These essential chemistry practicals teach you how to make salts,...
Chemistry143 views·Updated May 31, 2026·19 pagesGCSE Chemistry Required Practicals – AQA Combined Science Trilogy
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Rhea Jain@rheajain
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Making Salts - Required Practical 1
Ever wondered how table salt is actually made in a lab? This practical shows you how to create pure, dry salts from scratch using simple chemical reactions.
You'll be mixing copper oxide (an insoluble base) with sulfuric acid to make copper sulfate crystals. The key trick is adding the copper oxide until it stops fizzing - this means you've used up all the acid and have some left over to filter out.
The final steps involve crystallisation - basically letting water evaporate slowly so perfect crystals form. You'll heat the mixture gently, then leave it for 24 hours to get those satisfying blue crystals that look like tiny gems.
Top Tip: Always add the base in excess and filter it out - this guarantees your salt will be pure!
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Neutralisation Titration - Required Practical 2
Titrations are like precision cooking - you're finding the exact amount of acid needed to neutralise a known amount of alkali. Think of it as the ultimate chemistry balancing act.
You'll use a burette (that's the long tube with measurements) to add sulfuric acid drop by drop to sodium hydroxide. The magic happens when phenolphthalein indicator changes from pink to colourless - that's your neutralisation point.
The maths bit involves calculating concentration using your results. Remember the 2:1 ratio in the equation - you need 2 moles of NaOH for every 1 mole of H₂SO₄. Concordant results (within 0.1cm³ of each other) prove you've nailed the technique.
Safety First: Always wear safety goggles when handling acids - they're not messing about!
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Electrolysis Investigation - Required Practical 3
Electrolysis is basically using electricity to split compounds apart - it's like chemistry's version of a magic trick. You're investigating what happens when electric current passes through different solutions.
With copper chloride solution, you'll see reddish-brown copper forming on the negative electrode while chlorine gas bubbles off the positive electrode. The litmus paper will bleach white near the positive electrode - that's the chlorine doing its thing.
Sodium chloride gives different results because there's no metal ions to deposit. Instead, you get hydrogen gas at the negative electrode (more bubbles) and still chlorine at the positive electrode.
Ventilation Alert: Make sure the room is well-ventilated - chlorine gas isn't something you want to breathe in!
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Temperature Changes - Required Practical 4
This practical proves that chemical reactions either give out heat (exothermic) or take it in (endothermic). You're basically being a temperature detective, tracking how heat changes during reactions.
Using polystyrene cups instead of glass beakers is genius - they're brilliant insulators so you won't lose heat to the surroundings. You'll add sodium hydroxide to hydrochloric acid in 5cm³ chunks, recording the temperature each time.
The pattern you'll spot shows the maximum temperature rising as you add more alkali, then dropping off once you've neutralised all the acid. This creates a lovely curve when you plot your results.
Accuracy Tip: Put the lid on quickly and stir gently - you don't want to lose heat to the air!
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Chemistry143 views·Updated May 31, 2026·19 pagesGCSE Chemistry Required Practicals – AQA Combined Science Trilogy
R
Rhea Jain@rheajain
These essential chemistry practicals teach you how to make salts, measure acid concentrations, split up solutions with electricity, and track heat changes in reactions. Mastering these lab skills will boost your confidence and help you ace your GCSE chemistry exams.
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Making Salts - Required Practical 1
Ever wondered how table salt is actually made in a lab? This practical shows you how to create pure, dry salts from scratch using simple chemical reactions.
You'll be mixing copper oxide (an insoluble base) with sulfuric acid to make copper sulfate crystals. The key trick is adding the copper oxide until it stops fizzing - this means you've used up all the acid and have some left over to filter out.
The final steps involve crystallisation - basically letting water evaporate slowly so perfect crystals form. You'll heat the mixture gently, then leave it for 24 hours to get those satisfying blue crystals that look like tiny gems.
Top Tip: Always add the base in excess and filter it out - this guarantees your salt will be pure!
2
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Neutralisation Titration - Required Practical 2
Titrations are like precision cooking - you're finding the exact amount of acid needed to neutralise a known amount of alkali. Think of it as the ultimate chemistry balancing act.
You'll use a burette (that's the long tube with measurements) to add sulfuric acid drop by drop to sodium hydroxide. The magic happens when phenolphthalein indicator changes from pink to colourless - that's your neutralisation point.
The maths bit involves calculating concentration using your results. Remember the 2:1 ratio in the equation - you need 2 moles of NaOH for every 1 mole of H₂SO₄. Concordant results (within 0.1cm³ of each other) prove you've nailed the technique.
Safety First: Always wear safety goggles when handling acids - they're not messing about!
3
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Electrolysis Investigation - Required Practical 3
Electrolysis is basically using electricity to split compounds apart - it's like chemistry's version of a magic trick. You're investigating what happens when electric current passes through different solutions.
With copper chloride solution, you'll see reddish-brown copper forming on the negative electrode while chlorine gas bubbles off the positive electrode. The litmus paper will bleach white near the positive electrode - that's the chlorine doing its thing.
Sodium chloride gives different results because there's no metal ions to deposit. Instead, you get hydrogen gas at the negative electrode (more bubbles) and still chlorine at the positive electrode.
Ventilation Alert: Make sure the room is well-ventilated - chlorine gas isn't something you want to breathe in!
4
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Temperature Changes - Required Practical 4
This practical proves that chemical reactions either give out heat (exothermic) or take it in (endothermic). You're basically being a temperature detective, tracking how heat changes during reactions.
Using polystyrene cups instead of glass beakers is genius - they're brilliant insulators so you won't lose heat to the surroundings. You'll add sodium hydroxide to hydrochloric acid in 5cm³ chunks, recording the temperature each time.
The pattern you'll spot shows the maximum temperature rising as you add more alkali, then dropping off once you've neutralised all the acid. This creates a lovely curve when you plot your results.
Accuracy Tip: Put the lid on quickly and stir gently - you don't want to lose heat to the air!
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What is the Knowunity AI companion?
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
Where can I download the Knowunity app?
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Is Knowunity really free of charge?
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
Most popular content: Kinetic Molecular Theory (kmt)
1Most popular content in Chemistry
9Most popular content
9Can't find what you're looking for? Explore other subjects.
Students love us — and so will you.
4.6/5App Store
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The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan SiOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha KlichAndroid user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
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