Strategy for Chemistry Paper-1

I have secured 391 (200 + 191) in Chemistry in CSE 2009. I had 310 in CSE 2007 and 305 in CSE2006. The improvement that I made was primarily in Chemistry Paper-2, in which I had 134 and 133 marks in last two attempts. In this attempt I focused more on paper–2 of Chemistry and luckily it gave me dividends…For Paper-2, I have already enumerated the reading list. Now I will give topic wise reading list for Chemistry Paper-1.

The books that I referred were following:

1. Physical Chemistry : Atkins (8^th Edition)
2. Physical Chemistry : Alberty and Silbey
3. Physical Chemistry: Castellan
4. Physical Chemistry : K.L.Kapoor ( all 5 volumes)
5. Physical Chemistry: Puri, Sharma and Pathania (PSP)
6. Chemical Kinetics: Laider
7. Physical Chemistry of Surfaces: ARTHUR W. ADAMSON
8. Inorganic Chemistry :Principles of Structure & Reactivity, Huheey, Keiter & Keiter(4^th Edition)

9. Advanced Inorganic Chemistry : Cotton and Wilkinson
10. Selected Topics in Inorganic Chemistry: Tuli and Madan
11. Inorganic Chemistry : Puri Sharma and Kalia (PSK)
12. Inorganic Chemistry: Meissler and Tarr
13. Inorganic Chemistry : J.D.Lee

One thing I would like to make it clear that it is not required to read all these books from cover to cover...some of them are main books (like PSP, Atkins, Huheey) where as some are reference books…..

For the major topics of Chemistry paper-1, I relied heavily on the notes of Mr.R.K.Singh (earlier faculty of Chemistry at DIAS coaching, Delhi), which were made from Brilliant’s notes and Puri Sharma, & Pathania. I kept on adding new topics and improving older topics by consulting a no of foreign author’s books. First thing before start of any chapter is to make a topics wise list of all the previous year’s questions (not only 10 year, but almost all questions of last 20-25 years) of Civil Service Exam and Indian Forest Service Exam [IFS](for which the papers are available for last 10 years). This will enable you to know about the kind of questions that are being asked from a particular chapter...Next thing is to prepare each topic thoroughly keeping the previous year’s questions in mind…In chemistry paper-I prepare all the 15 topics, but some of the topics may be prepared at a very basic level like Bio-inorganic Chemistry, Main Group Chemistry.

The idea of completeness of the preparation is that "one should be able to write a good answer on any of the topic given in the syllabus and should be able to answer any of the previous year's question of CSE and IFS"...

Now lets us discuss chapter wise references for the Chemistry Paper-1:

Atomic Structure:

Heisenberg's uncertainty principle: prepare a good write up on this topic from Atkins and Alberty & Silbey. Solve all the previous IFS exam questions. In CSE exam once the exact proof of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle was asked so prepare it. Prepare question no.3 of IFS 2009 Exam (40 marks question on Uncertainty Principle)

Particle in one-dimensional box: do solve some of the numerical from this topic…prepare the dienen problem based on this concept...

hydrogen atom wave functions; Shapes of s, p and d orbitals: prepare this from Atkins, Huheey and Alberty & Silbey..Prepare an answer for a 40 marks question asked in IFS2008 exam. Solve some numerical on calculation of average radius, most probable radius of 1s orbital of hydrogen atom etc..Solve the numerical asked in IFS2007 exam (these were the unsolved problems of Atkins)..prepare shielding concept in Hydrogen atom from page 30 of Huheey(4^th edition)

Prepare IFS2008 question of Bosons and its symmetry (from Atkins and Silbey)

Prepare CSE2006 question of Aufbau Principle, Hund’s rule etc from J.D.Lee, Huheey

Chemical Bonding:

Ionic bond ,Characteristics of ionic compounds: prepare it from page 92 of Huheey(4^th edition) and also from Tuli & Madan..

Lattice energy: prepare Born-Lande equation from Huheey, J.D.Lee and also prepare limitations of this equation from Cotton and Wilkinson…..Calculate Madelung’s Constant from NaCl and CsCl which was earlier asked in CSE, prepare it from Puri Sharma and Kalia…

Born-Haber cycle: prepare it from Huheey, PSK and Tuli & Madan and also from Cotton & Wilkinson..Prepare question 8(a) of IFS 2009 exam..

Covalent bond and its general characteristics, polarities of bonds in molecules and their dipole moments: prepare it from Huheey, PSK, Tuli & Madan….prepare an answer to the question of polarity of covalent bond asked in CSE2005 from Tuli & Madan…prepare results of polarization from page 131 of Huheey(4^th edition).

Valence bond theory: very less material is available on this topic…so one will have to consult different books…prepare basic from Tuli & Madan and Huheey…some basic concept is given in Physical Chemistry by Engel and Reid…prepare CSE2007 question of VBT…

Concept of resonance and resonance energy: prepare it from Tuli & Madan, PSK, Huheey

Molecular orbital theory (LCAO method); bonding in H₂⁺, H2, He₂⁺ to Ne₂, NO, CO, HF, and CN^–: This is an important topic and every year atleast 20- 40 marks questions are asked so prepare it exhaustively….refer PSK, Tuli & Madan and Huheey..prepare Coulson model of CO from Tuli & Madan and solve a question asked in CSE 1999 about CO (from J.D.Lee)

Prepare the sp³ orbital question asked CSE2005 question from PSK…also prepare the explanation that why CO₂ is linear but SO₂ is bent (CSE2005) question (Source: PSK)

Comparison of valence bond and molecular orbital theories: prepare it from PSK,

Bond order, bond strength and bond length: prepare the question asked from Inorganic Chemistry by Shriver & Atkins, page 232 of Huheey (4^th edition)

Solid State: Main books are : Atkins, Alberty & Silbey, PSP, Huheey , Cotton & Wilkinson

Crystal systems; Designation of crystal faces, lattice structures and unit cell: prepare it from PSP, Atkins, Chapter-27 of Physical Chemistry by Castellan….

