Chemistry › Data sheet
The A-level chemistry data sheet and equations
Every board gives you data in the exam: a periodic table, the infrared and NMR tables and, on most sheets, a few constants. This page sets out what each board prints, the values and equations you still have to know, and the lesson that teaches each one.
Jump to: Each board’s sheet · Values to know · Infrared · NMR · Equations
What each board’s sheet prints
AQA (7405): the Data Booklet
AQA prints a four-page booklet, given out as the Insert with every paper. It holds the periodic table, with relative atomic masses to one decimal place; Table A, infrared absorptions; Table B, ¹H NMR chemical shifts; Table C, ¹³C NMR chemical shifts; and the structures of phosphate, the sugars, the DNA bases, some amino acids and haem B.
It prints no constants. AQA’s specification says you will not be asked to recall the Avogadro constant, the gas constant R or a specific heat capacity, so a question that needs one gives it.
OCR A (H432): the Data Sheet
OCR’s Data Sheet for Chemistry A prints the molar gas volume, 24.0 dm³ mol⁻¹ at RTP; the Avogadro constant, 6.02 × 10²³ mol⁻¹; the specific heat capacity of water, 4.18 J g⁻¹ K⁻¹; Kw, 1.00 × 10⁻¹⁴ mol² dm⁻⁶ at 298 K; 1 tonne = 10⁶ g; the Arrhenius equation in both forms; and R = 8.314 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹. It also has an infrared table, ¹H and ¹³C NMR shift charts and the periodic table.
Pearson Edexcel (9CH0): the Data Booklet
Pearson’s Data Booklet prints the Avogadro constant, 6.02 × 10²³ mol⁻¹; the elementary charge; R = 8.31 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹; the molar volume of a gas, 24 dm³ mol⁻¹ at r.t.p.; the specific heat capacity of water; and Kw. It also has a detailed infrared table, ¹H and ¹³C NMR shift charts, Pauling electronegativities, a table of indicators with their pH ranges, and standard electrode potentials. You must use an unmarked copy in the exam.
Pearson publishes the booklet on its website, but its address is not one we have checked, so the link here is to Appendix 8 of the specification, which reproduces it.
Cambridge International (9701): the Data section
Cambridge prints its data in the syllabus itself, in the Data section on pages 80 to 91: the important values (R = 8.31 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹, F = 9.65 × 10⁴ C mol⁻¹, L = 6.022 × 10²³ mol⁻¹, the electronic charge, Vm = 22.4 dm³ mol⁻¹ at s.t.p. and 24.0 dm³ mol⁻¹ at room conditions, Kw and the specific heat capacity of water); ionisation energies; bond energies; standard electrode potentials; Pauling electronegativities; ¹H and ¹³C NMR shifts; infrared absorptions; and the periodic table.
Values the sheet may not give you
Learn every value in this table, even where your board prints it: you work faster with the numbers in your head, and a question may give a value of its own, in which case use the one it gives.
| Value | AQA | OCR A | Edexcel | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molar gas volume at RTP, 24.0 dm³ mol⁻¹ | Not printed | Printed | Printed, as 24 | Printed |
| Gas constant, R = 8.31 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ | Given in the question | Printed, as 8.314 | Printed | Printed |
| Avogadro constant, L = 6.022 × 10²³ mol⁻¹ | Given in the question | Printed, as 6.02 × 10²³ | Printed, as 6.02 × 10²³ | Printed |
| Faraday constant, F = 96 500 C mol⁻¹ | Not printed | Not printed | Not printed | Printed, as 9.65 × 10⁴ |
| Kw = 1.00 × 10⁻¹⁴ mol² dm⁻⁶ at 298 K | Not printed | Printed | Printed | Printed |
| Specific heat capacity of water, 4.18 J g⁻¹ K⁻¹ | Given in the question | Printed | Printed | Printed |
| Planck constant, h = 6.63 × 10⁻³⁴ J s | Not printed | Not printed | Not printed | Not printed |
| Speed of light, c = 3.00 × 10⁸ m s⁻¹ | Not printed | Not printed | Not printed | Not printed |
| Standard conditions | Not printed | Not printed | Not printed | Not printed |
Standard conditions are 100 kPa and a stated temperature, usually 298 K, with solutions at 1.00 mol dm⁻³. Cambridge’s syllabus takes standard pressure as 101 kPa. On AQA, “given in the question” means the specification says you will not be expected to recall the value.
Infrared absorptions
This is AQA’s Table A. The other boards’ tables list more bonds and set some ranges a little differently, so in the exam use the sheet you are given. The lesson on Infrared spectroscopy shows how to read a spectrum against it.
| Bond | Found in | Wavenumber / cm⁻¹ |
|---|---|---|
| N–H | amines | 3300–3500 |
| O–H | alcohols | 3230–3550 |
| C–H | 2850–3300 | |
| O–H | acids | 2500–3000 |
| C≡N | 2220–2260 | |
| C=O | 1680–1750 | |
| C=C | 1620–1680 | |
| C–O | 1000–1300 | |
| C–C | 750–1100 |
¹H and ¹³C NMR chemical shifts
These are AQA’s Tables B and C, with shifts in ppm relative to TMS. The atom the shift belongs to is in bold. The lesson on Proton and carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy works through spectra with them.
