1

The correct answer is D because:

Steps Calculation

1 Find the mass of the Nickel in the coin 10.00g x 5.869% =

0.5869g

2 Find the moles of Nickel in the coin

Moles = mass / Mr 0.5869 / 58.69

= 0.01

3 Find the number of atoms in the coin 0.01 x (6.02 x 1023) =

6.02 x1021
6.02 x 1023 atoms per mole (mol-1) – this is known as
the Avogadro constant, this has the symbol L

● So the answer is option D

A is incorrect as the volume has been left in dm3 instead of converting to m3

B is incorrect as the pressure has been left in kPa instead of converting to Pa

C is incorrect as the temperature has been left in oC instead of converting to Kelvin

Exam tip: make sure you know how the units are converted; pressure Pa, volume m3,
temperature K
3
The correct answer is C because:
 ● The compound (NH4)3PO4 contains two types of ions NH4+ and PO43-
● From the formula you can see that a total of four ions are present in 1 unit of
(NH4)3PO4
○ (NH4)3PO4 → 3NH4+ + PO43-
● So 0.02 mol of (NH4)3PO4 would give 0.08 mol of ions
● However, the question asks for the number of ions, not the number of moles of ions,
so we need to multiply by the Avogadro constant
○ 0.08 x 6.02 x 1023 = 0.48 x 1023 = 4.8 x 1022
4
The correct answer is B because:

● The atomic number of Mg is 12, so the number protons is 12

● The number of neutrons in 26Mg2+ must be 26-12 =14 neutrons
● The +2 charge means that the particle has lost two electrons
● The number of electrons is the same as the number of protons in a neutral atom
● The number of electrons is 12-2 = 10 electrons
● So there are 12 protons, 14 neutrons and 10 electrons

Remember to subtract electrons for positive ions and add electrons for negative ions
5

A is incorrect as the calculation hasn’t included the division by 1000 to get the
answer in kJ

B is incorrect as the calculation hasn’t converted the 550 nm into metres

D is incorrect as the equation for v has been incorrectly substituted into the energy
equation

6
The correct answer is B because:

● The chlorine molecule is Cl2

● The percentage abundance tells you one out of every four chlorine atoms is 37Cl
● There are four combinations of the two isotopes in a chlorine molecule
 frequency mass

35Cl -35Cl ¼ 70

35Cl -37Cl ¼ 72

37Cl -35Cl ¼ 72

37Cl -37Cl ¼ 74

● The second and third combination give the same mass, 72, but this occurs twice as
frequently (2 out of 4 times)
● The abundance for 72 should therefore be twice as high as 70 and 74
7
The correct answer is B because:

● The elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number or proton number
● The charge of the nucleus arises from the positively charged protons, so the nuclear
charge will be the same as the atomic number

A is incorrect as although most elements are also in order of increasing mass, there
are a few exceptions like iodine and tellurium which are the other
way around

C is incorrect as reactivity varies according to the group, so Group I increases in

reactivity down the group, but Group 17 decreases down the group

D is incorrect as electronegativity increases left to right across the periodic table,

but decreases down a group. This is a trend not an order

8
The correct answer is C because:

● The charge on the complex should balance the charge on the bromide ions
● Each bromide ion has a charge of -1
● Therefore the charge on the complex, X, can be deduced as follows
○ X + 2(-1) = 0
○ X-2=0
○ X = +2
9
The correct answer is C because:

● Statement I is incorrect
○ Alloys contain atoms of different sizes which distorts the regular arrangements
of metal ions (cations)
○ This makes it more difficult for the layers of cations to slide over one another
therefore making the alloy much harder
● Statement II is correct
 ○ An alloy is commonly a mixture of metals where the metals are mixed together
physically and are not chemically bonded
○ An alloy must contain at least one metal but nonmetals can also be used
■ Brass is made from copper and zinc
■ Steel is made from iron and carbon
● Statement III is correct
○ Due to the arrangement of the atoms, alloys are harder than the pure metal
○ For example, steel is harder than iron

A, B & D are incorrect as these are not the correct combination of statements

10
The correct answer is D because:

● The charge on Fe in complex I can be found as follows:

○ Fe + (6 x H2O) = +3
○ Fe + (6 x 0) = +3
○ Fe = +3
● The charge on Fe in complex II can be found as follows:
○ Fe + (5 x H2O) + CN = +2
○ Fe + (5 x 0) + (-1) = +2
○ Fe -1 = +2
○ Fe = +3
● The charge on Fe in complex III can be found as follows:
○ Fe + (6 x CN) = -3
○ Fe + (6 x -1) = -3
○ Fe - 6 = -3
○ Fe = +3

A, B & C are incorrect as All three complexes contain iron with an oxidation state of +3

11
The correct answer is C because:

● The C-H bond is non-polar as there is little difference in electronegativity between C

and H.

