Bulk & Surface Properties of Matter Including Nanoparticles | Edexcel GCSE Chemistry Exam Questions 2018

1a1 mark

Figure 1 shows a mug made of clay ceramic.

fig-1-q1a-1cho-2f-paper-1-nov-2021

Figure 1

Which property of clay ceramic makes it suitable for use as a mug?

☐	A	is brittle
☐	B	is not transparent
☐	C	does not conduct electricity
☐	D	does not dissolve in water

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1b2 marks

Figure 2 shows the properties of some materials.

material	property
material	brittle	conducts electricity	conducts heat	transparent
clay ceramic	yes	no	no	no
glass	yes	no	no	yes
metal	no	yes	yes	no
polymer	no	no	no	no

Figure 2

Figure 3 shows an electrical cable.
The electrical cable is made of metal wire coated with another material.
The metal wire inside the electrical cable conducts electricity.

fig-3-q1b-1cho-2f-paper-1-nov-2021

Figure 3

i)

Name a material from Figure 2 that would be suitable for coating the metal wire.

(1)

ii)

Which type of particle moves through the metal wire to allow it to conduct electricity?

(1)

☐	A	atoms
☐	B	electrons
☐	C	neutrons
☐	D	protons

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1c

3 marks

There are some concerns that nanoparticles may cause harm if they enter the human body.

i)

Suggest one way that nanoparticles can enter the human body.

(1)
.

ii)

Suggest one possible risk if nanoparticles enter the human body.

(1)

iii)

The surface area of a nanoparticle of gold is 150 nm²The volume of a nanoparticle of gold is 125 nm³

$ratio = \frac{surface area}{volume}$

Calculate the surface area to volume ratio of this nanoparticle of gold.

(1)

surface area to volume ratio = ................................... : 1

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2a5 marks

This question is about materials and their properties.

FIgure 1 shows a tennis racket.

Table 1 shows the properties of some materials that could be used to make tennis racket frames.

Table 1

Material	Density in g / cm³	Relative stiffness	Relative strength
Aluminium	2.7	70	0.3
Carbon nanotube	1.3 - 1.4	1000	60
Wood	0.2 - 1.2	13	0.1

Compare and evaluate the use of the materials to make tennis racket frames.

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2b

3 marks

Heat sinks are objects that absorb and dissipate heat from another object using thermal contact. Figure 2 shows the application of heat sinks in computers, where they are used to protect the processor from being damaged due to overheating.

Thermal grease containing nanoparticles of silver can be applied to the gap between the heat sink and the processor.

Table 2 shows the approximate diameters of different types of particle.

Table 2

Particle	Diameter in m
Coarse	1.0 x 10^-6
Fine	1.0 x 10^-7
Nano	1.8 x 10^-9

i)

Calculate how many times smaller the diameter of the nanoparticle is compared to the diameter of the coarse particle.

Give your answer to the appropriate number of significant figures.

(2)

ii)

State one advantage of using silver nanoparticles in this application of thermal grease.

(1)

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2c2 marks

Silver nanoparticles are also known for their antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties.

The graph in Figure 3 shows how the size of the nanoparticles affects the mortality rates of different bacteria.

9-5-2c-h-bacteria-and-nanoparticles-graph

Two students, A and B, make the following statements based on the graph:

Student A states that the percentage of bacteria killed decreases as the size of the nanoparticles increases and no further experiments are needed.
Student B states that the percentage of bacteria killed decreases as the size of the nanoparticles increases but further experiments are needed.

Justify each student's statement.

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2d2 marks

Another application of nanoparticles is the use of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles in suncreams.

State one advantage and one disadvantage of using nanoparticles in suncreams.

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	metal	glass	composite
density	high	high	low
ability to conduct electricity	good	poor	poor
resistance to corrosion	poor	good	good

☐	A	S.A: 9600	V: 64 000
☐	B	S.A: 64 000	V: 9600
☐	C	S.A: 1600	V: 6400
☐	D	S.A: 6400	V: 1600

it has a hollow shape
it has a high surface area to volume ratio
its contains ionic bonds
it forms compounds that are coloured
it is made up of layers

property	steel	Kevlar®
density / g cm^–3	7.85	1.44
relative strength	1	5
flexibility	low	high
resistance to corrosion	low	high

	a composite	a glass	a metal
density	low	high	high
ability to conduct electricity	poor	poor	good
resistance to corrosion	good	good	poor

They provide colour to the socks
They kill bacteria
They make the sock feel softer

☐	A	They are are toxic
☐	B	They can reach the cells
☐	C	They have a low surface area to volume ratio
☐	D	They prevent harmful UV radiation reaching the skin

☐	A	Coarse particles
☐	B	Fine particles
☐	C	Nanoparticles
☐	D	Dust particles

☐	A	6.72 x 10³nm³
☐	B	5.51 x 10⁵ nm³
☐	C	5.51 x 10^-5 nm³
☐	D	6.72 x 10^-3nm³

☐	A	The potential cost of this technology to the National Health Service
☐	B	Limited information to patients on which treatments nanoparticles are used for
☐	C	The unknown effect of nanoparticles on long-term health
☐	D	Money could be spent on other areas of medicine that affect a greater proportion of the population

		Material	Properties	Use
☐	A	borosilicate glass	high melting point	cooking containers
☐	B	glass-fibre composite	strong and low weight	racing bicycles
☐	C	aluminium	high density	construction of aircraft
☐	D	reinforced concrete	high compressive strength	in building structures

☐	A	1 × 10^–4 metres
☐	B	1 × 10^–5 metres
☐	C	1 × 10^–7 metres
☐	D	1 × 10^–9 metres

diameter of nanoparticle in nm	surface area: volume ratio
10	3:05
20	3:10
30	3:15
40	3:20
50	3:25

☐	A	80 = 3:35, 100 = 3:45, 110 = 3:50
☐	B	80 = 3:35, 100 = 3:50, 110 = 3:55
☐	C	80 = 3:40, 100 = 3:50, 110 = 3:55
☐	D	80 = 3:40, 100 = 3:50, 110 = 3:60

☐	A	24:8
☐	B	12:3
☐	C	16:1
☐	D	3:1

Bulk & Surface Properties of Matter Including Nanoparticles (Edexcel GCSE Chemistry)

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