Prepare the types of Solids (it is an important topic) from Alberty and Silbey…prepare Ionic radii, atomic radii, covalent radii from Huheey

Bragg's law; X-ray diffraction by crystals: prepare the write up of Bragg’s law from Alberty and Silbey..Prepare the concept of Structural factor from Atkins and from K.L.Kapoor…solve CSE2006 question 1(a) why NaCl is Fcc and CsCl is Bcc…

Close packing: prepare a write up on this topic from PSK, Huheey, Cotton and Wilkinsons…prepare answer for IFS 2007 question on Voids…

Radius ratio rules, calculation of some limiting radius ratio values: prepare it from PSP, Atkins read it from page 122 of Huheey ( 4^th edition)…

Structures of NaCl, ZnS, CsCl and CaF₂: prepare and practice it from PSK….

Stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric defects, impurity defects: read it from J.D.Lee, Huheey and also from Cotton & Wilkinson…add thermodynamics of defects diagram from Shriver & Atkins. Solve the CSE 2005 section-B compulsory question of Nickel defect (Huheey and Shriver & Atkins). Prepare the derivation of Schottky defect from PSP (this was the question asked in IFS 2008)….

Semi-conductors: prepare this topic from Huheey, J.D.Lee….prepare photo excited semi-conductor from Huheey….

The Gaseous State and Transport Phenomenon: Main books are PSP, Atkins, Castellan, Alberty & Silbey

Equation of state for real gases: do write the assumptions for the derivation of Vander waal’s gas. Prepare the experiment for the determination of Critical constants ( CSE 2007) question from K.L.Kapoor..do solve some of the old questions of Vander Waals gas… Prepare the Law of Corresponding States from Atkins…do not forget to mention the limitations of this law…refer to the chaper-3 in Castellan also…

Intermolecular interactions: prepare it from PSP and also from Atkins and Huheey….prepare the answer for the IFS questions asked on this topic in 2006, 2007 (source: Huheey)…

Maxwell's distribution of speeds: prepare it from PSP, Castellan,Atkins, Alberty & Silbey…so prepare the experimental verification of Maxwell’s distribution (from Castellan)

Intermolecular collisions, collisions on the wall and effusion: Prepare the effusion topic from Atkins and also from Alberty & Silbey….do practice all the numerical given in these books on this topic…

Thermal conductivity and viscosity of ideal gases: prepare this topic from K.L.Kapoor and write the conclusion from Atkins…

Liquid State: Main books for this topic are K.LKapoor, PSP, Castellan, Atkins

Kelvin equation: prepare it from Atkins and Alberty & Silbey, page 414 of Castellan

Surface tension and surface energy: prepare it from PSP and K.L.Kapoor….do prepare the experimental measurement of Surface Tension(from Castellan)…

Wetting and contact angle: refer PSP, K.L.Kapoor, Castellan

Interfacial tension and capillary action: refer PSP, Atkins and Castellan

Thermodynamics: This is an important topic of the syllabus and every year approx 60-80 marks questions are asked…so prepare it thoroughly and extensively….main references are Atkins, Alberty & Silbey, Castellan and K.L.Kapoor…Atkins and Alberty & Silbey have dealt this chapter in an extensive manner…

Entropy as a state function, entropy changes in various processes, entropy–reversibility and irreversibility: prepare all the major proofs of entropy from Atkins( dealt very nicely) , Alberty & Silbey and Castellan..Prepare an answer for all the old questions that were asked from this topic..Almost every year a question is asked from this topic…

Free energy functions: prepare it from Atkins (page95), chapter-10, Spontaneity and Equilibrium from Castellan…

Thermodynamic equation of state: page 210 of Castellan

Maxwell relations: prepare all the major derivations from Maxwell, given in K.L.Kapoor…

Temperature, volume and pressure dependence of U, H, A, G, C_p and C_v, α and β: prepare it from Atkins, K.L.Kapoor…

J-T effect and inversion temperature: prepare it from K.L.Kapoor , Atkins and PSP

Nernst heat theorem, introductory idea of third law of thermodynamics: prepare it from Atkins and Alberty & Silbey…

Criteria for equilibrium: read chapter-10, Spontaneity and Equilibrium from Castellan…

Read Differential Scanning Calorimeter from Atkins and Engel & Reid….

Phase Equilibria and Solutions:

Clausius-Clapeyron equation: practice some of the numerical on this topic….its better to solve all the previous year’s problems on this topic…

Phase diagram for a pure substance: prepare the phase diagram of H₂O( from PSP, Atkins) and also that of sulphur, CO₂

Phase equilibria in binary systems: prepare the Binary phase Equilibria for both Eutectic system

Partially miscible liquids–upper and lower critical solution temperatures: prepare it from Atkins and K.L.Kapoor…prepare answer for the 2004 CSE question and also for CSE2007 question on this topic….

Partial molar quantities, their significance and determination: read it from Atkins, K.L.Kapoor, Castellan…prepare a write up on this topic…

Excess thermodynamic functions and their determination: prepare it from Atkins and also from K.L.Kapoor…..

Prepare the CSE2001 question on the 1^st , 2^nd and ƛ-order phase transitions…do it from Atkins…

Prepare fractional distillation from any of the book …this was the question asked in IFS2006