Electrolysis (Cambridge O Level Chemistry)

Exam Questions

6 hours72 questions
11 mark

A student was investigating the electrolysis of zinc chloride. 

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What is the correct reason for electrolysis not working? 

  • Solid zinc chloride has been used 

  • The electrodes don't conduct electricity 

  • The power supply is not connected properly 

  • The crucible is too small to allow ions to flow 

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21 mark

Solid lead(II) bromide is heated until it is molten. The molten lead(II) bromide then undergoes electrolysis. 

Which substances are formed at each electrode?

  anode cathode
A bromine lead
B lead bromine
C bromine hydrogen
D hydrogen lead

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    31 mark

    The electrolysis of concentrated hydrochloric acid is shown.

    cie-igcse-5-1m-mcq3

    Which statement describes what happens to the electrons during the electrolysis?

    • They are added to chloride ions.

    • They are added to hydrogen ions.

    • They move through the circuit from negative to positive.

    • They move through the solution from negative to positive.

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    41 mark

    Concentrated aqueous sodium chloride can be electrolysed.

    Which statement is correct?

    • Hydrogen gas is formed at the anode, and chlorine gas is formed at the cathode.

    • Hydrogen gas is formed at the cathode, and chlorine gas is formed at the anode.

    • Sodium metal is formed at the anode, and chlorine gas is formed at the cathode.

    • Sodium metal is formed at the cathode, and chlorine gas is formed at the anode.

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    51 mark

    The diagram shows the electrolysis of concentrated hydrochloric acid and concentrated aqueous sodium chloride using carbon electrodes.

    q5-4-1-easy-cie-igcse-chemistry

    At which electrode(s) is hydrogen produced?

    • Electrode 1 only

    • Electrodes 1 and 3

    • Electrode 2 only

    • Electrodes 2 and 4

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    61 mark

    Which metal could not be used for electroplating by using an aqueous solution?

    • Chromium

    • Copper

    • Silver

    • Sodium

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    71 mark

    During electroplating what are the correct anode (positive electrode) and cathode (negative electrode) products when aqueous copper(II) sulfate is electrolysed using copper electrodes? 

      Anode product Cathode product
    A copper(II) ions copper metal
    B copper(II) ions hydrogen gas
    C oxygen gas copper metal
    D oxygen gas hydrogen gas

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      81 mark

      A student sets up the following equipment to investigate electroplating.

      4-2-5e-electroplating-with-silver

      What would they see occur during the electroplating process?

      • The anode would be covered with an orange-pink coating

      • The cathode would be covered with a silver coating

      • The cathode would be covered with an orange-pink coating

      • The anode would be covered with a silver coating

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      11 mark

      Which statement about electrolysis is correct?

      • Electrons move through the electrolyte from the cathode to the anode.

      • Electrons move towards the cathode in the external circuit.

      • Negative ions move towards the anode in the external circuit.

      • Positive ions move through the electrolyte towards the anode during electrolysis.

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      21 mark

      Dilute sulfuric acid is electrolysed using inert electrodes. 

      What are the products of this electrolysis?

        cathode anode
      A oxygen sulfur 
      B hydrogen sulfur dioxide
      C oxygen hydrogen
      D hydrogen oxygen

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        31 mark

        Electricity is passed through concentrated aqueous sodium chloride. Inert electrodes are used.

        q3-4-1-medium-cie-igcse-chemistry

        Which products are formed at the electrodes?

          cathode anode
        A hydrogen chlorine
        B hydrogen oxygen
        C sodium chlorine
        D sodium oxygen

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          41 mark

          The diagram shows the electrolysis of aqueous copper(II) sulfate.

          cie-igcse-5-1h-mcq4

          Which statement is correct?

          • Copper metal is deposited at the positive electrode.

          • In the external circuit the electrons move from negative to positive.

          • In the solution the electrons move from positive to negative.

          • Oxygen gas is produced at the positive electrode.

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          51 mark

          Concentrated aqueous potassium bromide solution is electrolysed using inert electrodes. The ions present in the solution are K+, Br, H+ and OH.

