HKDSE CHEMISTRY — A Modern View (Second Edition)

Part IV Acids and bases

Part IV Acids and bases

Q1
A student performed the following experiment:

water

a mixture of tartaric acid

crystals and iron powder

When the student added water to the mixture, a colourless gas was produced. Which
of the following statements about the experiment is/are correct?
(1) The reaction of water with iron produces the colourless gas.
(2) Tartaric acid dissolves in water to form hydrogen ions.
(3) The colourless gas can relight a glowing splint.
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only

##B When water is added to the mixture, tartaric acid ionizes to give hydrogen ions,
which react with iron to give hydrogen.##

Q2
Carbon dioxide is bubbled into limewater continuously and the variation in electrical
conductivity of the solution is investigated as shown below.

carbon dioxide

limewater

platinum electrodes

Which of the following graphs correctly represents the change in current measured by

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd 2019 Part IV

19
 HKDSE CHEMISTRY — A Modern View (Second Edition)
Part IV Acids and bases

the ammeter against time?

A. B.

Current

Current
Time Time

C. D.
Current

Current
Time Time


##A When CO2 is bubbled into limewater (Ca(OH)2), insoluble CaCO3 forms.
Ca(OH)2(aq) + CO2(g)  CaCO3(s) + H2O(l)
The concentration of mobile ions (Ca2+(aq) and OH(aq)) in the solution decreases.
Hence, the current measured decreases.
When more CO2 is bubbled into the solution, soluble Ca(HCO3)2 gradually forms.
CaCO3(s) + CO2(g) + H2O(l)  Ca(HCO3)2(aq)
The concentration of mobile ions (Ca2+(aq) and HCO3(aq)) in the solution increases
and so the current measured gradually increases. When all CaCO3 has been reacted,
the concentration of mobile ions remains unchanged.##

Q3
5.5 g of hydrogen chloride gas is bubbled into 200 g of distilled water. What is the
concentration of the hydrochloric acid if the density of the acid produced is 1.08 g
cm3?
(Relative atomic masses: H = 1.0, Cl = 35.5)
A. 0.79 mol dm3
B. 1.27 mol dm3
C. 2.32 mol dm3
D. 21.0 mol dm3


© Aristo Educational Press Ltd 2019 Part IV

20
 HKDSE CHEMISTRY — A Modern View (Second Edition)
Part IV Acids and bases

##A Volume of HCl(aq) produced = = cm3 = 190.3

cm3
Number of moles of HCl = mol = 0.151 mol

Concentration of HCl(aq) = mol dm3 = 0.79 mol dm3##

Q4
Which of the following methods can be used to distinguish between a sample of nitric
acid and a sample of ethanoic acid, which both have a pH of 3.5?
(1) Dilute the two sample solutions by 10 times with distilled water and then
measure the pH of each solution.
(2) Add equal masses and sizes of zinc granules to the two sample solutions.
(3) Add a few drops of universal indicator to the two sample solutions.
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only

##A When the nitric acid (a strong acid) is diluted by 10 times, [H (aq)] decreases by
+

10 times (i.e. the concentration will be 104.5 mol dm3) and the pH of the resultant
solution increases by 1 (i.e. 4.5). When the ethanoic acid (a weak acid) is diluted by
10 times, in addition to the dilution of the H+(aq) originally present, some unionized
ethanoic acid molecules ionize to give H+(aq). Hence, [H+(aq)] in the resultant
solution is greater than 104.5 mol dm3 and has a pH smaller than 4.5.
As the two sample solutions have the same [H+(aq)], their reactions with zinc have the
same rate and they show the same colour after adding universal indicator.##

Q5
20 cm3 of 0.50 mol dm3 lead(II) nitrate solution is mixed with 80 cm3 of 0.40 mol
dm3 calcium chloride solution. What is the concentration of chloride ions in the
resultant solution?
A. 0.12 mol dm3
B. 0.22 mol dm3
C. 0.44 mol dm3
D. 0.54 mol dm3

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd 2019 Part IV

21
 HKDSE CHEMISTRY — A Modern View (Second Edition)
Part IV Acids and bases


##C Number of moles of Pb2+(aq) = 0.50 × mol = 0.010 mol

Number of moles of Cl(aq) = 2 × 0.40 × mol = 0.064 mol

Pb2+(aq) + 2Cl(aq)  PbCl2(s)

0.010 mol of Pb2+(aq) and 0.020 mol of Cl(aq) are precipitated.
Number of moles of Cl(aq) left in the resultant solution
= (0.064  0.020) mol = 0.044 mol

Concentration of Cl(aq) = mol dm3 = 0.44 mol dm3##

Q6
The following table shows some information about solutions A and B.

