Section 1 – Planet Earth

[HKDSE_2015]
1. Which of the following can distinguish a sample of limestone powder from a sample of table salt?
(1) adding water [filtration: limestone (mainly CaCO3) is insoluble but table salt (NaCl) is soluble]
(2) performing a flame test [CaCO3 gives a brick red flame but NaCl gives a golden yellow flame]
(3) adding dilute hydrochloric acid [CaCO3 effervesces when mixed with acids but NaCl does not]
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)

[HKDSE_2016]
2. A flame test conducted for a sample gives a brick-red flame. The sample may contain
A. chalk. [Main ingredient in chalk is CaCO3]
B. quartz.
C. graphite.
D. rock salt.

[HKDSE_2017]
3. Which of the following statements concerning oxygen gas is correct?
A. Oxygen gas relights a glowing splint.
B. Oxygen gas turns moist pH paper red.
C. Oxygen gas turns moist pH paper blue.
D. Oxygen gas gives a ‘pop’ sound when tested with a burning splint.

4. Which of the following statements concerning anhydrous copper(II) sulphate powder are correct?
(1) It is white in colour. [anhydrous copper (II) sulphate is white but turns blue on contact with water]
(2) It dissolves in water to give a blue solution.
(3) It can be obtained from heating hydrated copper(II) sulphate crystals. [heating removes water from
hydrated copper(II) sulphate]
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)

Section 2 – Microscopic World I

[HKDSE_2012]
5. Silicon and carbon react to form silicon carbide. The crystal structure of silicon carbide is similar to that
of diamond. Silicon carbide is very hard because [SiC should have properties of a giant covalent
structure, i.e. high m.p./b.p., doesn’t conduct electricity, insoluble in any solvents, hard..]
A. it has a high melting point.
B. silicon atoms and carbon atoms form triple bonds. [both Si and C are in the same group. It’s Si
replacing half of the C atoms in diamond,  all are single bonds]
C. it has a giant network structure with strong covalent bonds.
D. both silicon and carbon atoms have four outermost shell electrons.
6. Which of the following statements concerning an 131I atom and a l3lXe atom is / are correct?
(1) They have the same number of protons.
(2) They have different numbers of neutrons.
(3) They have different numbers of outermost shell electrons.
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only[they are different elements  different no of protons and electrons; same mass no
 total no. of protons and neutrons should be the same]

7. Which of the following substances CANNOT conduct electricity?

A. Pt(s) [there are delocalized electrons]
B. PbBr2(l) [the ions become mobile because it is in molten state]
C. C(graphite) [there are delocalized electrons]
D. CH3CH2OH(l) [not a covalent compound  no mobile ions]

[HKDSE_2013]
8. Silicon is an element in Group IV of the Periodic Table. The oxide of silicon has the chemical formula
SiO2. Which of the following statements about silicon and its oxide is correct? [SiO2 has giant covalent
structure. Refer to Q.5]
A. Silicon is a good conductor of heat.
B. Silicon exists as simple molecules.
C. SiO2 is a hard material at room temperature.
D. SiO2 dissolves in water to give an acidic solution. [SiO2 is acidic. It does not dissolve in water but
dissolve in alkalis due to acid-base reaction]

9. Suppose that element X has only two isotopes, 63X and 65X. The graph below shows the relative
abundance of the two isotopes:

Which of the following is the relative atomic mass of X?

A. 63.3
B. 63.5
C. 63.6 [check abundance in diagram: 6370% + 6530%]
D. 64.0
10. Both radium (Ra) and calcium (Ca) belong to the same group of the Periodic Table. Which of the
following statements is INCORRECT? [Ra is more reactive than Ca because reactivity of gr II elements
increases down the group]
A. Radium is a good conductor of electricity in the solid state. [Ra is a metal (all group II elements are
metals)
B. Radium atoms readily donate electrons to form Ra2+ ions. [Group II elements are reactive metals]
C. Both radium and calcium become tarnished after exposed to air for some time. [same reason as B]
D. Radium is less reactive than calcium.
[HKDSE_2014]
11. Which of the following atoms has the smallest number of neutrons?
A. 63Cu
B. 59Co
C. 58Ni
D. 57Fe [Fe, Co, Ni, Cu are successive elements in Periodic Table. Hence, no. of p increases gradually.
Mass no. = no. of p + no. of n]

