1. Classic Mistake №1
Not reading all
the question.

2. Not checking that the sentence you have just written makes sense.
Classic Mistake №2
Not checking that the sentence you have just written makes sense.

3. Classic Mistake №3
Forgetting
state symbols
in equations.

4. Not learning definitions off by heart, and
Classic Mistake №4
Not learning definitions off by heart, and
trying to make them
up in the exam.

5. (and no it’s not the number of protons and neutrons an atom has!)
Classic Mistake №5
Thinking that Relative Atomic Mass has the same definition as Mass Number.
(and no it’s not the number of protons and neutrons an atom has!)

6. – at least have an educated guess!
Classic Mistake №6
Missing out
exam questions
– at least have an educated guess!

7. Not doing past paper questions for revision
Classic Mistake №7
Not doing past paper questions for revision
– or not marking them!

8. Classic Mistake №8 Restating the question instead of answering it.
e.g. You may know that δ+ is ‘delta plus’ but what
does this mean?

9. Classic Mistake №9
Not correcting your mistakes and finding out the correct answers
– or finding them out but not learning them!

10. Classic Mistake №10 Leaving revision until the last minute
– or not revising
at all!

11. Not asking when you don’t understand something.
Classic Mistake №11
Not asking when you don’t understand something.

12. Not writing up and re-reading your notes after EVERY lesson.
Classic Mistake №12
Not writing up and re-reading your notes after EVERY lesson.

13. Not preparing for the next lesson by reading ahead in the text book.
Classic Mistake №13
Not preparing for the next lesson by reading ahead in the text book.

14. Classic Mistake №14
Thinking metals and non metals usually form covalent bonds – they’re usually Giant Ionic Lattices!

15. Not knowing the 3 formulae:
Classic Mistake №15
Not knowing the 3 formulae:
n = m/Mr
For solutions: c = n/V
For gases: n = V/24dm3

16. Classic Mistake №16
Forgetting to convert between kg and g, or cm3 and dm3 in calculations.

17. Not taking molar ratios into account in calculations.
Classic Mistake №17
Not taking molar ratios into account in calculations.

18. Not labelling diagrams.
Classic Mistake №18
Not labelling diagrams.

19. Classic Mistake №19
For questions about the difference in first ionisation energy of two elements, putting anything other than:
Larger distance of outer shell from nucleus
Shielding of nuclear charge
New subshell, so bigger distance
Larger nuclear charge so smaller atomic radius.

20. Not learning shapes of molecules and their bond angles off by heart.
Classic Mistake №20
Not learning shapes of molecules and their bond angles off by heart.