Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2023

First exams 2025

|

Practice Paper 1A (HL IB Chemistry)

Practice Paper Questions

11 mark

Which equation does not represent sublimation or deposition?

  • NH3 (g) + HCl (g) → NH4Cl (s)

  • I2 (s) → I2 (g)

  • C16H10O (s) → C16H10O (g) 

  • H2O (g) → H2O (s)

Did this page help you?

21 mark

The reaction shown occurs in gas clouds throughout the Universe.

H2 (g) + H2+ (g) → H (g) + H3+ (g)

Which is the correct atomic structure of the H3+ ion?

             

     protons        

     neutrons          

           electrons            

A

B

C

D

3

3

2

2

0

0

1

1

1

2

1

2

    Did this page help you?

    31 mark

    What is the electronic configuration of an ion with a single negative charge and atomic number 17?

    • 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s1 3p6

    • 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6

    • 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s1 3p5

    • 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p5

    Did this page help you?

    41 mark

    A compound contains carbon and hydrogen only. The amount of carbon is 80% by mass. What is the empirical formula of the compound?

                                                 (RAMs, H = 1.01, C = 12.01)

    • CH

    • CH2

    • CH3

    • CH4

    Did this page help you?

    51 mark

    A 5370 cm3 sample of oxygen is measured at a temperature of 60°C. The pressure measured was 103,000 Pa.

    Assume the gas behaves as an ideal gas.

    What is the mass of the sample of oxygen?

    • 35.5

    • 6.39

    • 6.39 x 10-3 

    • 6.39 x 106

    Did this page help you?

    61 mark

    What is the correct formula for aluminium sulfate?

    • Al3(SO4)2

    • Al(SO4)2

    • Al2(SO4)3

    • AlSO4

    Did this page help you?

    71 mark

    In acidic conditions, ammonia, NH3, reacts with a proton, H+, to form ammonium NH4+.

    Using the following key:

     bold times   N electron

    cross times   H electron

    Which of the following Dot & Cross diagrams correctly illustrate electron movement in this reaction.

    q6_4-1_easy_mcq_ib-chemistry-sl

      Did this page help you?

      81 mark

      Below are four molecules. Which is the most polar molecule present?

      • CH3NH2

      • CH4

      • CCl4

      • CO2

      Did this page help you?

      91 mark

      Which of the following structures do not obey the octet rule?

      1. BeCl2
      2. BF3
      3. H2O
      • I and II only

      • I and III only

      • II and III only

      • I, II and III

      Did this page help you?

      101 mark

      Which is the shortest bond length in the following gases?

      • oxygen-oxygen in oxygen gas, O2

      • carbon-carbon in ethyne gas, C2H2

      • nitrogen-nitrogen in nitrogen gas, N2

      • oxygen-oxygen in ozone gas, O3

      Did this page help you?

      111 mark

      Which statement about metals is correct?

      • The melting point of vanadium is higher than that of calcium

      • Scandium is a transition metal

      • Transition metals are good conductors of electricity due to the incomplete d-subshell

      • The electronic configuration of Zn2+ is 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d10

      Did this page help you?

      121 mark

      Plastics made from this polyester, with the following repeat unit, only soften at high temperatures.

      7-6-q2-m-mcq-al-chem

      Which statement correctly explains the reason for this?

      • The polymer chains contain strong carbon-carbon bonds.

      • The polymer chains contain hydrogen bonding and van der Waals’ forces between them.

      • The polymer chains contain permanent dipole-dipole forces and van der Waals’ forces between them.

      • The polymer chains contain strong carbon-oxygen bonds.

      Did this page help you?

      131 mark

      Non-metallic elements in the p block can have the following two properties:

      • property 1: atoms with no paired electrons in 3p
      • property 2: have an oxide that can form a strong acid in water

      Which properties do phosphorus and sulfur have? 

        sulfur phosphorus
      A

      2 only

      1 and 2 

      B

      1 and 2 

      2 only

      C

      1 and 2 

      1 and 2

      D 2 only 1 only

        Did this page help you?

        141 mark

        Bromine exists as two isotopes 79Br and 81Br, which are found in almost equal abundance. 

        Which of the following statements is correct?

        • 79Br is more reactive than 81Br

        • The mass spectrum of C3H7Br has two molecular ion peaks at 122 and 124

        • The atomic radius of 79Br is less than the atomic radius of 81Br

        • The first ionisation energy of 79Br is less than the first ionisation energy of 81Br

        Did this page help you?

        151 mark

        The first ionisation energies and reactions with water for sodium and caesium are compared below.

        Which set of statements, comparing sodium and caesium, are correct?

         

        Na first ionisation energy

        Cs first ionisation energy

        Na reaction with water

        Cs reaction with water

        A

        Lower

        Higher

        Faster

        Slower

        B

        Lower

        Higher

        Slower

        Faster

        C

        Higher

        Lower

        Faster

        Slower

        D

        Higher

        Lower

        Slower

        Faster

          Did this page help you?

          161 mark

          An element Z has the same oxidation state as a common iron ion but the Z ion has the same number of electrons as Ne . An oxide of element Z reacts with a strong acid to produce a chloride salt but does not dissolve in water.

