2017 RACI AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL CHEMISTRY QUIZ YEAR 11

DATA

TABLE 1. RELATIVE ATOMIC MASSES (RAMS)

Element RAM Element RAM Element RAM Element RAM Element RAM

H 1.008 N 14.01 C 12.01 O 16.00 Mg 24.31

S 32.07 Ca 40.08 Sr 87.62 Ba 137.3

TABLE 2. PHYSICAL CONSTANTS

23 -1 -1 -1
Avogadro constant 6.02 x 10 mol Molar gas constant 8.31 J K mol

TABLE 3. UNITS

Prefixes Unit conversions

-1 3
d deci 10 1 L = 1 dm
-2 3
c centi 10 1 mL = 1 cm
-3
m milli 10 0 C (ice point) = 273.2 K

TABLE 4. STANDARD CONDITIONS FOR GASES

Ideal gas at Temperature Pressure Molar volume

Standard Laboratory
3 -1
Conditions (SLC) 25.0 C = 298.2 K 100.0 kPa 24.8 dm mol

GAS LAWS

1. The equation below states the relationship between the pressure, volume and temperature of a fixed amount of an ideal gas
sealed in a container, when there is a change in one or more of these conditions.

P1V1 = P2V2
T1 T2
T1 and T2 are the initial and final temperature of the gas in kelvin
P1 and P2 are the initial and final pressure of the gas (measured in same units)
V1 and V2 are the initial and final volume of the gas (measured in same units)

2. The equation below states the following relationship between the pressure, volume and temperature and the amount of an ideal
gas sealed in a container.

PV = nRT

P = pressure of gas in pascals (Pa) V = volume of gas in cubic metres (m 3)

n = amount of gas, in moles (mol) R = molar gas constant (see Table 2)
T = temperature of gas in kelvin (K)

pH SCALE

pH is a measure of the acidity of water and aqueous solutions. It is defined in terms of the concentration of hydrogen ions in
solution, according to the following relationship. The pH scale can be represented as shown.

pH = -log10[H+] This relationship can be transformed to [H+] = 10

–pH
where [H+] = concentration of hydrogen ions in mol L-1
Question 1

Which one of the following species contains the smallest number of neutrons?
3 4 5 7
A. H B. Li C. He D. Be

Question 2

How many ammonia molecules are present in 0.0562 g of pure ammonia, NH 3?

-3 21 21
A. 3.30 x10 B. 0.225 C. 1.99 x 10 D. 7.94 x 10

Question 3

Some physical properties of the following four substances were investigated.

Potassium bromide, KBr Ethanol, C2H5OH Silicon dioxide, SiO2 Nickel, Ni

Each substance was given a code number. The table below shows the properties of the four substances.

Substance Melting point Solubility in water Electrical conductivity

code number (C) at 25 C at 25 C
1 -114 Miscible Non-conductor
2 1455 Insoluble Good conductor
3 734 Soluble Non-conductor
4 1713 Insoluble Non-conductor

The substances 1, 2, 3 and 4 are, in order

A. KBr, SiO2, C2H5OH, Ni B. C2H5OH, SiO2, Ni, KBr

C. SiO2, C2H5OH, KBr, Ni D. C2H5OH, Ni, KBr, SiO2

Question 4

A helium atom is said to be in its ground state when its electrons

A. occupy the lowest energy levels possible.

B. occupy the highest energy levels possible.
C. are continuously moving between the energy levels.
D. have stopped moving between the energy levels.

Question 5

Which one of the following electronic configurations represents the uncharged atoms of an element with a maximum oxidation
state of +5?
2 2 5 2 2 6 2 1 2 2 6 2 3 2 2 6 2 6 7 2
A. 1s 2s 2p B. 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p C. 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p D. 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 3d 4s

Question 6

Which one of the following samples of oxygen gas contains the largest amount of oxygen (in mol)?
3 3
A. 50 dm at 100 kPa and 300 K B. 40 dm at 200 kPa and 400 K
3 3
C. 30 dm at 300 kPa and 500 K D. 20 dm at 400 kPa and 700 K
Question 7

The electronegativity of an element is a measure of the ability of its atoms to attract electrons of a covalent bond towards it.

If two atoms that are bonded together by a covalent bond have different electronegativities, the shared electrons will be drawn
towards the atom with the greater electronegativity. As a result, the more electronegative atom develops a slight negative charge,
represented by a - sign, and the less electronegative atom develops a slight positive charge, represented by a + sign.

An example of this is the hydrogen chloride molecule, HCl. It is described as a polar molecule.

If the atoms are part of a small polyatomic molecule, one end will have a slight positive charge and the other end will have a slight
negative charge. However, if the molecule is symmetrical, the forces of attraction on the shared electrons oppose each other and
the overall molecule is non-polar.

Which one of the polyatomic molecules shown below is classified as polar?

