The aim of these worked answers is to provide students who might not otherwise get the opportunity to

participate in the Chemistry Olympiad, with a set of worked examples which they can attempt independently
prior to taking the Round 1 paper.

The questions chosen cover a range of subjects and present a varying degree of challenge to the students:

Little difficulty
2006 Paper, Question 1: Sherbet lemons
2011 Paper, Question 3: The chemistry of explosives
2011 Paper, Question 4: Solving a puzzle using spectroscopy

Moderate difficulty
2007 Paper, Question 4: Analysis of flame retardants
2009 Paper, Question 3: The chemistry of matches
2010 Paper, Question 1: Synthesis of the perfume ingredient Ambergris

High difficulty
2007 Paper, Question 3: Phosphate levels in the environment
2009 Paper, Question 4: The chemistry of stopping diarrhoea
2010 Paper, Question 6: Gold leaf

The flow chart below shows one way in which the questions could be used;

Well done. Move on

to a more difficult
Answer(s)
question
correct

Compare answer with

the written answer
Can have Mistake
a go identified
Answer(s)
incorrect
Look back through the
Attempt the question
answer to try and spot
using the written
the mistake
question only
Unable to
Don’t know identify the
where to start mistake
Listen to the
Way forward appropriate video
now clear
presentation up to the
point at which where
you were stuck now
becomes clear