Structured Questions

|!|EL02001|!|
Dry air contains 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen.
(a) Name TWO gases that make up the remaining 1% by volume of dry air.
(b) Explain why the concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere has remained almost constant over
millions of years.
(c) By what method can nitrogen and oxygen be separated from air? Briefly describe the method.
(d) Suggest a test for oxygen.
(12M)
##
(a) Carbon dioxide, argon, helium (any two) (2M)
(b) Organisms take in oxygen for respiration, while plants give out oxygen in photosynthesis. The
amount of oxygen used up and given out is almost balanced. (2M)
(c) Air is liquefied at high pressure (by compression) and low temperature. By means of fractional
distillation of the liquefied air, nitrogen and oxygen boil and are collected at different time due to
the difference in their boiling points. (6M)
(d) Place a glowing splint into the test tube that contains the gas. Oxygen can relight the splint. (2M)##

|!|EL02002|!|
Marble is a material for sculptures.
(a) What is the chemical name for marble?
(b) What are the elements present in marble?
(c) Explain why sculptures made of marble are usually corroded faster in heavily polluted areas.
(d) Explain what happens when a piece of marble is burnt in a non-luminous Bunsen flame.
(10M)
##
(a) Calcium carbonate. (1M)
(b) Calcium, carbon, oxygen (2M)
(c) Air in heavily polluted areas usually contains acidic pollutants, such as sulphur dioxide and
nitrogen oxides. They dissolve in rainwater to form acid rain. Acid reacts with calcium carbonate in
marble to form calcium salts and carbon dioxide. The salts are water-soluble and are easily washed
away. (5M)
(d) A brick red flame will be observed. This is due to the presence of calcium in marble. (2M)
##

|!|EL02003|!|
A sample of sea water is obtained.
(a) Sea water contains a salt which gives a salty taste. Name the salt and the elements present in it.
(b) Outline the procedures for obtaining the salt stated in part (a) from the sample. (It is not necessary
to obtain pure salt.)
(c) By what method can pure salt be obtained from the sample?
(d) Describe a test for the presence of water in the sample. State any observation.
(e) State THREE uses of the salt stated in part (a) in our daily lives.
(10M)
##
(a) Sodium chloride. The elements present are sodium and chlorine. (2M)
(b) The sample is filtered to remove large particles such as sand. It is then heated, in order to evaporate
all the water (evaporation). The white solid (powder) leaving behind is the impure salt. (2M)
(c) Crystallization. (1M)
(d) Test the sample with a dry cobalt(II) chloride paper. Water will turn the blue cobalt(II) chloride
paper to pink. (2M)
(e) Food preservation
Food seasoning
Killing germs (3M)
##

|!|EL02004|!|
Limestone is a natural form of calcium carbonate.
(a) Limestone and another substance are the raw materials for making cement. Name the substance.
(b) State the main function of cement.
(c) Limewater can be prepared from limestone. Outline the procedures and write word equations for
the reactions involved.
(d) Why limewater can preserve fresh eggs? Suggest ONE reason for it.
(9M)
##
(a) Clay. (1M)
(b) Cement is used to bind rocks or bricks together. (1M)
(c) Heat the limestone, add water to it and filter off the white suspension to get a clear solution,
limewater.
heating
calcium carbonate  calcium oxide + carbon dioxide
calcium oxide + water  calcium hydroxide (limewater) (5M)
(d) Limewater is alkaline and therefore it helps killing germs; (2M)
Or limewater reacts with carbon dioxide released from respiration by eggs, to form insoluble
calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate fills the small holes on egg surface, which prevents bacterial
attacks. (2M)
##
|!|EL02005|!|
Calcium carbonate is a useful material in our daily lives.
(a) Name two rocks that contain calcium carbonate.
(b) Suggest a method to obtain calcium from the rocks you have stated in part (a).
(c) How can we test the presence of carbonate in a sample of calcium carbonate? Write word equations
for the reactions involved.
(9M)
##
(a) Marble, limestone, chalk (any two) (2M)
(b) Electrolysis of molten ores (marble, limestone or chalk) (2M)
(c) Let the sample react with acid and test the gas evolved with limewater. If limewater is turned milky,
it indicates the presence of carbonate.
Calcium carbonate + acid  calcium salt (depends on the acid used)
+ water + carbon dioxide
e.g. Calcium carbonate + dilute hydrochloric acid calcium chloride + water + carbon dioxide
Calcium carbonate + dilute sulphuric acid calcium sulphate + water + carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide + calcium hydroxide (limewater)  calcium carbonate (white precipitate/ milky)
(5M)
##