| Type of proton | δ / ppm |
|---|---|
| ROH | 0.5–5.0 |
| RCH₃ | 0.7–1.2 |
| RNH₂ | 1.0–4.5 |
| R₂CH₂ | 1.2–1.4 |
| R₃CH | 1.4–1.6 |
| R–CO–CH (next to C=O) | 2.1–2.6 |
| R–O–CH (on a C bonded to O) | 3.1–3.9 |
| RCH₂Cl or RCH₂Br | 3.1–4.2 |
| R–CO–O–CH (alkyl side of an ester) | 3.7–4.1 |
| RCH=C (on a C=C) | 4.5–6.0 |
| RCHO (aldehyde) | 9.0–10.0 |
| RCOOH (carboxylic acid) | 10.0–12.0 |
| Type of carbon | δ / ppm |
|---|---|
| C–C | 5–40 |
| R–C–Cl or Br | 10–70 |
| R–CO–C (next to C=O) | 20–50 |
| R–C–N | 25–60 |
| C–O in alcohols, ethers or esters | 50–90 |
| C=C | 90–150 |
| R–C≡N | 110–125 |
| aromatic C | 110–160 |
| R–CO– in esters or acids | 160–185 |
| R–CO– in aldehydes or ketones | 190–220 |
Equations to carry
No board prints these on its sheet, apart from OCR, which prints the Arrhenius equation. AQA’s and Pearson’s specifications say the Arrhenius equation will be given when a question needs it. Learn the rest, with their units.
| Equation | What it gives | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| pV = nRT | The ideal gas equation: p in Pa, V in m³, T in K, R = 8.31 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹. | Gases and the ideal gas equation |
| n = m ÷ M | Amount in moles from a mass in grams and a molar mass in g mol⁻¹. | The mole, the Avogadro constant and molar mass |
| n = V ÷ 24.0 | Amount of gas from a volume in dm³ at room temperature and pressure. | Gases and the ideal gas equation |
| c = n ÷ V | Concentration in mol dm⁻³ from an amount and a volume in dm³. | Concentration, volumetric solutions and titration calculations |
| percentage yield = actual mass ÷ theoretical mass × 100 | How much of the possible product was made. | Reacting masses, percentage yield and atom economy |
| atom economy = Mr of desired product ÷ sum of Mr of all reactants × 100 | How much of the reactants' mass ends up in the product you want. | Reacting masses, percentage yield and atom economy |
| Ar = Σ(isotopic mass × abundance) ÷ Σ(abundance) | Relative atomic mass from a mass spectrum. | Time-of-flight mass spectrometry and relative atomic mass |
| q = mcΔT | Heat transferred, in J, from a mass in g, c = 4.18 J g⁻¹ K⁻¹ for water, and a temperature change. | Measuring an enthalpy change: calorimetry |
| ΔH = −q ÷ n | An enthalpy change per mole from the heat measured in a calorimeter. | Measuring an enthalpy change: calorimetry |
| ΔrH = ΣΔfH(products) − ΣΔfH(reactants) | An enthalpy change from enthalpies of formation. | Hess's law and enthalpy cycles |
| ΔH = Σ(bonds broken) − Σ(bonds made) | An estimate of ΔH from mean bond enthalpies. | Mean bond enthalpies |
| ΔS = ΣS(products) − ΣS(reactants) | The entropy change of a reaction, in J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹. | Entropy and Gibbs free-energy change |
| ΔG = ΔH − TΔS | The free-energy change; a reaction is feasible when ΔG is zero or negative. Change ΔS to kJ first. | Entropy and Gibbs free-energy change |
| rate = k[A]ᵐ[B]ⁿ | The rate equation, with orders found by experiment. | Rate equations, orders of reaction and the rate constant |
| t½ = ln 2 ÷ k | The half-life of a first-order reaction. | Finding orders from initial rates, half-lives and graphs |
| k = Ae^(−Ea/RT), so ln k = ln A − Ea/RT | How the rate constant depends on temperature; ln k against 1/T has gradient −Ea/R. | The Arrhenius equation and the rate-determining step |
| Kc = [C]ᶜ[D]ᵈ ÷ ([A]ᵃ[B]ᵇ) | The equilibrium constant in concentrations, for aA + bB ⇌ cC + dD. | The equilibrium constant Kc |
| Kp = p(C)ᶜ p(D)ᵈ ÷ (p(A)ᵃ p(B)ᵇ), with p(A) = x(A) × total pressure | The equilibrium constant in partial pressures, for gases. | Kp: equilibria in the gas phase |
| pH = −log[H⁺], so [H⁺] = 10^(−pH) | pH from the hydrogen ion concentration and back. | Brønsted–Lowry acids and bases, pH and strong acids |
| Kw = [H⁺][OH⁻] = 1.00 × 10⁻¹⁴ mol² dm⁻⁶ at 298 K | The ionic product of water, for the pH of a strong base. | Weak acids, Ka and pKa; Kw and strong bases |
| Ka = [H⁺][A⁻] ÷ [HA], and pKa = −log Ka | The acid dissociation constant of a weak acid. | Weak acids, Ka and pKa; Kw and strong bases |
| [H⁺] = Ka × [HA] ÷ [A⁻] | The hydrogen ion concentration, and so the pH, of an acidic buffer. | Buffer solutions and buffer calculations |
| E°cell = E°right − E°left | The EMF of a cell from two standard electrode potentials. | Electrode potentials and the standard hydrogen electrode |
| ΔE = hν = hc ÷ λ | The energy gap a coloured complex absorbs across, from frequency or wavelength. | Colour in transition metal complexes and colorimetry |
| Rf = distance moved by the spot ÷ distance moved by the solvent front | The retention factor in thin-layer chromatography. | Chromatography: TLC, column and gas |
| percentage uncertainty = absolute uncertainty ÷ measured value × 100 | How large an uncertainty is compared with the reading. | Measurement, uncertainty and significant figures in chemistry |
The maths skills page shows where the logs, rearranging and graph work behind these are taught, and the definitions give the terms each one uses.