Mathematical Skills - GCSE Chemistry
Mathematical skills requirement
At least 20% of the marks in GCSE Chemistry assess mathematical skills. Questions may assess these skills in chemistry contexts, practical contexts, data analysis, graph work, and quantitative chemistry.
Learners should be able to choose and use appropriate mathematical methods, show working clearly, and give answers to a suitable degree of accuracy.
Arithmetic and numerical computation
| Reference | Mathematical skill | Subject coverage |
|---|---|---|
| M1a | Recognise and use expressions in decimal form. | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
| M1b | Recognise and use expressions in standard form. | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
| M1c | Use ratios, fractions and percentages. | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
| M1d | Make estimates of results. | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
Handling data
| Reference | Mathematical skill | Subject coverage |
|---|---|---|
| M2a | Use an appropriate number of significant figures. | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
| M2b | Find arithmetic means. | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
| M2c | Construct and interpret frequency tables and diagrams, bar charts and histograms. | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
| M2d | Understand the principles of sampling as applied to scientific data. | Biology |
| M2e | Understand simple probability. | Biology |
| M2f | Understand the terms mean, mode and median. | Biology, Physics, Combined Science |
| M2g | Use a scatter diagram to identify a correlation between two variables. | Biology, Physics, Combined Science |
| M2h | Use data to calculate results and identify trends or patterns. | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
Algebra
| Reference | Mathematical skill | Subject coverage |
|---|---|---|
| M3a | Understand and use the symbols =, <, >, proportional to, approximately equal, and similar mathematical notation. | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
| M3b | Change the subject of an equation. | Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
| M3c | Substitute numerical values into algebraic equations using appropriate units. | Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
| M3d | Solve simple algebraic equations. | Biology, Physics, Combined Science |
Graphs
| Reference | Mathematical skill | Subject coverage |
|---|---|---|
| M4a | Translate information between graphical and numeric form. | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
| M4b | Understand that y = mx + c represents a linear relationship. | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
| M4c | Plot two variables from experimental or other data. | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
| M4d | Determine the slope and intercept of a linear graph. | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
| M4e | Draw and use the slope of a tangent to a curve as a measure of rate of change. | Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
| M4f | Understand the physical meaning of area between a curve and the x-axis. | Physics, Combined Science |
Geometry and trigonometry
| Reference | Mathematical skill | Subject coverage |
|---|---|---|
| M5a | Use angular measures in degrees. | Physics, Combined Science |
| M5b | Calculate areas of triangles, rectangles and circles, and volumes of cubes and rectangular blocks. | Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |
| M5c | Use Pythagoras' theorem and trigonometric ratios where required in science contexts. | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science |