Chemistry

Chemistry — Diploma Programme

International Baccalaureate · Ages 16-19

IB Diploma Chemistry at Standard or Higher Level is required for medicine, chemical engineering and chemistry degrees, and is structured around structure and reactivity as unifying concepts.

Content covers particulate nature of matter, atomic structure, periodicity, bonding, energetics, chemical kinetics, equilibrium, acids and bases, redox, and organic chemistry, with Higher Level adding depth in each.

The mathematical demand is significant — equilibrium constants, pH and buffer calculations, kinetics and thermodynamics all appear. The internal assessment investigation is worth 20% and rewards a well-scoped, genuinely quantitative question.

Key topics covered

• Atomic Structure & Periodicity — Electron configuration, ionisation energy and periodic trends.
• Bonding & Structure — Ionic, covalent and metallic bonding, shapes and intermolecular forces.
• Energetics & Thermodynamics — Enthalpy, Hess's law, entropy and Gibbs free energy.
• Kinetics & Equilibrium — Rate laws, mechanisms, equilibrium constants and Le Chatelier's principle.
• Acids, Bases & Redox — pH, buffers, titration curves, electrode potentials and electrolysis.
• Organic Chemistry — Functional groups, mechanisms, isomerism and synthetic routes.
• Internal Assessment — The independent scientific investigation worth 20% of the grade.