12. Which of the following compounds has a giant ionic structure?

A. N2O4
B. HNO3
C. NCl3
D. NH4NO3 [Ionic compound  Giant ionic structure. Ionic compounds are metal/NH4+ compounds]

[HKDSE_2015]
13. Element Q belongs to Group II of the Periodic Table. It combines with element R to give an ionic
compound with chemical formula Q3R2. Which group of the Periodic Table does R belong to?
A. Group III
B. Group V
C. Group VI
D. Group VII

14. Which of the following statements concerning ‘atom’ is correct?

A. All atoms do not carry net charges.
B. Mass is evenly distributed within an atom. [mass of an atom concentrates in the nucleus]
C. All atoms consist of protons, neutrons and electrons. [hydrogen atom does not have any proton]
D. For all elements, atoms of the same element have the same mass number. [isotopes exist]

Directions : Each question below (Questions 35 and 36) consists of two separate statements. Decide
whether each of the two statements is true or false; if both are true, then decide whether or not
the second statement is a correct explanation of the first statement. Then select one option from
A to D according to the following table:
A. Both statements are true and the 2nd statement is a correct explanation of the 1st statement.
B. Both statements are true but the 2nd statement is NOT a correct explanation of the 1st statement.
C. The 1st statement is false but the 2nd statement is true.
D. Both statements are false.
15. 1st statement: The melting point of silicon is higher than that of aluminium.
2nd statement: The number of electrons in a silicon atom is greater than that in an aluminium atom.
B [Si has higher melting point because it has giant covalent structure, but Al has giant metallic structure]
[HKDSE_2016]
16. Which of the following is the electron diagram (only electrons in the outermost shells are shown) of lithium
sulphide? [Li – group 1  Li+ and S – group 6  S2-. Thus, its formula is Li2S]

A.

B.

C.

D. [the electron on the outermost shell of Li atom has gone!]

[HKDSE_2017]
17. Elements X and Y form an ionic compound with chemical formula X2Y. If the ion of X and the ion of
Y have the same electronic arrangement, which of the following may this compound be? [ions formed
from non-metal elements have the same electronic arrangement of ions formed from metal elements in the
next group in the Periodic Table]
A. lithium oxide
B. aluminium oxide
C. potassium sulphide
D. magnesium chloride

18. Which of the following statements concerning helium is / are correct?

(1) Helium is chemically inert.
(2) Helium exists as diatomic molecules. [All noble gases exist as monoatomic molecules]
(3) The outermost electron shell of a helium atom has an octet structure. [He is exception in that it has
only 2 electrons on the outermost shell]
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only

19. Which of the following statements concerning silicon dioxide solid is correct?
A. There are single covalent bonds between silicon atoms and oxygen atoms.
B. It is insoluble in sodium hydroxide solution. [it dissolves by reacting with NaOH]
C. It has a simple molecular structure. [it has giant covalent structure]
D. It conducts electricity at room temperature. [refer to Q.8]
Section 3A –Metals
[HKDSE_2012]
20. Which of the following statements concerning an aluminium ore consisting mainly of Al2O3 is correct?
(Relative atomic masses: O = 16.0, Al = 27.0)
A. Carbon can be used to extract aluminium from this ore. [C can reduce oxides formed from elements
from Zn downwards in the reactivity series]
B. The abundance of this ore 'in the earth crust is very low. [Al is the most abundant metal on earth]
C. This ore contains more than 55% of aluminium by mass. [% by mass of Al in Al2O3 is only 52.9 %]
D. Aluminium can be extracted from this ore due to the advancement of technology in applying
electricity.
21. Which of the following combinations is / are correct?
Object Corresponding corrosion prevention method / principle
(1) aluminium window frames cathodic protection [anodizing Al]
(2) galvanised iron buckets sacrificial protection
(3) tin-plated iron cans Alloying [metal-plating]
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only

[HKDSE_2013]
22. Which of the following methods can be used to obtain magnesium from magnesium compounds?
A. electrolysis of a molten magnesium compound
B. electrolysis of an aqueous solution of a magnesium compound [H+ ions will discharge instead of
Mg2+ ions at the cathode]
C. heating magnesium oxide with carbon [C can only reduce oxides of Zn or metals less reactive than Zn]
D. heating magnesium oxide strongly [This works for metal oxides of Ag and Hg]

23. Both the frame and gear system of a bicycle are made of steel. Which of the following combinations can
be used to prevent these parts of the bicycle from rusting?
Frame Gear system
A. painting greasing
B. painting galvanising
C. tin-plating greasing
D. tin-plating galvanising

[HKDSE_2014]
24. The diagram below shows three iron nails of the same size and shape each immersed in a liquid.