A. carbon disulfide B. silane C. trichloroborane D. dichloromethane

Question 8

A 5.23 g sample of powdered pure sodium carbonate, Na 2CO3, is weighed out.

3
It is then added to a 250.0 cm volumetric flask, like the one shown in the photograph, using
a funnel.
3
Next 100 cm of de-ionised water is added to the flask. The mixture is thoroughly mixed and
all the powder dissolves.
3
The solution is then made up to the 250.0 cm mark and again thoroughly mixed.
-1
[M(Na2CO3) = 105.99 g mol ]

What is the final concentration of the Na2CO3 solution?

-3 -3 -3 -3
A. 0.0123 mol dm B. 0.197 mol dm C. 0.252 mol dm D. 0.498 mol dm

Question 9

Salvage experts use air-filled balloons to lift heavy objects from a

shipwreck to the surface of the ocean.

To lift an object weighing 3 tonne from 20 m below the surface up to the

3
surface, a balloon that has a volume of 3.0 m at 20 m below the
surface is used.

At that depth the pressure on the air in the balloon is 300 kPa, while at
the surface, the pressure is 100 kPa.

The temperature of the air in the balloon increases from 5.0 C at 20 m

deep to 15.0 C at the surface.

What volume will the air in the balloon occupy when it reaches the surface?
3 3 3 3
A. 3.0 m B. 8.7 m C. 9.3 m D. 27 m
Question 10

Which one of the following reactions would be classified as a Lowry-Brønsted acid-base reaction?

A. CaO(s) + 2HCl(aq)  CaCl2(aq) + H2O(l)

B. Zn(s) + 2HNO3(aq)  Zn(NO3)2(aq) + H2(g)

C. NaCl(aq) + AgNO3(aq)  NaNO3(aq) + AgCl(s)

D. CuSO4(aq) + Ni(s)  NiSO4(aq) + Cu(s)

Questions 11 and 12 refer to the following information.

The table below shows the solubility in water of a small number of substances at different temperatures.

Molar Melting Boiling Solubility (g /100 g water)

Substance Formula mass point point
-1
(g mol ) (C) (C) 0 C 20 C 60 C 100 C

oxygen O2 32.00 -219 -183 0.048 0.031 0.019 ~0

ammonia NH3 17.03 -78 -33 1130 680 200 ~0

silver nitrate AgNO3 169.9 210 440 122 216 440 733
(decomposes)

calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 74.09 580 Not applicable 0.189 0.173 0.121 0.076
(decomposes)

Question 11

Some solid AgNO3 is added to 50.0 g water at 100 C until no more will dissolve. The solution is then cooled to 20 C.

The mass of crystals of AgNO3 that should form at the bottom of the container is

A. 0 g B. 108 g C. 259 g D. 517 g

Question 12

From the evidence provided in the table it can be concluded that

A. as water is heated, the solubility of all substances in water decreases.

B. NH3 gas is more than 20 000 times more soluble in water at 20 C than O2 gas.
C. to completely dissolve 2.0 g of Ca(OH)2 in water at 20 C, 1.0 kg of water would be required.
D. the greater the molar mass of a substance, the greater its solubility in water at any given temperature.

Question 13

These images show different possible structures of carbon nanotubes. Each

tube has the hexagonal structure of a single layer of graphite, and is usually
about 4 nm is diameter. The lines shown represent covalent bonds.

Because of their extremely small size, carbon nanotubes exhibit unusual

properties. For example, they have exceptional strength and excellent electrical
and thermal conductivity.

Carbon nanotubes are excellent electrical conductors because

A. all the outermost electrons of each C atom in the nanotube are involved in covalent bonds.
B. the shared electrons around each C atom repel each other, causing them to move along the nanotube.
C. one electron from the outermost occupied electron shell of each C atom is free to move along the nanotube.
D. the nanotubes are hollow so the outermost electrons of each C atom can move very rapidly through their centre.
Question 14

If 2.00 mL of a 0.100 M HCl solution is diluted to 200.0 mL by the addition of pure water, its pH will now be

A. 3.00 B. 2.00 C. 1.00 D. 0.00100

Question 15
3 3
20 cm of a gaseous hydrocarbon required 90 cm of oxygen for complete combustion. Both volumes were measured under the
same conditions.

The hydrocarbon must be

A. C3H6 B. C3H4 C. C2H4 D. CH4

Question 16

When sodium hydroxide solution, NaOH, is added to copper(II) sulfate solution, CuSO4,
a blue jelly-like substance is produced. This substance is copper(II) hydroxide, Cu(OH) 2.

The balanced equation for this reaction is shown below.

2NaOH(aq) + CuSO4(aq)  Cu(OH)2(s) + Na2SO4(aq)

-1 -1
M(NaOH) = 40.00 g mol ; M[Cu(OH)2] = 97.57 g mol

What mass of Cu(OH)2 precipitate will form if a solution containing 10.00 g of NaOH is added to excess CuSO 4 solution?

