AQA Chemistry Paper 1
2026 | Study Guide,
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Exam Review | Complete
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,C1 Atomic Structure
What are atoms? Atoms are the particles that make up everything
What is an element? An element is a substance in which all the atoms are the same
Where are elements shown? Elements are shown in the Periodic table
How many elements are there? There are around 118 elements
What is a compound? A compound is a substance that contain two or more elements chemically combined
Describe the properties of compounds The properties of compounds are usually different to the elements that they are
made from
What is a mixture? A mixture is a substance with different elements or compounds not chemically
combined
Give an example of a mixture An example of a mixture is sand and water as they are not chemically combined
and can be separated by physical means
What is a molecule? A molecule is a substance that has any elements chemically joined
What does a chemical formula tell you about a molecule? A chemical formula tells the elements in a molecule and the number of atoms of
each element
How is a chemical formula presented? Each element symbol starts with a capital letter, if there is a second letter it is in
lower case
, Give an example of a chemical formula
What are state symbols? State symbols show the physical state of the substance solid (s), liquid (l), gas (g),
or dissolved in water (aq)
Name three properties of Metals -Strong
-Good conductors of heat and electricity
-High melting and boiling points
Name three properties of Non-Metals -Weak
-Bad conductors of heat and electricity
-Low melting and boiling points
State the four different ways of separating mixtures Four different ways of separating mixtures are filtration, crystallisation, distillation or
chromatography
Describe the process of filtration Pour your mixture onto the filter paper, the liquid simply passes through the filter
paper into the flask. The insoluble solid cannot pass through and so it stays on the
paper
Describe the process of crystallisation Use the method of filtration to filter off any excess soluble solid. Evaporate the
mixture then transfer the hot mixture onto a dish. Crystals are formed when the
mixture has cooled
Describe the process of simple distillation First we evaporate the mixture by heating it, the dissolved solid then vaporises.
These vapours condense in the condenser, the dissolved solid then flows into the
beaker and liquid stays in the flask
Describe the process of chromatography Take a strip of filter paper and draw a line on the bottom of the paper. Put a small
drop of ink on the line, take a jar full of water up to the line and put the filter paper
in. As the water moves up we see different colours on the paper these are the dyes
in the ink
What were the early ideas of the structure of atoms? Early ideas of the structure of atoms stated that they are tiny spheres that cannot be
divided
What is the plum pudding model? The plum pudding model is what scientists suggested is the structure of atoms is
after the discovery of the electron
Describe the plum pudding model The plum pudding model suggested that an atom is a ball of positive charge with
negative electrons in embedded in it
2026 | Study Guide,
Practice Questions,
Answers, Rationales &
Exam Review | Complete
Ethics Study Guide
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep and Comprehensive
Rationales
Included
,C1 Atomic Structure
What are atoms? Atoms are the particles that make up everything
What is an element? An element is a substance in which all the atoms are the same
Where are elements shown? Elements are shown in the Periodic table
How many elements are there? There are around 118 elements
What is a compound? A compound is a substance that contain two or more elements chemically combined
Describe the properties of compounds The properties of compounds are usually different to the elements that they are
made from
What is a mixture? A mixture is a substance with different elements or compounds not chemically
combined
Give an example of a mixture An example of a mixture is sand and water as they are not chemically combined
and can be separated by physical means
What is a molecule? A molecule is a substance that has any elements chemically joined
What does a chemical formula tell you about a molecule? A chemical formula tells the elements in a molecule and the number of atoms of
each element
How is a chemical formula presented? Each element symbol starts with a capital letter, if there is a second letter it is in
lower case
, Give an example of a chemical formula
What are state symbols? State symbols show the physical state of the substance solid (s), liquid (l), gas (g),
or dissolved in water (aq)
Name three properties of Metals -Strong
-Good conductors of heat and electricity
-High melting and boiling points
Name three properties of Non-Metals -Weak
-Bad conductors of heat and electricity
-Low melting and boiling points
State the four different ways of separating mixtures Four different ways of separating mixtures are filtration, crystallisation, distillation or
chromatography
Describe the process of filtration Pour your mixture onto the filter paper, the liquid simply passes through the filter
paper into the flask. The insoluble solid cannot pass through and so it stays on the
paper
Describe the process of crystallisation Use the method of filtration to filter off any excess soluble solid. Evaporate the
mixture then transfer the hot mixture onto a dish. Crystals are formed when the
mixture has cooled
Describe the process of simple distillation First we evaporate the mixture by heating it, the dissolved solid then vaporises.
These vapours condense in the condenser, the dissolved solid then flows into the
beaker and liquid stays in the flask
Describe the process of chromatography Take a strip of filter paper and draw a line on the bottom of the paper. Put a small
drop of ink on the line, take a jar full of water up to the line and put the filter paper
in. As the water moves up we see different colours on the paper these are the dyes
in the ink
What were the early ideas of the structure of atoms? Early ideas of the structure of atoms stated that they are tiny spheres that cannot be
divided
What is the plum pudding model? The plum pudding model is what scientists suggested is the structure of atoms is
after the discovery of the electron
Describe the plum pudding model The plum pudding model suggested that an atom is a ball of positive charge with
negative electrons in embedded in it
