NSS Chemistry Part 15 Analytical Chemistry (Multiple Choice Questions)

HKCEE Past Paper Questions

1. 1995 Q14
A mixture consists of two solids, sodium chloride and lead(II) oxide. Which of the following methods
can be used to remove the sodium chloride from the mixture?
A. Add water to the mixture and then filter.
B. Add concentrated sulphuric acid to the mixture and then filter.
C. Add dilute nitric acid to the mixture and then filter.
D. Add dilute sodium hydroxide solution to the mixture and then filter.
Ans: A

2. 1995 Q17
Compound X is a white solid. When X is warmed with sodium hydroxide solution, a gas is evolved
which turns moist red litmus paper blue. When chlorine water is added to an aqueous solution of X, a
brown solution is formed. X is probably
A. ammonium bromide.
B. ammonium chloride.
C. sodium bromide.
D. sodium chloride.
Ans: A

3. 1995 Q20
Which of the following statements concerning alkenes is INCORRECT?
A. They can decolorize a solution of bromine in 1,1,1-trichloroethane.
B. They can decolorize red litmus solution.
C. They can decolorize acidified potassium permanganate solution.
D. They can be polymerized to form addition polymers.
Ans: B

4. 1996 Q17
A gardener bought a bag of potassium nitrate and a bag of ammonium sulphate, to be used as
fertilizers. He forgot to label the bags. Which of the following tests would enable him to distinguish
between the two chemicals?
A. heating each chemical with dilute sulphuric acid
B. heating each chemical with sodium chloride solution
C. heating each chemical with potassium hydroxide solution
D. heating each chemical with acidified potassium dichromate solution
Ans: C

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5. 1996 Q33
A mixture contains only copper(II) oxide and anhydrous copper(II) sulphate. Which of the following
methods can be used to separate copper(II) oxide from the mixture?
(1) Add water to the mixture and then filter.
(2) Add dilute nitric acid to the mixture and then filter.
(3) Add concentrated hydrochloric acid to the mixture and then filter.
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Ans: A

6. 1997 Q9
Metal X reacts with dilute nitric acid to give a colourless solution. When sodium hydroxide solution is
added to the solution, a white precipitate which dissolves in excess sodium hydroxide solution is
formed. X is probably
A. copper.
B. iron.
C. lead.
D. magnesium.
Ans: C

7. 1997 Q15
Which of the following substances, when mixed, would produce a precipitate?
A. chlorine water and potassium bromide solution
B. ethyl ethanoate and ethanol
C. iron(III) sulphate solution and aqueous ammonia
D. nitric acid and potassium hydroxide solution
Ans: C

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8. 1997 Q23
ups should be connected to the delivery tube to collect the gaseous
Which of the following set-ups
products formed?

A. C.

B. D.

Ans: D

9. 1997 Q36
Which of the following substances can be used to distinguish between concentrated nitric acid and
concentrated sulphuric acid?
(1) sodium carbonate powder
(2) copper turnings
(3) cane sugar

A. (1) and (2) only

B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Ans: C

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10. 1997 Q37
Which of the following substances would react with sodium hydroxide solution?
(1) ammonium chloride solution
(2) copper(II) sulphate solution
(3) ethanoic acid

A. (1) and (2) only

B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Ans: D

11. 1998 Q12

A gas X is bubbled into a solution of Y as shown in the above diagram. In which of the following
combinations would X react with Y?

X Y
A. ammonia potassium iodide
B. chlorine potassium nitrate
C. carbon dioxide sodium hydroxide
D. sulphur dioxide iron(II) sulphate
Ans: C

12. 1998 Q25

Dilute sodium hydroxide solution is added successively to four different solutions. Which of the
following combinations is correct?
Solution Observation
A. ammonium chloride white precipitate
B. lead(II) nitrate yellow precipitate
C. potassium dichromate orange precipitate
D. iron(III) sulphate brown precipitate
Ans: D

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13. 1998 Q26
Some physical properties of a compound X are listed below:
melting point : 82oC
boiling point : 221oC
solubility in water : soluble
Which of the following is the most appropriate method to obtain X from a solution of X in water?
A. decantation
B. crystallization
C. fractional distillation
D. paper chromatography
Ans: B

14. 1998 Q29

X is a compound containing four carbon atoms. It gives negative results with the following tests.
Test
(1) Treating X with sodium hydrogencarbonate solution
(2) Treating X with a solution of bromine in 1,1,1-trichloroethane
(3) Heating X with acidified potassium dichromate solution
The structure formula of X may be
A. CH3CH2CH=CH2.
B. CH3CH2CH2CH2OH.
C. CH3CH2CH2CO2H.
D. CH3CO2CH2CH3.
Ans: D

