How to study chemistry: connect what you see, the particles and the symbols

TutorAura guide · Updated 21 October 2026

Chemistry feels hard partly because it asks you to think on three levels at once: what you can see (a fizzing tablet, a colour change), what the particles are doing (atoms rearranging, ions moving), and how chemists write it down (formulas and equations). The chemist and educator Alex Johnstone argued in 1991 that juggling these levels is one of the main reasons science is difficult to learn.

So the best way to study chemistry is to practise moving between those levels, learn the symbols until they're automatic, do calculations until they're routine, and test yourself rather than re-reading. Here's how.

Key takeaways

Learn symbols, formulas and common ions until you don't have to think about them.
For every reaction, describe what you see, draw the particles and write the equation.
Practise mole calculations with the same steps every time.
Test yourself and spread your study out instead of re-reading notes.

1. Learn the language first

Chemistry has its own alphabet: element symbols, formulas and ions. If you have to stop and think what $\text{SO}_4^{2-}$ is, there's less attention left for the actual chemistry.

Make a short list of the ions your course uses (for example $\text{Na}^+$ , $\text{Ca}^{2+}$ , $\text{Cl}^-$ , $\text{OH}^-$ , $\text{NO}_3^-$ , $\text{SO}_4^{2-}$ , $\text{CO}_3^{2-}$ ) and test yourself on them for a few minutes a day.
Practise writing formulas from ions: calcium chloride is $\text{CaCl}_2$ because one $\text{Ca}^{2+}$ balances two $\text{Cl}^-$ .
Learn the meaning of state symbols: (s), (l), (g) and (aq).

2. Connect the three levels for every reaction

When you meet a reaction, write it three ways. For magnesium burning in air:

Level	What to write
What you see	A very bright white flame; the grey metal turns into a white powder.
Particles	Magnesium atoms react with oxygen molecules to form magnesium oxide, made of $\text{Mg}^{2+}$ and $\text{O}^{2-}$ ions.
Symbols	$2\text{Mg(s)} + \text{O}_2\text{(g)} \rightarrow 2\text{MgO(s)}$

Questions often give you one level and ask for another ("explain this observation in terms of particles"). Practising all three for every reaction prepares you for that.

3. Balance equations with a routine

Balancing gets much easier with the same steps every time. Take aluminium reacting with oxygen:

Write the formulas: $\text{Al} + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{Al}_2\text{O}_3$ . Never change a formula to balance it; only the numbers in front.
Oxygen: 2 on the left, 3 on the right. The lowest common multiple is 6, so use $3\text{O}_2$ and $2\text{Al}_2\text{O}_3$ .
Aluminium: now 4 on the right, so use $4\text{Al}$ .
Check: $4\text{Al} + 3\text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2\text{Al}_2\text{O}_3$ has 4 aluminium and 6 oxygen atoms on each side.

4. Make calculations routine

Mole calculations follow a small number of patterns. Learn one method and use it every time:

What mass of carbon dioxide is made when 6 g of carbon burns completely? ( $A_r$ : C = 12, O = 16)

Moles of carbon: $n = \dfrac{m}{M} = \dfrac{6}{12} = 0.5\ \text{mol}$ .
Equation: $\text{C} + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{CO}_2$ , so 1 mol of C gives 1 mol of $\text{CO}_2$ : that's $0.5\ \text{mol}$ .
$M(\text{CO}_2) = 12 + 2 \times 16 = 44\ \text{g/mol}$ , so the mass is $0.5 \times 44 = 22\ \text{g}$ .

Keep a mistakes log of the calculations you get wrong (a wrong formula mass, a missed ratio from the equation) and redo them a few days later.

5. Test yourself and space it out

A large review of study techniques rated practice testing and spacing study over time as the two most useful methods, and re-reading and highlighting as among the least useful (Dunlosky et al., 2013). For chemistry that means:

Start each session with a few questions on older topics before new work.
Cover your notes and write out a definition, an equation or a method from memory, then check.
Do 20 to 30 minutes on several days rather than one long session before the test.

6. Know your practicals

Many chemistry questions are about experiments: the method, the variables, what you would observe and how to make it safe and reliable. For each practical in your course, make a summary: the aim, the method in numbered steps, the observations, the hazards and how to reduce them, and the common sources of error.

7. Get help on the exact step

When you're stuck, find the precise step you can't do ("I don't know how to get moles from the equation") and ask about that. Your teacher, a classmate or an AI tutor can help. TutorAura's AI chemistry tutor works one step at a time and asks you to do the next step, so you learn the method rather than copy an answer.

A sample chemistry study week

About 30 minutes a day before a test on bonding and moles:

Day	What to do
Monday	Ion and formula quiz from memory; start a mistakes log
Tuesday	Three reactions written at all three levels (see, particles, symbols)
Wednesday	Balancing equations: ten mixed examples, then check
Thursday	Mole calculations: five problems, then redo yesterday's mistakes
Friday	Mixed past-style questions without notes
Weekend	Redo everything in your mistakes log; one short mixed quiz

For general advice on preparing for any test, see how to study for a test.

Frequently asked questions

Why is chemistry so hard?

One reason is that it asks you to think on three levels at once: what you observe, what the particles are doing, and the symbols used to describe both. Practising the links between those levels makes it much easier.

How do I get better at chemistry calculations?

Use the same method every time: find moles from the mass, use the ratio from the balanced equation, then convert back to mass. Practise a few problems on several days and redo the ones you get wrong.

Do I need to memorise the periodic table?

Usually not: most exams give you a copy. It's more useful to understand how it's arranged, to know common ions and formulas, and to know the trends in the groups your course covers.

What's the best way to revise chemistry for a test?

Test yourself rather than re-reading: quiz yourself on ions and definitions, write reactions at all three levels, practise calculations, and spread the work over several days.

Sources

Why is science difficult to learn? Things are seldom what they seem. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 7(2), 75–83 (Johnstone), 1991.
Improving Students' Learning With Effective Learning Techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58 (Dunlosky, Rawson, Marsh, Nathan & Willingham), 2013.

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