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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

FIJI SEVENTH FORM CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION 2013

CHEMISTRY PAPER 2

QUESTIONS

AND

DETAILED SOLUTIONS

WITH

ADDITIONAL NOTES

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QUESTION 1
(a) During practical classes, it is essential that the students wear safety equipment.
Identify any two safety equipment that should be worn during practical classes and
explain one use of each equipment.

1. Safety goggles/Specs – for the protection of the eyes

2. Safety shoes – for the protection of the feet from stepping onto broken
glass, spilled chemicals.
3. Lab coat – to avoid direct contact or spillage of chemicals onto the clothes
and skin
4. Hand Gloves – to avoid contact with corrosive chemicals.

Additional Notes

Closed Footwear - should be worn at all times in the lab to avoid stepping on broken
glassware and chemical.

Labcoat – worn to protect against biological and chemical spills in the lab

Safety specs – worn to protect the eyes

Hand gloves – should be worn while handling chemicals

(b) Teachers always emphasise the need to take proper care in carrying out
experiments in the laboratory. Why is it not advisable to directly smell
chemicals while conducting experiments?

Some chemicals are harmful/ toxic/ poisonous/ corrosive therefore harmful to health id
smelt.

The choice of apparatus is also very important in practical work.

(i) Which apparatus would be used to prepare a standard solution of 200 mL?
Volumetric or Standard flask

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QUESTION 2

(a) An experiment was set up to determine the molar mass of a volatile liquid by
Dumas method.
The results obtained are as follows:
Mass of the condensed vapour = 0 .3 5 g
Volume of the condensed vapour = 116 m L
Temperature of the water bath = 80ºC
Atmospheric pressure = 1 0 1 .3 k Pa

(i) Use the data in the results given above to calculate the molar mass of the
volatile liquid. [R = 8.314 JK1 mol1]

(ii) In this section, the flask containing the volatile liquid was heated in a boiling water bath. Explain
why the liquid was not heated directly.
The liquid being volatile will catch fire or the liquid being highly flammable will catch fire.
Volatile liquids can easily evaporate and get lost if heated directly. The vapor can also catch fire and be hazardous.

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(ii) Devise a simple test to show that 1, 2, 3-trihydroxypropane is the most viscous.

Set up 3 test tubes as follows: have the same level of each liquid that is
propan-1-ol, 1, 2 propandiol and 1, 2, 3 trihydroxyl propane in these test
tubes. Drop the same mass marble in each test tube and note the time for it
to reach the bottom. The test tube with 1, 2, 3 trihydroxyl propane, marble
will take the greatest time to reach the bottom and thus this will be the
most viscous sample.

QUESTION 3

Vanadium, which is a transition metal has variable oxidation states with their corresponding colours.

(a) For the vanadium species, VO2+, state the colour and the oxidation state of
vanadium.
Colour: Blue
Oxidation state: +4
(1 mark)

Oxidation State Ion Color

+5 VO3- or VO2+ Yellow

+4 VO2+ Blue

+3 V3+ Green

+2 V2+ Violet
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(b) Transition metals are also capable of forming complex ions and salts. In the
preparation of tetrammine copper (II) sulphate, Cu(NH3)4SO4.H2O, ethanol is
added during the process. State the reason why it is added.

Ethanol is added to precipitate the product formed.

(c) An acid HX is found to be a weak electrolyte. Explain what happens to the degree
of dissociation (increases/decreases) of HX in aqueous solution if:

(i) water, H2O is added

increases, since dissociation will occur more when the solution is diluted

(ii) gaseous HCl is added

increases, due to introduction of a common ion that is H+

(iii) solid NaX is added

decreases, due to the introduction of a common ion, that is X-

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QUESTION 4

(a) The alkyl halide, 2-chloro-2-methyl propane is prepared by reacting together

methyl-propan-2-ol and concentrated hydrochloric acid.
(i) Write an equation using structural formula for the above preparation.

(ii) During the preparation, sodium bicarbonate is also added. State the
purpose of its addition and name the gaseous product formed.

6.

(1 mark)

Isomers are molecules that have the same molecular formula, but have a different
arrangement of the atoms in space. Each of two or more forms of a compound that have
the same structure but are mirror images of each other and typically differ in optical
activity.
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(c) To prepare a solution of iodine for the Iodoform test, the following method is applied.
"To 50 mL of water, add 70 g of iodine and 50 g of potassium iodide (KI).
Dilute to 1 litre with alcohol."
Why was potassium iodide dissolved in water together with the iodine?
KI being ionic helps the iodine to dissolve in water. I2 being non
polar will not dissolve in water on its own hence ethanol is needed.

QUESTION 5

(ii) Write the acid dissociation constant expression, Ka for lactic acid.

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(b) In order to measure the solubility product of silver acetate, a student followed the
following instructions from the laboratory manual.

. rod.

Why did the student add distilled water?

Why was the inside of each test tube scratched with the glass rod?

(i)

To make up the volume to the required amount.

(ii)

To allow the crystals of silver acetate to form quickly or to initiate the

Precipitation reaction.

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(a) Explain why a styrofoam cup was used instead of a glass beaker.
Styrofoam cup is a good insulator of heat or it prevents the loss of heat

(b) Explain why the two solutions were mixed rapidly.

To minimise any heat loss or so that all heat is given out quickly.

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10.
QUESTION 7

In an experiment to determine the purity of an iron (II) salt, a student recorded the
following procedure and results.
Procedure:

1. 0.65 g of iron (II) sulphate crystals was weighed.

2. The salt was dissolved in about 20 mL of sulphuric acid solution in a conical flask.
3. The whole content of the flask was then titrated with a previously standardised
solution of potassium permanganate (KMnO4).

Results:

Concentration of KMnO4 = 0.02 molL1

Volume of KMnO4 required for neutralisation = 4 2 .5 m L

Balanced equation for the reaction:

(i) Why was the salt dissolved in sulphuric acid solution rather than in water?
To prevent the oxidation of Fe2+ to Fe3+or to stabilise the Fe2+ ions

(ii) Calculate the number of moles of permanganate, MnO4 used in the titration.

Calculate the mass of Fe2+ present in the sample.

(iii)

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Ion carrying charges to
(ii) Give one importance of B in a galvanic cell set-up.

It connects the two half cells or it allows for the flow of ions or maintains the electrical
neutrality of the two half cells or it completes the electrical circuit by allowing ion
carrying charges to move from one cell to the other.

The purpose of a salt bridge is not to move electrons from the electrolyte, rather to maintain
charge balance because the electrons are moving from one half cell to the other. A salt bridge
allows the flow of ions to maintain a balance in charge between the oxidation and reduction
vessels while keeping the contents of each separate

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On the diagram given above, use an arrow to indicate the direction of the flow of
electrons. (1 mark)

(iv) Write the cell notation for this galvanic cell.

(v) Calculate the potential difference between the electrodes of the cell assuming
standard conditions.

C u2+ / C u Eº = + 0.34 V
Mg2+ / Mg Eº = 2.36 V

THE END

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© MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, FSFE 2013: CHEMISTRY