Foundation questions

1. The three halogens chlorine, bromine and iodine are mixed with solutions of their potassium
salts.
The table shows the results:

solution of chlorine bromine iodine

potassium chloride  
potassium bromide  
potassium iodide  

The three ticks in the table show where there are reactions.
Describe and explain what you would see in each of these three reactions and what it would tell
you about the relative reactivity of the halogens, bromine, chlorine and iodine.
(Edexcel, Unit 2: Discovering Chemistry, Wednesday 15 June 2016 Afternoon, 5CH2F/01, page 16)

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2. At room temperature, hydrogen peroxide decomposes slowly to form water and oxygen gas.
The equation for the reaction is
hydrogen peroxide → water + oxygen

The progress of the reaction can be followed by measuring the volume of gas given off.

This reaction can be catalysed by the addition of solid manganese(IV) oxide.

Two properties of a catalyst are

• it increases the rate of a reaction
• its mass is unchanged at the end of the reaction.

Using hydrogen peroxide solution and manganese (IV) oxide, describe experiments to show that
manganese(IV) oxide has these properties when used as a catalyst in this reaction.

(Edexcel, Unit 2: Discovering Chemistry, Wednesday 15 June 2016 Afternoon, 5CH2F/01, page 20)
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3. Limestone is an important raw material and has many uses.
Large quantities of limestone are extracted from quarries.
A decision is made to close a limestone quarry.
Describe large scale uses of limestone and discuss the advantages and disadvantages for a local
community if the limestone quarry in the area is closed.

(Edexcel, Unit C1: Chemistry in Our World, Thursday 18 January 2018 Morning, 5CH1F/01, page 16)
4. Petrol and hydrogen are both fuels that can be burnt in the engines of cars.

Identify the products formed when each of these fuels burns and give the advantages and
disadvantages of using hydrogen rather than petrol as a fuel in cars.

(Edexcel, Unit C1: Chemistry in Our World, Thursday 18 January 2018 Morning, 5CH1F/01, page 20)

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5. Starting with solid sodium carbonate and solid calcium nitrate, describe how you could prepare
a sample of pure, dry calcium carbonate.

You may wish to use diagrams to illustrate your answer.

(Edexcel, Unit C2: Discovering Chemistry, Monday 22 January 2018 Morning, 5CH2F/01, page 19)

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6. Many different substances are used as fuels.
Several factors contribute to making a substance a good fuel.
Examples of good fuels are ethanol, methane and petrol.
Describe some of the factors that make a substance a good fuel, explaining the advantages and
disadvantages of one of the fuels listed above.
(Edexcel, Unit C1: Chemistry in Our World, Thursday 18 May 2018 Morning, 5CH1F/01, page 16)

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7. Chlorine and hydrogen are manufactured by the electrolysis of saturated sodium chloride
solution.

The gases have important uses so must be produced in large amounts.

However, both gases are hazardous and leaks of the gases would be very serious.
Describe the important uses and the hazards of each gas and the test for chlorine that might be
used to detect a small leak of the gas.
(Edexcel, Unit C1: Chemistry in Our World, Thursday 18 May 2018 Morning, 5CH1F/01, page 19)
8. Sodium fluoride is an ionic compound, containing sodium ions, Na +, and fluoride ions, F–.
Sodium and fluoride ions are formed from sodium and fluorine atoms.
Some information about sodium and fluorine atoms is given in the table.
protons neutrons electron
configuration
sodium 11 12 2.8.1
fluorine 9 10 2.7

Use the information in the table to describe the structure of sodium and fluorine atoms and how
they combine to form sodium and fluoride ions in sodium fluoride.
You may use diagrams to help your answer.
(Edexcel, Unit C2: Discovering Chemistry, Wednesday 14 June 2017 Morning, 5CH2F/01, page 12)

