IB Chemistry Tuition Online (SL and HL)
IB Chemistry at SL and HL, first assessed in 2025: the Structure and Reactivity strands, two papers and a scientific investigation.
Founder & Head of School, Afterkelas
Afterkelas teaches IB Chemistry online at SL and HL. University tutors run live classes, 1-to-1 or in small groups, on the Structure and Reactivity strands, the calculations and mechanisms the papers test, and the scientific investigation.
What IB Chemistry covers
The six strands of the guide's roadmap and their subtopics, numbered as the guide numbers them within each strand.
Structure 1. Models of the particulate nature of matter
5 topics- Introduction to the particulate nature of matter
- The nuclear atom
- Electron configurations
- Counting particles by mass: the mole
- Ideal gases
Structure 2. Models of bonding and structure
4 topics- The ionic model
- The covalent model
- The metallic model
- From models to materials
Structure 3. Classification of matter
2 topics- The periodic table: classification of elements
- Functional groups: classification of organic compounds
Reactivity 1. What drives chemical reactions?
4 topics- Measuring enthalpy changes
- Energy cycles in reactions
- Energy from fuels
- Entropy and spontaneity (HL only)
Reactivity 2. How much, how fast and how far?
3 topics- How much? The amount of chemical change
- How fast? The rate of chemical change
- How far? The extent of chemical change
Reactivity 3. What are the mechanisms of chemical change?
4 topics- Proton transfer reactions
- Electron transfer reactions
- Electron sharing reactions
- Electron-pair sharing reactions
Structure and reactivity
The course first examined in 2025 organises chemistry into two strands in place of separate numbered topics: Structure, the nature of matter from atoms to materials, and Reactivity, how and why reactions happen. Each strand has three parts, and organic chemistry runs through both, from functional groups in Structure 3 to reaction mechanisms in Reactivity 3.
Because the strands are taught side by side, a weak grasp of the mole shows up in energetics, rates and equilibrium alike. Tutors fix the quantitative foundations early.
Where marks are lost
Calculations lose marks to units, significant figures and volumes left unconverted, the slip the worked question below avoids. Mechanism questions lose marks to curly arrows that start from the wrong place. Paper 1B adds data-based questions on experimental work, which reward practice with real data.
The scientific investigation
The internal assessment is a scientific investigation worth 20 percent, with about 10 hours of class time. Tutors can explain experimental design, uncertainties and data analysis, and what the criteria reward, but the investigation and the report are the student's own.
A question, worked through
A question on the ideal gas equation, from Structure 1.5. Converting every quantity to SI units first is where the marks are protected.
Question
A 0.500 g sample of a gas occupies 0.250 dm³ at 300 K and 100 kPa. Calculate its molar mass. (R = 8.31 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹)
- Convert to SI units: V = 0.250 dm³ = 2.50 × 10⁻⁴ m³ and p = 100 kPa = 1.00 × 10⁵ Pa.
- From pV = nRT: n = pV ÷ RT = (1.00 × 10⁵ × 2.50 × 10⁻⁴) ÷ (8.31 × 300) = 25.0 ÷ 2493.
- n = 1.003 × 10⁻² mol, keeping an extra figure until the end.
- Molar mass = mass ÷ amount = 0.500 ÷ (1.003 × 10⁻²) = 49.9 g mol⁻¹.
Answer 49.9 g mol⁻¹.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2025 IB Chemistry syllabus very different?
Much of the chemistry is familiar, but it is organised into the Structure and Reactivity strands in place of numbered topics, and Paper 1 now includes data-based questions. Older revision books need mapping onto the new structure.
What does HL add in IB Chemistry?
More depth across the strands, one HL-only subtopic, entropy and spontaneity, and longer papers.
When should IB Chemistry tuition start?
Early in the first year, while the mole and bonding are taught, since every later calculation and mechanism uses them.
How much does IB Chemistry tuition cost?
The fee depends on the format (1-to-1 or a small group), how many classes a week and the tutor, so there is no single figure. Send an academic advisor the level, the school and the latest predicted grade on WhatsApp, and you will get the current packages and a quote, usually within one working day.