          What is the correct identity of element Z?

          • Magnesium

          • Silicon

          • Sodium

          • Aluminium

          Did this page help you?

          171 mark

          What is the whole number coefficient for oxygen when the equation for the combustion of pentanol is balanced?

          C5H11OH(g) + O2  → CO2(g) + H2O(g)

          • 7

          • 8

          • 15

          • 16

          Did this page help you?

          181 mark

          Which alcohol is likely to have a fragment ion at m/e = 31 in its mass spectrum?

          • CH3)2CHCH2OH

          • CH3CH(OH)CH2CH2CH3

          • CH3CH2CH2C(OH)(CH3)2

          • CH3CH2CH(OH)CH3

          Did this page help you?

          191 mark

          The diagram shows an infrared spectrum of a compound.

          11-1-mcq-q3-hard-ib-chemistry

          bond

          wavenumber range/ cm-1

          C−O; hydroxyl, ester

          1040 – 1300

          C═C; aromatic compound, alkene

          1500 - 1680

          C═O amide

          carbonyl, carboxyl

          ester

          1640 – 1690

          1670 – 1740

          1710 - 1750

          C≡N; nitrile

          2200 – 2250

          C−H; alkane

          2850 – 2950

          N−H; amine, amide

          3300 – 3500

          O−H; carboxyl

          hydroxyl

          2500 – 3000

          3200 - 3600

          Which compound would give this spectrum?

          • butanoic acid

          • butanal

          • butan-1-ol

          • 1-bromobutane

          Did this page help you?

          201 mark

          The table below discusses three types of enthalpy change:

          ‘+’ means that this type of standard enthalpy change can only have positive values,

          ‘–’ means that this type of standard enthalpy change can only have negative values,

          ‘+ / –’ means that either positive or negative values are possible. 

          Which row is correct?

           

          formation

          combustion

          neutralisation

          A

          +

          +

          + / –

          B

          + / –

          +

          + / –

          C

          + / –

          D

          +

            Did this page help you?

            211 mark

            Propanone has the molecular formula C3H6O. Use the following information to calculate the enthalpy change for the formation of propanone? 

            The enthalpy change of combustion of carbon is x kJ mol -1

            The enthalpy change of combustion of hydrogen is y kJ mol -1

            The enthalpy change of combustion of propanone is z kJ mol -1

            • x + y - z

            • 3x + 3y - z

            • z - 3x + 3y 

            • 3x + 3y + z

            Did this page help you?

            221 mark

            Which of the following products are possible from the incomplete combustion of alkanes?

            I.  

               C

            II.    CO

            III.    

            H2

            • I and II only

            • I and III only

            • II and III only

            • I, II and III

            Did this page help you?

            231 mark

            Combustion of ethene proceeds via the reaction shown in the Hess cycle diagram.q5_5-2_ib_sl_medium_mcq

             What are the correct elements missing from the Hess cycle?

            • 2C (g) + 2H2 (g) + 3O2 (g)

            • C (s) + H2 (g) + O2 (g)

            • 2C (s) + 2H2 (g) + 3O2 (g)

            • C2 (s) + 2H2 (g) + 3O2 (g)

            Did this page help you?

            241 mark

            Which statements are correct for the following reaction?

            CO(NH2)2 (aq) + H2O (l) → CO2 (g) + 2NH3 (g)

            ΔHϴr = +119 kJ mol-1

            ΔSϴ = +354.8 J K-1 mol-1

            1.   The reaction will be feasible at high temperatures 
            2.   The reaction will never be feasible 
            3.   The reaction becomes more disordered

            • I and II only

            • I and III only

            • II and III only 

            • I, II and III

            Did this page help you?

            251 mark

            When heated, anhydrous magnesium nitrate, Mg(NO3)2, will decompose into magnesium oxide and a mixture of gases shown in the following equation

            2Mg(NO3)2 (s) → 2MgO (s) + 4NO2 (g) + O2 (g)

            1.48 g of anhydrous magnesium nitrate is heated until no further reaction takes place.

            What mass of nitrogen dioxide is produced?

            • 0.92 g

            • 0.46 g

            • 1.48 g

            • 1.84 g

            Did this page help you?

            261 mark

            The diagram below represents, for a given temperature, the Boltzmann distribution of the kinetic energy of the molecules in a mixture of two gases that react slowly together without a catalyst.

            The activation energy for the reaction, Ea, is marked for the uncatalysed reaction

            What would the position of Ea be if the reaction took place with an effective catalyst?

            ydDSj_Kd_10

              Did this page help you?

              271 mark

              Four possible energy profiles are shown below, for reactions carried out at the same temperature.

              Which energy profile shows a reaction that is likely to proceed most rapidly and with a good yield?

              vKKpsGmm_11

                Did this page help you?

                281 mark

                For the following reaction at equilibrium

                H2S (aq)  +  Mg2+ (aq)  ⇋   MgS (s)   +  2H+ (aq)              ΔH < 0

                Which of the following changes will result in more MgS being produced?

