Castilla y León PAU Chemistry study plan
Castilla y León PAU Chemistry · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Atomic structure and the periodic table: atomic models, quantum numbers, electron configuration, periodic properties, and periodicity & Chemical bonding and intermolecular forces: ionic, covalent, and metallic bonding; Lewis structures; hybridization; polarity; properties of solids
Build a one-page timeline of atomic models (Dalton, Thomson, Rutherford, Bohr, quantum-mechanical) and state the experimental evidence that forced each revision.
Assign valid quantum number sets to the first 36 elements and derive their electron configurations, including exceptions such as Cr and Cu, without consulting tables.
Predict periodic trends (atomic radius, ionization energy, electron affinity, electronegativity) for a set of 20 element pairs and justify each prediction with effective nuclear charge and shielding.
Draw Lewis structures for 15 species covering expanded octets, resonance, and formal charge, then assign hybridization and geometry to each central atom.
Your checkpoint
A handwritten 10-page summary sheet containing the model timeline, 20 electron configurations, 20 justified trend predictions, and 15 annotated Lewis structures, self-scored against a textbook.
Chemical bonding and intermolecular forces: ionic, covalent, and metallic bonding; Lewis structures; hybridization; polarity; properties of solids & Chemical thermodynamics: enthalpy, Hess's law, bond energies, entropy, Gibbs free energy, and spontaneity
Classify solids (ionic, covalent network, molecular, metallic) and rank their melting points and conductivity from bonding and intermolecular force arguments.
Rank 10 sets of substances by boiling point, explaining each ordering through hydrogen bonding, dipole-dipole, and London dispersion contributions.
Apply Hess's law and standard enthalpies of formation to compute reaction enthalpies for 12 reactions, including ones requiring reversal and scaling of equations.
Calculate lattice or bond-energy-related enthalpy changes using Born-Haber cycles and average bond energies, flagging where bond energies give only approximations.
Your checkpoint
A worked problem set of 25 thermodynamics and bonding exercises with full solutions, including at least 5 Born-Haber cycles and 5 boiling-point rankings with written justifications.
Chemical thermodynamics: enthalpy, Hess's law, bond energies, entropy, Gibbs free energy, and spontaneity & Chemical kinetics and equilibrium: rate laws, factors affecting rate, equilibrium constants, Le Chatelier's principle, and equilibrium calculations
Compute entropy changes for reactions using standard entropy data and predict the sign of ΔS from changes in moles of gas and phase.
Use ΔG = ΔH − TΔS to determine spontaneity and estimate the crossover temperature for 10 reactions.
Derive rate laws from initial-rate data and determine reaction orders and the rate constant with correct units.
Apply integrated rate laws and half-life relationships to solve first- and second-order kinetics problems, including Arrhenius calculations of activation energy.
Your checkpoint
A timed 60-minute mock section on thermodynamics and kinetics (about 8 PAU-style problems) scored with a written error log identifying each mistake type.
Chemical kinetics and equilibrium: rate laws, factors affecting rate, equilibrium constants, Le Chatelier's principle, and equilibrium calculations
Write equilibrium constant expressions for heterogeneous and homogeneous systems and convert between Kc and Kp.
Solve ICE-table problems for Kc and Kp, including cases requiring the quadratic formula and the small-x approximation with a validity check.
Predict the direction of shift under changes in concentration, pressure, volume, and temperature using Le Chatelier's principle, distinguishing kinetic from thermodynamic effects.
Analyze industrial equilibria (Haber, contact process) and justify operating conditions from equilibrium and rate considerations.
Your checkpoint
A completed equilibrium problem portfolio of 15 ICE-table problems, 5 of which involve the quadratic formula, each with a check that the calculated concentrations satisfy K.
Acid-base chemistry: strong and weak acids and bases, pH calculations, buffers, hydrolysis of salts, and titration curves
Calculate pH for strong and weak acids and bases, including polyprotic and dilution cases, using Ka, Kb, and Kw consistently.
Determine the pH of salt solutions by identifying hydrolysis of conjugate acids and bases, including amphiprotic salts.
