Chemistry because there are several new concepts, such as surface chemistry, thermodynamics, organic chemistry, coordination compounds, etc.

 

Having a good understanding of the whole mechanism by which a reaction occurs is an effective way to learn and memorise reactions (especially in organic chemistry). In case of confusion with a reagent, knowing the mechanism makes it easier to determine what reactant to add.

 

The majority of weightage in Chemistry exams is given to chemical reactions. Therefore, this topic plays an important role in exams and impacts scores. The general strategy should be to revise weekly. Every Sunday, open the chapter you’ve just completed and draw a flowchart of all the compounds, their reactions, and preparation (especially for organic compounds).

 

Overview:

• Learn the Periodic Table With Mnemonics
• Understanding the IUPAC Nomenclature
• Use Mind Maps Effectively
• Learn How to Balance Chemical Reactions
• Practice Smartly and Thoroughly
• How to Learn Reactions?

 

Learn the Periodic Table with Mnemonics

 

A Periodic Table contains information about all chemical elements, including their atomic numbers, full names, mass numbers, and symbols. Every student who wants to master chemical reactions can find it helpful.

 

Keeping track of all the elements in the periodic table is difficult without a proper strategy. Students can overcome this problem by using Mnemonic learning tools. You can memorise the periodic table in the shortest possible time with this method. A memory technique that aids in retaining information.

 

How to memorise the Periodic Table of elements?

• From the periodic table, choose a group.
• Write down the initial letters of each element in that group.
• You can make these letters exciting by creating a song, sentence, or rhyme.

 

Understanding the IUPAC Nomenclature

 

IUPAC, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry nomenclature, assigns names to organic compounds based on their structure. It ensures that a certain level of regularity is always maintained in chemical names.

 

When students do not understand the IUPAC nomenclature perfectly, they may lose many marks by incorrectly naming the compounds in chemical reactions. 

 

Here are some steps you can take to understand the IUPAC nomenclature of compounds:

 

• Take note of all the suffixes and prefixes associated with the chemical reaction based on the number of compounds, functional groups, and atoms involved.
• Get familiar with the terms by revising all the information you jotted down.
• Once you have completed the above steps, start solving questions that involve guessing a compound’s name.
• After that, move on to more complex questions.

 

Use Mind Maps Effectively

 

The traditional learning process can be made smarter by using a variety of effective tools. Mind maps are a good example of this. In mind maps, information about a particular topic is summarised using interconnected charts.

 

Normally, if you wanted to rescript redox reactions using the systematic method, you would have to read the textbook. Using a mind map, you can see the entire summary in one chart; you can go over it anywhere, any time.

 

This type of visual description makes it easier for people to memorise and recall information in the future. If you want to learn more about chemical reactions, you can create a mind map based on all the relevant information.

 

Learn How to Balance Chemical Reactions

 

Chemical reactions can be challenging to balance since they involve so many variables. It is at this point that many students get stuck. 

 

Students must follow the following steps to become experts at balancing chemical reactions:

 

• Make a separate list of the number of molecules and atoms on each side of the reaction.
• Start by identifying the compound with the largest atom and balancing it on both sides.
• When balancing their numbers, don’t change the chemical formulas of the compounds. Only their coefficients can be substituted.
• To begin with, balance the compound containing the most atoms in the reaction, then move on to the next one.
• Finish by mentioning the physical states of the reactants and products in the balanced chemical reaction.

 

Practice Smartly and Thoroughly

 

Learning chemical reactions requires hard work and practice. It will be better if you smartly memorise them.

 

Try to solve as many unique and different types of chemical reactions as possible instead of memorising and practising similar reactions.

 

Having a good grasp of any tricky questions that may appear on the exam will prove to be helpful. You should therefore attempt all unique chemical reactions and build your understanding of the topic accordingly.

 

How to Learn Reactions?

 

To learn reactions in Chemistry, you can follow these steps:

 

• Mug up all the reactions and trends in the periodic table of that particular group of inorganic chemistry.
• Analyse the reactions or trends for patterns or similarities.
• If you want to remember all those chemical reactions for the exam, take a notebook and write them down. Every day, repeat this step.
• Observe and note the colour of precipitates and trends like electronegativity along the group, as well as the name of the ores and the flame test colours.
• At the end of the day, revise all the reactions you tried to memorise during the day.

 

Chemical reactions are often the most challenging part of Chemistry for students. It is difficult for them to comprehend the names, atomic numbers, symbols, mass numbers, oxidation states, etc. of the compounds.

 

But if you use the methods listed above, you will be able to solve even the toughest chemical reactions with ease. Implementing these strategies will help you achieve excellent Chemistry scores.

 

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Also published on Medium.