A is incorrect oxygen has a greater nuclear charge than carbon; it tends to polarise
as the electron density of the C−O bond to give δ+C−Oδ−

B is incorrect oxygen has a greater nuclear charge than carbon; it tends to polarise
as the electron density of the C=O bond to give δ+C=Oδ−

D is incorrect chlorine has a greater nuclear charge than carbon; it tends to polarise
as the electron density of the C−Cl bond to give δ+C−Clδ−

12
The correct answer is D because:

● Diamond is an allotrope of carbon and is a giant covalent structure

● The carbon atoms in diamond are arranged in a tetrahedral structure as each atom is
bonded to 4 other carbon atoms, therefore the shape is tetrahedral
● Buckminsterfullerene, C60, is also an allotrope of carbon, though, it is a simple
molecule and will therefore have a much lower boiling point than diamond and
graphene
● Graphene is also an allotrope of carbon and is a giant covalent structure
● Each carbon atom is bonded to three other carbon atoms in a trigonal planar
arrangement, therefore the bond angle is 120o

A is incorrect as the shape of the diamond structure is not square planar, the melting
point of buckminsterfullerene is not relatively high and the bond
angle in graphene is not 90o

B is incorrect as the bond angle in graphene is not 107o

C is incorrect as the shape of the diamond structure is not trigonal planar, the melting
point of buckminsterfullerene is not relatively high and the bond
angle in graphene is not 109.5o

There are three different types of structure being asked about in this question, and three
different concepts so take care to read the question and select your answer

13
The correct answer is B because:

● Structures I and III have resonance structures

● This is because they both contain more than one bonded oxygen and the electrons in
the double bond are able to spread themselves evenly across both oxygens

A, C & D are incorrect as structure II is incorrect as it does not contain other carbon
oxygen single bonds to allow the double bond electrons to
spread across to

14
The correct answer is B because:

● An open system allows the transfer of matter and energy across the boundary
○ e. more reactants can be added to the reaction system and it can be heated /
cooled
● A closed system only transfers energy across the boundary
○ e the reaction system can be heated
● Isolated systems do not allow the transfer of matter or energy across the boundary
○ These systems are the rarest of the three systems
A, C & D are incorrect because statement II is incorrect

15
The correct answer is A because:

● Statement 1 is correct
○ Going to hydrated copper(II) sulfate salt with a formula of CuSO4.5H2O does
not automatically mean the reaction will simply hydrate the anhydrous
copper(II) sulfate with 5 waters
○ There are other possible hydrated copper(II) sulfate salts which could also be
formed
● Statement 2 is correct
○ Both anhydrous and hydrated copper(II) sulfate are ionic solids which can
easily dissolve in water rather than complete the desired hydration reaction
● Statement 3 is incorrect
○ Heat energy being trapped in the solid copper(II) sulfates would be beneficial
as the most common error in these kind of reactions is heat loss to the
surrounding

B, C & D are incorrect as statements III is incorrect

16
The correct answer is B because:

● ΔG = ΔH - TΔS
● No matter the value for T (temperature), the value for ΔG will always be greater than
zero when ΔH is positive and ΔS is negative, therefore not feasible
● For a reaction to be feasible, the reaction must have a value equal to or lower than
zero

If ΔH and if ΔS then ΔG is Feasible?

Is negative Is positive Always negative Always

Is positive Is negative Always positive Never

Is negative Is negative Negative at low temperature Feasible at low temperatures

Is positive Is positive Negative at high temperature Feasible at high temperatures

A is incorrect as these conditions mean the value for ΔG will always be negative,
even if the temperature is low or high.

Therefore, the reaction is always feasible.

C & D are incorrect these conditions mean the value for ΔG will always be negative,
as but the temperature must be as stated,

If ΔH is negative and ΔS is negative, the temperature must be low

for the reaction to be feasible.

If ΔH is positive and ΔS is positive, the temperature must be high

for the reaction to be feasible.

