Chemistry is a fascinating subject to study. If you are thinking of cracking the popular and highly competitive medical and engineering entrance exams like AIIMS, BITSAT, AFMC, JEE then you must take your class 11 chemistry seriously. Chemistry is an important subject as it brings a union between maths and physics with environmental science and biology. Class 11 Chemistry is quite different from what you had learned in Class 10 both in terms of difficulty level and vastness of the syllabus. To score well in your chemistry exam you will need to have a deeper knowledge of every topic, formula, concept, and theory. Chemistry of CBSE Board class 11 has three parts-Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, and Inorganic Chemistry.
Why is it important to study chemistry?
- Chemistry is used in our daily fulfilments from shelter to food, health, and clothing
- Our body functions on chemical reactions that occurs while breathing, eating even when we are just sitting
- Chemistry details us with the interactions that occur between different types of matter
- Many chemistry-related bright career options are highly rated and high paying
- The study of chemistry helps people inculcate analytical skills
- Chemistry is used in most the fields like food processing industry, agriculture, and medicine, space travel
Many students face difficulty with this subject and struggle to learn the fundamental concepts
Why do students face difficulty in understanding Chemistry?
- Wong form of learning style in processing information and its application
- Most students face difficulty in understanding the periodic table and often mess up with the atomic mass and number of elements and their properties
- Another difficult topic is chemical bonding where students fail to practice more examples
- Students merely rote chemistry concepts without understanding it
- Their knowledge in understanding the topic is incoherent and not complete
Important chapters to cover in Class 11 for Chemistry with their mark weightage
- Chemical bonding and Structure of molecules – approx 20 marks
- Organic chemistry and its principles include hydrocarbons – approx 18 marks
- Basic concepts of chemistry – approx 11 marks
- Chemical thermodynamics and equilibrium – approx 10 marks
- Redox reactions – approx 8 marks
- S and p block elements – approx 10 marks
The pattern of the chemistry exam for Class 11
Theory– 70 marks with 3 hours allotted for writing
Practical-Two terms practical each of 15 marks with 5 marks included for viva and class record making it a total of 30 marks. Volumetric Analysis and Salt analysis is compulsory for term 1 and 2 respectively which carries a total of 8 marks out of 15. Rest 2 marks are allotted for the content-based experiments.
Here are some tips which Class 11 students can follow that will help them in studying chemistry
- Read the textbook that has been recommended by The CBSE Board i.e. CBSE Class 11 NCERT Book for Chemistry PDF rigorously. Focus both on theoretical concepts as well as give equal importance to the numerical. Questions will be framed from both areas. All the definitions and explanations are well specified in the NCERT textbook. Giving a thorough reading to understand the concepts will be highly beneficial to you in answering questions.
- Make notes and flowcharts to understand the theories. You can plot mechanisms and diagrams of cross-train methods in chart papers and stick them on the walls of your room, especially for organic chemistry. Revise them regularly
- Stay focused and understand the reactions that are happening for electrostatic force or in the production of new elements by getting your concepts cleared. Also try to know the functions of different reagents like acids, bases, alkalines electrophiles, oxidizing and reducing agents used to catalyze the process of a reaction.
- Inorganic chemistry deals with more factual concepts, practice writing it or read the text at least 3-4 times and then learn it. Try interlinking terms that will help you remember better. Understand the concept through picture-based illustrations. Questions asked from these sections are very direct that you can easily solve by thorough reading. You can surely score full marks in this section by devoting just thirty minutes daily to it.
- Do not go for memorizing the theories and reactions by heart you will surely end up messing up things that will further confuse you. Understanding the orbital theory of molecules will prove to help understand the reactions and know the applications of every element. Then try balancing the equations. The process is also fun and interesting thereby not making you bored.
- Make notes for various terms, topics, and experiments by giving suitable examples followed by a chemical reaction that will help in brief to understand what the chapter deals with. One can make small notes for environmental chemistry listing down subtopics like oxides of sulfur, its harmful effects, and a reaction for the formation of sulfur from coal, hydrocarbons and its examples, global warming, and different types of pollutants. These notes will prove helpful during revision.
- For Chemistry practical do not learn the readings as it may vary during the actual experiment. Try to implement your theory-based knowledge into your practice. Take accurate and correct reading for your observations. Practice the experiments well during your lab classes and get all your doubts cleared by your chemistry teachers. Know the sequence of your experiment. Leaving out any one ingredient might make you do the whole process again which might create panic and time pressure on you.
- Prepare a timetable and practice previous years’ chemistry papers that will assess you in the correct direction and help identify your weak and strong areas present in the syllabus. You should take small breaks after studying for long hours. When you study after freshening yourself you will be able to retain things better. Go through the diagrams and flowcharts very well they will be adding on marks easily.
One can score good marks in Chemistry easily by focusing on the concepts and numerical both, by analyzing and solving it as much as possible. Being diligent throughout the preparation is very important. Scoring full marks in chemistry is no more impossible. Try it and achieve it!!
