Practice exam-style paper II

Paper 3 Core [80 marks]

1 The words in the list below describe physical changes that can happen to substances.

boiling
condensation
diffusion
evaporation
freezing
sublimation

Use these words to describe each of the changes given below.

a puddle of water drying up

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b the smell of cooking moving around a room

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c molten iron changing to solid iron

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d ice and snow changing into water vapour in the sun

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e steam from a kettle changing to water

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f petroleum changing to vapour in an oil refinery

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

Total [6]

2 a Pure air consists mainly of two gases. Which is the most abundant gas in the air?

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© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper II – Paper 3 Core 1
 b Nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide are two pollutants commonly found in the air. Which of these
pollutants is mostly formed in motor car engines?

.................................................................................................................................................................................... [1]

c Give two harmful effects of sulfur dioxide in the air.

.................................................................................................................................................................................... [2]

d Sulfur dioxide is also a useful gas. Give two uses of sulfur dioxide.

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e Carbon dioxide and methane are two gases found in small quantities in the air.

i What problem is caused if the amounts of these two gases increase?

................................................................................................................................................................................. [1]

ii Give a source which is responsible for putting each of these gases into the air.

Carbon dioxide

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Methane

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f The inert gas argon is also found in the air. Give a use of argon.

.................................................................................................................................................................................... [1]

Total [10]

3 The energy level diagram below shows the energy changes which happen as a piece of coal is lit and burns to
form carbon dioxide and water.

Energy

X
coal

Y
carbon
dioxide
Time
+ water

a Which energy change (X or Y) represents the heat supplied to light the coal? Explain your answer.

Energy change

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© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper II – Paper 3 Core 2
 Explanation

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

b Why does the coal continue to burn after being lit even though no more energy is supplied?

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c How will using oxygen instead of air affect the reaction? Explain your answer.

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

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

d In power stations the coal is broken into small pieces. How does that affect the rate at which the coal
burns?

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e Why might it be dangerous to use powdered coal?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

f Sulfur dioxide is also formed when coal is burned. Which chemical is often used to remove the sulfur
dioxide from the gases formed?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

Total [9]

4 A sample of seawater was found to contain the following substances.

water
sodium chloride
magnesium sulfate
calcium hydrogencarbonate
silicon dioxide (sand)
potassium chloride

a The chemical formula of calcium hydrogen-carbonate is Ca(HCO3)2. What is its relative formula mass?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

b How could pure water be separated from the seawater?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

c Water and silicon dioxide are both covalently bonded. Why is the melting point of silicon dioxide (a
macromolecule) so much higher than that of water?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper II – Paper 3 Core 3
 d How could you use a flame test to identify sodium chloride and potassium chloride?

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

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

e How would you test to show the presence of the sulfate ion in seawater? Describe the test and the positive
result.

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................................................................................................................................................................................ [3]

f What are the two essential steps in treating river water to make it safe to drink?

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................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

g Why will these steps not make seawater safe to drink?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

h Sodium chloride is the most common compound dissolved in seawater. Describe the formation of sodium
chloride from chlorine and sodium. Show the electron structure and charge on each ion.

[3]

ii If a concentrated solution of sodium chloride is electrolysed, three useful products are formed. State
which products are formed at each electrode.

Anode (+)

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Cathode (−)

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Total [17]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper II – Paper 3 Core 4
5 a Iron and aluminium are the two most common metals in the Earth’s crust. Aluminium is the more
common but iron is more frequently used. Suggest an explanation for this.

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

b Name the ores from which aluminium and iron are extracted.

Aluminium ...........................................................................................................................................................

Iron ........................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

c Describe the extraction of iron from its ore. You should include all the substances involved in the reaction
together with their purpose and give an equation showing the reduction of iron.

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

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

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

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d What process is used to extract aluminium from its ore?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

e Both aluminium and iron are frequently used in alloys.

i What is an alloy?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

ii Why is an alloy often better to use than a pure metal?

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

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

f Iron and aluminium are both used in the manufacture of overhead power cables. Explain the purpose of
each metal.

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

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper II – Paper 3 Core 5
 g Iron and aluminium both form an oxide layer when left exposed to air.

i What name is given to the iron oxide formed when iron is left exposed to damp air?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

ii The oxide layer formed by aluminium makes the metal more useful. Explain this statement.

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

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

Total [15]

6 The diagram below shows one period of the Periodic Table.

X Y Z

Elements X and Y react with oxygen but element Z does not.

a Explain why element Z does not react with oxygen.

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

b What type of oxide would each of elements X and Y form?

X ............................................................................................................................................................................

Y ............................................................................................................................................................................. [2]

c A solution of one of these oxides turned Universal Indicator blue. What is the pH of the solution?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

d If a solution of the other oxide was added to the first solution, would the pH go up or down?
Explain your answer.

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

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

e What is the name given to this type of reaction?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

f Apart from water, what type of compound is formed by this reaction?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper II – Paper 3 Core 6
 Copper sulfate is a blue crystalline salt. When it is heated, it turns white and water condenses at the end of the
tube.

g Write a word equation for this reaction.

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

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

h This reaction is a reversible reaction. What symbol do we use to show a reversible reaction?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

i How can we reverse the reaction described above?

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Total [12]

7 Alkanes, alkenes and alcohols are three examples of different homologous series.

a What is a hydrocarbon?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

b What is a homologous series?

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

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................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

Alkanes are obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum.

c What is the fuel oil fraction used for?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

d How can alkanes be converted into alkenes?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

e How can the alkene ethene be converted into the alcohol ethanol?

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

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

................................................................................................................................................................................ [2]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper II – Paper 3 Core 7
 f Ethene can be converted into the polymer poly(ethene). What is a polymer?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

g Give an example of another man-made polymer.

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

h What environmental problems do polymers cause?

................................................................................................................................................................................ [1]

Total [11]

© Cambridge University Press 2014 IGCSE Chemistry Practice exam-style paper II – Paper 3 Core 8