          To which electrodes are the ions attracted during this electrolysis?

            attracted to anode attracted to cathode
          A Br and K+ H+ and OH
          B Br and OH H+ and K+
          C H+ and K+ Br and OH
          D H+ and OH Br and K+

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            61 mark

            Which is the correct equation for the formation of chlorine gas at the anode during the electrolysis of concentrated sodium chloride solution?

            • Cl + e- → Cl-

            • 2Cl- + 2e- → Cl2

            • 2Cl- → Cl2 + 2e-

            • Cl- → Cl + e-

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            71 mark

            The diagram shows a failed attempt to copper-plate a pan.

            q1-4-2-medium-cie-igcse-chem

             

            Which can be done to plate the pan with copper?

            • Cool the copper sulfate solution in an ice bath.

            • Heat the copper sulfate solution to boiling point.

            • Increase the voltage from 3 V to 6 V.

            • Make the pan the cathode and the copper the anode.

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            81 mark

            The diagram shows a simple cell.

            q3-4-2-medium-cie-igcse-chemistry

            Which statement about the process occurring when the cell is in operation is correct?

            • Cu2+ ions are formed in solution.

            • Electrons travel through the solution.

            • The reaction Zn  →  Zn2+ +  2e occurs.

            • The zinc electrode increases in mass

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            91 mark

            A students wants to electroplate an iron spoon with silver using an aqueous silver salt as the electrolyte. 

            Which set of conditions is used?

              Iron spoon Other electrode 
            A cathode silver
            B anode silver
            C cathode carbon
            D anode carbon

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              101 mark

              An aqueous mixture of copper(II) nitrate and silver nitrate is electrolysed with pure copper electrodes.

              Which half-equation correctly describes the change occurring at the anode?

              • Cu → Cu2+ + 2e

              • Cu2+ + 2e → Cu

              • Ag →  Ag+ + e

              • Ag+ + e  → Ag

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              111 mark

              The diagram shows the electrolysis of concentrated and dilute aqueous sodium chloride using inert electrodes. Gases are produced and collected in each of the test-tubes W, X, Y and Z.

              q14-cie-o-level-chemistry-june-2021-paper-1

              Which statements are correct?

              1. Approximately equal volumes of gas are produced and collected in test-tubes W and X.
              2. Approximately equal volumes of gas are produced and collected in test-tubes Y and Z.
              3. Three different gases are produced in the experiment.
              • 1, 2 and 3

              • 1 and 2 only 

              • 2 and 3 only 

              • 1 and 3 only

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              121 mark

              Which positive ions are present in aqueous copper(II) sulfate?

              • copper(II) ions only

              • copper(II) ions and hydrogen ions

              • sulfate ions only

              • sulfate ions and hydroxide ions

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              131 mark

              Which reactions take place during the extraction of aluminium from aluminium oxide using carbon electrodes?

              1. 2O2–  → O2 + 4e
              2. C + O2 → CO2
              3. Al2+ + 2e  → Al
              • 1 only 

              • 1 and 2 only 

              • 2 and 3 only

              • 1, 2 and 3

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              141 mark

              Carbon electrodes are used to electrolyse aqueous copper(II) sulfate.

              Which observations are made?

               

              at the anode

              electrolyte

              at the cathode

              A

              colourless gas forms

              blue colour fades

              pink solid forms

              B

              colourless gas forms

              blue colour fades

              colourless gas forms

              C

              electrode increases in mass

              blue colour fades

              pink solid forms

              D

              electrode increases in mass

              no change

              pink solid forms

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                151 mark

                Electrolysis is used to plate a metal coin with silver.

                The coin is used as an electrode in a suitable electrolyte.

                Which row is correct?

                 

                coin

                electrolyte

                A

                anode

                AgCl(aq)

                B

                anode

                AgNO3(aq)

                C

                cathode

                AgCl(aq)

                D

                cathode

                AgNO3(aq)

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                  11 mark

                  The diagram shows the electrolysis of concentrated aqueous sodium chloride.

                  q1-4-3-hard-cie-igcse-chemistry

                  What is the colour of the litmus at each electrode after five minutes?

                    colour at anode colour at cathode
                  A blue red
                  B red blue
                  C red colourless
                  D colourless blue

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                    21 mark

                    Four substances are electrolysed. The substances are concentrated aqueous sodium chloride, concentrated hydrochloric acid, molten lead(II) bromide and molten sodium oxide.