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9. Lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium and caesium are all metals in group 1 of the periodic
table.
7
Li
lithium
3
23
Na
sodium
11
39
K
group 1 of the periodic table
potassium
19
85
Rb
rubidium
37
133
Cs
caesium
55

The reaction of rubidium and caesium with water can be predicted from the reactions of lithium,
sodium and potassium with water.
Describe the similarities and differences in the reactions of these five metals with water.
You may use word equations or balanced equations to help your answer.
(Edexcel, Unit C2: Discovering Chemistry, Wednesday 14 June 2017 Morning, 5CH2F/01, page 16)
10. Ammonium salts are soluble in water and some are used in artificial fertilisers.
Describe the benefits and problems of using artificial fertilisers when growing crops.
(Edexcel, Unit C3: Chemistry in Action, Wednesday 21 June 2017 Morning, 5CH3F/01, page 14)
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11. Potassium chloride, potassium iodide and sodium iodide are all colourless crystals.
Unlabelled samples of the three substances are provided.
Describe the tests you would carry out to identify the potassium chloride, the potassium iodide
and the sodium iodide.
Include the results you would expect for each test.
(Edexcel, Unit C3: Chemistry in Action, Wednesday 21 June 2017 Morning, 5CH3F/01, page 18)

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12. The uses of polymers are related to their properties. The uses of some common polymers are
shown in the table.
polymer uses
poly(ethane) plastic bags, plastic bottles, insulation for electrical wires
poly(chloroethene) (PVC) window frames, gutters, insulation for electrical wires
poly(tetrafluoroethene) coating for pans and skis, stain-proofing fabrics and
(PTFE) carpets, containers for corrosive substances

A problem with polymers is that it is difficult to dispose of them after use.

Describe how the uses of these polymers are related to their properties, explaining the problems
of disposing of these polymers.
(Edexcel, Unit C1: Chemistry in Our World, Thursday 19 May 2016 Morning, 5CH1F/01, page 16)

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13. Sulfur impurity can be present in the coal used in coal-fired power stations.
As a result of the presence of the sulfur impurity, the gases from the chimneys of these power
stations can produce acid rain. Limestone can be used to reduce the emission of these harmful
gases from the chimneys of coal-fired power stations.

Explain how acid rain is formed, the environmental problems caused by acid rain and how the
use of limestone in the chimneys of coal-fired power stations reduces these problems.

(Edexcel, Unit C1: Chemistry in Our World, Thursday 19 May 2016 Morning, 5CH1F/01, page 20)
14. Magnesium ethanoate is a salt which is soluble in water.
It can be made by reacting magnesium carbonate powder with dilute ethanoic acid.
Magnesium carbonate is insoluble in water.

The equation for the reaction is

ethanoic acid (aq) + magnesium carbonate (s)  magnesium ethanoate (aq) + carbon dioxide (g) + water (l)

You are given some dilute ethanoic acid and magnesium carbonate powder.
Describe how you would prepare a pure solution of magnesium ethanoate and how you would
obtain pure, dry magnesium ethanoate crystals from that solution.
(Edexcel, Unit C3: Chemistry in Action, Wednesday 22 June 2016 Morning, 5CH3F/01, page 14)

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15. The alkanes and the alkenes are two examples of homologous series.
Name and draw the structures of some alkanes and of some alkenes and use them to show how
members of a homologous series are similar in their general formula, names and structures of
their molecules.
(Edexcel, Unit C3: Chemistry in Action, Wednesday 22 June 2016 Morning, 5CH3F/01, page 18)
Higher questions

1. Chlorine, Cl2, is a simple molecular, covalent substance.

Diamond is a giant molecular, covalent substance.
Sodium chloride is an ionic substance.
Zinc is metallic.

As a result of their different structures these substances have the following different
properties.
 Solid chlorine has a very low melting point but diamond, sodium chloride and zinc have high
melting points.
 Diamond and sodium chloride have different solubilities in water.