Which of the following arrangements represents the ascending order of rate of corrosion of the iron
nails?
A. Z<Y<X [Y – rusting accelerates in a salt solution; X – In the presence of Ag+ in solution,
displacement occurs because Fe is more reactive than Ag]
B. Y<Z<X
C. Z<X<Y
D. X<Z<Y

25. As shown in the diagram below, the glowing splint relights when solid Z is heated.
 Which of the following chemicals may Z be?
A. HgO [refer to Q22 D]
B. Al2O3
C. CaCO3
D. MgCO3

26. In an experiment, a small piece of potassium is added to a trough of water containing phenolphthalein.
Which of the following statements concerning the experiment are correct?
2K + H2O  2KOH + H2 the reaction is exothermic (K melts and burns to give a lilac flame). KOH(aq) is alkaline
(1) An exothermic reaction occurs.
(2) A colourless solution is formed.
(3) The metal burns with a lilac flame.
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)

[HKDSE_2015]
27. A gel containing NaCl(aq), K3Fe(CN)6(aq) and phenolphthalein is yellow in colour. An iron nail is put
into the gel and corrodes after a period of time. Which of the following colours would NOT be observed
in the gel after the iron nail corrodes? [Rusting produces Fe2+ and OH- ions. In the presence of Fe2+ ions,
K3Fe(CN)6(aq) turns blue. In regions of high ions concentration, phenolphthalein turns pink.]
A. blue
B. pink
C. grey
D. yellow

28. Consider the following set-ups:

 Which hook would corrode first?
[In (1), sacrificial protection by Al, in (2), Cu is less reactive than Fe and accelerates rusting, In (3) and
(4), both Al and Fe are more reactive than Cu and protect Cu from corrosion (NOT rusting)]
A. iron hook (1)
B. iron hook (2)
C. copper hook (3)
D. copper hook (4)

29. Which of the following observations would be expected when some calcium granules are put in cold water
inside a test tube?
(1) A cloudy mixture is formed. [since Cu(OH)2 is only slightly soluble]
(2) The test tube becomes warm. [reaction is exothermic]
(3) Colourless gas bubbles are formed. [Ca + 2H2O  Ca(OH)2 + H2]
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)

[HKDSE_2016]
30. Consider the following information concerning metal Y:
(1) Y reacts vigorously with water. [Y is either K, Na or Ca. Either metals in the series does not react]
(2) Y forms an oxide with chemical formula Y2O. [Y is a group I element]
(3) An atom of Y has five occupied electron shells. [Period 5 element]

Y may be
A. silver (Ag).
B. caesium (Cs).
C. strontium (Sr).
D. rubidium (Rb).

31. Consider the following experimental set-up:

Which of the following would NOT be X? [From Mg to Fe, steam reacts with heated metal to form oxide]
A. iron
B. zinc
C. copper
D. magnesium

32. Tin plating is used to prevent iron cans from rusting because
A. tin provides sacrificial protection to iron.
 B. tin layer prevents iron from exposure to air. [When exposed, rusting will be more serious than
normal because Sn is less reactive than Fe]
C. tin is higher than iron in the metal reactivity series.
D. tin and iron form an alloy which does not corrode.

[HKDSE_2017]
33. Which of the following processes would NOT produce metal?
[In the reactivity series, K, Na, Ca, Mg and Al are extracted from their oxides by electrolysis of molten oxides;
Zn, Fe, Pb, Cu are extracted from their oxides by heating with carbon. Hg and Ag are extracted by heating their
oxides alone.]
A. heating zinc oxide
B. heating copper(II) oxide with carbon
C. electrolysis of molten lithium chloride
D. heating iron(III) oxide with carbon monoxide

34. In which of the following cases would the iron nail corrode fastest?
A. B.

Rust occurs and salt

C2H5OH does not solution accelerates
conduct electricity rusting
C. D.