                • Adding sodium hydroxide

                • Decreasing the pressure

                • Adding a catalyst

                • Increasing the temperature

                Did this page help you?

                291 mark

                A beaker containing 100 cm3 of 2M sulfuric acid, H2SO4 (aq), was placed on a balance and then an excess of powdered zinc was added. The change in mass was recorded against time and the results plotted on a graph as shown in line I below.

                What change in conditions could result in line II shown on the graph?

                hard-5

                • Using twice as much powdered Zn

                • Using pieces of zinc that have the same mass as the powder

                • Raising the temperature of the sulfuric acid, H2SO4 (aq)

                • Using more concentrated H2SO4 (aq), but keeping the volume the same

                Did this page help you?

                301 mark

                When a chemical reaction reaches equilibrium which of the following can be said about the concentrations of the substances present, and the rates of reaction?

                 

                Concentrations of the reactants and products

                Rates of forward and backward reactions

                A

                Continue to change

                Remain the same

                B

                Remain constant

                Remain the same

                C

                Continue to change

                Are different

                D

                Remain constant

                Are different

                  Did this page help you?

                  311 mark

                  The diagram shows a Boltzmann distribution of molecular energies for a gaseous mixture. The distribution has a peak, labelled Q on the diagram.

                  gpjmU9ym_12

                  What happens when an effective catalyst is added to the mixture?

                  • the height of the peak remains the same, and the activation energy moves to the left 

                  • the height of the peak decreases and the activation energy moves to the left

                  • the height of the peak remains the same, and the activation energy moves to the right

                  • the height of the peak decreases and the activation energy moves to the right

                  Did this page help you?

                  321 mark

                  What role does each species play in the equilibrium below according to Brønsted-Lowry theory?

                  CH3COOH + HCl  ⇌ CH3COOH2+ + Cl-

                   

                  CH3COOH

                  HCl

                  CH3COOH2+

                  Cl-

                  A

                  acid

                  base

                  base

                  acid

                  B

                  acid

                  base

                  acid

                  base

                  C

                  base

                  acid

                  base

                  acid

                  D

                  base

                  acid

                  acid

                  base

                    Did this page help you?

                    331 mark

                    What is the sum of the coefficients when the following acid-base equation is balanced?

                    _Al2(CO3)3 (s) + _HNO3 (aq)  ⇌ _Al(NO3)3 (aq) + _H2O (l) +  _CO2 (g)

                    • 6

                    • 7

                    • 14

                    • 15

                    Did this page help you?

                    341 mark

                    When sulfuric acid and sodium iodide react, one of the reactions that takes place is shown by the equation below: 

                                8NaI  +  9H2SO4  →  8NaHSO4  +  4I2  +  H2S  +  4H2

                    Which species has been oxidised in this reaction?

                    • I

                    • SO42−

                    • Na+

                    • H+

                    Did this page help you?

                    351 mark

                    The following reaction can be used to determine the mass of titanium dioxide in an ore. 

                                3TiO2  +  4BrF3  →  3TiF4  +  2Br2  +  3O2 

                    Which element increases in oxidation number in this reaction?

                    • fluorine

                    • bromine

                    • titanium

                    • oxygen

                    Did this page help you?

                    361 mark

                    Ethane reacts with bromine in the presence of ultraviolet light to form tribromoethane and hydrogen bromide.

                    The reaction proceeds via free radical substitution involving initiation, propagation and termination steps.

                    Which equation represents a possible termination step in this reaction?

                    • 2C2H4  → C4H8

                    • C2H4Br + C2H5 → C4H9Br

                    • C2H4 + C2H3Br → C4H7Br

                    • C2H3Br2 + C2H3Br → C4H6Br3

                    Did this page help you?

                    371 mark

                    Which reaction is an example of nucleophilic substitution?

                    • C6H6 + Br2 → C6H5Br+ HBr

                    • CH2=CH2 + HBr → CH3CH2Br

                    • C3H7Br + H2O → C3H7OH + HBr

                    • C2H6 + Br2 → C2H5Br + HBr

                    Did this page help you?

                    381 mark

                    In which complexes does iron have an oxidation state of +3? 

                    1.   [Fe(H2O)6]3+
                    2.   [Fe(H2O)5(CN)]2+
                    3.   [Fe(CN)6]3−
                    • I and II only

                    • I and III only

                    • II and III only

                    • I, II and III

                    Did this page help you?

                    39
                    Sme Calculator
                    1 mark

                    Consider the following equation

                    AgCl + 2NH3→ [Ag(NH3)2]+ + Cl-

                    Which of the following statements is correct?

                    • Silver is acting as a Lewis base

                    • AgCl is acting a Lewis base

                    • NH3 is acting as a Brønsted-Lowry base

                    • Silver ions are acting as a Lewis acid

                    Did this page help you?

                    40
                    Sme Calculator
                    1 mark

                    Which molecule can react with both sodium borohydride, NaBH4, and warm acidified potassium dichromate(VI)?

                    • CH3CHOHCH3

                    • CH3C(CH3)2CHO

                    • (CH3)3COH

                    • CH3C(CH3)2CH2OH

                    Did this page help you?