Separation & Purification (Cambridge O Level Chemistry)

Exam Questions

4 hours41 questions
1a5 marks

A student investigated the solubility of salt A in water at various temperatures. Five experiments were carried out.

Experiment 1

The student was provided with a boiling tube containing 12 g of salt A.

A burette was filled with distilled water and 10.0 cm3 of water was added to the boiling tube.

The mixture of salt A and water was heated until all of the solid had dissolved.

The boiling tube was removed from the heat and the solution was stirred with a thermometer and allowed to cool.

The temperature at which crystals first appeared was measured. 

Use the thermometer diagram to record the temperature in the table of results.

screen-shot-2022-09-28-at-10-11-24

The boiling tube and contents were kept for the next four experiments.

Experiment 2

From the burette, 1.0 cm3 more of water was added into the boiling tube and contents from Experiment 1.

The experiment was repeated exactly as before to find the temperature at which crystals first appeared.

The boiling tube was dipped for short periods of time in a beaker of cold water to speed up
the cooling.

Record, in the table of results, the total volume of water in the boiling tube.

Use the thermometer diagram to record the temperature at which crystals first appeared.

screen-shot-2022-09-28-at-10-11-34

Experiment 3

From the burette 1.0 cm3 more of water was added into the boiling tube and contents from Experiment 2.

The experiment was repeated exactly as before.

Record, in the table of results, the total volume of water used.

Use the thermometer diagram to record the temperature at which crystals first appeared.

screen-shot-2022-09-28-at-10-15-37

This procedure was continued for Experiments 4 and 5 with two more successive additions of 1.0 cm3 of water. Note all the results in the table.

screen-shot-2022-09-28-at-10-15-42

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1b6 marks

Plot the results on the grid below and draw a straight line graph.

Graph 1 - crytalisation
1c1 mark

How did the student know when salt A was completely dissolved in the water? 

1d2 marks

From your graph, find the temperature at which crystals of salt A would first appear if the total volume of water in the solution was 9.0 cm3.


Show clearly on the grid how you worked out your answer. 

1e2 marks

Suggest, with a reason, how the results would be different if 6 g of salt A were used instead of 12 g of salt A.

1f2 marks

Salt B is more soluble in water than salt A.

Sketch on the grid the graph you would expect for salt B. Label this graph.

1g2 marks

Explain one improvement you could make to the experimental procedure to obtain more accurate results in this investigation.

improvement ..............................................................................................................

explanation .................................................................................................................

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2a2 marks

The diagram shows the apparatus used to separate a mixture of water, boiling point 100 °C, and ethanol, boiling point 78 °C.

fractional-distillation---add-the-labels

Complete the boxes to name the apparatus.

2b1 mark

Label the arrows on the condenser.

2c1 mark

Identify one mistake in the apparatus.

2d2 marks

Which liquid would collect first? Explain your answer.

2e1 mark

Why would it be better to use an electrical heater instead of a Bunsen burner to heat the water and ethanol mixture?

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3a4 marks

An experiment was carried out to determine the solubility of potassium chlorate at different temperatures. The solubility is the mass of potassium chlorate that dissolves in 100 g of water.

The results obtained are shown in the table below.

temperature/ °C 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
solubility in g/ 100g water 14 17 20 24 29 34 40

On the grid, draw a smooth line graph to show the solubility of potassium chlorate at different temperatures.

screen-shot-2022-09-28-at-14-55-58
 
3b2 marks

Use your graph to determine the solubility of potassium chlorate at 70 °C. Show clearly on the graph how you obtained your answer.

3c2 marks

What would be the effect of cooling a saturated solution of potassium chlorate from 60 °C to 20 °C?

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46 marks

Seawater contains sodium chloride and other salts.

Plan an experiment to find the mass of salts in 1 dm3 of seawater.

You will be provided with a small bottle of seawater.

You should include details of the method and any apparatus used.

(1 dm3 = 1000 cm3)

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5a3 marks

The apparatus below was used to separate ethanol from water.

fractional-distillation---add-labels

Complete the empty boxes to name the pieces of apparatus.

5b1 mark

Indicate by an arrow where heat is applied.

5c2 marks

Name this separation process.

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66 marks

Copper(II) oxide and carbon are both black solids. Copper(II) oxide reacts with dilute sulfuric acid to form aqueous copper(II) sulfate. Carbon does not react with dilute sulfuric acid.

You are given a mixture of copper(II) oxide and carbon and access to dilute sulfuric acid.

Plan an experiment to investigate the percentage of copper(II) oxide in the mixture.