15. 1999 Q7
Substance X gives identical product(s) when treated with dilute sulphuric acid or concentrated
sulphuric acid. X may be
A. zinc.
B. cane sugar.
C. ammonia.
D. hydrated copper(II) sulphate crystals.
Ans: C

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16. 1999 Q11
The table below shows the ability of four substances W, X, Y and Z to conduct electricity.
(In the table,
and  respectively represent ‘can conduct electricity’ and ‘cannot conduct
electricity’.)
Substance Solid State Liquid State Aqueous Solution
W 


X  

Y   
Z

(insoluble in water)
Which of the substances is likely to be zinc chloride?
A. W
B. X
C. Y
D. Z
Ans: A

17. 1999 Q18

Which of the following processes would NOT produce hydrogen gas?
A. adding calcium to water
B. adding magnesium to dilute hydrochloric acid
C. adding copper to dilute nitric acid
D. passing steam over red hot iron
Ans: C

18. 1999 Q20

Which of the following solutions would produce a white precipitate with sodium hydroxide solution?
A. lead(II) nitrate solution
B. iron(III) nitrate solution
C. copper(II) nitrate solution
D. potassium nitrate solution
Ans: A

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19. 1999 Q32
Which of the following substances can react with acidified potassium permanganate solution?
(1) ethene
(2) copper(II) sulphate solution
(3) iron(II) sulphate solution

A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Ans: C

20. 1999 Q37

Which of the following substances can react with magnesium to give a colourless gas which a ‘pop’
sound?
(1) grapefruit juice
(2) citric acid crystals
(3) household bleach

A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Ans: A

21. 2000 Q6
Which of the following pairs of compounds can be distinguished by treating with an acidified
potassium dichromate solution?
A. ethane and ethene
B. ethanol and propan-1-ol
C. sodium carbonate and sodium hydrogencarbonate
D. sodium sulphite and sodium sulphate
Ans: D

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22. 2000 Q13
Consider the compounds represented by the two structures below:

Which of the following statements concerning these compounds is correct?

A. Both compounds can turn wet blue litmus paper red.
B. Both compounds have the same odour.
C. Both compounds have the same molecular formula.
D. Both compounds have the same boiling point.
Ans: C

23. 2000 Q18

Some potassium carbonate solution is added to a sample of tap water. The mixture then appears
cloudy. Which of the following ions is probably present in the sample?
sampl
A. NH4+
B. Mg2+
C. Br–
D. SO42–
Ans: B

24. 2000 Q22

A white solid dissolves in water to give an alkaline solution. The solution reacts with dilute
hydrochloric acid to give a gas. The solid is probably
A. calcium oxide.
B. calcium carbonate.
C. potassium hydroxide.
D. potassium carbonate.
Ans: D

25. 2000 Q24

Which of the following compounds is insoluble in water?
A. methanol
B. methanoic acid
C. methyl methanoate
D. sodium methanoate
Ans: C

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26. 2001 Q5
Which of the following substances can conduct electricity in both solid and liquid states?
A. sulphur
B. mercury
C. quartz
D. lead(II) bromide
Ans: B

27. 2001 Q7
Which of the following statements concerning water is correct?
A. It reacts with calcium to give a colourless gas.
B. It is a strong electrolyte.
C. It turns anhydrous cobalt(II) chloride from pink to blue.
D. It is immiscible with methanol.
Ans: A

28. 2001 Q11

Which of the following pairs of solutions, when mixed, would produce a precipitate?
A. lead(II) nitrate and sodium hydroxide
B. copper(II) sulphate and sodium nitrate
C. zinc chloride and potassium nitrate
D. iron(II) sulphate and acidified potassium permanganate
Ans: A

29. 2001 Q18

Consider the following information about four substances, W, X, Y and Z:
Substance Melting Point/oC Electrical conductivity at room temperature
W –23 poor
X 56 poor
Y 232 good
Z 750 poor
Which substance has a simple molecular structure and is a solid at room termperature?
A. W
B. X
C. Y
D. Z
Ans: B

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30. 2001 Q28

up shown above is best used to collect

The set-up
A. ammonia.
B. chlorine.
C. nitrogen.
D. sulphur dioxide.
Ans: C

31. 2001 Q40

In which of the following experiments would a gas be produced?
(1) adding water to a solid mixture of citric acid and sodium hydrogencarbonate
(2) adding dilute hydrochloric acid to sodium hypochlorite solution
(3) adding chlorine water to potassium iodide solution

