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IGCSE Chemistry 0620 IGCSE Chemistry 0620 & 0971 · Complete course map
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Cambridge IGCSE 0620

Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry 0620 and 0971, topic by topic

0620 and 0971 are the same Cambridge IGCSE chemistry syllabus: identical content and identical papers, reported on the A*-G scale as 0620 and on the 9-1 scale as 0971. Whichever code is on your timetable, this page is the one you want. It is examined across three tiers of written paper and one practical component. This page maps the whole syllabus onto the experiments that make each part make sense - so a topic that reads as a paragraph in a textbook can be run, broken and re-run until the observation is obvious.

Cambridge 0620 & 0971Core and ExtendedPapers 1 to 623 simulatorsFree, no sign-up
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Topic by topic

Start anywhere. Each row is a syllabus area; each link is a simulator that covers it, with the method, the observations and the marks examiners take off written underneath.

1 · States of matterParticle theory, changes of state, diffusion and the heating curve.
2 · Atoms, elements and compoundsProton number, isotopes, electron arrangement, the evidence for the nucleus, ionic and covalent bonding, and molecular shape.
3 · StoichiometryFormulae, balanced equations, the mole and reacting masses.
4 · ElectrochemistryElectrolysis of water and of brine, products at each electrode, and half equations.
5 · Chemical energeticsExothermic and endothermic change, and where the energy in a reaction comes from.
6 · Chemical reactionsRate of reaction, collision theory, reversible reactions and redox.
7 · Acids, bases and saltsThe pH scale, indicator choice, strong against weak, and preparing a salt.
8 · The Periodic TableGroup I, Group VII, the transition elements and the noble gases.
9 · MetalsThe reactivity series, extraction, rusting and its prevention.
10 · Chemistry of the environmentWater treatment, air quality and the gases that matter.
11 · Organic chemistryCrude oil, fractional distillation, homologous series and cracking.
12 · Experimental techniques and analysisSeparation, purity, and the tests for cations, anions and gases.

The labs in full

24 experiments matter for this syllabus. Each opens on its own page and is free to use.

Class 9 · IGCSE

States of matter

Turn the burner up and watch the particle picture change with it.

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IGCSE · Class 9-11

Build an atom

Drag protons, neutrons and electrons in and watch the element, mass number and charge follow.

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IGCSE · Class 9-12

Rutherford gold foil experiment

Fire alpha particles at gold foil in 3D and count the flashes yourself.

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IGCSE 0620/0971 · Physics 0625 · CBSE

Cathode ray experiment

Pump the tube down, switch the EHT on, then bend the beam with plates and coils, or spin a paddle wheel with it.

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All levels

3D molecular lab

Bond angles, hybridisation, VSEPR shape and polarity for any molecule.

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IGCSE · IB · CBSE

Periodic table explorer

Group and period trends element by element, plus a trends quiz.

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IGCSE · Class 9-11

Balancing equations

A live atom tally and a mass balance that tips until both sides match.

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CBSE Class 10

Electrolysis of water

Guided steps, ions you can watch move, and the 2:1 gas ratio built in front of you.

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IGCSE 0620/0971 · CBSE

Molten lead bromide

Melt it, switch on, and watch lead form at one electrode and bromine at the other.

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Class 10 · JEE

Chlor-alkali process

Brine electrolysis in a membrane cell, all three products traced.

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CBSE Class 10

Thermite reaction

Aluminium reduces iron(III) oxide and the temperature runs away past 2000 C.

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CBSE Class 10

Burning magnesium ribbon

Clean the ribbon, light it, collect the white magnesium oxide ash.

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IGCSE · Class 10-12

Rate of reaction

Acid and metal at five concentrations, timed, with the gas collected.

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Class 10-12

Concentration and rate

One variable at a time, and the gradient does the talking.

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IGCSE · Class 10

Indicators and pH

Five indicators across pH 0 to 14 with their transition ranges.

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IGCSE 0620

Strong and weak acids

Acid X against acid Y until the difference is obvious.

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IGCSE · Class 10

Metals with water and steam

Caesium down to calcium in the trough, magnesium to iron on the steam rig.

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CBSE Class 10

Rusting of iron

Set moisture, oxygen and salt, then run the clock forward.

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CBSE Class 10

Green patina on copper

Humidity and carbon dioxide against exposure time.

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CBSE Class 10

Tarnishing of silver

Silver sulfide film growth in nanometres, with real thin-film colours.

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CBSE Class 10

Double displacement

Two salt solutions, one precipitate, and the spectator ions named.

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IGCSE · Class 10

Tests for gases

Six gases against every reagent, then Mystery mode for an unknown.

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IGCSE · Class 10-12

Fractional distillation

A 3D refinery column you can turn, splitting crude oil into its eight fractions.

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CBSE XII · IGCSE

Cation and anion tests

Salt analysis at a real reagent shelf, one test at a time.

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Common questions

What is IGCSE Chemistry 0620?

Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry, syllabus code 0620, is a two-year international qualification usually taken at the end of Year 11. It is offered at Core tier, graded C to G, and Extended tier, graded A* to E, and the entry decides which papers a candidate sits.

Which papers make up 0620?

Paper 1 or Paper 2 is the multiple-choice paper, Core or Extended. Paper 3 or Paper 4 is the theory paper, Core or Extended. Paper 5 is a timed practical test and Paper 6 is the alternative to practical, a written paper about experiments; a school enters candidates for one or the other.

Do I need a lab to prepare for Paper 5 and Paper 6?

You need bench time to learn apparatus handling, but most marks in both papers are for planning, recording observations, handling data and evaluating a method. Those you can rehearse anywhere, which is what the simulators on this page are for.

What is the difference between Core and Extended?

Extended covers everything in Core plus additional content, and is the only route to grades A* to B. Supplement material - the extra Extended sections - is marked in the syllabus, and the simulators here cover both.

Are the simulators free?

Yes. Every experiment on this site opens in a browser with no account and no install, and keeps working offline once it has loaded. Tuition is separate.

Studying something else?

The same labs, grouped for a different syllabus.