NSEC PREPARATION

  NSEC - The National Standard Examination for Chemistry is the 

  first stage in the 3 stage process used to select the team to 

  represent India in the International Chemistry Olympiad.

  It is a very prestigious exam which will give you all an idea of

  your performance in chemistry at a national scale.

  This blog is intended towards class 11 and 12 students who hope 

  to perform well in this examination.

  The exam is scheduled to be held on 27 November 2016. In this 

  post, i will be discussing last minute preparation strategies and 

  give some tips regarding the exam 

  1. The NSEC exam is a fairly easy and high-scoring . I 

      attempted NSEC in class 11 and 12 scoring 174/240 and    

      204/240 respectively. 

  2. Most questions will be based on the topics covered in NCERT.

      The level of the questions will also be similar.

  3. Do solve all previous year NSEC papers which you get hold  

      off.

  4. Complete a detailed revision of Class 11 and Class 12 NCERT 

      textbooks by Nov 27.

  5. Questions from biochemistry are a permanent fixture in NSEC.

      Expect atleast 7-10 questions from this chapter. A solid 

      performance in this chapter ( NO NEGATIVES!!!) will ensure

      that you perform better than your peers.

  6. Concentrate on understanding the structure of the human DNA

      and proteins. Linkages, peptide bonds and amino acid synthesis

      are important topics for which the NCERT textbook is not 

      sufficient. Memorize the linkages in carbohydrates as questions

      pertaining to these are common.

  7. Questions from spectroscopy rarely appear. In case you are 

      confident regarding your preparation, try to have a look at IR 

      and NMR spectroscopy.

  8. Time shouldn't be a problem in this paper. However, many 

      students fail to qualify to the next level owing to silly mistakes.

      Do try to avoid them.

  9. From personal experience, i would suggest that you concentrate

      on chemical bonding, colloids, biochemistry, polymer 

      chemistry and chemistry in everyday life during these last few

      days. Note that this is meant for serious aspirants who have 

      already completed one round of revision.

 10. Cutoffs are generally high in most states. Ensure that you do

       not lose out due to negative marks.

 11. Calculators are allowed. Do take them to the exam and use 

       them to the fullest.

 Class 12 students who aim to perform well in JEE Advanced must  strive to clear the first round of this exam. It will be a huge 

 confidence boost going  into the final stretch of your JEE prep.   

 Class 11 students must try to perform to the best of their abilities.

 Any score above 120 would be an encouraging sign. 

                

                                    ALL THE BEST

KVPY Preparation - SA

    KVPY is one of the most prestigious exams in India for higher 

    secondary students. The exam offers admission to IISC, one of

    the world's best institutes for scientific research. I hope that all 

    of you are appearing for this exam. 

    I cleared KVPY - SA stream with an AIR of 112. In this post, i

    will be providing some tips which helped me clear the exam.

    The KVPY exam consists of two levels - 

    1. Level 1 - Aptitude Test

    2. Level 2 - Interview

    This post will discuss tips and techniques which will ensure that

    you maximize your score in Level 1.

    Why is Level 1 important ?

    The final KVPY marks are decided by taking 75% of Level 1

    marks and 25% of Level 2 marks. This clearly shows the 

    importance of a good aptitude test score.

    The paper consists of 4 subjects - Mathematics, Physics,

    Chemistry and Biology. Each subject paper is divided into two

    sections. Section A consists of 15 question with 1 mark for a

    correct answer and -1/4 for a wrong answer. Section B consists 

    of 5 questions with 2 marks for a correct answer and -1/2 for

    a wrong answer.

    

    Mathematics -

    Maths has been the toughest subject in the aptitude test for a

    long time. The questions in maths are from a variety of topics

    ranging from algebra to plane geometry. JEE preparation counts

    for very little while tackling this math paper. 

    1. Do not waste time studying calculus and coordinate geometry.

        These have absolutely no weigthage in the aptitude test. The 

        maths paper will be similar to an Olympiad paper. For those of

        you who have written the AMTI exam, you can expect a 

        similar paper. In case you have been preparing for math 

        olympiads and are comfortable with the fundamentals of

        geometry, aim to score above 17 in this section. In case you

        have not appeared for math olympiads and are not competent

        in geometry, try to strengthen your concepts in algebra and

        aim to score above 12.

       

    2. The aptitude test is for a duration of 3 hours. The questions in

         maths are generally tricky and time consuming. Maintaining

         one's temperament is very important. It is advisable to   

         allocate atleast 80 min for maths.

     Physics -   

     Physics is relatively easy in the SA stream paper. I would advise
     all of you to go through the class 10 and class 11 physics 
     textbooks. Problem solving skills are not particularly important.
     The paper tests you more on your conceptual understanding. 
     Concentrate on waves, fluids and thermodynamics. Read 
     HC Verma and Halliday for these chapters. Personally, i found
     the questions from geometric optics very difficult and i would
     advise you to go through HC Verma for this chapter.

     Spend 30-40 min on physics and try to score above 17.