17
The correct answer is B because:

● Formula is MgO
● ΔHӨf (MgO) = ΔHӨat(Mg) + ΔHӨIE1(Mg) + ΔHӨIE2(Mg) + ΔHӨat(O) + ΔHӨEA1(O) +
ΔHӨEA2(O) + ΔHӨlatt(MgO)
● ΔHӨlat(MgO) = ΔHӨf (MgO) - ΔHӨat(Mg) - ΔHӨIE1(Mg) - ΔHӨIE2(Mg) - ΔHӨat(O) -
ΔHӨEA1(O) - ΔHӨEA2(O)
● ΔHӨlat(MgO) = -602 - 150 - 2188 - 248 - 702
● ΔHӨlat(MgO) = -3890 kJ mol-1

A is incorrect as the value for ΔHӨEA1(O) and ΔHӨEA2(O) should be subtracted, not
added

C is incorrect as the value for ΔHӨat(O) has been used incorrectly for the final

calculation, i.e. - 248 should be used, not -( )

The value only needs to be divided by 2 if the bond enthalpy of

oxygen is used for magnesium oxide

D is incorrect as the value for ΔHӨat(O) has been used incorrectly for the final
calculation, i.e. - 248 should be used, not -(248 x 2)

The value only needs to be multiplied by 2 if the enthalpy of

atomisation is used and there are 2 moles required (e.g. MgCl2)
Tip: It can be easy to get lost in all the ΔH terms, it can be easier to put the numbers in
and simplify the expression before rearranging, e.g.

ΔHӨf (MgO) = ΔHӨat(Mg) + ΔHӨIE1(Mg) + ΔHӨIE2(Mg) + ΔHӨat(O) + ΔHӨEA1(O) +

ΔHӨEA2(O) + ΔHӨlatt(MgO)
-602 = 150 + 2188 + 248 + 702 + ΔHӨlat(MgO)
-602 = 3288 + ΔHӨlat(MgO)
ΔHӨlat(MgO) = -602 - 3288

18
The correct answer is C because:

● All of the properties can be used except for a change in volume

● Copper sulfate is a blue solution and zinc sulfate is colourless, so a colorimeter
could be used to measure the loss in colour as the reaction proceeds
● The change in temperature could be measured as the reaction proceeds, although it
could be tricky if there is only a small temperature change
● A change in volume is only appropriate when gases are produced
● The change in volume of reacting solutions is negligible

Extra Info

A change in colour can be measured using a colorimeter, but not all reactions with colour
changes are suitable. Colorimeters work best when a solution is decolorizing or changing
from colourless to coloured. Changing from one colour to another can be confusing to
interpret. Solutions where a coloured precipitate is formed are not suitable either, as the
precipitate blocks the path of light in the colorimeter so it cannot measure the true colour
absorbance of the solution
19
The correct answer is B because:

● The definition of a catalyst is that it lowers the activation energy by providing an

alternative pathway; it does not form part of the products and is therefore not used in
the reaction
● In diagram 1 the letter showing the lower activation energy is P
● At higher temperatures, the Boltzmann distribution moves down and to the right,
showing more particles with a higher energy
● In diagram 2 the line showing this is line Y
20
The correct answer is A because:

● Statement I is correct
○ The size of k can indicate the speed of a reaction, e.g. high values of k are
associated with fast reactions and low values of k are associated with slow
reactions
● Statement II is correct
○ The rate constant is affected by temperature
● Statement III is incorrect
○ The units of k depend on the rate expression and therefore the orders /
reactions of differing orders
○ The units of k are:
mol dm-3 s-1 for a zero order reaction
s-1 for a first order reaction
mol-1 dm3 s-1 for a second order reaction
mol-2 dm6 s-1 for a third order reaction

B, C & D are incorrect as statement III is incorrect

21
The correct answer is C because:

● Statement I is incorrect
○ The gradient has a value of -Ea / R
● Statement II is correct
○ The intercept on the rate constant axis does give the value for ln A
● Statement III is correct

○ Provided that the temperature is measured in Kelvin and the gas constant is
measured in J mol-1 K-1, then an Arrhenius plot will give a value for activation
energy in J mol-1

A, B & D are incorrect as statement I is incorrect

22
The correct answer is D because:

● The calculation is as follows:

2N2O5 4NO2 O2

t= 0 2 0 0

change -1 +1 × 2 +1 × ½

t= eqm 1 2 0.5

A, B & C are incorrect as they give incorrect values for Kc. In these type of calculations
common errors include inverting the fraction, forgetting the
coefficients which appear as powers and getting the
stoichiometry wrong for the amounts at equilibrium

23
The correct answer is C because:

● A system with four molecules of gaseous products has more disorder than a system
with two molecules of gaseous product
● The increased disorder results in an increased entropy

A, B & D are incorrect as they will decrease the entropy of the

system
24
The correct answer is C because:

● The Brønsted-Lowry theory describes acids as proton donors and bases as proton
acceptors
● Ammonia acts as a Bronsted-Lowry base as it accepts a proton (H+) to produce an
ammonium ion (NH4+)
● The ammonium ion is formed by the nitrogen donating it’s lone pair to a hydrogen
ion to form a dative covalent bond
● The reaction of ammonia and water is as follows:
○ NH3 + H2O → NH4+ + OH-

A is incorrect as ammonia is not neutral because it reacts in acid-base reactions due to

its ability to accept a proton
B is incorrect as ammonia cannot act as a Bronsted-Lowry acid because it cannot
donate a proton

D is incorrect as ammonia is not amphoteric (the ability to act as an acid and a base)
because it does not act as an acid

25
The correct answer is A because:

● The oxidation state of iron increases so it loses electrons and is a reducing agent

Fe (s) → Fe2+ + 2e-

0 +2

● The oxidation state of sulfur increases so it loses electrons and is a reducing agent

SO2 (g) → SO42- (s) + 2e-

+4 (2O = -4) +6 (O4 = -8, charge is -2)

● (this is not a balanced equation - it just shows the redox change)

B, C & D are incorrect as the enthalpy change cannot be ΔHf as it is defined as

the formation of a compound from its elements and
here SO2 is one of the reactants

26
The correct answer is D because:

● Definitions that you must know are:

○ A Lewis acid is an electron pair acceptor
○ A Lewis base is an electron pair donor
○ A Brønsted-Lowry acid is a proton (H+) donor
○ A Brønsted-Lowry base is a proton (H+) acceptor
 ● A hydroxide ion can act as a Lewis base and a Brønsted-Lowry base because it can
donate a pair of electrons as there are three lone pairs present and it can accept a

proton (H+) to form H2O

A, B & C are incorrect as these are correct statements

27
The correct answer is A because:

● The lower the pKa value the stronger the acid

● The higher the pKa value the weaker the acid
● We need to convert Ka to pKa to compare the strength of the acids
● In order to convert Ka to pKa without a calculator, work on:
○ pKa = -logKa
Therefore
○ -log 10-5 = 5
○ 1.51 x 10-5 for butanoic acid will be 4.8
○ 1 x 10-10 for phenol will be 10

B, C & D are incorrect as These are not the correct order of increasing strength of
the acids

28
The correct answer is B because:

● Electrons are transferred during the reactions that take place in voltaic cells so by
definition redox reactions are occuring
● The cathode is where reduction takes place, not oxidation so the second statement is
not correct
 ● Species lose electrons at the negative electrode(anode) and the electrons move
through the external wire to the positive electrode (cathode), so this statement is
correct
29
The correct answer is D because:

● To find the EMF use the formula

EMF = Ereduction - Eoxidation

● The Sn loses electrons so it will be the oxidation half equation and the Fe3+ the
reduction half equation

EMF = +0.77 - (-0.14) = +0.91 V

● Alternatively, you can use

EMF = Eright - Eleft

● Left is oxidation in voltaic cells

A is incorrect you get this answer if you switched the oxidation and reduction half
as cells: EMF = -0.14 - (+0.77) = -0.91 V

B is incorrect you get this answer if you didn’t pay attention to the negative sign in the
as Sn potential: EMF =+0.77 - (0.14) = +0.63 V

C is incorrect you get this answer if you attempted to multiply the Fe3+ half cell
as potential by two: EMF = (+0.77 x 2) - (-0.14) = +1.68 V

Electrode potentials are not molar quantities so the coefficients in the

equation are irrelevant to calculating the EMF

30
The correct answer is C because:

● The electrode must be platinum; although graphite is often considered an inert

electrode it will react with oxygen
● The concentration of H+ ions in the solution must be 1 mol dm-3; this equates to 1
mol dm-3 of a monoprotic acid, such as HCl, or 0.5 mol dm-3 of a diprotic acid, such
as H2SO4
31
The correct answer is C because:

● The classification depends on the number of carbons attached to the functional

group carbon atom
● This is the same for halogenoalkanes, alcohols and amines
● Primary have one carbon attached to the functional group carbon
● Secondary have two carbons attached to the functional group carbon
 ● Tertiary have three carbons attached to the functional group carbon

primary secondary tertiary

● A tertiary carbon atom in a halogenoalkane has three more carbon atoms attached to
the functional group carbon
● The molecule C(CH3)3Cl contains a tertiary carbon

32
The correct answer is C because:

● Tertiary halogenoalkanes favour nucleophilic substitution via the SN1 mechanism

