Chemistry Jamb Topics 2026

1. Separation of mixtures and purification of chemical substances

• Pure and impure substances

• Boiling and melting points

• Elements, compounds and mixtures

• Chemical and physical changes

• Separation processes

• Evaporation

• Simple and fractional distillation

• Sublimation

• Filtration

• Crystallization

• Paper and column chromatography

• Simple and fractional crystallization

• Magnetization

• Decantation

2. Chemical combination

• Stoichiometry

• Laws of definite and multiple proportions

• Law of conservation of matter

• Gay Lussac's law of combining volumes

• Avogadro's law

• Formulae

• Avogadro's law - equations and their uses

• Relative atomic mass based on C=12

• The mole concept and Avogadro's number

• Chemical symbols

3. Kinetic theory of matter and Gas Laws

• An outline of the kinetic theory of matter

• Melting

• Vapourization

• Boiling

• Freezing

• Condensation in terms of molecular motion and Brownian movement

• The laws of Boyle

• Charles

• Graham and Dalton (law of partial pressure)

• Combined gas law

• Molar volume and atomicity of gases

• The ideal gas equation

• The relationship between vapour density of gases and the relative molecular mass

4. Atomic structure and bonding

• The concept of atoms

• Molecules and ions

• The works of Dalton

• Millikan

• Rutherford

• Moseley

• Thompson

• Bohr

• Atomic structure

• Atomic number

• Mass number

• Isotopes

• Shapes of s and p orbitals

• The periodic table and periodicity of elements

• Presentation of the periodic table with a view to recognizing families of elements - alkali metals

• Presentation of the periodic table with a view to recognizing families of elements - halogens

• Presentation of the periodic table with a view to recognizing families of elements - the noble gases

• Presentation of the periodic table with a view to recognizing families of elements - transition metals

• The variation of ionization energy

• The variation of ionic radii

• The variation of electron affinity

• The variation of electronegativity

• Chemical bonding

• Electrovalency and covalency

• The electron configuration of elements and their tendency to attain the noble gas structure

• Hydrogen bonding and metallic bonding as special types of electrovalency and covalency

• Coordinate bond as a type of covalent bond

• Van der Waals' forces should be mentioned as a special type of bonding forces

• Shapes of simple molecules

• Linear ((H, O, Cl,HCl and CO)

• Non-linear (HO) and tetrahedral

• (CH) and pyramidal (NH)

• Nuclear Chemistry

• Radioactivity

• Nuclear reactions

5. Air

• The natural gaseous constituents and their proportion in the air

• Nitrogen

• Oxygen

• Water vapour

• Carbon (IV) oxide

• The noble gases (argon and neon)

• Air as a mixture and some uses of the noble gas

6. Water

• Water as a product of the combustion of hydrogen and its composition by volume.

• Water as a solvent

• Atmospheric gases dissolved in water and their biological significance.

• Hard and soft water

• Temporary and permanent hardness and methods of softening hard water

• Treatment of water for town supply

• Water of crystallization

• Efflorescence

• Deliquescence and hygroscopy

7. Solubility

• Unsaturated, saturated and supersaturated solutions

• Solubility curves and simple deductions from them

• Solubility defined in terms of mole per dm

• Simple calculations

• Solvents for fats, oil and paints

• The use of such solvents for the removal of stains

• False solution (Suspensions and colloids)

• Properties and examples

• Harmattan haze and water paints as examples of suspensions and fog

• Milk

• Aerosol spray

• Emulsion paints

• Rubber solution as examples of colloids

8. Environmental Pollution

• Sources and effects of pollutants

• Air pollution

• Examples of air pollutants such as HS2, CO, SO2, oxides of nitrogen, chlorofluorocarbons and dust

• Water pollution Sewage and oil pollution should be known

• Soil pollution

• Oil spillage

• Biodegradable

• Non-biodegradable pollutants

9. Acids, bases and salts

• General characteristics and properties of acids

• Bases and salts

• Acids/base indicators

• Basicity of acids

• Normal, acidic, basic and double salts

• An acid defined as a substance whose aqueous solution furnishes H3O+ ions or as a proton donor

• Ethanoic

• Citric and tartaric acids as examples of naturally occurring organic acids

• Alums as examples of double salts

• Preparation of salts by neutralization

• Precipitation and action of acids on metals

• Oxides and trioxocarbonate (IV) salts

• Qualitative comparison of the conductances of molar solutions of strong and weak acids and bases

• Relationship between conductance and amount of ions present

• pH and pOH scale; Simple calculations

• Acid/base titrations

• Hydrolysis of salts

• Principle Simple of Hydrolysis Of Salts examples such as NHCl4, AlCl3, Na3CO3 and CH3COONa

10. Oxidation and reduction

• Oxidation in terms of the addition of oxygen or removal of hydrogen

• Reduction as removal of oxygen or addition of hydrogen

• Oxidation and reduction in terms of electron transfer

• Use of oxidation numbers

• IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic compounds using oxidation number

