1. Consider the equilibrium below.

– +
CH3CH2COOH(aq) + H2O(l) CH3CH2COO (aq) + H3O (aq)

Which species represent a conjugate acid-base pair?

A. CH3CH2COOH and H2O

–
B. H2O and CH3CH2COO

+
C. H3O and H2O

– +
D. CH3CH2COO and H3O
(Total 1 mark)

2. Black coffee has a pH of 5 and toothpaste has a pH of 8. Identify which is more acidic and
+
deduce how many times the [H ] is greater in the more acidic product.

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................
(Total 2 marks)

–2 –3
3. The Kb value for a base is 5.0 × 10 mol dm at 298 K. What is the Ka value for its conjugate
acid at this temperature?
–2
A. 5.0 × 10
–6
B. 2.0 × 10
–12
C. 2.0 × 10
–13
D. 2.0 × 10
(Total 1 mark)

IB Questionbank Chemistry 1
4. (i) Define a Brønsted-Lowry acid.
(1)

(ii) Deduce the two acids and their conjugate bases in the following reaction:
– +
H2O(l) + NH3(aq) OH (aq) + NH4 (aq)
(2)

(iii) Explain why the following reaction can also be described as an acid-base reaction.
– –
F (g) + BF3(g) BF4 (s)
(2)
(Total 5 marks)

5. (i) Describe how an indicator works.

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................
(3)

(ii) Using Table 16 of the Data Booklet, identify the most appropriate indicator for the
titration of ethanoic acid with potassium hydroxide. Explain your choice.

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 5 marks)

IB Questionbank Chemistry 2
 –3
6. Explain, using an equation, whether a solution of 0.10 mol dm FeCl3(aq) would be acidic,
alkaline or neutral.

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................
(Total 2 marks)

7. Buffer solutions resist small changes in pH. A phosphate buffer can be made by dissolving
NaH2PO4 and Na2HPO4 in water, in which NaH2PO4 produces the acidic ion and Na2HPO4
produces the conjugate base ion.

(i) Deduce the acid and conjugate base ions that make up the phosphate buffer and state the
ionic equation that represents the phosphate buffer.
(3)

(ii) Describe how the phosphate buffer minimizes the effect of the addition of a strong base,
–
OH (aq), to the buffer. Illustrate your answer with an ionic equation.
(2)

(iii) Describe how the phosphate buffer minimizes the effect of the addition of a strong acid,
+
H (aq), to the buffer. Illustrate your answer with an ionic equation.
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

8. The equations of two acid-base reactions are given below.


NH 4 (aq) –
Reaction A NH3(aq) + H2O(l) + OH (aq)

The reaction mixture in A consists mainly of reactants because the equilibrium lies to the left.

– NH 3 (aq) –
Reaction B NH2 (aq) + H2O(l) + OH (aq)

The reaction mixture in B consists mainly of products because the equilibrium lies to the right.

(i) For each of the reactions A and B, deduce whether water is acting as an acid or a base and
explain your answer.

IB Questionbank Chemistry 3
 (2)

– –
(ii) In reaction B, identify the stronger base, NH2 or OH and explain your answer.
(2)

+
(iii) In reactions A and B, identify the stronger acid, NH4 or NH3 (underlined) and explain
your answer.
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

9. Define an acid in terms of the Lewis theory. Deduce, giving a reason, whether NF 3 is able to
function as a Lewis acid or as a Lewis base.

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................
(Total 2 marks)

IB Questionbank Chemistry 4
10. Ammonia, NH3, is a weak base. It has a pKb value of 4.75.

–2 –3
Calculate the pH of a 1.00 × 10 mol dm aqueous solution of ammonia at 298 K.

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................
(Total 4 marks)

11. (a) The pKa value for propanoic acid is given in Table 15 of the Data Booklet.

(i) State the equation for the reaction of propanoic acid with water.

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
(1)

–3
(ii) Calculate the hydrogen ion concentration (in mol dm ) of an aqueous solution of
–3
0.100 mol dm propanoic acid.

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
(2)

IB Questionbank Chemistry 5
 3
(b) The graph below shows a computer simulation of a titration of 25.0 cm of
–3 –3
0.100 mol dm hydrochloric acid with 0.100 mol dm sodium hydroxide and the pH
range of phenol red indicator.