A. (1) and (2) only

B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Ans: A

32. 2002 Q2
Which of the following compounds, when dissolved in water, gives a green solution?
A. copper(II) sulphate
B. nickel(II) sulphate
C. cobalt(II) chloride
D. iron(III) sulphate
Ans: B

33. 2002 Q17

Which of the following solutions does NOT react with sodium hydroxide solution?
A. ammonium chloride solution
B. potassium carbonate solution
C. copper(II) nitrate solution
D. zinc sulphate solution
Ans: B

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34. 2002 Q19
Which of the following acids, when heated with copper, would produce a gas?
A. dilute nitric acid
B. dilute hydrochloric acid
C. dilute sulphuric acid
D. concentrated ethanoic acid
Ans: A

35. 2002 Q22

Which of the following methods should be used to obtain hydrated copper(II) sulphate from copper(II)
sulphate solution?
A. crystallization
B. distillation
C. fractional distillation
D. heating under reflux
Ans: A

36. 2002 Q24

Which of the following statements concerning sodium hydroxide is INCORRECT?
A. It is manufactured by treating sodium with water.
B. Its concentrated solution is corrosive.
C. It is used in the manufacture of soapless detergents.
D. It absorbs carbon dioxide when exposed to air.
Ans: A

37. 2002 Q28

Which of the following substances does not conduct electricity in its solid state but does conduct
electricity in its liquid state?
A. lithium chloride
B. phosphorus
C. platinum
D. Perspex
Ans: A

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38. 2002 Q32
A black powder is suspected to be carbon or a mixture of carbon and copper(II) oxide. Which of the
following methods can be used to identify the black powder?
(1) adding dilute sulphuric acid to the powder
(2) adding sodium hydroxide solution to the powder
(3) heating the powder strongly
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Ans: C

39. 2002 Q37

Which of the following methods can be used to distinguish between iron(II) sulphate solution and
iron(III) sulphate solution?
(1) observing their colours
(2) adding acidified potassium permanganate solution
(3) adding aqueous ammonia
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Ans: D

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40. 2002 Q38
Which of the following set-ups can be used to dry moist sulphur dioxide gas?
(1) (2)

(3)

A. (1) and (2) only

B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Ans: B

41. 2002 Q44

Both ethene and ethyne are gaseous hydrocarbons. Their structures are shown below:

Which of the following statements concerning ethene and ethyne are correct?
(1) Both are unsaturated hydrocarbons.
(2) Both are insoluble in water.
(3) Ethyne burns with a more sooty flame than ethene.

A. (1) and (2) only

B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Ans: D

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42. 2003 Q13
Which of the following substances will NOT react with bromine water?
A. propene
B. sulphur oxide
C. potassium iodide solution
D. ammonium chloride solution
Ans: D
43. 2003 Q21
Which of the following solutions would NOT undergo a colour change when mixed with sodium
sulphite solution?
A. iodine solution
B. acidified potassium permanganate solution
C. chromium (III) sulphate solution
D. iron (III) sulphate solution
Ans: C

44. 2003 Q27

Which of the following pairs of substances can be distinguished by using dilute hydrochloric acid?
A. NaCl and NaOCl
B. NH4Br and NH4I
C. K2CO3 and KHCO3
D. CaO and Ca(OH)2
Ans: A

45. 2003 Q31

Propene is an unsaturated hydrocarbon. Which of the following reactions is/are characteristic of the
unsaturated nature of propene?
(1) It undergoes incomplete combustion to give carbon monoxide.
(2) It decolourises acidified potassium permanganate solution.
(3) It undergoes polymerization to give polypropene.

A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Ans: D

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46. 2003 Q38
The structures of two organic compounds are shown below:

Which of the following statements concerning these two compounds is/are correct?
(1) They have the same relative molecular mass.
(2) They
hey have the same chemical properties.
(3) They are both soluble in water.
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Ans: A

47. 2003 Q43

Which of the following pairs of solutions would from a precipitate when they are mixed?
(1) NH4Cl(aq) and K2SO4(aq)
(2) NH3(aq) and Pb(NO3)2(aq)
(3) (NH4)2CO3(aq) and CaCl2(aq)

A. (1) and (2) only

B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Ans: C

48. 2004 Q8
Which of the following pairs of ions would react together to form a white precipitate?
A. Ca2+(aq) and SO42-(aq)
B. Cu2+(aq) and NO3-(aq)
C. Ni2+(aq) and CO32-(aq)
D. NH4+(aq) and OH-(aq)
Ans: A

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49. 2004 Q9
Which of the following methods can be used to obtain water from a mixture of copper powder and
copper(II) sulphate solution?
A. distillation
B. decantation
C. filtration followed by crystallization
D. filtration followed by evaporation
Ans: A

50. 2004 Q10

Which of the following combinations concerning the properties of gases is INCORRECT?

