Uni-Sine
Australian exams
Australian examsQCE

QCE Chemistry data booklet (formula and data book): what is in it and what is not

Published 7 min read

Papers reset in

Formula sheet

The card below opens today's Year 12 Chemistry paper with the sheet in a drawer, which includes a periodic table. The formulas, constants, indicator table and infrared table follow in our own layout. The other data tables are long, so we list them below rather than copy them, and you should open the QCAA Chemistry page for the full booklet.

Formula sheet

Year 12 Chemistry

Open formula sheet

Physical constants and unit conversions

QuantityValue
Absolute zero0 K = −273 °C
Atomic mass unit1 amu = 1.66 × 10⁻²⁷ kg
Avogadro's constantNA = 6.02 × 10²³ mol⁻¹
Faraday's constantF = 96 485 C mol⁻¹
Ideal gas constantR = 8.31 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹
Ionic product constant for water (at 298 K)Kw = 1.00 × 10⁻¹⁴ mol² dm⁻⁶
Molar volume of an ideal gas (at STP)2.27 × 10⁻² m³ mol⁻¹ = 22.7 dm³ mol⁻¹
Specific heat capacity of water (at 298 K)cw = 4.18 J g⁻¹ K⁻¹
Standard temperature and pressure (STP)273 K and 100 kPa
Volume and capacity conversions1 dm³ = 1 × 10⁻³ m³ = 1 × 10³ cm³ = 1 L

Processing of data

\Delta\overline{x}=\pm\frac{\left(x_{max}-x_{min}\right)}{2}absolute uncertainty of the mean
\text{percentage uncertainty (\%)}=\frac{\text{absolute uncertainty}}{\text{measurement}}\times100\%percentage uncertainty
\text{percentage error (\%)}=\left|\frac{\text{measured value}-\text{true value}}{\text{true value}}\right|\times100\%percentage error

Chemical reactions: reactants, products and energy change

Q=mc\Delta Theat transferred
\Delta H=H_{(products)}-H_{(reactants)}enthalpy change from enthalpies
\Delta H=\Sigma\left(\text{bonds broken}\right)-\Sigma\left(\text{bonds formed}\right)enthalpy change from bond enthalpies
n=\frac{m}{M}moles
\text{percentage yield (\%)}=\frac{\text{experimental yield}}{\text{theoretical yield}}\times100\%percentage yield

Intermolecular forces and gases

PV=nRTideal gas equation

Aqueous solutions and acidity

c=\frac{n}{V}molarity

Rates of chemical reactions

\text{rate}=\frac{\text{increase in product concentration }(\Delta[P])}{\text{time taken}}rate from product
\text{rate}=\frac{\text{decrease in reactant concentration }(-\Delta[R])}{\text{time taken}}rate from reactant

Chemical equilibrium systems

Q=\frac{[C]^c[D]^d}{[A]^a[B]^b}reaction quotient, for aA + bB ⇌ cC + dD
K_c=\frac{[C]^c[D]^d}{[A]^a[B]^b}equilibrium constant
K_{sp}=[C]^c[D]^dsolubility product, for aA(s) ⇌ cC(aq) + dD(aq)
K_w=\left[H^+\right]\left[OH^-\right]ionic product of water
pH=-\log_{10}\left[H^+\right]pH
pOH=-\log_{10}\left[OH^-\right]pOH
K_w=K_a\times K_bacid and base constants
K_a=\frac{\left[H_3O^+\right]\left[A^-\right]}{[HA]}acid dissociation constant
K_b=\frac{\left[BH^+\right]\left[OH^-\right]}{[B]}base dissociation constant

Oxidation and reduction

E^\circ_{cell}=E^\circ_{(reduction\ half\text{-}cell)}-E^\circ_{(oxidation\ half\text{-}cell)}standard cell potential
q=n(e^-)\times Fcharge from moles of electrons
q=I\times tcharge from current

Properties and structure of organic materials

R_F=\frac{\text{distance moved by amino acid}}{\text{distance moved by solvent}}retention factor in chromatography

Acid-base indicators

NamepKapH range of colour changeColour change (acidic to basic)
Methyl orange3.73.1 to 4.4red to yellow
Bromophenol blue4.23.0 to 4.6yellow to blue
Bromocresol green4.73.8 to 5.4yellow to blue
Methyl red5.14.4 to 6.2pink to yellow
Bromothymol blue7.06.0 to 7.6yellow to blue
Phenol red7.96.8 to 8.4yellow to red
Phenolphthalein9.68.3 to 10.0colourless to pink

Infrared data

Characteristic ranges of infrared absorption due to stretching in organic molecules.

BondOrganic moleculesWavenumber (cm⁻¹)
C-Iiodoalkanes490 to 620
C-Brbromoalkanes500 to 600
C-Clchloroalkanes600 to 800
C-Ffluoroalkanes1000 to 1400
C-Oalcohol, ester1050 to 1410
C=Calkenes1620 to 1680
C=Oaldehydes, carboxylic acid, ester, ketones1700 to 1750
C≡Calkynes2100 to 2260
O-Hcarboxylic acids (hydrogen-bonded)2500 to 3000
C-Halkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aldehydes, amides2720 to 3100
O-Halcohol (hydrogen-bonded)3200 to 3600
N-Hamines3300 to 3500

The other data in the booklet

  • Periodic table and list of elements. Atomic number, symbol, name and relative atomic mass.
  • Atomic and ionic radii of selected elements.
  • Electronegativities and first ionisation energies of selected elements.
  • Solubility of selected compounds at 298 K.
  • Average bond enthalpies at 298 K, for single and multiple bonds.
  • The reactivity series of metals and standard electrode potentials at 298 K.
  • Common amino acids with structures and isoelectric points, and the straight-chain and ring forms of glucose and fructose.
  • Formulas and charges of common polyatomic ions.

