Formulae & Relative Masses (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences (Double Award): Chemistry): Exam Questions

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Use your copy of the Periodic Table to help you answer these questions.

Predict the formula of each of the following compounds.

i) aluminium fluoride

[1]

ii) arsenic oxide

[1]

iii) silicon bromide

[1]

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Deduce the formula of each of the following ions.

i) phosphide

[1]

ii) barium

[1]

iii) francium

[1]

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Draw a diagram showing the arrangement of the valency electrons in one molecule of the covalent compound carbon dioxide.

Use o to represent an electron from a carbon atom. Use x to represent an electron from an oxygen atom.

The law of constant composition states that all pure samples of a compound contain the same elements in the same proportion by weight.

A typical experiment to test this law is to prepare the same compound by different methods and then show that the samples have the same composition.

Methods of making copper(II) oxide include:

• heating copper carbonate,

• heating copper hydroxide,

• heating copper nitrate,

• heating copper foil in air.

Complete the following equations.

i) CuCO₃ → ............. + .............

[1]

ii) Cu(OH)₂ → ............. + .............

[1]

iii) 2Cu(NO₃)₂ → ............. + 4NO₂ + .............

[2]

Copper oxide can be reduced to copper by heating in hydrogen.

i) What colour change would you observe during the reduction?

[1]

ii) Explain why the copper must be allowed to cool in hydrogen before it is exposed to air.

[2]

iii) Name another gas which can reduce copper(II) oxide to copper.

[1]

iv) Name a solid which can reduce copper(II) oxide to copper.

[1]

The table below shows the results obtained by reducing the copper(II) oxide produced by different methods to copper.

i) Complete the table.

[2]

ii) One of the samples of copper(II) oxide is impure.

Identify this sample and suggest an explanation why the percentage of copper in this sample is bigger than in the other three samples.

[2]

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Iron pyrite, FeS₂, is known as Fool’s Gold because it is a shiny yellow solid which is similar in appearance to gold. Iron pyrite is an ionic compound. Gold is a metallic element.

Iron pyrite, FeS₂, contains positive and negative ions. The positive ion is Fe²⁺. Deduce the formula of the negative ion.

A student is provided with a sample of iron pyrite and a sample of gold.

Suggest how the student could distinguish between the two substances.

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Sulfur dioxide is produced on a large scale by heating iron pyrite strongly in air. The iron pyrite reacts with oxygen in the air producing iron(III) oxide, Fe₂O₃, and sulfur dioxide.

Construct a chemical equation for the reaction between iron pyrite and oxygen.

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Element X can undergo the following physical changes.

Element X is a Group III metal. It burns in air to form an oxide X₂O₃.

Write a symbol equation for this reaction.

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Aqueous silver nitrate is added to aqueous magnesium chloride. A white precipitate forms.

Write an ionic equation for this reaction. Include state symbols.

Complete the chemical equation for the reaction of chlorine with phosphorus.

......Cl₂ + 2P → ......PCl₅

Aqueous potassium iodide reacts with aqueous copper(II) sulfate to produce iodine.

Balance the chemical equation for this reaction.

KI + CuSO₄ → CuI + I₂ + K₂SO₄

This question is about elements X, Y and Z.

An atom of element X is represented as

What is the electronic structure of the ion X^2–?

This question is about elements X, Y and Z.

Identify the atom against which the relative masses of all other atoms are compared.

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Magnesium oxide, MgO, is formed when magnesium burns in oxygen.

Write the chemical equation for the reaction that occurs when magnesium burns in oxygen.

An endothermic reaction occurs when calcium nitrate is heated.

Balance the equation for this reaction.

.....Ca(NO₃)₂ → .....CaO + .....NO₂ + .....O₂

This question is about iron and iron compounds.

Iron reacts with chlorine to form iron(III) chloride, Fe₂Cl_6.

Balance the chemical equation for this reaction.

.....Fe + .....Cl₂ → Fe₂Cl₆

The structure of an ion is shown.

Deduce the molecular formula of this ion to show the number of iron, carbon and nitrogen atoms.

This question is about chlorine and compounds of chlorine.

Chlorine reacts with warm turpentine, C₁₀H₁₆.

Balance the chemical equation for this reaction.

C₁₀H₁₆ + 8Cl₂   → .....C + .....HCl

The equation shows the effect of heat on anhydrous zinc sulfate.  

 ZnSO₄  ZnO + SO₃

When 12.60 g of anhydrous zinc sulfate is heated, the mass of zinc oxide formed is 6.34 g.

Calculate the mass of zinc oxide formed when 63.0 g of anhydrous zinc sulfate is heated.

mass of zinc oxide = _______________

Complete the table to calculate the relative formula mass of anhydrous zinc sulfate, ZnSO₄. Use your Periodic Table to help you.

relative formula mass = _________________

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Fluorine forms both ionic and covalent compounds.

Magnesium reacts with fluorine to form the ionic compound magnesium fluoride.

The electronic structures of an atom of magnesium and an atom of fluorine are shown.

What is the formula of magnesium fluoride?

When copper is reacted with hot concentrated sulfuric acid, sulfur dioxide gas is formed. Balance the chemical equation for this reaction.

Cu + .......H₂SO₄ → CuSO₄ + SO₂ + .......H₂O

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When sulfuric acid reacts with ammonia the salt produced is ammonium sulfate.

Write the chemical equation for this reaction.   

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Barium sulfate is an insoluble salt.
Barium sulfate can be made from aqueous ammonium sulfate using a precipitation reaction.

Write an ionic equation for this precipitation reaction. Include state symbols.

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Oxygen is produced by the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. Manganese(IV) oxide is the catalyst for this reaction.

Oxygen can also be produced by the decomposition of potassium chlorate(V), KClO₃.

The only products of this decomposition are potassium chloride and oxygen.

Write a chemical equation for this decomposition.

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This question is about titanium.

Titanium is a transition metal that is extracted from titanium dioxide in a two-stage industrial process.

In the first stage, titanium dioxide reacts with carbon and chlorine to form titanium tetrachloride and carbon monoxide.

Write the balanced symbol equation for this reaction.

Explain how your chemical symbol equation in part (a) demonstrates the law of conservation of mass.

Identify two hazards associated with Stage 1.

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Magnesium displaces copper from copper sulfate solution.

Write the balanced symbol equation for the reaction.

You should include state symbols. 

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State two changes that would be observed during the displacement reaction.

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Write the ionic equation for the displacement of copper from copper sulfate by magnesium. You should include state symbols.

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Displacement reactions are examples of redox reactions.

Explain why the displacement reaction between magnesium and copper sulfate is both reduction and oxidation.

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This question is about lead nitrate.

Lead nitrate is an ionic compound. 

It consists of Pb²⁺ and NO₃^- ions. 

What is the chemical formula of lead nitrate?

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A displacement reaction occurs between solutions of lead nitrate and potassium iodide, KI, to form solid lead(II) iodide and aqueous potassium nitrate.

Write the balanced symbol equation, including state symbols, for this reaction.

The relative atomic mass, A_r, for each element is shown in the Periodic Table. 

Define the term relative atomic mass.