GCSE Chemistry for You, Fifth Edition

Answers to End-of-chapter questions

for Chapter 2, Basic ideas

It is very important that you are able to answer the questions on your own, using your
own knowledge of Chemistry.
Have a go at the questions first, and then check your answers using this page.
If you get a question wrong, try to work out where you have made an error.

1. a) atom; atoms; simpler

b) molecules; compounds
c) chemical; physical

3
2. a) 7.86 g/cm
b) oxygen – gas; copper – solid; zinc – solid; nitrogen -gas
c) The density of the gases oxygen and nitrogen is much lower than that of the
solids copper and zinc because the particles in the gas are on average much
further apart than the particles in a solid (which are touching).
d) because the density of a gas is dependent on the temperature and pressure
as both factors affect the average distance between particles e.g. as the
temperature is increased the density of a gas at a certain pressure will
decrease / at a constant volume the density of a gas increases as the
pressure increases.

3. a) Add water and stir; filter; take the filtrate and evaporate off the water
b) use a magnet to attract the iron / Add water and stir; filter; take the residue
of iron on the filter paper, wash with distilled water and allow to dry
c) Distil / Evaporate then condense the water vapour
d) Add water and stir; filter; take the residue of sand on the filter paper and
allow to dry
e) Paper chromatography
f) Fractional distillation

4. A is a chemical change because the wax is reacting with oxygen to make new
products (carbon dioxide and water).

B is a physical change because the wax changes state from a solid to liquid as it
melts. It remains as wax. This change is easily reversed when the molten wax cools
down.

5. a) B

b) D

Oxford University Press GCSE Chemistry for You, Fifth Edition © Ryan Books Ltd, 2016   page 1 of 2
GCSE Chemistry for You, Fifth Edition

c) A

d) C. The two elements might be reacting together to form the compound or the
compound might be decomposing/breaking down to form its elements.

6. a) Chemical change

b) aluminium + oxygen  aluminium oxide

c) 4Al(s) + 3O2(g)  2Al2O3(s)

7. a) H2 + F2  2HF
b) CaCO3 + 2HCl  CaCl2 + CO2 + H2O
c) CH4 + 2O2  CO2 + 2H2O
d) 2NaNO3  2NaNO2 + O2

Oxford University Press GCSE Chemistry for You, Fifth Edition © Ryan Books Ltd, 2016   page 2 of 2