Gas Property
A. ammonia has an irritating odour
B. methane dissolves readily in water
C. carbon monoxide can burn in air
D. nitrogen monoxide changes from colourless to brown when exposed to air
Ans: B

51. 2004 Q18

Which of the following reagents can be used to distinguish sodium bromide solution from sodium
chloride solution?
A. bromine water
B. chlorine water
C. 1,1,1-trichloroethane
D. potassium fluoride solution
Ans: B

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52. 2004 Q28
Ethene can be prepared by heating ethanol with excess concentrated sulphuric acid. The reaction
involved can be represented by the equation:
conc. H2SO4
CH3CH2OH CH2=CH2 + H2O

Which of the set-ups shown below can be used to collect the ethane produced?
(1)

(2) (3)

A. (1) and (2) only

B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Ans: B

53. 2004 Q32

Which of the following substances can decolourise acidified potassium permanganate solution?
(1) sodium nitrate solution
(2) sodium sulphite solution
(3) chlorine water

A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Ans: B

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54. 2004 Q34
Which of the following substances, when dissolved in water, gives a solution with pH greater than 7?
(1) chlorine
(2) calcium oxide
(3) sulphur dioxide

A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Ans: B

55. 2005 Q5
When a flame test is performed on copper(II) chloride, what is the colour of the flame observed?

A. golden yellow
B. pale purple
C. brick-red
D. bluish-green
Ans: D
56. 2005 Q26
An aqueous solution of a compound reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid to give a gas. This
aqueous solution does not give a precipitate with sodium hydroxide solution. What could the
compound be?

(1) potassium sulphite

(2) iron(II) sulphate
(3) ammonium carbonate

A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Ans: C

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57. 2005 Q33
When a metal X is warmed with an acid Y, they react to form a colourless solution and a brown gas.
Which of the following combinations is correct?

X Y

A. zinc concentrated nitric acid

B. copper concentrated sulphuric acid
C. zinc concentrated sulphuric acid
D. copper concentrated nitric acid
Ans: A

58. 2006 Q4
Which of following combinations concerning the change of physical state of a substance is
INCORRECT?

Change of physical state Process

A. liquid to gas evaporation
B. liquid to solid precipitation
C. solid to gas sublimation
D. gas to liquid condensation
Ans: B
59. 2006 Q7
Compound X is soluble in water. Addition of sodium hydroxide solution to a solution of X gives a
white precipitate. The precipitate does not dissolve upon the addition of excess alkali. X may be

A. MgCl2.
B. ZnCl2.
C. FeSO4.
D. (NH4)2SO4.
Ans: A
60. 2006 Q16
X is an aqueous solution. When X is added in excess to bromine water, the resulting solution is
colourless. When X is treated with dilute hydrochloric acid, a gas with an irritating smell evolves.
X may be

A. sodium sulphite solution.

B. sodium hypochlorite solution.
C. ammonium hydrogencarbonate solution.
D. ammonium nitrate solution.
Ans: B

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61. 2006 Q17
Gas X is bubbled into solution Y as shown below:

Which of the following combinations would give no visible change in the test tube?

X Y

A. sulphur dioxide sodium iodide solution

B. ethene acidified potassium permanganate solution
C. chlorine litmus solution
D. carbon dioxide calcium hydroxide solution
Ans: A

62. 2006 Q35

An athlete is suspected of having taken a prohibited drug. A urine sample of the athlete is therefore
collected for analysis. Which of the following methods can be employed to show the possible
presence of the drug in the urine sample?

A. centrifugation
B. chromatography
C. fractional distillation
D. volumetric analysis
Ans: B

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63. 2006 Q46
There are two unlabelled bottles in the laboratory. One of the bottles contains an aqueous solution
of common salt and the other contains antiseptic alcohol. Which of the following methods can be
used to distinguish the substances in the bottles?