When you get the booklet

Chemistry has a combination-response external examination worth 50% of your final result, in two written papers. The syllabus states the conditions for each:

PaperPerusal timeWorking timeCalculatorBook
Paper 15 minutes90 minutesQCAA-approved graphics or scientific calculatorQCAA Chemistry formula and data book
Paper 25 minutes90 minutesQCAA-approved graphics or scientific calculatorQCAA Chemistry formula and data book

Questions cover Units 3 and 4 and may use unseen graphs, tables or diagrams. Our QCE Chemistry guide explains the course.

What is not in the Chemistry data booklet

  • Rate laws and rate constants. The booklet has the average rate lines only, with no rate equation, no integrated rate laws and no Arrhenius equation.
  • Calorimetry beyond q = mcΔT. There is no line for ΔH per mole, so you divide by moles yourself.
  • Solving equilibrium problems. It gives the expressions for K and Q, but no ICE table and no approximation rule.
  • Buffer equations. There is no Henderson-Hasselbalch line.
  • Titration formulas. Use c = n/V and the mole ratio.
  • Proton NMR and mass spectrometry data. Only infrared data are listed.
  • Naming rules and functional group lists. The reaction pathways map shows conversions but not names.

How to use the booklet in the exam

  1. Use the 5 minutes of perusal time to find the page you will use most: electrode potentials for redox questions and solubility for precipitation.
  2. Write the equation you are using, then substitute with units.
  3. Take molar masses from the periodic table, and use R = 8.31 and Kw = 1.00 × 10⁻¹⁴ as printed.
  4. In a gas question, check the volume unit before you start: the booklet uses dm³.

Example 1: a gas volume

What volume does 0.100 mol of an ideal gas occupy at 298 K and 100 kPa? With R = 8.31 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹ and the pressure in kilopascals, the answer from PV = nRT comes out in dm³:

V=\frac{nRT}{P}=\frac{0.100\times8.31\times298}{100}=2.48\ \text{dm}^3

Check it against the booklet's molar volume: 22.7 dm³ at STP scales to 24.8 dm³ at 298 K, and one tenth of that is 2.48 dm³.

Example 2: calorimetry

Burning 0.0250 mol of a fuel warms 100 g of water by 6.5 K. With cw = 4.18 J g⁻¹ K⁻¹ from the booklet:

Q=mc\Delta T=100\times4.18\times6.5=2717\ \text{J}\qquad\Delta H=-\frac{2717}{0.0250}=-1.09\times10^{5}\ \text{J mol}^{-1}

The enthalpy change is negative because the surroundings gained the heat. The booklet gives q = mcΔT, but the division by moles and the sign are yours to add.

Example 3: a conjugate base

A weak acid has Ka = 1.8 × 10⁻⁵. Its conjugate base has Kb from the Kw line:

K_b=\frac{K_w}{K_a}=\frac{1.00\times10^{-14}}{1.8\times10^{-5}}=5.6\times10^{-10}

Practise equilibrium calculations in the Reaction Kinetics course.

Practise with the booklet open

Our Year 12 Chemistry daily paper is a short timed paper of 8 questions worth 25 to 35 marks, and it is not a QCAA paper. Sit it as a short mock with the sheet open. Year 11 Chemistry covers the earlier units. For comparison, see our HSC chemistry data sheet guide.

Exam answers

The answers and a worked mark scheme come with today's paper once it is marked. They show which line of the sheet each question wanted. We do not publish official answers, past paper answers or leaked papers.

Common questions

Do you get a data booklet in QCE Chemistry?
Yes. The QCAA provides the Chemistry formula and data book in both external papers, as the syllabus conditions say.
What value of R does the booklet use?
8.31 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹.
Is the periodic table in the booklet?
Yes, with a list of elements giving atomic numbers, symbols, names and relative atomic masses.
Are standard electrode potentials in the booklet?
Yes, at 298 K, along with a reactivity series of metals.
Can I use a graphics calculator in QCE Chemistry?
Yes. A QCAA-approved graphics or scientific calculator is allowed in both papers.

Revision cards

Say the answer first, then flip the card to check it.

Where to go next

  • Solve it

    Moles Calculator

    Convert between grams, moles and particles

    Open the tool
  • Learn it

    Reaction Kinetics

    Rates, catalysts and collision theory: what makes reactions fast or slow

    Start the course
  • Test it

    Year 12 Chemistry

    A new exam-style paper every day, with instant marking and a mark scheme

    Start today's paper
Read next
Australia · QCEQCE Physics formula sheet: the QCAA formula and data bookThe QCAA Physics formula and data book for QCE external exams: all equations and constants, what is missing, and worked examples.