Both Cu and salt

solution accelerate
rusting Salt solution accelerates rusting.
Connecting Fe to +ve electrode
Section 3B –Mole Concepts
helps Fe to release electrons.
[HKDSE_2012]
35. In an oxide of metal M, the mass percentage of M is 55.0%. What is the chemical formula of this oxide?
(Relative atomic masses: O = 16.0, M = 39.1)
A. MO2
B. M2O % by mass of O = (100 – 55.9)%
C. M2O2  mol of M : mol of O = (55.9/39.1) :
D. M2O3 (44.1/16) = 1.43 : 2.76 = 1 : 2

[HKDSE_2013]
36. Which of the following methods can be used to obtain magnesium from magnesium compounds?
A. electrolysis of a molten magnesium compound [Refer to explanation in Q.33]
B. electrolysis of an aqueous solution of a magnesium compound
C. heating magnesium oxide with carbon
D. heating magnesium oxide strongly
37. Both the frame and gear system of a bicycle are made of steel. Which of the following combinations can
be used to prevent these parts of the bicycle from rusting?
Frame Gear system
A. painting greasing
B. painting galvanising
C. tin-plating greasing
D. tin-plating galvanising

[HKDSE_2014]
38. Refer to the following chemical equation :
Fe2O3(s) + 3CO(g)  2Fe(s) + 3CO2(g)
N moles of Fe2O3 are allowed to react with 2 N moles of CO under suitable conditions until the reaction
stops. How many moles of Fe are formed?
A. N
B. 2 N 1 mole of Fe2O3 requires 3 moles of CO for complete reaction  N
2 moles of Fe2O3 requires 6N moles of CO for reaction.
C. 3 N Thus, CO is the limiting reactant. Mol ratio of CO : Fe = 3 : 2
D. N
4  no. of mole of Fe formed = 2N  (2/3) = 4N/3
3

39. Hydrated salt X • nH2O contains 51.16% of water by mass. Given that the molar mass of X is 120.3 g,
what is n?
(Relative atomic masses: H = 1.0, 0 = 16.0)
A. 2
B. 5 % by mass of H2O in hydrated salt = (100 – 51.16)% = 48.84%
mol of H2O : mol of salt = (48.84/18) : (51.16/120.3)
C. 7
= 2.713 : 0.425 = 6.38. The closest whole no is 7 in all the options
D. 10

40. In an experiment, a small piece of potassium is added to a trough of water containing phenolphthalein.
Which of the following statements concerning the experiment are correct?
(1) An exothermic reaction occurs.
(2) A colourless solution is formed. Expected observations:
(3) The metal burns with a lilac flame.  Metal moves on water surface, producing ‘hissing’ sound (low
density of K and a gas is given out)
A. (1) and (2) only
 Metal catches fire and gives out lilac flame (reaction is
B. (1) and (3) only
exothermic
C. (2) and (3) only
 Colour of solution turns pink (due to formation of KOH, an
D. (1), (2) and (3) alkaline solution

[HKDSE_2017]
41. A hydrocarbon burns completely in oxygen to give 17.6 g of carbon dioxide and 3.6 g of water. Which
of the following is the empirical formula of the hydrocarbon?
(Relative atomic masses: H = 1.0, C = 12.0, O = 16.0)
A. CH
C in CO2 and H in H2O originate from hydrocarbon.
B. CH2
Mass of C = 17.6 g  (12/44) = 4.8 g; mass of H = 3.6 g  (2/18) = 0.4 g
C. C2H2 mol of C : mol of H = 4.8/12 : 0.4/1 = 1 : 1
D. C2H5
Section 4 –Acids and Bases
[HKDSE_2012]
42. A small amount of a powder can dissolve in water to form a clear solution. When this solution is mixed
with K2CO3(aq), a white precipitate is obtained. What can the powder be?
A. sodium sulphate [All group 1 compounds are soluble]
B. calcium sulphate [K2CO3 does not contain Ca2+ nor SO42-. If they originate from the powder, this
powder should be insoluble!]
C. sodium hydroxide [All group 1 compounds are soluble]
D. calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2 is only slightly soluble]