A. 5.00 g B. 12.20 g C. 24.40 g D. 48.79 g

Question 17

The element chlorine is present on Earth as two different isotopes, as shown in the table.

35 37
Isotope Cl Cl

Relative isotopic mass 34.97 36.97

(correct to 4 significant figures)

Percentage abundance 75.78 % 24.22 %

Which statement about chlorine molecules, Cl2, is INCORRECT?

A. Chlorine gas consists of a mixture of Cl2 molecules that have three different molecular masses.
B. The chemical properties of Cl2 molecules are not affected by how many isotopes are present.
C. All Cl2 molecules contain the same number of protons but not the same number of neutrons.
D. The average relative mass of Cl2 molecules in a natural sample of chlorine gas is 35.97.

Question 18

Which of the following solutions will have the HIGHEST pH?

A. 0.001 M CH3COOH B. 0.1 M H2SO4 C. 0.1 M HNO3 D. 1 M HCl

Question 19

The following equation is unbalanced.

aNH3(g) + bO2(g)  cNO(g) + dH2O(g)

The coefficients a, b, c and d of the balanced equation are

A. 4, 5, 4, 6 B. 2, 3, 2, 3 C. 4, 3, 4, 2 D. 2, 4, 2, 3
Question 20

In a paper chromatography experiment, very small drops of coloured dyes are placed
along a line drawn with a lead pencil across chromatography paper. The paper is
suspended above a solvent in a sealed container, as shown in the diagram. The bottom
of the paper is in the solvent but the pencil line is above it.

The solvent then creeps up the paper. This causes the dyes to separate into the
coloured compounds from which they are made. These travel up the paper at different
speeds. When they have separated, the paper is removed and dried.

The paper is called the stationary phase and the solvent is called the mobile phase.

The speed at which a particular substance travels up the paper from the pencil line
depends on how strongly its molecules are attracted to the stationary phase compared
with how strongly they are attracted to the mobile phase. Paper is a polar substance.

Which statement about this process is CORRECT?

A. A particular coloured compound will travel the same distance no matter what the solvent is.
B. The yellow compound must be the most polar compound present in the dyes that were tested.
C. The distance travelled by a coloured compound up the paper depends only on the time allowed.
D. A lead pencil is used because the graphite it deposits on the paper will not dissolve in any solvent.

Question 21

Both Teflon, which is used to coat non-stick cookware, and polyethene, which is
used to make plastic bags, are classified as polymers. Polymers (many parts) are
giant molecules that are made from many repeating units known as monomers (one
part).

The first image on the right shows the structure of a Teflon molecule. It consists of a
very long chain of carbon atoms. Two fluorine atoms are attached to each carbon
atom, except for the carbon atoms on the ends of the chain. (These have three
fluorine atoms attached to them.) Since it is virtually symmetrical, this is classified as
a non-polar molecule. The semi-structural formula of the monomers is CF2CF2.

The second image shows the structure of a polyethene molecule. The only difference
is that hydrogen atoms are attached to the carbon atoms instead of fluorine atoms.
The semi-structural formula of the monomers is CH2CH2.

Teflon does not melt when it is used to line frying pans, while polyethene will melt if in contact with a hot frying pan.

Some students suggested the following explanations. Which student explanation is CORRECT?

A. Fluorine atoms are less reactive than hydrogen atoms so are more stable when heated.
B. Teflon molecules can form covalent bonds between the molecules, while polyethene molecules cannot.
C. Unlike Teflon molecules, polyethene molecules are polar and so the covalent bonds in them are weaker.
D. Teflon molecules have greater surface area and therefore have stronger intermolecular forces of attraction.

Question 22

A certain sulfate has the empirical formula XSO4, where X represents an unknown Group 2 metal.

A pure sample of this sulfate is analysed and found to contain 23.55 % by mass of sulfur.

Which Group 2 metal does X represent?

A. magnesium B. calcium C. strontium D. barium

Question 23

Which one of the following is the CORRECT semi-structural formula of 2,3-dimethylpentane?

A. (CH3)2CHCH2CH2CH2CH3 B. CH3C(CH3)2CH2CH2CH3

C. CH3CH(CH3)CH(CH3)CH2CH3 D. CH3CH(CH3)CH(CH3)CH2CH2CH3

Questions 24 and 25 refer to the following information.

