SACE Stage 2 Chemistry study plan
SACE Stage 2 Chemistry · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Monitoring the environment
Convert between mass, moles, concentration and gas volume in gravimetric and volumetric settings, showing full working and correct significant figures.
Calculate pH, pOH, [H3O+] and [OH-] for strong and weak monoprotic acids and bases, including multi-step dilution problems.
Perform titration calculations (direct and back-titrations) to determine unknown concentration, molar mass or purity.
Interpret titration curves to locate the equivalence point, buffer region and justify an indicator choice.
Predict whether a precipitate forms using solubility rules and Ksp-style reasoning, and explain the underlying equilibrium.
Your checkpoint
A timed 30-question problem set (60 minutes) on gravimetric, volumetric and pH calculations, self-marked against a worked-solution key with every error logged on a one-page error sheet; target 80% or better.
Monitoring the environment & Managing chemical processes
Describe the operating principles of atomic absorption, atomic emission and UV-visible spectroscopy, and select the most suitable technique for a stated environmental analyte.
Construct and use calibration curves to calculate unknown concentrations from absorbance or emission data, stating units and uncertainty.
Explain how paper, thin-layer, gas and high-performance liquid chromatography separate mixtures, and calculate Rf values.
Use collision theory to explain the effects of concentration, temperature, pressure, surface area and catalysts on reaction rate.
Sketch and interpret Maxwell-Boltzmann distributions and energy profile diagrams for catalysed and uncatalysed reactions.
Your checkpoint
A 12-mark practical-style report on a simulated water-quality investigation covering technique selection, a calibration calculation and an Rf determination, checked against a self-made marking checklist.
Managing chemical processes
Write equilibrium constant expressions and calculate Kc or Q from initial and equilibrium data using ICE tables.
Apply Le Chatelier's principle to predict the effect of concentration, pressure, temperature and catalyst changes on equilibrium position and yield.
Analyse the Haber and Contact processes by weighing rate, equilibrium yield, energy cost and economic trade-offs in a justified recommendation.
Distinguish kinetic control from thermodynamic control, and explain why a catalyst changes rate but not Kc.
Your checkpoint
A one-page annotated flow diagram of an industrial process including the Kc expression and justified conditions, plus a 10-mark equilibrium calculation set scored at 85% or better.
Monitoring the environment & Managing chemical processes
Solve multi-step problems that combine stoichiometry, equilibrium and rate data in a single chain of reasoning.
Evaluate experimental design in analytical and industrial contexts by identifying sources of error and proposing improvements to accuracy, precision and validity.
Write structured extended responses that justify an optimisation decision using quantitative evidence.
Your checkpoint
A full 90-minute practice paper covering Domains 1 and 2 under exam conditions, marked with a topic-level tally of error frequencies.
Organic and biological chemistry
Identify and name alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, amines and amides using IUPAC nomenclature rules.
Draw and classify chain, position, functional-group and geometric isomers for a given molecular formula.
Predict the products of substitution, addition, oxidation, reduction, esterification and condensation reactions.
Distinguish primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols and select appropriate oxidising agents with expected observations.
Your checkpoint
A 40-item naming-and-drawing worksheet plus 10 reaction-scheme predictions, all checked against a mark scheme with corrections annotated in a different colour.
Organic and biological chemistry
Relate the structure of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids to their biological function and to condensation and hydrolysis reactions.
Explain enzyme catalysis using active-site models and analyse how temperature, pH, substrate concentration and inhibitors change activity.
Compare addition and condensation polymerisation and link polymer structure to properties, recycling and disposal.
Interpret data from enzyme or polymer experiments and identify the variable being controlled.
Your checkpoint
A one-page summary table linking biomolecule structure to reaction, function and property, plus a 15-question timed quiz scored at 85% or better.
Managing resources
Assign oxidation states and balance redox half-equations in acidic and basic media.
Construct and analyse galvanic cells, identifying anode, cathode, electron flow and salt-bridge function, and calculate E°cell from standard reduction potentials.
Predict reaction spontaneity from E°cell and explain the limitations of standard potentials under non-standard conditions.
Describe electrolysis of molten and aqueous electrolytes and calculate mass or gas volume produced using Faraday's laws.
Your checkpoint
A worked set of 15 electrochemistry problems including two labelled cell diagrams and two electrolysis calculations, with a corrected error log.
Managing resources & Monitoring the environment & Managing chemical processes & Organic and biological chemistry
Evaluate resource choices such as fossil fuels, biofuels, hydrogen and battery metals against energy, economic and environmental criteria.
Solve mixed multi-domain problems under strict timing to build stamina and question-selection judgement.
Consolidate a one-page formula and concept sheet per domain, limited to material actually used in practice questions.
Your checkpoint
A full-length two-hour mock exam across all four domains plus a gap-analysis sheet naming the five weakest sub-topics with a dated re-test for each.
Milestones
Week 2: Complete a 20-minute closed-book recall check on analysis techniques and rate factors; score 80% or better before moving into equilibrium content.
Week 4: Score 75% or better on the timed Domains 1-2 practice paper, with at least three extended-response answers awarded full marks for justification and units.
Week 6: Score 80% or better on the 45-minute Domain 3 quiz, with no more than two nomenclature errors and correct classification of all isomer types.
Week 8: Score 75% or better overall on the full mock exam, with no single domain below 65%; the gap-analysis sheet must list five sub-topics each with a scheduled re-test date.