43. Which of the following statements concerning CH3COOH and HCl is correct?
A. CH3COOH is a stronger acid than HCl. [CH3COOH is slightly ionized but HCl completely ionized in
water]
B. The pH of 0.1 M CH3COOH(aq) is lower than that of 0.1 M HCl(aq). [should be higher instead!]
C. Both CH3COOH(aq) and HCl(aq) react with NH3(aq), each giving a salt.
D. Both CH3COOH(aq) and HCl(aq) react with Ag(s), each giving a colourless gas. [They do not react
with Ag]

44. A sample of 1.02 g of potassium hydrogenphthalate (C8H5O4K) is dissolved completely in distilled

water, and then diluted to 250.0 cm3. What is the concentration of the solution obtained?
(Relative atomic masses: H = 1.0, C = 12.0, O = 16.0, K = 39.1)
A. 0.004 M
B. 0.010 M
C. 0.020 M [molarity = no. of mole of solute / volume of solution (dm3) = (1.02/204.1)/0.250 = 0.02 M]
D. 4.080M

45. Which of the following pairs of reactants would react in water to give out the largest amount of heat?
A. 1 mol of HCl and 1 molof KOH [1 mole of water is formed. E = -57.3 kJ]
B. 1 mol of H2SO4 and 2 mol of KOH [2 moles of water are formed. Energy released = (-57.3)2 kJ]
C. 1 mol of (COOH)2 and 2 mol of KOH [2 moles of water are formed but some heat is absorbed for
ionization.]
D. 1 mol of CH3COOH and 1 mol ofKOH [1 mole of water is formed but some heat is absorbed for
ionization.]
[H of neutralization is -57.3 kJ mol-1 for strong acid and strong alkali. H is smaller than -57.3 kJ
mol-1 if weak acids or alkalis is used because energy is needed for ionization (HF is an exception)]

46. Which of the following methods can be used to distinguish between ZnCl2(aq) and CaBr2(aq) ?
(1) adding NH3(aq)
(2) performing flame test
(3) evaporating to dryness
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
[HKDSE_2013]
47. Solid Y is soluble in cold water. When an aqueous solution of Y is added separately to sodium
hydroxide solution and to acidified silver nitrate solution, a white precipitate is formed in both cases.
Which of the following compounds might Y be?
A. ammonium carbonate [No precipitate will be formed when (NH4)2CO3 is placed into NaOH]
B. zinc carbonate [ZnCO3 is insoluble.]
C. lead(II) chloride [PbCl2 is insoluble.]
D. magnesium chloride

48. Which of the following reaction routes can best be used to prepare barium sulphate from barium
carbonate?
A.

B.

C.

D.

[Both BaCO3 and BaSO4 are insoluble, so both A and B are not applicable. D uses conc acid,  not used.]
49. Which of the following statements about potassium hydroxide solution is INCORRECT?
A. When potassium hydroxide solution is added to iron(III) sulphate solution, a dirty green precipitate is
formed. [Fe(OH)3 would be precipitated which should be brown instead of green]
B. When potassium hydroxide solution is heated with ammonium chloride solution, ammonia gas is
liberated.
C. Dilute potassium hydroxide solution contains K+(aq) ions, H+(aq) ions and OH-(aq) ions.
D. Concentrated potassium hydroxide solution is corrosive.
50. Consider the four solutions W, X, Y and Z listed below:
W: 0.01 mol dm-3 HNO3(aq) [pH less than 7]
X: 0.01 mol dm-3 H2SO4(aq) [dibasic acid of the same conc as HNO3,  lower pH than HNO3]
Y: 0.01 mol dm-3 KOH(aq)
Z: 0.10 mol dm-3 KOH(aq) [higher conc KOH  higher [OH-]  higher pH]
Which of the following represents the four solutions arranged in increasing order of pH?
A. W,X,Y,Z
B. W,X,Z,Y
C. X,W,Y,Z
D. X,W,Z,Y

51. Which of the following pairs of aqueous solutions, when mixed, would give a precipitate?
A. lead(II) nitrate and ammonia [NH3 is an alkaline  precipitation of white Pb(OH)2]
B. copper(II) sulphate and sodium nitrate [no observable change]
C. calcium chloride and sodium nitrate [both NaCl and Ca(NO3)2 are soluble  no observable change]
D. iron(II) sulphate and acidified potassium dichromate [Fe2+ will be oxidized to Fe3+ and Cr2O72- will
be reduced to Cr3+. Orange solution becomes green (colour of Cr2O72 more intense)]

