Chemistry (CHEM)
6 units: Liquid State, p-Block Elements (Groups 15, 16, 17 and 18), Haloalkanes and Haloarenes, Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers, Biomolecules.
Detailed syllabus
Unit 1: Liquid State (16 hours, 8 marks)
Solubility of gases in liquids, solid solutions, vapour pressure and Raoult's law, colligative properties (relative lowering of vapour pressure, elevation of boiling point, depression of freezing point, osmotic pressure), molecular mass from colligative properties, van't Hoff factor; colloids: true solutions vs colloids vs suspensions, lyophilic and lyophobic colloids, Tyndall effect, Brownian movement, electrophoresis, coagulation, emulsions.
Unit 2: p-Block Elements (Groups 15, 16, 17 and 18) (18 hours, 8 marks)
Group 15: NH3, HNO3, NCl3, oxides of nitrogen, phosphorus allotropes, phosphine, PCl3, PCl5, oxoacids. Group 16: oxides, ozone, sulphur allotropes, oxides and oxoacids of sulphur. Group 17: trends, oxides and oxoacids of halogens, interhalogen compounds, pseudohalogens and polyhalides. Group 18: noble gases and xenon compounds (XeO2, XeO3, XeF2, XeF4, XeF6, XeOF2).
Unit 3: Haloalkanes and Haloarenes (10 hours, 5 marks)
Nomenclature, nature of the C-X bond, properties, substitution mechanisms, carbocation stability, R/S and D/L configurations; uses and environmental effects of dichloromethane, chloroform, CCl4, iodoform, freons and DDT; directive influence of halogens in haloarenes.
Unit 4: Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers (10 hours, 5 marks)
Alcohols: preparation, properties, distinguishing primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols, dehydration mechanism, methanol and ethanol. Phenols: preparation, properties, acidity, electrophilic substitution, uses. Ethers: nomenclature, preparation, properties and uses.
Unit 5: Biomolecules (8 hours, 5 marks)
Carbohydrates (aldoses and ketoses, glucose, fructose, sucrose, starch, cellulose, D/L configuration); proteins (α-amino acids, peptide bonds, primary structure, denaturation, enzymes); nucleic acids (DNA and RNA).
Unit 6: Polymers (8 hours, 4 marks)
Natural and synthetic polymers, addition and condensation polymerisation, copolymerisation, polythene, nylon, polyesters, bakelite, rubber, biodegradable and non-biodegradable polymers.
Source: official document