• Tests for oxidizing and reducing agents

11. Electrolysis

• Electrolytes and non-electrolytes

• Faraday's laws of electrolysis

• Electrolysis of dilute H2SO4

• Aqueous CuSO4

• CuCl2 solution

• Dilute and concentrated NaCl solutions

• Fused NaCl

• Factors affecting discharge of ions at the electrodes

• Uses of electrolysis

• Purification of metals

• Electrochemical cells

• Redox series

• Electrode potentials

• Corrosion as an electrolytic process

• Cathodic protection of metals

• Painting

• Electroplating and coating with grease

12. Energy changes

• Energy changes ∆H accompanying physical and chemical changes

• Dissolution of substances in/or reaction with water

• Entropy as an order-disorder phenomenon

• Simple illustrations

• Spontaneity of reactions

• ∆Go = 0 as a criterion for equilibrium

• ∆G greater or less than zero as a criterion for non-spontaneity or spontaneity

13. Rates of Chemical Reaction

• Elementary treatment of the following factors which can change the rate of a chemical reaction

• Temperature

• Concentration

• Surface area

• Reaction rate curves

• Activation energy Qualitative treatment of Arrhenius' law and the collision theory

• Effect of light on some reactions

14. Chemical equilibrium

• Reversible reactions and factors governing the equilibrium position

• Dynamic equilibrium

• Le Chatelier's principle and equilibrium constant

15. Non-metals and their compounds

• Hydrogen

• Commercial production from water gas and cracking of petroleum fractions

• Properties, uses and test for hydrogen

• Halogens

• Chlorine as a representative element of the halogen

• Industrial preparation by electrolysis, properties and uses

• Hydrogen chloride and Hydrochloric acid

• Chlorides and test for chlorides

• Oxygen and Sulphur

• Oxygen: Laboratory preparation, properties and uses

• Commercial production from liquid air

• Oxides: Acidic, basic, amphoteric and neutral

• Trioxygen (ozone)

• Sulphur: Uses and allotropes

• Trioxosulphate (IV) acid and its salts

• Tetraoxosulphate(VI) acid

• An oxidizing and a dehydrating agent and uses

• Hydrogen sulphide

• Nitrogen

• Laboratory preparation

• Production from liquid air

• Ammonia

• Trioxonitrate (V) acid

• Oxides of nitrogen

• Carbon

• Allotropes

• Carbon(IV) oxide- Laboratory preparation, properties and uses

• Action of heat on trioxocarbonate (IV) salts and test for CO32

• Carbon(II) oxide

• Coal

• Coke

16. Metals and their compounds

• General properties of metals

• Alkali metals

• Sodium hydroxide

• Sodium trioxocarbonate (IV) and sodium hydrogen trioxocarbonate (IV)

• Sodium chloride

• Alkaline-earth metals

• Properties and uses of Alkaline-earth

• Preparation of calcium oxide from sea shells

• The chemical composition of cement and the setting of mortar

• Aluminium Purification of bauxite

• Electrolytic extraction

• Properties and uses of aluminium and its compounds

• Tin Extraction from its ores, Properties and uses

• Metals of the first transition series, Characteristic properties

• Electron configuration

• Oxidation states

• Complex ion formation

• Formation of coloured ions

• Catalysis

• Iron Extraction from sulphide and oxide ores

• Properties and uses of Iron

• Different forms of iron and their properties and advantages of steel over iron

• Copper Extraction from sulphide and oxide ores

• Properties and uses of copper

• Preparation and uses of copper(II) tetraoxosulphate(VI)

17. Organic Compounds

• Aliphatic hydrocarbons

• Alkanes Homologous series in relation to physical properties

• Substitution reaction and a few examples and uses of halogenated products

• Isomerism

• Petroleum

• Petrochemicals

• Alkenes Isomerism

• Alkynes Ethyne

• Aromatic hydrocarbons

• Benzene - structure, properties and uses

• Alkanols Primary, secondary, tertiary - production of ethanol by fermentation and from petroleum by-products

• Local examples of fermentation and distillation

• Reactions of OH group

• Alkanals and alkanones

• Chemical test to distinguish between alkanals and alkanones

• Alkanoic acids . Chemical reactions

• Neutralization and esterification

• Ethanedioic (oxalic) acid

• Alkanoates Formation from alkanoic acids and alkanols

• Saponification

• Amines (Alkanamines) Primary, Secondary, and tertiary

• Carbohydrates Classification

• Hydrolysis of complex sugars

• Proteins

• Enzymes and their functions

• Polymers

• Natural and synthetic rubber

• Addition and condensation polymerization

• Thermoplastic and thermosetting plastics

18. Chemistry and Industry

• Chemical industries

• Types of Chemical industries

• Raw materials of Chemical industries

• Relevancies of Chemical industries

• Biotechnology