GCSE Separate Science

AQA
Chemistry – Paper 1
Higher Tier
Predicted Paper 2023

Name ……………………………………………………………………
Date …………………

1 hour 45 minutes allowed.

You may use a calculator and an AQA periodic table.

Grade boundaries Possible Marks

Question
marks gained
These are VERY rough guesses! Getting a 1 11
7 on this paper does not guarantee you the 2 12
same mark in the exam. 3 12
4 19
5 14
• 9 70% 6 12
• 8 60% 7 8
• 7 50% 8 12
• 6 45% Total 100
• 5 35%
• 4 30%
• 3 25%

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 01 Atoms are made up from subatomic particles; electrons, neutrons
and protons.

a) Describe the structure of the atom, stating the location of each of

the subatomic particles.
[3 marks]
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b) The model of the atom has changed over time as new

experimental evidence arises.
State the order in which the subatomic particles were discovered.
[2 marks]
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c) State who suggested the location of electrons.

[1 mark]
______________________________________________________

d) State who discovered neutrons.

[1 mark]
______________________________________________________

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 e) Rutherford wanted to study the plum pudding model of the atom,
by running an alpha scattering experiment.
Describe what Rutherford found and explain how this changed the
model of the atom.
[4 marks]
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 02 Ammonia, NH3, is a small molecule that is a liquid at -35°C and a gas
at -30°C.

a) State the bonding seen in ammonia.

[1 mark]
______________________________________________________

b) Draw the bonding in ammonia using a dot and cross diagram.

[3 marks]

c) Compare the behaviour of the particles in ammonia liquid and

ammonia gas.
[4 marks]
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 d) When ammonia boils, bonds are broken, and it turns from a liquid
to a gas.
Describe which bonds are broken and why and which ones are not
broken and why.
[4 marks]
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 03 Iron oxide is used as a catalyst in the Haber process.

a) Transition metals can be used as catalysts.

State the property that leads to this behaviour.
[1 mark]
______________________________________________________

b) Iron oxide can have the formulae Fe2O3 or Fe3O2.

Determine which has the greater molecular mass.
[3 marks]
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c) Explain how you could visually determine the difference between

solutions of iron (ii) oxide and iron (iii) oxide.
[2 marks]
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______________________________________________________

d) Both iron and lithium can form compounds with oxygen to form
oxides.
State the type of bonding that is seen in both iron and lithium
oxide.
[1 mark]
______________________________________________________

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 e) Draw the bonding that is seen in lithium oxide using a dot and
cross diagram.
[3 marks]

f) Compare how iron and lithium react with oxygen.

[2 marks]
______________________________________________________
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 04 Sulphuric acid is a common solution that is used in the manufacture
of fertilisers and salts.

a) Suggest a pH for sulfuric acid.

[1 mark]
______________________________________________________

b) Describe the general reaction between the ions produced from an

aqueous acid and the ions produced from an aqueous alkali.
You should include an equation in your answer.
[3 marks]
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c) Zinc metal reacts with sulphuric acid (H2SO4) to give two products.
Write the balanced chemical equation for this reaction.
[2 marks]
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d) 2 mol/dm3 sulfuric acid is a strong, concentrated acid.

Explain what scientists mean when they use the terms ‘strong’ and
‘concentrated’ in terms of an acid.
[2 marks]
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

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 e) A student wanted to look at the reaction between a strip of zinc
metal and sulfuric acid. They set up the equipment as shown in
the image below

Method
1. Place a conical flask on a mass balance.
2. Measure out 20cm3 of sulfuric acid and add it to the conical flask.
3. Measure 2cm strip of zinc ribbon.
4. Add ribbon to conical flask.
5. Record the initial mass.
6. Record the mass every 30 seconds.
7. Repeat to get 3 sets of results.

The student recorded this data in the table below:

Time Change in mass(g)

(seconds) Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Mean
0 0 0 0 0
30 15 19 20 18
60 25 27 29 27
90 29 45 31
120 33 34 35 34

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 i. Calculate the mean value for change in mass at 90 seconds
[2 marks]
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

ii. Describe and explain how the mass changed.

[2 marks]
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iii. Give one way in which the student ensures this was a fair
test, and how they measured it.
[2 marks]
_________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________

iv. The table shows loss of mass, explain why this is not what
the student measured.
[2 marks]
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

v. Sketch a graph for mean loss of mass vs. time

[3 marks]

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 05 Hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells are suggested as an alternative to
rechargeable batteries.

a) The overall reaction the occurring within a hydrogen oxygen fuel

cells is shown below

Hydrogen + Oxygen  Water

H2(g) + O2(g)  2H2O(l)

Give the states of each substance in the equation.

