All blog posts

Learn how to tell alkanes and alkenes apart using tests, structures, and reaction behaviour for IB Chemistry.

Learn what half-life means, how it is calculated, and why it is key to understanding radioactive decay in IB Chemistry.

Learn why atomic radius changes across periods and down groups, and how nuclear charge and shielding determine atomic size.

Learn the differences between alpha, beta, and gamma radiation, their properties, and how they behave in IB Chemistry.

Learn what enthalpy change means, how it is measured, and why it matters in thermochemistry and IB exams.

Learn what entropy is, why it measures disorder, and how it affects spontaneity in IB Chemistry thermodynamics.

Learn what enthalpy of combustion means, how it’s measured, and why it is essential in IB Chemistry energetics.

Learn what nuclear fission is, how heavy nuclei split, and why fission releases energy in reactors and IB Chemistry.

Learn what sublimation is, why some solids turn directly into gases, and how this phase change relates to intermolecular forces in IB Chemistry.

Learn what effective nuclear charge is, how it influences periodic trends, and why it determines atomic behavior in IB Chemistry.

Learn why sodium chloride is soluble in water, how ion–dipole interactions work, and how this connects to IB Chemistry bonding concepts.

Learn what pKa means, how it relates to acid strength, and how to use pKa values in IB Chemistry calculations and buffer problems.

Learn what Ka and Kb mean, how they measure acid–base strength, and how to use them in IB Chemistry calculations.

Learn the difference between strong and weak bases, how they dissociate, and how each affects pH and conductivity in IB Chemistry.

Learn how batteries produce electricity using redox reactions, electron flow, and electrochemical cells in IB Chemistry.

Learn what supersaturated solutions are, how they form, and why they are unstable in IB Chemistry.

Learn what standard cell potential (E°cell) is, how to calculate it, and why it determines the spontaneity of electrochemical reactions in IB Chemistry.

Learn what the shielding effect is, how inner electrons block nuclear attraction, and why this affects periodic trends in IB Chemistry.

Learn what catalyst poisoning is, how catalysts become deactivated, and why this matters in industrial and IB Chemistry processes.

Learn the difference between sigma and pi bonds, how they form, and why they matter in IB Chemistry bonding and structure.

Learn what a precipitation reaction is, why insoluble solids form, and how to identify precipitates in IB Chemistry.