                    Which statement about these electrolysis reactions is correct?

                    • A colourless gas is formed at the anode when molten sodium oxide is electrolysed.

                    • A green gas is formed at the cathode when concentrated hydrochloric acid is electrolysed.

                    • A metal is formed at the anode when molten lead(II) bromide is electrolysed.

                    • A metal is formed at the cathode when concentrated aqueous sodium chloride is  electrolysed.

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                    31 mark

                    Four solutions are separately electrolysed.

                    experiment solution electrodes
                    1 dilute aqueous sodium chloride carbon
                    2 aqueous copper(II) sulfate copper
                    3 concentrated hydrochloric acid carbon
                    4 dilute sulfuric acid carbon

                    In which two experiments is a colourless gas evolved at the anode?

                    • 1 & 2

                    • 1 & 4

                    • 2 & 3

                    • 3 & 4

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                    41 mark

                    During electrolysis of brine, a gas is produced at the cathode. What is the half-equation for the reaction on the cathode?

                    • 2Cl- → Cl2 + 2e-

                    • 2Cl- + 2e- → Cl2

                    • 2H+ + 2e- → H2

                    • 2H+ → H2 + 2e-

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                    51 mark

                    The amount of gases P and Q are formed when substance X is electrolysed. 

                    4-1-q9-cie-igcse-mcq-volume-of-gases-during-electrolysis

                    What is substance X?

                    • molten zinc bromide 

                    • dilute sulfuric acid 

                    • concentrated aqueous sodium bromide

                    • concentrated hydrochloric acid 

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                    61 mark

                    Concentrated aqueous sodium chloride, dilute sulfuric acid and molten lead bromide were electrolysed separately in experiments 1, 2 and 3. 

                    4-1-q10-cie-igcse-mcq-three-electrolysis-experiments

                    Which statement about the electrode products is correct?

                    • Metals were formed at the anode in experiments 1 and 3 only 

                    • Metals were formed at the cathode in experiments 1 and 3 only

                    • Gases are given off at the cathode in experiments 1 and 2 only 

                    • Gases are given off at the anode in experiments 2 and 3 only 

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                    71 mark

                    A student wants to identify the gas produced at the negative electrode during the electrolysis of aqueous sodium chloride. 

                    4-1-q11-cie-igcse-mcqgas-tests-for-products

                    What is the correct test for the gas produced?

                    • A glowing splint will relight

                    • A burning splint gives a squeaky pop sound

                    • Damp litmus paper bleaches

                    • Damp red litmus paper turns blue

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                    81 mark

                    A student wishes to electroplate an object with copper.

                    Which row is correct?

                      object is made at the a suitable electrolyte is
                    A anode CuO(s)
                    B anode CuSO4(aq)
                    C cathode CuO(s)
                    D cathode CuSO4(aq)

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                      91 mark

                      Winston Churchill, a British Prime Minister, had his false teeth electroplated with gold.

                      The teeth were coated with a thin layer of carbon and were then placed in the apparatus shown.

                      q2-4-2-hard-cie-igcse-chemistry

                        terminal X is the carbon powder could be
                      A negative diamond
                      B negative graphite
                      C positive diamond
                      D positive  graphite

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                        101 mark

                        The diagram shows an electrolysis experiment using X and Y as electrodes. 

                        4-2-q3-cie-igcse-mcq-electroplating-with-copper

                        Copper is used to coat the other metal. 

                        Which metal becomes coated and which solution is used?

                          aqueous solution metal
                        A CoCl3 Y
                        B CuCl2 Y
                        C CuCl2 X
                        D CoCl3 X

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                          111 mark

                          The following apparatus for plating a spoon with silver is shown. 

                          4-2-q5-cie-igcse-mcq-electroplating-of-a-spoon

                          Which statements are correct?

                          1  The metal electrode would be connected to the negative terminal of the power supply

                          2  The spoon would be connected to the negative terminal of the power supply

                          3  At the cathode, silver ions lose electrons to form silver atoms

                          4  At the anode, silver atoms lose electrons to form silver ions 

                          • 2 only 

                          • 1 and 4 only 

                          • 2 and 4 only 

                          • 1, 2 and 3

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