Practice exam-style paper I

Paper 3 Core [80 marks]

1 Below is a list of elements. Use these elements to answer the questions below.
Each element may be used once, more than once or not at all.

aluminium
helium
magnesium
potassium
nitrogen
oxygen
phosphorus

a Which elements are commonly found in fertilisers?

................................................................................................................................................................................. [3]

b Which two elements are in Period 2 of the Periodic Table?

.................................................................................... and .................................................................................... [2]

c Which three elements are gases at room temperature?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

d Which element reacts with water to form an alkali?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

e Which two elements have two electrons in their outside orbit?

.................................................................................... and .................................................................................... [2]

Total [10]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper I – Paper 3 Core 1
2 Platinum is a rare and valuable metal which is found in the ground as a pure metal.

Titanium is a common metal which is quite expensive because it is hard to extract.

Iron is a common metal which can be extracted from its ore by heating with carbon.

a Using the information above, place the three metals in order of their reactivity.

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

b Platinum is an unreactive metal and is used in jewellery because it doesn’t corrode.

Give another important use of platinum.

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

c Titanium is an important engineering metal. It is stronger than steel but is only half as heavy.

Suggest why titanium is not used for building motor vehicles.

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

d waste gases

raw materials

firebrick lining

air

slag

molten iron

The diagram above shows a blast furnace used for the extraction of iron from its ore.

i Name the ore from which iron is extracted.

.......................................................................................................................................................................... [1]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper I – Paper 3 Core 2
 ii What other raw materials are added at the top of the furnace besides the ore?

................................................................................. and ................................................................................ [2]

iii Name two gases which are found in the waste gases which come out from the top of the furnace.

................................................................................. and ................................................................................ [2]

e The iron which comes out of the blast furnace (cast iron) contains carbon, which makes it brittle.

How is this carbon removed?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

f The result of removing some of the carbon is an alloy called steel. What is the meaning of the term alloy?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

g Stainless steel can be made by adding nickel and chromium to steel. Give a use of stainless steel.

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

Total [12]

3 A student made a soluble salt of the metal zinc by the following method.
A Acid was poured into a beaker.
B Zinc was added to the acid until in excess.
C The beaker was warmed and then stirred.
D When the reaction was over, the remaining zinc was removed.
E The solution was then boiled gently until crystallisation point.
F The remaining solution was left to cool.

a How would the student know that excess zinc had been added?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper I – Paper 3 Core 3
 b In the space below draw and label apparatus suitable to perform step D.

[3]

c How would the student know that the solution had reached the crystallisation point (step E)?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

d A sample of the salt obtained was dissolved in distilled water and tested by adding barium chloride
solution. A white precipitate was formed.

What was the name of the acid that the student used in step A?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

e In a second test, aqueous ammonia was added to a solution of the salt, first slowly and then in excess.

What observations were made?

................................................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................................................ [3]

Total [9]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper I – Paper 3 Core 4
4 A sample of air was taken in the middle of a city. The air was analysed and the gases listed below were found to
be present.

carbon dioxide
carbon monoxide
methane
nitrogen
nitrogen dioxide
oxygen
sulfur dioxide

a Which gas would be present in the greatest quantity?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

b Which two gases could cause acid rain?

.................................................................................... and ................................................................................... [2]

c Which two gases are most responsible for global warming?

.................................................................................... and ................................................................................... [2]

d Which gas is produced by plants in photosynthesis?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

e In the diagram below, join each polluting gas to its correct source. [3]

carbon monoxide car exhausts

methane power stations

sulfur dioxide cows and sheep

f Argon is always present in the air but it is not in the list above.

Suggest why it might not have been detected when the gas was analysed.

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

Total [10]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper I – Paper 3 Core 5
5

+ carbon –
positive negative
rods electrode
electrode

concentrated
aqueous sodium
chloride and
Universal lndicator

The diagram shows an apparatus which can be used to electrolyse concentrated sodium chloride solution
(brine).

a Chlorine is one of the products of this electrolysis. At which electrode is it formed?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

b At the other electrode the Universal Indicator solution turns purple. What substance causes this change?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

c Brine is a mixture of solid sodium chloride and water. Brine conducts electricity but water does not. Why
doesn’t water conduct electricity?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

d Sodium chloride is made up of ions. Why does it conduct when it is a solution but not when it is a solid?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

e The electrodes are made from graphite, a form of carbon. Graphite has a giant covalent structure. What
unusual property does it have that allows it to be used as an electrode?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

f Diamond is another form of carbon with a different type of giant covalent structure.

By comparing their structures explain why diamond but not graphite can be used in cutting.

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

Total [7]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper I – Paper 3 Core 6
6 A student wished to make a sample of fertiliser by reacting ammonia solution with nitric acid.

20 cm3 of ammonia was placed in a flask and Universal Indicator was added. Nitric acid was added 2 cm3 at
a time using a measuring cylinder, and the pH of the solution was noted after each addition. The results are
shown in the table below.

Volume 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
added / cm3
pH 13 13 13 12 12 9 3 2 2 1 1

a Plot the pH values on the grid below.

Join the points to each other using straight lines. [4]

pH

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
3
Volume of acid added / cm

b Use your graph to estimate how much acid was needed to exactly neutralise the ammonia.

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

c The equation for the reaction is: NH3 + HNO3 → NH4NO3

Rewrite this equation as a word equation.

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper I – Paper 3 Core 7
 d Why is this fertiliser a particularly good one?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

Total [9]

7 The diagram shows a fractionating column used for separating petroleum into useful fractions.
fractions
fuel gas

petrol

paraffin

light gas oil

diesel oil

lubricating fraction

petroleum

bitumen

a Draw a ‘×’ on the diagram at the point where the temperature is highest. [1]

b Paraffin is often called kerosene. What is its major use?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

c The fuel gas (refinery gas) fraction contains compounds which are gases at room temperature. These gases are often
cracked to form alkenes.

What is meant by the terms cracking and alkene?

Cracking ............................................................................................................................................................... [1]

Alkene ................................................................................................................................................................... [1]

d Butane C4H10 can be cracked to form two molecules of ethene C2H4. Complete the equation below by
identifying the other product.

C4H10 → 2C2H4 + ................................................................................................................................................ [1]

e Ethene can be converted into ethanol by reacting it with steam. Write a word equation for this reaction.

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper I – Paper 3 Core 8
 f In the space below draw the structure of the ethanol molecule, showing all atoms and bonds.

[2]

g State another method of making ethanol and give a use for the compound.

Method .................................................................................................................................................................

Use ......................................................................................................................................................................... [2]

Total [11]

8 a Complete the table below by filling in the empty spaces.

Symbol Number of Number of Number of

protons neutrons electrons
H 1 1 1

...................... 8 8 8
2−
O 8 8 ......................

C ...................... 6 6

...................... 1 0 1
[4]

b What is the meaning of the term isotope?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

c Using an example from the table above, give an example of isotopes.

................................................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

235
d U is an example of an isotope used to produce energy. How is it used?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

e Hydrogen is also used as a fuel. Write a word equation to show what happens when hydrogen burns.

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper I – Paper 3 Core 9
 f Hydrogen was once used in airships but now helium is used instead.

Why is helium a suitable gas for use in airships?

................................................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

Total [12]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper I – Paper 3 Core 10