MYP Chemistry Topic Guide.
The chemistry every MYP scientist must command — explained clearly, checklisted against what examiners expect, and backed by practice questions with full answers. Free, no sign-up.
8
Topics covered
48+
Practice questions
A–D
Criteria coverage
Matter and Materials
Particle theory, states of matter, purity and the separation toolkit every chemist relies on.
Particle Theory & States of Matter
Everything around you is made of particles too small to see, and their arrangement and motion explain the difference between solids, liquids and gases. Particle theory is chemistry's first big model: solids have particles locked in fixed positions vibrating in place; liquids let particles slide past one another; gases have particles flying freely with huge spaces between them. Heating gives particles energy — melting, boiling, evaporation and diffusion all follow directly from this single picture.
6 practice questions with answers
Pure Substances, Mixtures & Separation
Chemists constantly need to answer two questions: is this substance pure, and if not, how do I separate it? A pure substance contains only one element or compound and has sharp, fixed melting and boiling points; mixtures melt and boil over a range. The separation toolkit — filtration, evaporation, crystallisation, distillation, and chromatography — works because it exploits differences in physical properties: particle size, boiling point, solubility. Choosing the right technique for a given mixture is one of the most-tested skills in MYP chemistry.
6 practice questions with answers
Atoms and the Periodic Table
Inside the atom and up the periodic table: structure, electron shells, groups and trends.
Atomic Structure
The atom is chemistry's fundamental unit, and its structure explains everything that follows. A tiny, dense nucleus of protons (positive) and neutrons (neutral) holds nearly all the mass; electrons (negative) occupy shells around it. The proton number defines the element; the electron arrangement — filling shells 2, 8, 8 — defines how it behaves. Isotopes show that atoms of one element can differ in mass, and ions show that atoms gain or lose electrons in pursuit of stability. Master this unit and the periodic table transforms from a wall poster into a map.
6 practice questions with answers
The Periodic Table & Trends
The periodic table is chemistry's greatest organising achievement: arrange elements by atomic number and their properties repeat in predictable columns. Groups share outer-electron counts and therefore chemistry — the alkali metals grow more reactive down the group, the halogens less; the noble gases barely react at all. Metals sit left, non-metals right, with a staircase of semi-metals between. Once you can read the table's patterns, you can predict the behaviour of elements you have never met — which is exactly what Mendeleev did, leaving gaps for elements yet to be discovered.
6 practice questions with answers
Chemical Reactions
Reactions, balanced equations, energy changes and what makes reactions go faster.
Chemical Reactions & Equations
A chemical reaction rearranges atoms into new substances — nothing is created, nothing destroyed. That single principle, conservation of mass, is why equations must balance: every atom entering a reaction must leave in some product. You will learn to spot the evidence of reaction (colour change, gas, precipitate, temperature change), to write word and symbol equations, and to recognise the classic reaction types — combustion, neutralisation, displacement, thermal decomposition — that appear in every MYP paper.
6 practice questions with answers
Energy Changes & Rates of Reaction
Some reactions blaze (combustion), some chill (instant cold packs) — the difference is the energy balance between breaking old bonds and making new ones. Exothermic reactions release energy to the surroundings; endothermic reactions absorb it. Meanwhile, collision theory explains reaction speed: particles must collide with enough energy to react, so anything that increases collision frequency or energy — concentration, temperature, surface area, or a catalyst lowering the energy barrier — speeds the reaction up. These two ideas power every industrial chemistry decision from fertiliser plants to hand warmers.
6 practice questions with answers
Solutions, Acids and Bases
Solutions and solubility, then acids, bases, pH and neutralisation in the real world.
Solutions & Solubility
Dissolving is chemistry's quiet workhorse: a solute disperses particle-by-particle through a solvent until it forms a uniform solution. Understanding the vocabulary — solute, solvent, saturated, concentration — lets you handle everything from making a drink to preparing laboratory reagents. Solubility varies with temperature (most solids dissolve better hot; gases dissolve better cold, which is why warm fizzy drinks go flat), and solubility curves turn that behaviour into readable graphs. Concentration calculations connect the chemistry to real quantities.
6 practice questions with answers
Acids, Bases & pH
Acids and bases are chemistry's opposing teams, and the pH scale is the scoreboard: 0–6 acidic, 7 neutral, 8–14 alkaline. Indicators — litmus, universal indicator, phenolphthalein — reveal where a solution sits. When acid meets base, neutralisation produces a salt and water, a reaction that names everything from antacid tablets to agricultural lime. You will learn the reliable reaction patterns (acid + metal, acid + carbonate, acid + base), how to name the salts they produce, and how neutralisation chemistry solves real problems from indigestion to acid rain.
6 practice questions with answers
One teacher. All of MYP science.
Physics and chemistry, taught together the way MYP integrates them — 1-on-1 coaching from a specialist with 13+ years of IB experience, online worldwide or in person across Delhi NCR.