Chemistry help — balancing, bonding, mechanisms, mole concept

Why chemistry is harder than it looks

Chemistry feels arbitrary at first — why does this reaction work and that one doesn't? Once you've internalised the underlying patterns (electronegativity, polarity, electron-pushing), it stops feeling arbitrary and starts being predictable.

The mole concept is the foundation

If you don't have mole calculations cold, every other topic is harder than it needs to be. We start most chemistry tutoring with 50 mole questions across three contexts: mass → moles, volume of gas (at STP) → moles, concentration × volume → moles. After 50, the decision tree becomes automatic.

Organic mechanisms — arrows matter

An organic answer without curly arrows showing electron movement loses half its marks. SN1 vs SN2, E1 vs E2, electrophilic addition vs substitution — each has a specific arrow pattern. Memorise the canonical mechanisms (about 12 of them) and 90% of organic questions are within reach.

Inorganic = memorisation, not understanding

Periodic trends (ionisation energy, electronegativity, atomic radius), reactions of group 1, group 2, group 7, transition metal colours, oxidation states — these aren't derivable. They're memorisation. We can help you build flashcards organised by group and trend.

Calculation pitfalls

The most common mistakes: not balancing equations before stoichiometry, mixing molarity (mol/L) with molality (mol/kg), getting energy change signs wrong (exothermic is negative), using Kc when Kp is appropriate. Each one is fixable with awareness.

What we do specifically well for chemistry

• Balance any equation, show every step
• Mole calculations with the decision tree
• Organic mechanism with curly arrows drawn
• Inorganic trends explained with reasoning
• Titration calculation walkthroughs
• Periodic table tooltips when you hover

Topics covered

Tools that pair well with chemistry