● Primary halogenoalkanes favour nucleophilic substitution via the SN2 mechanism
● The C-Br bond is weaker than the C-Cl bond
○ This is due to Cl being smaller than Br, so there will be more attraction to the
nucleus and less electron shielding
○ So the bond length will be shorter and thus be a stronger bond
○ Therefore, 1-bromobutane would react quicker than 1-chlorobutane
A & D are incorrect these are tertiary halogenoalkanes which react most readily via an
as SN1 mechanism

B is incorrect as the C-Cl bond is stronger than the C-Br bond

33
The correct answer is D because:

● In reaction I the conversion of a haloalkane to an alcohol involves replacement of the

halogen with a hydroxyl, so this is a nucleophilic substitution reaction
● The incoming nucleophile is the hydroxide ion, OH- , which comes from the reagent
NaOH(aq)
● In reaction II the conversion of a primary alcohol into a carboxylic acid in an
oxidation reaction, using acidified potassium dichromate or acidified potassium
manganate(VII)
● In reaction III the carboxylic acid is converted into an ester which is a condensation
reaction ( also known as esterification)
● It is called condensation because two organic molecules join together to form one
larger molecule with the elimination of a small molecule at the same time, in this case
water

C3H7COOH + C3H7OH → C3H7COOC3H7 + H20

Extra info: The term condensation can be confusing, because it has nothing to do with
condensation of water vapour although it is the same word. Condensation reactions
frequently produced water or hydrogen chloride as a by-product. They occur when amino
acids join together to form proteins and also when condensation polymers form, but this is
beyond what you need to know for IB Standard Level
34
The correct answer is C because:

● Pent-1-ene would undergo electrophilic addition

● Cl would be added to the first or second carbon
● In this molecule, the Cl is added to the third carbon

A is incorrect as this molecule has two Cl atoms added to either side of the double
bond.

B is incorrect as this molecule has the Cl added to the first carbon

D is incorrect as this molecule has the Cl is added to the second carbon

35
The correct answer is C because:

● The molecular formula of compound K suggests it is either a ketone or an aldehyde

● As compound K can be oxidised it must be an aldehyde, making compound L a
carboxylic acid
 ● When a carboxylic acid reacts with an alcohol with a sulfuric acid catalyst an ester is
produced
● The latter half of the ester formula is from the alcohol therefore you have to look for
OCH(CH3)CH2CH3 which is seen in option C : CH3(CH2)3CO2CH(CH3)CH2CH3

A is incorrect as this would be the product if compound L reacted with 2-methylpropan-2-ol

B is incorrect as this would be the product if compound L reacted with butan-1-ol

D is incorrect as this would be the product if compound L reacted with 2-methylpropan-1-ol

36
The correct answer is A because:

● Cis and trans isomers differ by having two of the same groups on the same side or
opposite side of the plane of double bond
● The identical groups are ethyl CH3CH2 which are the same side in X and on opposite
sides in Z

B & C are incorrect as Y is not an isomer of X or W (Y is short of an ethyl group)

D is incorrect as W and Z are the same molecule. If you flip W by 180o you get Z

37
The correct answer is A because:

● The conversion of a haloalkane to an alcohol in step I is nucleophilic substitution

● In step II, an alcohol becoming a carboxylic acid is oxidation
● The formation of an ester in step III, can be called a condensation reaction

B is incorrect as the first and second steps are wrongly classified

C is incorrect as the first and second steps have been switched around

D is incorrect as the third step has been wrongly classified

38
The correct answer is A because:
 ● The correct answer is A because: The NMR spectrum shows there are four different
hydrogen environments
● The correct answer is A because: The ratio of the hydrogen nuclei in those
environments is 2 :1: 2 : 3
● The correct answer is A because: The only molecule this corresponds to is
propan-1-ol

B is incorrect because propan-2-ol would show three peaks in the ratio 6:1:1

C is incorrect because methoxy ethane would show three peaks in the ratio 3:2:3

D is incorrect because pentan-2-one would should four peaks in the ratio 3:2:2:3
39
The correct answer is B because:

● The alkene in step 1 undergoes an addition reaction with steam to form an alcohol
● Secondary alcohols are then oxidised to form ketones
● The functional group of alcohols is -OH

A is incorrect this is the functional group of a carboxylic acid

as

C is incorrect this is the functional group of an ester

as

D is incorrect this is the carbonyl group found in a range of organic compounds

as
40
The correct answer is C because:

● X ray diffraction generates electron density maps of crystalline solids from which the
location of atoms can be determined
● The separation between atoms is the bond length and their relative position to each
other will give the bond angles
A is incorrect as this technique is used to find relative molecular mass, molecular
fragments and the existence of isotopes

B is incorrect as this technique is used to find the types of bonds in a molecule

D is incorrect as this technique is used to determine molecular structure