Solution A Solution B
Acid present Hydrochloric acid Ethanoic acid
pH 2.0 2.0
Concentration of the acid x mol dm 3
y mol dm3

(a) Equal volumes of 0.01 mol dm3 sodium carbonate solution are added to two test
tubes containing equal volumes of solutions A and B separately.
(i) Write an ionic equation for the reaction involved. (1 mark)

(ii) Compare the rates of reaction in the two test tubes. Explain your answer.
(2 marks)

(b) Calculate the value of x for solution A. (1 mark)

(c) Is the value of y larger, the same or smaller than that of x? Explain your answer
with the aid of the equation for the ionization of ethanoic acid. (3 marks)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd 2019 Part IV

22
 HKDSE CHEMISTRY — A Modern View (Second Edition)
Part IV Acids and bases

##
(a) (i) 2H+(aq) + CO32(aq)  CO2(g) + H2O(l) 1
(ii) The rates of reactions are the same. 1
The two solutions have the same concentration of H+(aq). 1
(b) 2.0 = log x
x = 0.010 1
(c) The value of y is larger than that of x.
CH3COOH(aq) CH3COO(aq) + H+(aq) 1
The concentration of H+(aq) (and that of CH3COO(aq)) in solution B is
0.01 mol dm3. 1
As ethanoic acid ionizes only slightly in water, the concentration of
CH3COOH(aq) must be higher than that of H+(aq). 1
___
7
##

Q7
Concentrated alkalis are commonly found in the school laboratory.

(a) From the following hazard warning labels, circle ONE label that should be
shown on bottles of concentrated alkalis. (1 mark)

(b) To prepare dilute NaOH(aq), a student suggests adding water to a beaker

containing some sodium hydroxide pellets.
(i) Explain why the suggestion is unsafe. (1 mark)

(ii) State ONE safety precaution in handling sodium hydroxide pellets. (1 mark)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd 2019 Part IV

23
 HKDSE CHEMISTRY — A Modern View (Second Edition)
Part IV Acids and bases

(c) Comment on the following statement.

‘6 M KOH(aq) is a stronger alkali than 1 M KOH(aq).’ (1 mark)

(d) Suggest a method to distinguish between concentrated NaOH(aq) and dilute

KOH(aq). (2 marks)

##
(a)

1
(b) (i) A large amount of heat is given out when water is added to sodium
hydroxide pellets. This can cause the liquids to boil and splatter. 1
(ii) Wear safety goggles / protective gloves. 1
(c) The statement is incorrect. NaOH is a strong alkali no matter what the
concentration is. / The strength of NaOH is not related to its
concentration. 1
(d) Perform flame test on the two solutions. Concentrated NaOH(aq) gives a
golden yellow flame 1
while dilute KOH(aq) gives a lilac flame. 1
___
6
##

Q8
0.0081 mol of an oxide of nitrogen (NxOy) is heated with excess hydrogen in the
presence of a catalyst. 0.59 g of water forms. The following equation shows the
reaction involved:

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd 2019 Part IV

24
 HKDSE CHEMISTRY — A Modern View (Second Edition)
Part IV Acids and bases

NxOy + ( + y)H2  xNH3 + yH2O

The ammonia gas evolved is absorbed by 10.0 cm3 of 1.0 M sulphuric acid. After that,
the resultant solution is titrated against 0.10 M sodium hydroxide solution with
phenolphthalein as indicator. 37.80 cm3 of sodium hydroxide solution is required to
reach the end point.

(a) Name the apparatus used to hold the sodium hydroxide solution during the
titration. (1 mark)

(b) State the colour change at the end point of the titration. (1 mark)

(c) Calculate the number of moles of ammonia gas produced. (2 marks)

(d) Hence, deduce the values of x and y. (3 marks)

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

##
(a) Burette 1
(b) From colourless to very pale pink 1
(c) 2NaOH + H2SO4  Na2SO4 + 2H2O
Number of moles of NaOH = 0.10 × mol = 0.00378 mol

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd 2019 Part IV

25
 HKDSE CHEMISTRY — A Modern View (Second Edition)
Part IV Acids and bases

∴ number of moles of unreacted H2SO4 in 10.0 cm3 of resultant solution

= mol = 0.00189 mol 1

Number of moles of H2SO4 reacted with NH3

= 1.0 ×  0.00189 mol = 0.00811 mol

2NH3 + H2SO4  (NH4)2SO4

Number of moles of NH3 produced = 0.00811 × 2 mol = 0.0162 mol 1
(d) Number of moles of H2O = mol = 0.0328 mol 1

Mole ratio of NxOy : NH3 : H2O

= 1 : x : y = 0.0081 : 0.0162 : 0.0328 = 1 : 2 : 4.
∴x=2 1
and y = 4 1
___
7
##

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd 2019 Part IV

26