     Chemistry - 

     The Chemistry paper is generally straightforward. I would 
     advise you all to read NCERT books of class 10 and 11 
     thoroughly. Organic chemistry constitutes an important part
     of the paper and cannot be neglected. Most institutes do not
     complete class 11 syllabus before KVPY. Hence, i would advise
     all of you to go through the NCERT textbook for hydrocarbons
     and GOC. Further, i will be uploading notes on these chapters
     within the next 2 weeks. 

    Spend 20-25 min on chemistry. Chemistry is the easiest of the
    three subjects and one must try to score above 20.

    PS - Go through the experimental procedures in organic 
    chemistry. It is advisable to have some knowledge of qualitative
    analysis.


    Biology - 

    It is important to understand that there is no subject wise cutoff 
    in KVPY. Hence, my personal advice is to spend limited time on
    biology. A few topics which have been important in the past 
    are genetics, photosynthesis and the human respiratory system. 
    
    It is important to read the class 10 NCERT textbook as this will
    ensure that you get atleast 4-5 questions right. Further, read the
    above mentioned topics from the class 12 biology textbook.

    Spend 10-15 min on biology. It would be great if one scores 
    above 10. Attempt only questions that you are familiar with as 
    this will maximize your score.

  
    Miscellaneous - 

    1. Remain calm during the exam.

    2. Manage your time well.

    3. Be prepared for a difficult paper. Do not be misled by past 
        papers and cutoffs.

    4. Solve atleast 5 old papers. Aim to score above 70 in all these
        papers.

    5. Have confidence in yourself.   

               

                                        ALL THE BEST

   

 
   

     

  

     

         

                         S- Block Elements - Alkaline Earth Metals

   Alkaline Earth metals constitute Group 2 of the periodic table.           This chapter forms an important part of inorganic chemistry and 
   is essential for JEE MAIN and ADVANCED.
  
   I have attached my revision notes for this chapter below. It may 
   seem excessive and intimidating. DO NOT WORRY!!!

   You should follow the following strategy. Read 10 points 
   everyday from the sheets attached below. The next day, recall the
   previous day's notes before proceeding further. This will ensure 
   that you slowly memorize the important points in the entire 
   chapter.

    

  

        A dream worth dreaming , A life worth living- Part 1

    I would like to begin this post by sincerely apologizing for the 

    long gap between posts in this blog. Now that i have addressed

    the elephant in the room , we can move on to the true purpose 

    of this post which is to describe my first 2 weeks at IIT Madras.

    I would like this post to serve as a motivation for all students

    who aim to get into the IIT's .

    Firstly , i would like to say that IIT's are all that a student dreams

    of and much more. It has something for everyone who steps 

    through its hallowed gates.

    Let us go through my experiences in a chronological order.

   1.  IIT orientation - The day of my dreams had finally arrived. 

        My first official day at IIT Madras. In front of me, was a 

        panel of the finest teachers, scientists and engineers in the 

        country. 

        Being the cynic that i am and having read several articles that

        criticized IIT's and its professors , i have to admit that i 

        feared being dissapointed. However , my fears were 

        unfounded and by the end of the day , i went home looking

        forward to the next 5 years.

       With their brevity, wit , knowledge and wisdom , the panel

       captured the attention of students and parents alike. Students

       were assured that they had complete freedom in all facets of

       their college life ( except class attendance !!!) . The panel

       had a favorite phrase " With freedom comes responsibility".

       Now , time for an anecdote illustrating the freedom provided.

       On 10 Aug 2016 , the president of INDIA was addressing 

       students of the premier institutions from 12 : 30 p.m onward.

       The auditorium at IIT M was empty . Surprised by this , the

       president's secretary asked the director where the students 

       were. Here comes his epic reply "At IIT M ,we do not force

       people to do anything. They have been informed about the

       event , they will come if they want to ".

       Secondly and perhaps more impressive , was the importance

       given to extra -curricular and co - curricular activities.

       The list of these activities is endless and i will cover it later.

       The professors unanimously agreed that all students must

       actively take part in all activities and if possible try to 

       concentrate on academics too. 

      The IIT M campus is probably one of the most beautiful in 
      India ,if not the world. The mess food was better than expected,
      deers , black bucks and monkeys were on full view and the 
      weather was surprisingly pleasant. Everything seemed to be 
      perfect(except the hostel rooms which seem to have been built         for single occupancy !!!) . I was in seventh heaven. 

 
  2. My first week in IIT -  Firstly , i would like to tell you that
      I was equally busy in my first week as i was during JEE
      preparation . DON'T PANIC. The difference was that i
      could do all the things i loved and missed doing rather
      than just study all the time. 
     
      Classes began at 8:00 a.m and ended at 5:35 p.m . However,
      class times varied everyday and several slots were free in
      between. 

      I spent my time exploring the vast and beautiful campus and
      fell in love with it. The library was a massive 4 floor building
      with books on every topic i had ever heard of and many more 
      on topics which i had never heard of. The clincher was that 
      it was fully air conditioned and had free Wi-Fi!!.

      The teachers were friendly and helpful and even taught us
      how to co-exist with the monkeys. They explained the 
      credit system and grading system and asked us to be 
      regular in academics. This is a piece of advice i found really
      important as it ensures you do not lose confidence in class 
      and understand what the professors teach.