In terms of the structure and bonding of these substances, explain these properties.
(Edexcel, Unit 2: Discovering Chemistry, Wednesday 15 June 2016 Afternoon, 5CH2H/01, page 14)

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2. An experiment is carried out to determine the empirical formula of magnesium oxide.

magnesium + oxygen → magnesium oxide

The following results are obtained
mass of magnesium ribbon reacted = 0.420 g
mass of magnesium oxide formed = 0.700 g
Describe an experiment to produce these results. As part of your answer show how these results
can be used to obtain the empirical formula of the magnesium oxide.
(relative atomic masses: Mg = 24.0, O = 16.0)
(Edexcel, Unit 2: Discovering Chemistry, Wednesday 15 June 2016 Afternoon, 5CH2H/01, page 18)
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3. Bioethanol is a biofuel and is produced from plants.

Diesel oil is a fossil fuel obtained from crude oil.
Diesel is commonly used as a fuel for buses.
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages if bioethanol, rather than diesel, is used as a fuel for
buses.
(Edexcel, Unit C1: Chemistry in Our World, Thursday 18 January 2018 Morning, 5CH1H/01, page 14)
4. The method of extraction of a metal from its ore depends on the reactivity of the metal and, in
some cases, on the cost of the extraction process.

The list shows some metals in the reactivity series from the most reactive at the top to the least
reactive at the bottom.
most reactive magnesium
aluminium
zinc
iron
copper
least reactive gold

Aluminium, iron and gold are obtained by different methods.

Describe how the method of obtaining these metals is related to their position in the reactivity
series and to the cost of the extraction process.
(Edexcel, Unit C1: Chemistry in Our World, Thursday 18 January 2018 Morning, 5CH1H/01, page 18)

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5. A student carried out two further experiments with pieces of calcium carbonate and dilute
hydrochloric acid.

The same mass of calcium carbonate and the same sized pieces of calcium carbonate were used in
both experiments.
The results are shown in the table.
experiment 1 experiment 2
concentration of hydrochloric acid / mol dm -3
0.5 1.5
temperature / °C 25 50
rate of reaction slower faster

Explain why the rate of reaction in experiment 2 is faster than the rate of reaction in experiment 1
by considering the effect of the changes in concentration and temperature.
In your answer you should refer to the frequency and energy of collisions between particles.
(Edexcel, Unit C2: Discovering Chemistry, Monday 22 January 2018 Morning, 5CH2H/01, page 18)
6. The following passage gives some information about hydrogen used as fuel in cars.

The fuel used in some cars is hydrogen. It is stored in pressurised tanks underneath the cars. The
processes used to produce the hydrogen and pressurise it may require the use of fossil fuels.

The company expects sales of these cars to increase as more hydrogen filling stations are built.

Use your knowledge of hydrogen and petrol to explain the advantages and disadvantages of using
hydrogen rather than petrol as the fuel in cars.
(Edexcel, Unit C1: Chemistry in Our World, Thursday 18 May 2017 Morning, 5CH1H/01, page 14)
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7. A sample of neon contains 90% neon-20 and 10% neon-22.
An atom of neon-20 contains 10 protons, 10 neutrons and 10 electrons.
Describe the structure of a neon-22 atom and explain why, in this sample, the neon has a relative
atomic mass of 20.2.
(Edexcel, Unit C2: Discovering Chemistry, Wednesday 14 June 2017 Morning, 5CH2H/01, page 14)