|!|EL02006|!|
Air is a mixture of elements and compounds.
(a) Name the most abundant element in dry air.
(b) How can we obtain the substance stated in part (a) from air?
(c) Why the gas stated in part (a) is sometimes used to fill food warehouses (i.e. to increase its
concentration in air)?
(d) Oxygen can also be extracted from air. When a student puts a glowing splint into a test tube
containing oxygen, the splint relights. The student concluded, ‘oxygen is a flammable gas.’ Explain
whether his statement is correct.
(9M)
##
(a) Nitrogen. (1M)
(b) Fractional distillation of liquefied air. (1M)
(c) It helps food preservation. Increasing the concentration of this gas can reduce oxygen concentration
in air. Therefore, the food respiration rate is reduced; also the environment is unsuitable for germs
to grow. (4M)
(d) Incorrect. Oxygen helps burning only. It is not flammable. (2M)
##

|!|EL02007|!|
Sodium can be obtained from its purified salt from sea water.
(a) State a method to obtain a purified salt from sea water.
(b) Briefly describe the method of obtaining sodium from its salt.
(c) Suggest a test to prove that the product obtained by the method in part (b) is sodium.
(d) Name the other product formed by the method in part (b). State one function of this product.
(e) A poster in a laboratory claims, ‘ Do not hold sodium metal with naked hands.’ Explain this
statement. (Hints: sodium reacts with water violently.)
(10M)
##
(a) Crystallization. (1M)
(b) Melt the salt to its molten form and then perform electrolysis (electrolysis of its molten salt).
(2M)
(c) Drop the product into water. If the product is sodium, it will react vigorously to produce an alkaline
solution and hydrogen gas. Flame test of the alkaline solution gives a golden yellow flame. (2M)
(d) Chlorine. It can kill germs /(or be used to make bleach). (2M)
(e) Hands may contain moisture or water. The violent reaction of sodium with water gives out a lot of
heat energy and cause hand burning. (3M)
##

|!|EL02008|!|
 thermometer

screw-cap adaptor

water out (to sink)

rubber
thermometer tubing
bulb

pear-shaped
flask liquid A receiver
Liebig adaptor
condenser
anti-bumping
granule cold water in
heat (from tap)
test tube
(as receiver)

cold water

liquid B

Pure water can be obtained by distillation of sea water. The above set-up is for the distillation.
(a) What are liquid A and liquid B?
(b) Explain why the above method can obtain pure water from sea water.
(c) Describe the reading on the thermometer (increasing, decreasing or remains unchanged)
during the formation of liquid B.
(d) The thermometer is filled with mercury, and a layer of nitrogen is filled above mercury. State
the purposes of filling nitrogen on mercury.
(9M)
##
(a) Liquid A: Sea water (1M)
Liquid B: Pure water (1M)
(b) Pure water in sea water evaporates on boiling, and the vapour is condensed back to liquid state upon
cooling, which is then collected as liquid B. Other substances in sea water would not boil at the
same temperature, so pure water can be obtained by this method. (3M)
(c) Remains unchanged. When a liquid is changing state, temperature remains constant. (2M)
(d) Nitrogen is an inactive gas, which does not react with the mercury. This prevents the mercury from
oxidation. (2M)
##

|!|EL02009|!|
(a) When a piece of calcium oxide is placed in air for a long period of time, it becomes a powdery
solid. Explain this phenomenon.
(b) When water and sand are added to cement, a mixture for binding bricks is formed. Explain why this
mixture can bind the bricks and harden itself.
(12M)
##
(a) Calcium oxide reacts with moisture in air to form calcium hydroxide. (2M)
(b) (Calcium oxide + water  calcium hydroxide) Calcium hydroxide reacts with carbon dioxide in air
to form calcium carbonate. During these reactions, the solid expands and finally breaks down to
powder. (4M)
(c) The mixture is mortar. Cement is formed by heating calcium oxide with clay. After mixing with
sand and water to become mortar, the calcium oxide reacts with water to form calcium hydroxide.
Calcium hydroxide formed reacts with carbon dioxide in air to form a hard substance, calcium
carbonate, which helps in binding. (6M)
##