      My evenings were spent at the tennis court, rediscovering 
      my game which had rusted due to my self imposed exile 
      from it. I watched, enthralled and a bit fearful as my seniors
      exhibited talent which i could not hope to match. However,
      the great thing about IIT M is that the seniors take you 
      under their wing and help you hone your talent.

     The nights were interspersed with orientation sessions ,
     club sessions and speeches by famous individuals. In my
     first week , I joined the internationally recognized  
     TOASTMASTERS club which is a forum for improving
     one's public speaking skills. We had an orientation session
     about Saarang, the famous cultural fest of IIT M which also
     dealt with the cultural events in the institute. The next day ,
     a cultural weekender had been organized where all the cultural
     clubs showcased their talents.

     These clubs ranged from music and dance to quizzing and 
     word games. It was my most memorable day in IIT M till
     date. I realized that people here were supremely talented
     at everything they did, be it academics or sports or culturals.
     I tried my hand at almost all the clubs and thoroughly 
     enjoyed myself. The best was yet to come. In a stunning and
     magical display of talent , the music club enthralled us with
     a 2 hour performance, the likes of which i had never seen
     before. They had left their mark on us freshers and i slept
     that night dreaming of leaving my mark on this wonderful
     institute.

     This was my first week at the institute. That was a mistake.
     This was what i remembered of my first week. There were so
     many events that i attended , so many wonderful people i met
     and so many dreams that i dreamt of. All i can say is that i am
     on top of the world right now and am looking forward to see
     you - the reader, with me, in this wonderful institute.

     IIT M - It's not just a college or an institute . It's much more.

     The culmination of years of work. The realization of an

     Indian Dream. The gateway to many a success story. The

     Stanford of India. Heaven on Earth. 

  

        But for me it's something more than all this-

 It feels like HOME

           
       



     

       

   

         

         

        

            

S- block Elements- ALKALI METALS

     We now move on to class 11 inorganic chemistry. The first

     chapter is s block elements. As mentioned before , NCERT is

     a must for all inorganic chapters. In these notes , i will be 

     covering the important points from ncert as well as some extra 

     points for jee advance.

     GROUP 1 ELEMENTS

     1. They are soft , conduct heat and electricity and have low 

         melting points.

      2. They possess weak metallic bonding. At room temperature,

         they exist in BCC structure. At low temperature , Li exists

         in hcp structure.

     3. Atomisation and Hydration energy decrease down the group.

     4. Except Li , other metals form alloys amongst themselves.

     5. Except Li , others show photoelectric effect.

     6. Flame colours :

  

         Li - Crimson

         Na- Yellow

         K  - lilac

         Rb - violet

         Cs - blue

     7. Rb and Cs react most vigorously with water because they sink

         in it. Reaction of lithium with water is very slow.

     8. K is less dense than Na.

     9. Only Li reacts directly with carbon and nitrogen. 

    10. Only Li reacts directly with oxygen to form oxides.

    
    NOTES:

   1. Lithium halides are the only ones which are not anhydrous. 
       They exist as LiX.3H2O.

   2. Sodium and other alkali metals dissolve in ammonia to form
       deep blue solutions. On long standing , they decompose 
       forming amides.

   3. Concentrated metal ammonia solutions have metallic bronze 
       colour and high electrical conductance.

   4. Lithium hydride is the most stable group 1 hydride.  This is
       due to similarity in the sizes of cation and anion.

   Extraction of Sodium :
   Method 1 : 

   1. Sodium is extracted by electrolysis of NaCl + CaCl2 solution.

   2. Calcium Chloride is added to lower melting point.

   3. Graphite anode , Steel cathode.

   
   Method 2 :

   Diaphragm Cell

   1. Diaphragm ( asbestos) prevents hydroxide ions from coming
       in contact with chloride ions. But Hydrogen and Chlorine still
       react. ( this is the disadvantage.)

   2. Cathode level is always less than anode. This ensures NaOH
       does not react with chlorine gas.

   3. The final solution always contains NaCl.

  
   Method 3 :

   Chloralkali process :

   http://www.eurochlor.org/the-chlorine-universe/how-is-chlorine-      produced/the-mercury-cell-process.aspx


 
   Compound of alkali metals :

   

  


   
   

     

THANK YOU

        

     

                       TEST 1 -  CHEMICAL BONDING

    This test is on the chapter chemical bonding. Chemical bonding 
     is a vast chapter and i hope to upload another test soon.

    I hope that this test will be useful to all my readers.
   
    Answers to this test will be published by 10 p.m on Thursday.

                                    ALL THE BEST

    

                                IONIC EQUILIBRIUM

       Ionic equilibrium is the last physical chemistry chapter in class 
       11. Questions from this chapter are generally straightforward.
       However, there are several different types of questions that
       can be asked. These models will be covered in detail.

   
      

                 

               IMPORTANT EXAMPLES : 

             

 

               

    These were the important points in ionic equilibrium. With this,

     physical chemistry of class 11 comes to an end.

THANK YOU