Design buffer solutions and compute pH before and after adding strong acid or base using the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation and mass-balance reasoning.
Sketch and interpret titration curves for strong-strong, weak-strong, and weak-weak systems, marking equivalence point, half-equivalence point, and buffer region.
Your checkpoint
A titration curve portfolio with 6 fully calculated curves (pH at 5 points each) plus a one-page decision guide for choosing indicators from pKa values.
Solubility equilibria and precipitation: solubility product, common-ion effect, and selective precipitation & Redox and electrochemistry: oxidation states, balancing redox equations, galvanic cells, electrode potentials, electrolysis, and Nernst equation
Write Ksp expressions and calculate molar solubility, including common-ion and pH-dependent cases.
Predict precipitation by comparing the reaction quotient Q with Ksp and design a selective precipitation sequence for a two-cation mixture.
Assign oxidation states across 20 species and balance 8 redox equations in acidic and basic media by the ion-electron method.
Construct galvanic cells from standard electrode potentials, compute E°cell, and determine spontaneity and cell notation.
Your checkpoint
A redox and solubility workbook containing 8 balanced redox equations, 6 Ksp calculations, and 4 fully specified galvanic cells with E°cell values and cell diagrams.
Redox and electrochemistry: oxidation states, balancing redox equations, galvanic cells, electrode potentials, electrolysis, and Nernst equation & Organic chemistry: nomenclature, isomerism, reaction types (substitution, addition, elimination, condensation), functional groups, and polymers
Apply the Nernst equation to non-standard cells and calculate equilibrium constants from E°cell.
Solve electrolysis problems using Faraday's laws to find deposited mass, gas volume, and time for a given current.
Name and draw 25 organic compounds covering alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, amines, and aromatics.
Classify and predict products for substitution, addition, elimination, and condensation reactions, and identify constitutional and stereochemical isomerism.
Your checkpoint
An organic chemistry card set of 25 structures (name-to-structure and structure-to-name) plus a reaction map linking 4 reaction types to their reagents and products.
Atomic structure and the periodic table: atomic models, quantum numbers, electron configuration, periodic properties, and periodicity & Chemical bonding and intermolecular forces: ionic, covalent, and metallic bonding; Lewis structures; hybridization; polarity; properties of solids & Chemical thermodynamics: enthalpy, Hess's law, bond energies, entropy, Gibbs free energy, and spontaneity & Chemical kinetics and equilibrium: rate laws, factors affecting rate, equilibrium constants, Le Chatelier's principle, and equilibrium calculations & Acid-base chemistry: strong and weak acids and bases, pH calculations, buffers, hydrolysis of salts, and titration curves & Solubility equilibria and precipitation: solubility product, common-ion effect, and selective precipitation & Redox and electrochemistry: oxidation states, balancing redox equations, galvanic cells, electrode potentials, electrolysis, and Nernst equation & Organic chemistry: nomenclature, isomerism, reaction types (substitution, addition, elimination, condensation), functional groups, and polymers
Complete two full-length timed mock exams under PAU conditions and score them against official-style marking criteria.
Re-derive the 15 most error-prone formulas and constants from memory and verify units.
Revisit every item in the error log and re-solve each missed problem correctly without notes.
Build a final one-page formula and data sheet covering all eight domains for last-minute review.
Your checkpoint
Two scored mock exams with a consolidated error log showing every recurring error resolved and a final one-page formula sheet.
Milestones
Week 2: Solve 10 mixed bonding and thermodynamics problems in 60 minutes with at least 70% of marks, and correctly justify 8 of 10 boiling-point rankings in writing.
Week 4: Complete a 90-minute combined thermodynamics, kinetics, and equilibrium mock at 70% or above, with no unit errors in rate constants or equilibrium constants.
Week 6: Achieve 75% or above on a 90-minute acid-base, solubility, and electrochemistry mock, and correctly balance 6 of 8 redox equations on the first attempt.
Week 8: Score 70% or above on both full-length mocks, with every error-log entry re-solved correctly and no domain scoring below 50%.