13.1 Handling information and problem-solving
- Syllabus
- 0620–2026–2027
- Topic
- 13.1
- Level
- —
Learning objectives
13.1.1Locate, select, organise and present information• Locate, select, organise and present information from a variety of sources.13.1.2Translate information between forms• Translate information between verbal, symbolic, graphical and numerical forms.13.1.3Manipulate numerical and other data• Manipulate numerical and other data accurately.13.1.4Identify patterns, trends and conclusions• Use information to identify patterns, report trends and form conclusions.13.1.5Explain phenomena and relationships• Present reasoned explanations for phenomena, patterns and relationships.13.1.6Make evidence-based predictions• Make predictions based on relationships and patterns.13.1.7Solve qualitative and quantitative problems• Solve problems, including problems of a quantitative nature and unfamiliar applications of syllabus principles.
Select and present the information a chemistry task needs
Start from the task, not from the amount of information available. Select only facts, values and relationships that can help answer the stated chemistry question, then organise them so the reasoning can be checked.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| locate | scan headings, labels, units, keys and named substances to find candidate evidence |
| select | keep information that bears on the exact command and reject distractors |
| organise | group related facts, put a process in order or align values in a table |
| present | use clear chemical names/symbols, headings, units and an answer form suited to the task |
For a question comparing two reaction rates, select the changing quantity, time values and controlled conditions; align corresponding values before comparing. A decorative detail that cannot affect rate is not evidence.
More copied information is not automatically a better answer. Omitting a unit, table heading, key condition or substance identity can make otherwise correct evidence ambiguous.
Translate chemical information without changing its meaning
Translation changes the representation while preserving the substances, quantities, directions and relationships in the source.
| Source form | Translation check |
|---|---|
| verbal description | chemical symbols/formulae name the same substances and states |
| symbol or equation | words preserve reactants, products and proportions |
| data table | graph axes use the correct variables, scale and units; every plotted point matches a row |
| graph | numerical or verbal statement reports the correct coordinates, gradient direction or interval |
The equation 2H2+O2→2H2O translates to a 2:1:2 reacting ratio of particles or moles; it does not mean the masses are in that ratio.
A translation is not an interpretation. First preserve what the source explicitly shows; only then add a conclusion or explanation if the question asks for one.
Manipulate chemistry data accurately
Data manipulation is a traceable chain: align units, choose the relationship, substitute values with units, calculate without premature rounding and report a sensible precision.
| Check | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| identity | which quantity does each value represent? |
| units | must cm³ become dm³, minutes become seconds or percentages become fractions? |
| operation | does the required relationship call for a ratio, difference, mean, gradient or rearranged formula? |
| arithmetic | were brackets, powers and proportional factors applied to the correct values? |
| output | is the unit present and is the precision justified by the data? |
Estimate the order of magnitude before calculating and substitute the result back into the relationship afterwards. These two checks expose many misplaced decimal points and inverted ratios.
Do not round every intermediate step. Keep extra calculator digits during working and round only the final result unless the question specifies otherwise.
Separate patterns, trends and conclusions
A pattern is a repeated or structured feature; a trend is the overall direction of change; a conclusion is a claim that answers the question using the evidence.
| Evidence feature | Defensible report |
|---|---|
| values mostly rise as the independent variable rises | state an increasing trend and name both variables |
| rate of change itself changes | describe the curve or compare gradients over stated intervals |
| one point departs from the rest | retain it and identify it as a possible anomaly |
| evidence answers the investigation question | form a bounded conclusion and cite the supporting values or trend |
Use comparative language tied to data: ‘as temperature increases from 20 °C to 40 °C, the measured rate increases’. Add ‘approximately’, ‘levels off’ or ‘except at…’ when the evidence requires it.
Do not explain why a trend occurs when the command is only ‘describe’. Do not claim causation from a pattern alone, and do not hide an anomalous value.
Build a reasoned chemical explanation
A reasoned explanation links an observed phenomenon or relationship to a relevant syllabus principle through an explicit causal chain.
| Part | Function |
|---|---|
| phenomenon | state exactly what changes or is observed |
| evidence | cite the relevant value, pattern, equation or comparison |
| chemistry principle | select the particle, bonding, energy, equilibrium, rate or other taught idea that applies |
| causal link | show how the principle produces the observation |
| boundary | qualify the claim if another variable, anomaly or limited range matters |
‘The reaction is faster at the higher concentration because there are more reacting particles per unit volume, so successful collisions occur more frequently’ links condition → particle model → rate.
Restating the observation is not an explanation. Every ‘because’ must introduce a mechanism or principle that actually accounts for the stated pattern.
Make predictions from chemical relationships
A prediction extends an established relationship to a new case. State the relationship, check that the new case is comparable, then give the predicted outcome and any justified limit.
| Step | Prediction move |
|---|---|
| identify | find the relevant pattern, family behaviour or proportional relationship |
| match | check that the new substance or condition shares the feature controlling that relationship |
| extend | infer the expected product, direction or approximate value |
| qualify | distinguish interpolation from less-certain extrapolation and retain the evidence range |
If barium nitrate is stated to decompose in the same way as magnesium nitrate, transfer the given nitrate-decomposition pattern: predict nitrogen dioxide and oxygen as the gaseous products.
A prediction is not a guess based only on a familiar name. State the relationship that licenses the transfer, and do not invent a precise numerical value when the evidence supports only a direction or range.
Solve unfamiliar qualitative and quantitative problems
An unfamiliar context changes the surface details, not the syllabus principles. Convert the prompt into known quantities, relationships and constraints before choosing a route.
| Stage | Action |
|---|---|
| decode | identify the command, target quantity or required qualitative claim |
| inventory | list given data, units, conditions and relevant chemistry principles |
| connect | draw a short chain from givens to target; split a multi-step problem into intermediate results |
| execute | show substitutions, equations, comparisons or deductions in a checkable order |
| verify | test units, magnitude, chemical feasibility and whether the final statement answers the command |
For a qualitative problem, eliminate claims that contradict the stated evidence, then connect the remaining evidence to a taught principle. For a quantitative problem, preserve units and proportional factors at every step.
Do not search for a memorised question with identical wording. Use only principles in the syllabus, and reject a numerical answer that is mathematically produced but chemically impossible or in the wrong unit.