[2 marks]
______________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________

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 b) Give the half equations that happen at each electrode.

i. Negative electrode…
[3 marks]
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ii. Positive electrode….

[3 marks]
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c) Use the information given in the question and your prior

knowledge to evaluate the use of hydrogen-oxygen fuels cells.
[6 marks]
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 06

a) A student carried out electrolysis on an aqueous solution of copper

(II) chloride. Give the expected products at each electrode:

i. At the cathode______________________ [1mark]

ii. At the anode_______________________ [1 mark]

b) One of the products was a gas, state how you could determine the
identity of this gas.
[1 mark]
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

c) State the role of the power pack in this experiment.

[1 mark]
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

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 d) No bubbles of gas were seen, suggest a modification that would
show the circuit had been set up correctly.
[1 mark]
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

e) The students were told to limit the voltage on the powerpack for
health and safety reasons.
Thinking about the products of the reaction, explain why.
[2 marks]
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

f) Give the half equation for the reaction with copper ions.
[3 marks]
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

g) Explain why a solution must be used for electrolysis and not a solid
substance.
[2 marks]
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

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 07 Ethanol can be produced in two different ways:
By fermentation
Glucose  carbon dioxide + ethanol

C6H12O6  2CO2 + 2C2H6O

By hydration
Ethene +water  ethanol

C2H4 +H2O  C2H6O

a) Calculate the atom economy of producing ethanol by

fermentation.
[4 marks]

Atom economy = _____________________

b) Describe which reaction has the highest atom economy.

[2 marks]
______________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________

c) Explain how the atom economy of a reaction can be improved.

[2 marks]
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 08 Nanoparticles are very small.

a) Compare the volume of a cube that has sides of 10nm with the
volume of a smaller cube that has sides of 2nm.
[2 marks]
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b) 125 of the smaller cubes could fit inside the larger cube.
Compare the surface areas of two sets of cubes with the same
volume.
[2 marks]
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______________________________________________________

c) Comment on the surface area to volume ratio of the cubes.

[1 mark]
______________________________________________________
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d) One application for nanoparticles is sun cream.

Suggest two other applications for nanoparticles.
[2 marks]
______________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

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 e) Titanium dioxide is used in sun creams as it is very effective at
reflecting UV rays away from the skin and preventing damage.

This is partly responsible for the white colour and thick consistency
of sun creams; these can sometimes leave a thin film over the skin
as they can’t easily penetrate the skin.

Modern sun creams use nanoparticles of titanium dioxide, to

resolve the issues older suncreams had.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using nanoparticles

in sun creams.
[5 marks]
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END OF QUESTIONS

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 MARKING GUIDANCE
Question Answer Additional Guidance Marks
1a -Electrons in shells/outside nucleus Accept energy levels or orbitals for shells 3
-Protons in the nucleus
-Neutrons in the nucleus

1b Electrons One mark for two in correct order, two marks 2

Protons for all correct
Neutrons

1c -(Niels) Bohr 1

1d -(James) Chadwick 1

1e -Some alpha particles were deflected (as 4

expected)
-most alpha particles went straight through/
were not deflected
-most of the mass of the atom is
concentrated in a small area
-(called) the nucleus

TOTAL 11

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 Question Answer Additional Guidance Marks
2a -Covalent 1

2b One mark for correct overlapping 3

One mark for correct outer electrons on
nitrogen
One mark for correct outer electrons on
hydrogen

(Does not need to be this shape to score

marks)

2c Similarities Max two from each section 4

-both flow
-both have particles moving
-both have more space between the particles
than in a solid
- both take the shape of the vessel

Differences
-liquid is incompressible whereas gases can
be compressed OR liquid has a fixed volume,
gas does not have a fixed volume.
-in a gas the particles have more movement
-the spaces between particles are larger in a
gas than in a liquid

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2d -intramolecular bonds are not broken 4
-very strong covalent bonds
-intermolecular bonds are broken
-requires less energy to overcome these
attractions

TOTAL 12

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 Question Answer Additional Guidance Marks
3a -They can have a variety of different charged 1
ions
3b -Fe2O3 = (56x2) + (16x3) = 160 3
- Fe3O2 = (56x3) + (16x2) = 200
-Fe3O2 is greatest in mass
3c -Iron (ii) oxide is a green coloured solution 2
-Iron (iii) oxide is red/brown coloured
solution
3d -Ionic 1
3e One mark for correct outer electrons on 3
lithium AND showing 2 Lithium
One mark for correct outer electrons on
oxygen
One mark for brackets and correct charges