|!|EL02010|!|
Chlorine gas is added to water in swimming pools to kill germs.
(a) State an industrial method to obtain chlorine gas.
(b) A student said, ‘Chlorine gas can kill germs because it is toxic.’ Explain whether his statement is
correct.
(c) ‘Concentrated sea water can also kill germs as it contains germ-killing chlorine.’ Comment on this
statement.
(10M)
##
(a) Electrolysis of brine (concentrated sodium chloride solution). (2M)
(b) Incorrect. Chlorine gas dissolves in water to form a substance containing oxygen atom. This
substance kills germs by oxidizing them, but not by its toxicity. (3M)
(c) Incorrect. Most germs require water to survive. As concentrated sea water is more concentrated than
the body fluid in germs, the germs lose water severely (dehydration) to the sea water and die.
Concentrated sea water contains chloride, not chlorine. (5M)
##

|!|EL02011|!|
(a) A student wants to prepare sodium chloride crystal from sea water. Outline and explain the main
procedures involved.
(b) A student wants to prepare calcium carbonate from calcium oxide powder. Show his steps, with
word equations, and comment whether he can prepare large amount of calcium carbonate
successfully in the school laboratory.

(c) Explain whether calcium carbonate solid could be obtained by the method used in part (a)?
 (15M)
##
(a) Filtration: to remove large-particle impurities. (1M)
Evaporation: heat the filtrate to evaporate away some water to make sea water more concentrated
and finally get a saturated solution. (2M)
Crystallization: allow the saturated solution to cool down at room conditions
Filtration: filter to obtain the sodium chloride crystals (1M)
(b) Dissolve calcium oxide in water. (1M)
Filter to remove any insoluble solids in the solution and retain the filtrate (calcium hydroxide
solution). (2M)
Bubble carbon dioxide into the filtrate (to allow the formation of calcium carbonate solid). (1M)
Filter the solution to get calcium carbonate as the residue. (1M)
Calcium oxide + water  calcium hydroxide (limewater)
Calcium hydroxide + carbon dioxide  calcium carbonate + water (2M)
This student cannot get a high yield of calcium carbonate practically, this is because the solubility
of calcium hydroxide is quite low, the calcium carbonate obtained is just a milky suspension that is
difficult to be filtered out. (2M)
(c) No. Calcium carbonate is insoluble in water, therefore it cannot prepared by crystallization. (2M)
##

|!|EL02012|!|
A student dropped a piece of chalk into dilute hydrochloric acid. He found that gas bubbles appeared
immediately.
(a) What is the chemical name for chalk?
(b) Write a word equation for the reaction occurred.
(c) What is the gas formed? Suggest a test for the gas.
(d) ‘ A piece of chalk can be turned into a metal,’ a student claimed. Comment on his statement.
(8M)
##
(a) Calcium carbonate. (1M)
(b) Calcium carbonate + dilute hydrochloric acid  calcium chloride + carbon dioxide + water (2M)
(c) Carbon dioxide. It turns limewater milky. (3M)
(d) His statement is correct. Calcium carbonate is an ore of calcium metal. We can obtain calcium metal
by electrolysis of its molten ores. (2M)
##

|!|EL02013|!|
Scientists believe that liquid hydrogen could be a substitute for fossil fuel in future.
(a) Explain why liquid hydrogen can be used as a fuel.
(b) Liquid hydrogen is used as a fuel in space shuttles now. Explain why liquid, but not gas, is used.
(c) Why hydrogen can be obtained from sea water?
(d) Suggest a method to obtain hydrogen from sea water.
(e) Explain why hydrogen is still used to fill weather balloon although it causes explosion easily.
(f) How can we test the presence of hydrogen in a gas sample? (10M)
##
(a) Hydrogen is highly flammable and provides a lot of heat energy when it is burnt. (2M)
(b) Liquid occupies a much more smaller volume than gas does. (1M)
(c) Sea water consists of water, and hydrogen is one of the elements forming water. (2M)
(d) Electrolysis of sea water. (1M)
(e) Hydrogen is cheap and is the lightest gas. (2M)
(f) Hydrogen gives a ‘pop’ sound with a burning splint. (2M)
##