+ –
Ag (aq) + e ⇌ Ag(s) The table on the left ranks some metals in terms of
their reactivity.
2+ –
Cu (aq) + 2e ⇌ Cu(s)
The lower the metal is on the table, the greater its
2+
Fe (aq) + 2e ⇌ Fe(s)
– strength as a reducing agent and therefore the more


reactive it is.
2+
Zn (aq) + 2e ⇌ Zn(s)
– Increasing strength of
The corrosion of a metal is its oxidation to the
metal as a reducing agent
3+ –
corresponding metal ion by some oxidizing agent in
Al (aq) + 3e ⇌ Al(s) its environment.
2+ –
Mg (aq) + 2e ⇌ Mg(s) Water in which oxygen is dissolved is one
environmental agent that can cause corrosion.
+ –
Na (aq) + e ⇌ Na(s)

Question 24

Why is sodium metal a stronger reducing agent than copper metal?

A. Na atoms only need to lose 1 electron while Cu atoms need to lose 2 to achieve a more stable electronic configuration.
B. Uncharged Na atoms only have 3 occupied electron shells while uncharged Cu atoms have 4 occupied electron shells.
C. The attraction between the outermost electron and the nucleus is far weaker in Na atoms than in Cu atoms.
D. Na metal is softer and has a lower melting point than Cu metal.

Question 25

If a metal is in contact with a more reactive metal, the more reactive metal will corrode in preference to it. This is termed sacrificial
corrosion. If a metal is completely coated with a less reactive metal, it will be protected as long as there is no break in the coating.

Which of the following will be LEAST effective in slowing down the corrosion of iron?

A. Plating it with silver metal.

B. Winding some copper wire around it.
C. Attaching a block of aluminium to its surface.
D. Using a small electrical current to ‘pump’ electrons into it.

Question 26

Nitrogen is an essential element in the production of proteins. However, it is very unreactive. In the nitrogen cycle, it is made
accessible to plants through its conversion by bacteria present in soils to a range of soluble nitrogen compounds, including
nitrates and ammonium compounds. In which of the following species is nitrogen in its highest oxidation state?
- +
A. NO3 B. NH4 C. NH3 D. NO2

Question 27

Bioethanol, C2H5OH, is produced on a large scale by the fermentation of sugars such as glucose, C 6H12O6, in the presence of
-1
yeast. [M(C6H12O6) = 180.156 g mol ]

The equation for the reaction is shown below.

C6H12O6(aq)  2C2H5OH(aq) + 2CO2(g)

What volume of carbon dioxide gas at Standard Laboratory Conditions (SLC) is produced per kilogram of glucose?
3 3 3 3
A. 8.94 dm B. 49.6 dm C. 138 dm D. 275 dm
Question 28

The following graph shows the change in the pH of a solution when one substance showing acid-base properties (Substance X) is
slowly added to another substance with acid-base properties.

It can be concluded that

A. a strong base is being added to a very weak base. B. a strong base is being added to a strong acid.
C. a strong acid is being added to a very weak acid. D. a strong acid is being added to a very weak base.

Question 29

Hydrochloric acid. HCl, reacts with barium hydroxide according to the following equation.

2HCl(aq) + Ba(OH)2(aq)  BaCl2 (aq) + 2H2O(l)

3
What volume of 0.950 M HCl will exactly neutralise 25.0 cm of 0.500 M Ba(OH)2?
3 3 3 3
A. 13.2 cm B. 23.8 cm C. 26.3 cm D. 50.0 cm

Question 30

After discovering the existence of electrons, Sir Joseph Thomson, a Nobel Prize-winning physics professor, proposed that atoms
are a sphere of positively charged material in which electrons are embedded. This was called the plum pudding model of the
atom. His former student Ernest Rutherford, a New Zealander who was by then a physics professor himself, wanted to test that
model. At that stage, protons had not yet been discovered.

In 1909, Rutherford gave two of his students, Hans Gieger and Ernest Marsden, the task
2+
of observing what happens when a narrow beam of He ions (alpha-particles) from a
radioactive source are fired at very high speed at very fine gold foil that was just a few
atoms thick.

Surrounding the apparatus was a screen that showed a flash of light each time it was hit
2+
by a He ion. Using a microscope, the physicists could see the direction in which these
very tiny positively charged ions moved after reaching the gold foil.
2+
The physicists reasoned that if Thomson’s model were correct, the He ions would move
through the gaps between the significantly larger gold atoms and hit the screen directly
behind the gold foil. This was observed for most of the ions.

However, some of the ions moved off at an angle, and one in every few thousand did not
pass through the foil at all. Instead they bounced back on the same side, as shown in the
diagram. The physicists were completely surprised.

Which of the following could NOT possibly explain the observations?

2+
A. Some He ions had less kinetic energy so were less able to move directly through the gaps.
B. While the forces acting on most ions balanced out, a powerful force of repulsion acted on some.
C. The positive charge of the atom must be concentrated in a very small volume and not spread out.
2+
D. The gold atoms in the foil must have been radioactive and emitted the He ions that bounced back.

Paper prepared by Jenny Sharwood, Jason Wallace and Jennifer Willis. Reviewed by Dr Adrian George.