IB Chemistry SL — Data Booklet
Every formula printed in your official IB data booklet, organised by topic. Knowing whichformulas you're given frees up mental space to memorise what isn't here.
★ Must memorise — NOT in the booklet
- • Balancing equations and working out stoichiometric (mole) ratios from them
- • Writing electron configurations and reading the periodic table (the table itself is given, the rules are not)
- • Naming and drawing organic structures (functional groups, isomers, mechanisms)
- • Drawing Lewis structures and predicting shapes / bond angles with VSEPR
- • Identifying oxidation states and balancing redox half-equations
- • Interpreting IR, ¹H NMR and mass spectra (the data tables are given — the analysis is yours)
Chemistry gives you a data booklet — the periodic table, bond enthalpies, thermodynamic data and spectroscopy charts — in every paper. The skill is choosing the right value and equation, not recalling them. The items above are not printed, so practise them until they are automatic.
Physical constants
Avogadro constant
const, 1.4
number of particles in one mole
Gas constant
const, 1.5
used in PV = nRT
Molar volume of an ideal gas
const, 1.5
at STP (100 kPa, 273.15 K)
Specific heat capacity of water
const, 4.1
used in Q = mcΔT
Ionic product constant of water
const, 6.1
K_{w} = [H⁺][OH⁻]
Faraday constant
const
charge of one mole of electrons
Speed of light in vacuum
const, 1.3
Planck constant
const, 1.3
used in E = hf
Elementary charge
const
Uncertainties
Adding / subtracting
tools
absolute uncertainties add
Multiplying / dividing
tools
fractional (percentage) uncertainties add
Powers
tools
fractional uncertainty × |n|
Structure 1 — particulate nature of matter
S1.3 Electron configurations
1.3
speed of light = wavelength × frequency
S1.3 Electron configurations
1.3
energy of a photon
S1.4 The mole
1.4
amount = mass ÷ molar mass
S1.4 The mole
1.4
number of particles = amount × Avogadro constant
S1.4 The mole / R2.1 Amount
1.4, 5.1
amount = concentration × volume (V in dm³)
S1.5 Ideal gases
1.5
the ideal gas equation
S1.5 Ideal gases
1.5
the combined gas law (T in kelvin)
Reactivity 1 — what drives reactions
R1.1 Measuring enthalpy change
4.1
heat change = mass × specific heat capacity × temperature change
R1.2 Energy cycles
4.2
from standard enthalpies of formation
R1.2 Energy cycles
4.2
from standard enthalpies of combustion
Reactivity 2 — how much, how fast, how far
R2.1 The amount of chemical change
5.1
a measure of green-chemistry efficiency
Reactivity 3 — mechanisms
R3.1 Proton transfer
6.1
the pH of an aqueous solution
R3.1 Proton transfer
6.1
hydrogen-ion concentration from pH
R3.1 Proton transfer
6.1
the ionic product of water
R3.1 Proton transfer
6.1
pH + pOH = 14.00 at 298 K
Source: IB Diploma Programme Chemistry data booklet (first examinations 2025). Always verify against your official IB materials.