AQA · OCR A

Structure & bonding

Start with the structure, shape or intermolecular-force idea that is least secure, then use the exam practice to join the reasoning together. Year 13 extensions sit in their own section below.

Structure Lab Shape Lab Polarity & IMF Lab Bond Builder Exam practice Year 13 extensions

Build it, then use it in exam questions

I’d get the particle model straight before chasing property marks. Use the labs to decide what particles are present, what holds them together and what that predicts; then practise writing the same reasoning in exam language.

Structure LabStructure, melting, conductivity and deduction → Shape LabElectron regions, lone pairs, 3-D shape and bond angles → Polarity & IMF LabBond dipoles, molecular polarity, London forces, hydrogen bonding and boiling points → Bond BuilderIonic electron transfer, shared pairs, multiple bonds, lone pairs and dative arrows → Exam practiceOriginal questions for AQA and OCR A, difficulty filters and mark-point feedback →

Year 13 · full A level only

Continue with Year 13 bonding

Year 13 extends the same bonding ideas into lattice energetics, transition-metal complex ions and delocalised bonding in benzene.

Full A-level bonding labIonic energetics · complexes · delocalisation →

Keep the levels separate

Bonding answers often lose precision when three levels get mixed together: how particles form, bonding within a structure, and forces between molecules. Keep those levels separate and the property explanations become much easier to write.

Electron transfer or sharingUse the electrons to build ions or covalent bonds correctly.

Bonding within a structureDecide whether the relevant attraction is ionic, covalent or metallic.

Molecular shape and polarityFor molecules, use the 3-D arrangement to decide whether bond dipoles cancel.

Intermolecular forcesThen compare London forces, permanent dipole interactions and hydrogen bonding.

Want faster retrieval?

Use the arcade games once the reasoning is secure. The labs are deliberately slower and more diagnostic.