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8. Graphite and diamond are forms of the element carbon.
Diamond is used in cutting tools.
Graphite is used as a lubricant and in electrodes.
Explain, using ideas about their structures, why diamond and graphite are suitable for these uses.
You may use diagrams to help you explain your answer.
(Edexcel, Unit C2: Discovering Chemistry, Wednesday 14 June 2017 Morning, 5CH2H/01, page 18)
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9. The products of electrolysis can vary depending on whether the salt forming the electrolyte is
molten or in aqueous solution.
Explain this statement by referring to the products of electrolysis of molten sodium chloride and of
electrolysis of sodium chloride solution.
Include in your answer the names of all the ions present in each electrolyte and how the product
at each electrode is formed from ions present.
You may use half-equations if you wish.
(Edexcel, Unit C3: Chemistry in Action, Wednesday 21 June 2017 Morning, 5CH3H/01, page 18)
10. Iron in the form of steel, aluminium and copper are used to manufacture many useful articles.
These uses depend on their density, strength, electrical conductivity and resistance to corrosion.
Describe some uses of each of these metals in relation to their properties and the advantages of
recycling these metals rather than extracting more of the metals from their ores.
(Edexcel, Unit C1: Chemistry in Our World, Thursday 19 May 2016 Morning, 5CH1H/01, page 14)

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11. The table below shows the percentages of three fractions obtained from crude oil and the
percentages of these fractions required by customers.
fraction number of carbon percentage obtained percentage required
atoms in molecules from crude oil by customers
gases 1 to 4 2 5
petrol 5 to 10 10 26
kerosene 10 to 16 13 8

Oil companies use cracking to convert some of the molecules in the kerosene fraction into
molecules with fewer carbon atoms.
Cracking can also be carried out on a small scale using liquid paraffin in a school laboratory.
Describe how cracking can be carried out in the laboratory experiment, explaining why it is
necessary for oil companies to use cracking on some fractions obtained from crude oil.
You may wish to use diagrams to help parts of your answer.
(Edexcel, Unit C1: Chemistry in Our World, Thursday 19 May 2016 Morning, 5CH1H/01, page 18)

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12. Sodium ethanoate solution can be formed by neutralising sodium hydroxide solution with
dilute ethanoic acid.
Pure crystals of sodium ethanoate can be obtained from this solution.
The volumes of sodium hydroxide solution and dilute ethanoic acid required to form the pure
sodium ethanoate solution must be found by titration.
Describe how you would prepare a pure solution of sodium ethanoate from sodium hydroxide
solution and dilute ethanoic acid, and how you would obtain pure, dry sodium ethanoate crystals
from this solution.
(Edexcel, Unit C3: Chemistry in Action, Wednesday 22 June 2016 Morning, 5CH3H/01, page 14)

13. The table gives information about four substances, A, B, C and D.

The substances, in no particular order, are ethane, ethanoic acid, ethanol and ethene.
substance A substance B substance C substance D
symbols of all
atoms found in CH CHO CHO CH
the formula
oxidises when
no yes no no
left in the air
observation
when magnesium no reaction no reaction effervescence no reaction
is added
observation
when added to
sodium no reaction no reaction effervescence no reaction
carbonate
solution
observation
orange to
when bromine stays orange stays orange stays orange
colourless
water added
can be
yes no no no
polymerised

Identify substances A, B, C and D, explaining how you have used the information in the table to
identify them.
(Edexcel, Unit C3: Chemistry in Action, Wednesday 22 June 2016 Morning, 5CH3H/01, page 18)

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14. Salts of metals can be made by reacting one of the metal’s compounds with the appropriate
acid.
Plan an experiment to prepare pure, dry crystals of magnesium sulfate, MgSO 4 , by reacting a
suitable magnesium compound with a suitable acid.
You may use equations if you wish.

(Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in Combined Science, Sample Assessment Materials –
Issue 2 – October © Pearson Education Limited 2017, page 245)
15. The order of reactivity of chlorine, bromine and iodine can be determined by carrying out
displacement reactions.
Explain how displacement reactions can be used to show the reactivity of these three elements.
(Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in Combined Science, Sample Assessment Materials –
Issue 2 – October © Pearson Education Limited 2017, page 267)

Links to the resources used:

Past papers: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/support-topics/exams/past-
papers.html
Sample Assessment Materials -
https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/GCSE/Science/2016/Specification/
SAMs_GCSE_L1-L2_in_Combined_Science.pdf