3 –3
Sketch the graph that would be obtained for the titration of 25.0 cm of 0.100 mol dm
–3
propanoic acid with 0.100 mol dm potassium hydroxide using bromophenol blue as an
indicator. (The pH range of bromophenol blue can be found in Table 16 of the Data
Booklet).

(3)
(Total 6 marks)

IB Questionbank Chemistry 6
12. Salts may form neutral, acidic or alkaline solutions when dissolved in water.

(i) Explain why a solution of sodium chloride is neutral but sodium carbonate forms an
alkaline solution when it dissolves in water.

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................
(2)

(ii) Explain why iron(III) chloride, [Fe(H2O)6]Cl3, forms an acidic solution in water.

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 4 marks)

13. Water is an important substance that is abundant on the Earth’s surface. Water dissociates
according to the following equation.
+ –
H2O(l) H (aq) + OH (aq)

(i) State the equilibrium constant expression for the dissociation of water.
(1)

–
(ii) Explain why even a very acidic aqueous solution still has some OH ions present in it.
(1)

(iii) State and explain the effect of increasing temperature on the equilibrium constant above
given that the dissociation of water is an endothermic process.
(3)

IB Questionbank Chemistry 7
 (iv) The pH of a solution is 2. If its pH is increased to 6, deduce how the hydrogen ion
concentration changes.
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

3
14. 0.100 mol of ammonia, NH3, was dissolved in water to make 1.00 dm of solution.
–3 –3
This solution has a hydroxide ion concentration of 1.28 × 10 mol dm .

(i) Determine the pH of the solution.

(2)

(ii) Calculate the base dissociation constant, Kb, for ammonia.

(3)
(Total 5 marks)

15. An experiment was carried out to determine the concentration of aqueous ammonia by titrating
–3 3
it with a 0.150 mol dm sulfuric acid solution. It was found that 25.0 cm of the aqueous
3
ammonia required 20.1 cm of the sulfuric acid solution for neutralization.
–3
(a) Write the equation for the reaction and calculate the concentration, in mol dm , of the
aqueous ammonia.
(4)

(b) Several acid-base indicators are listed in Table 16 of the Data Booklet. Identify one
indicator that could be used for this experiment. Explain your answer.
(3)

IB Questionbank Chemistry 8
 –3
(c) (i) Determine the pOH of 0.121 mol dm aqueous ammonia (pKb = 4.75).
(4)

(ii) State what is meant by the term buffer solution, and describe the composition of an
acid buffer solution in general terms.
(3)

3 –3
(iii) Calculate the pH of a mixture of 50.0 cm of 0.100 mol dm aqueous ammonia
3 –3
and 50.0 cm of 0.0500 mol dm hydrochloric acid solution.
(4)
(Total 18 marks)

–3 –3
16. A 0.10 mol dm ammonia solution is placed in a flask and titrated with a 0.10 mol dm
hydrochloric acid solution.

(i) Explain why the pH of the ammonia solution is less than 13.
(2)

(ii) Estimate the pH at the equivalence point for the titration of hydrochloric acid with
ammonia and explain your reasoning.
(2)

(iii) State the equation for the reaction of ammonia with water and write the Kb expression for
NH3(aq).
(2)

(iv) When half the ammonia has been neutralized (the half-equivalence point), the pH of the
+
solution is 9.25. Deduce the relationship between [NH3] and [NH4 ] at the half-
equivalence point.
(1)

(v) Determine pKb and Kb for ammonia based on the pH at the half-equivalence point.
(3)

IB Questionbank Chemistry 9
 (vi) Describe the significance of the half-equivalence point in terms of its effectiveness as a
buffer.
(1)
(Total 11 marks)

17. (a) (i) State an equation for the reaction of ethanoic acid with water.

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
(1)

–3
(ii) Calculate the pH of 0.200 mol dm ethanoic acid (pKa = 4.76).

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................
(3)

3 –3
(b) Determine the pH of a solution formed from adding 50.0 cm of 1.00 mol dm ethanoic
3 –3
acid, CH3COOH(aq), to 50.0 cm of 0.600 mol dm sodium hydroxide, NaOH(aq).

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................
(4)

(c) Explain how the solution formed in part (b) can act as a buffer. Use equations to support
your answer.

IB Questionbank Chemistry 10
 ......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 10 marks)

IB Questionbank Chemistry 11