International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) Syllabus
The IChO syllabus covers a broad range of chemistry topics, from fundamental principles to advanced concepts. The competition includes both theoretical and practical problems.
Syllabus Structure
The IChO syllabus is divided into levels. Level 1 topics are assumed knowledge from secondary school. Level 2 topics are the core syllabus for the competition. Level 3 topics are advanced concepts that may appear in the Preparatory Problems, which are published by the host country months in advance. These problems detail the specific advanced topics and problem styles for that year's competition, and are an essential study guide.
Theoretical Topics
- Inorganic Chemistry Covers periodic trends, coordination chemistry, main group and transition metal chemistry, and solid-state structures.
- Organic Chemistry Includes stereochemistry, reaction mechanisms, spectroscopy (NMR, IR, Mass Spec), and synthesis of complex molecules.
- Physical Chemistry Focuses on thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, quantum mechanics, and electrochemistry.
- Analytical Chemistry Encompasses titrimetry, gravimetry, chromatography, and various spectroscopic methods for analysis.
- Biochemistry Covers the structure and function of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids.
Practical Skills
- Synthesis Performing single or multi-step synthesis of organic or inorganic compounds and their purification.
- Titration Accurately determining the concentration of a substance using volumetric analysis.
- Kinetics Experiments Measuring reaction rates to determine rate laws and activation energies.
- Qualitative Analysis Identifying unknown ions or compounds in a sample using a sequence of chemical tests.
- Spectrophotometry Using a spectrophotometer to measure absorbance and determine concentrations based on Beer's Law.