(1) adding a small amount of water

(2) detecting their odour
(3) measuring their electrical conductivity

A. (1) and (2) only

B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Ans: C

64. 2007 Q1
Which of the following pairs of aqueous solutions can be distinguished by using dilute hydrochloric acid?
A. zinc iodide and zinc bromide
B. silver nitrate and magnesium sulphate
C. potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide
D. sodium carbonate and calcium hydrogencarbonate
Ans: B

65. 2007 Q2
Which of the following substances has a sharp boiling point?
A. petrol
B. red wine
C. molten wax
D. liquid ammonia
Ans: D

66. 2007 Q19

Chlorine is bubbled into an aqueous solution P for some time. The colour of P gradually changes to brown.
P is NOT likely to be

A. calcium hydroxide solution.

B. potassium iodide solution.
C. iron(II) chloride solution.
D. zinc bromide solution.
Ans: A

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67. 2008 Q3
Which of the following ions will NOT react with hot HCl(aq) or hot NaOH(aq)?

A. Fe 2+ (aq)

+
B. NH 4 (aq)

2−
C. SO 4 (aq)

2−
D. SO 3 (aq)

Ans: C

68. 2008 Q12

Green patches appear on the surface of a metallic statue in a museum. It can be deduced that the statue may
contain
A. tin.
B. iron.
C. silver.
D. copper.
Ans: D

69. 2008 Q21

Which of the following substance, when mixed with bromine water, would form a colourless solution?
(1) sodium sulphite
(2) sodium chloride
(3) sodium iodide

A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Ans: A

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70. 2008 Q26
Consider the following pieces of apparatus :

Which of the following processes can be performed by normal use of some or all of the above apparatus?
(1) refluxing a reacting mixture
(2) separating two immiscible liquids
(3) performing a simple distillation

A. (1) and (2) only

B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Ans: B

71. 2008 Q31

Organic compound Q has the following composition by mass :
C : 37.5% H : 12.5% O : 50.0%

What is the possible chemical formula of Q?

(Relative atomic masses : H = 1.0, C = 12.0, O = 16.0)

A. CH 3 OH

B. C 2 H 5 OH

C. HCOOH

D. CH 3 COOH

Ans: A

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72. 2008 Q47
The empirical formula of an organic compound T is CH 2 O . Effervescence occurs when T is added to sodium
carbonate solution. T may be
(1) HCOOCH3 .
(2) CH 3 CH(OH)COOH .
(3) CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 COOH .
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Ans: B

73. 2008 Q48

Upon electrolysis, which of the following solutions would give hydrogen at carbon cathode and oxygen at
platinum anode?
(1) very dilute sodium chloride solution
(2) dilute copper(II) sulphate solution
(3) concentrated potassium sulphate solution
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Ans: C

74. 2009 Q7
A colourless aqueous solution of compound Z can conduct electricity and turns blue litmus paper red.
It can be deduced that
A. Z must be an ionic compound.
B. Z must contain hydrogen in its chemical formula.
C. solution of Z must contain more ions than molecules.
－
D. solution of Z must contain more H+ ions than OH ions.
Ans: D
75. 2009 Q15
Which of the following statements concerning paper chromatography is correct?
A. The solvent used must be water.
B. The solvent used must be an organic solvent.
C. It can be used to separate the components of a mixture.
D. It can be used to break down a compound into its constituent elements.
Ans: C

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76. 2009 Q23
Which of the following substances can be used to distinguish between magnesium nitrate solution and
silver nitrate solution?
(1) zinc strip
(2) ammonium nitrate solution
(3) potassium chloride solution
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Ans: B
77. 2009 Q24
Which of the following substances can react with acidified potassium permanganate solution?
(1) propene
(2) potassium iodide solution
(3) sodium sulphite solution
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Ans: D

78. 2009 Q25

Which of the following hazard warning labels should be displayed on the reagent bottle of methanol?

A. (1) and (2) only

B. (l) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (l), (2) and (3)
Ans: A

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79. 2010 Q20
A mixture of (NH4)2SO4(aq) and MgSO4(aq) is heated with excess NaOH(aq). Which of the following
observations is correct ?
A. No pungent gas is evolved and no precipitate is formed.
B. No pungent gas is evolved but a white precipitate is formed
C. A pungent gas is evolved but no precipitate is formed.
D. A pungent gas is evolved and a white precipitate is formed.
Ans: D

80. 2010 Q23

The oxide of metal Z reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid to form a colourless solution. Which of the
following metals may Z be?
(1) zinc
(2) copper
(3) silver
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Ans: A

81. 2010 Q42

Which of the following hazard warning labels should be displayed on a bottle of concentrated
hydrochloric acid ?

A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Ans: A

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82. 2010 Q43
Solution Y is added dropwise to a solution of NaOH containing several drops of phenolphthalein. The
mixture suddenly changes from pink to colourless. Which of the following substances may Y be ?
(1) HCl(aq)
(2) KCl(aq)
(3) Cl2(aq)
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Ans: C

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