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7a2 marks

The diagrams show the apparatus used to obtain crystals of calcium chloride from a mixture of solid calcium chloride and solid calcium carbonate.
Calcium chloride is soluble in water and calcium carbonate is insoluble in water.

making-calcium-chloride-crystals

 Complete the boxes to name the apparatus. 

7b2 marks
i)
Write down the order in which the apparatus should be used in this experiment.
 [1]
ii)
Name the separation process in C.
[1]
7c2 marks
i)
What has been added to the mixture in B?
 [1]
ii)
What is the general name given to the liquid in the dish in C?
[1]
7d1 mark

How would you know when to stop heating the dish in A?

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87 marks

Toothbright toothpaste contains three compounds, sodium fluoride, calcium carbonate and water.
Calcium carbonate is insoluble in water and sodium fluoride is soluble in water.

Plan an investigation to find out the percentage of calcium carbonate present in this toothpaste.
You are provided with common laboratory apparatus.

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97 marks

Calcium carbonate is found in limestone and in marble. All carbonates react with hydrochloric acid to form chlorides. Calcium carbonate is insoluble in water but calcium chloride is water soluble. Most impurities in limestone and marble are insoluble.

Plan experiment to find out which of limestone and marble contain most insoluble impurities.
You are provided with common laboratory apparatus.

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10a2 marks

A student separated a mixture of two alcohols, ethanol (boiling point 78 °C) and butanol (boiling point 118 °C).

The apparatus used is shown below. 

12-2q13a

Complete the boxes to identify the pieces of apparatus labelled.

10b1 mark

Label the arrows.

10c2 marks

State the name of this separation process. 

10d2 marks
i)
Which liquid is first to collect in the beaker?
[1]
ii)
How would the student know when all of this liquid had collected?
[1]
10e2 marks

Identify and explain a possible hazard in this experiment.

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11a1 mark

The following paragraph was taken from a student’s notebook:

12-2q14a

What type of chemical reaction resulted in the formation of the lead chloride?

11b2 marks

What is the solubility of lead chloride in:

i)
Cold water?
[1]
ii)
Hot water? 
[1]
11c1 mark

What method should be used to separate the crystals from the mixture?

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12a3 marks

A solution of copper sulphate was made by reacting excess copper oxide with dilute sulphuric acid. The diagram shows the method used. 

12-2q17

Complete the empty boxes to name the pieces of apparatus.

12b1 mark

What does the term excess mean?

12c2 marks

Draw a labelled diagram to show how the mixture was filtered.

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13a3 marks

A mixture of ethanol and water can be separated by fractional distillation. The apparatus below can be used to carry out such a separation in the laboratory.  

12-2q19

Name each piece of apparatus.

A ....................................................................................................

B ....................................................................................................

C ....................................................................................................

13b1 mark

What is the purpose of D?

13c1 mark

How could the purity of the ethanol collected be checked?

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14a2 marks

Coffee beans contain caffeine and other compounds. Caffeine is soluble in water and in trichloromethane, an organic solvent.
A student obtained crystals of caffeine by the following method.

Stage 1 Some coffee beans were crushed into small pieces.
Stage 2 Hot water was added to the crushed beans to dissolve the soluble substances.
Stage 3 The crushed beans were separated from the liquid solution.
Stage 4 The liquid was allowed to cool and shaken with trichloromethane to extract the caffeine from the water.
Stage 5 The caffeine was crystallised from the trichloromethane solution.
Stage 6 The caffeine crystals were checked for purity.

What apparatus should be used to crush the beans in Stage 1?

14b1 mark

How could the dissolving process in Stage 2 be speeded up? 

14c2 marks

Draw a diagram of the apparatus used in Stage 3. 

14d2 marks

How should Stage 5 be carried out?

14e1 mark

What method could be used to check the purity of the crystals in Stage 6?

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15a3 marks

A student reacted sulphuric acid with copper(II) oxide. The diagram shows the procedure followed.

making-cuso4

Complete the boxes to identify the pieces of apparatus labelled.

15b1 mark

What is the colour of the solution formed?

15c2 marks

Describe how crystals could be quickly obtained from the solution.

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16a2 marks

This label is from a container of ‘Bite Relief’ solution.

12-2-q29a

Give a chemical test to show the presence of ammonia in Bite Relief solution.

test ...................................................................................................................

result ...............................................................................................................

16b2 marks

What practical method could be used to separate the mixture of alcohol (bp 78 °C) and water (bp 100 °C)?

16c2 marks

Give a chemical test to show the presence of water.

test ...............................................................................................

result ...........................................................................................

16d1 mark

What would be the effect of touching the alcohol with a lighted splint?

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