Accept diagrams which only show outer

electrons
OR shown as

3f -transition metals/iron are less reactive than Or reverse arguments 2

group 1 metals/ lithium
-transition metals/ iron will react slower than
group 1 metals/ lithium
TOTAL 12

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 Question Answer Additional Guidance Marks
4a -Any value between 1 and 6 1

4b -neutralisation -one mark for neutralisation 3

-H+ + OH-  H2O -one mark for left hand side
-one mark for right hand side
4c Zn + H2SO4  ZnSO4 + H2 -one mark for left hand side 2
-one mark for right hand side
4d -Strong acids completely ionise/ fully 2
dissociate into their ions (in aqueous
solutions)

-Concentrated acids have a high number of

acid molecules (H+ ions) per unit volume
(dm3)
4ei (29+ 31)/2 One mark for calculation 2
=30 One mark for answer

One mark if answer incorrectly included

anomaly (=35)
4eii -decreased 2
-gas is released
4eiii -constant volume of acid 2 marks for linked points 2
-measuring cylinder

OR

-Constant width of ribbon

-ruler

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 OR

-constant time
-Stop watch
4eiv -mass was measured Two marks from list 2
-change in mass is calculated
-change in mass is not shown on the balance
4ev -correct x axis (label and units) No numbers are needed for this 3
-correct y axis (label and units)
-correct shape of graph (increasing the
levelling off)
e.g.

TOTAL 19

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 Question Answer Additional Guidance Marks
5a -hydrogen and oxygen are gases One mark for each bullet point 2
-water is a liquid

5bi 2H2 + 4OH- → 4H2O + 4e- -one mark for left hand side 3
-one mark for right hand side
-one mark for balancing

Allow
H2 + 2OH- → 2H2O + 2e-
5bii O2 + 2H2O + 4e- → 4OH- -one mark for left hand side 3
-one mark for right hand side
-one mark for balancing

Allow 2 marks for both parts i and ii if

equations are fully correct but given at the
wrong electrode
5c Points for; An evaluate question must cover points for, 6
points against, and include a reasoned
-water is the only waste product judgement.
-no combustion products
-reaction happens at a lower temperature 0 marks; no relevant points are made
-small and light
-no moving parts 1-2 marks; some relevant points are made but
the answer is not coherent, and points are not
logically linked.

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 Points against.
-water is a greenhouse gas
-high manufacture cost
-hydrogen is a very flammable gas
-hydrogen is difficult to store
-expensive to manufacture
TOTAL
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3-4 marks; all points made a relevant; the
answer is coherent, and the points are
logically linked; a simple judgement as been
made.
5-6 marks; the answer is fully correct;
coherent and logically linked. The answer
includes both points for and points against. A
judgement has been given and is supported by
a range of reasoned points.
14
 Question Answer Additional Guidance Marks
6ai -Copper (metal) Red/brown colour change allowed 1

6aii -Chlorine (gas) 1

6b -Bleaches damp litmus paper 1

6c -Flow of electrons/electricity 1

6d -Addition of a bulb or voltmeter to check for 1

flow of electricity

6e -limit volume of chlorine gas produced 2

-chlorine gas is harmful

6f Cu2+ +2e-  Cu -Correct charges 3

-Correct balancing
-Use of electrons
6g - Ions need to be free to move One mark for each bullet point 2
- In a solid they are in a fixed position

TOTAL 12

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 Question Answer Additional Guidance Marks
7a Mass of desired products /mass of all One marks for correct equation of use of 4
products equation

(2x46)/180 One mark for mass of ethanol

=51.1% One mark for mass of all reactants

One mark for final answer

7b -hydration 2
-no waste products

7c -change reaction to reduce waste 2

-find a use for the ‘waste’ products

TOTAL 8

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 Question Answer Additional Guidance Marks
8a 10x10x10 = 1,000nm3 Allow 1 mark for large cube is 125 times the 2
volume of the small cube if no calculations
2x2x2 = 8nm3 shown
8b 10x10x6x1 = 600nm2 Allow 1 mark for small cube is 5 times the 2
surface area of the large cube if no
2x2x6x125 = 3,000nm2 calculations shown
8c -Smaller particles have a higher surface area 1
to volume ratio
8d -medicine Two from list 2
-electronics
-cosmetics
-deodorant
-catalyst
8e Advantages Max three marks from each list 5
-rubs in easier
-not white so looks better
-can get deeper into skin
-no need to reapply after water contact

Disadvantages
-hard to see areas that might have been
missed
-long term effects of nanoparticles on cells is
unknown
-could damage environment
TOTAL 12

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