52. Which of the following statements about limestone is/are correct?

(1) It gives a golden yellow flame in a flame test. [limestone contains mainly CaCO3 which gives a
brick-red colour]
 (2) It gives a colourless gas when heated strongly. [CaCO3 undergoes thermal decomposition:
CaCO3  CaO + CO2]
(3) It dissolves in dilute sulphuric acid to give a clear solution. [Although CaCO3 reacts with H2SO4 to
give CaSO4 which is insoluble in water. Yet the CaSO4 formed covers up CaCO3 and prevents it from
further reaction]
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only

[HKDSE_2014]
53. 50.0 cm3 of 0.6 M FeSO4 (aq) is mixed with 150.0 cm3 of 0.2 M Fe2(SO4)3 (aq). What is the
concentration of SO42- (aq) ions in the resulting mixture?
A. 0.3M
B. 0.4M No. of mole of SO42- from FeSO4 = 0.60.05 = 0.03;
No. of mole of SO42- from Fe2(SO4)3 = 0.2 0.153 = 0.09;
C. 0.6M
Molarity of SO42- in resulting solution
D. 0.8M = (0.03+0.09)/(0.05+0.15) = 0.6 M

54. Which of the following pairs of aqueous solutions, upon mixing, would have the
lowest electrical conductivity ?
A. 20.0 cm3 of 0.1 M HNO3 and 20.0 cm3 of 0.1 M KOH
B. 20.0 cm3 of 0.1 M H2SO4 and 20.0 cm3 of 0.1 M Ba(OH)2
[BaSO4 and H2O are formed. BaSO4 is insoluble and H2O is covalent]
C. 20.0 cm3 of 0.1 M CH3COOH and 20.0 cm3 of 0.1 M NH3
D. 20.0 cm3 of 0.1 M HCl and 20.0 cm3 of 0.1 M C6H12O6(glucose)
55. Which of the following gases, after dissolved in 1 dm3 of water, would give a solution with the highest
pH? [only NH3 is alkaline]
A. 0.002 mol of NO2
B. 0.002 mol of SO2
C. 0.002 mol of NH3
D. 0.002 mol of HCl
56. Which of the following hazard warning labels should be displayed on both the
reagent bottle storing concentrated sulphuric acid and the reagent bottle storing concentrated
hydrochloric acid ?

A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only

57. Which of the following processes would show a blue colour?

(1) adding litmus to NaOH(aq) [NaOH is alkaline]
(2) mixing CuSO4(s) and NH3(aq) [CuSO4 is a salt but NH3 is an alkali]
 (3) mixing K3Fe(CN)6(aq) and FeCl2(aq) [K3Fe(CN)6(aq) is a rust indicator. It gives a blue colour
with Fe2+]
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)

[HKDSE_2015]
58. Which of the following statements is correct?
A. All aqueous solutions contain H+ (aq) ions.
B. The pH of all acid solutions is greater than zero. [pH of 2 M HCl is less than 1]
C. All acidic compounds contain hydrogen as their constituent elements. [SO2, CO2 are acidic]
D. A 'corrosive' hazard warning label must be displayed on all reagent bottles containing acid solution.
[for dilute solutions, ‘harmful’ or ‘irritant’ may be displayed depending on the nature of the acid]
59. Which of the following salts CANNOT be prepared from the reaction of a metal with a dilute acid?
A. zinc sulphate
B. iron(II) chloride
C. calcium chloride
D. copper(II) sulphate [Cu does not react with acids!]
60. In an experiment, 25.0 cm3 of HCl(aq) is measured with apparatus X and is placed in apparatus Y. The
HCl(aq) in Y is then titrated with a standard NaOH(aq). Which of the following combinations is correct?
X Y
A. measuring cylinder beaker
B. measuring cylinder conical flask
C. pipette beaker
D. pipette conical flask

61. In an experiment to prepare calcium sulphate, excess dilute sulphuric acid is added to 10.0 cm3 of 1.0 mol
dm-3 calcium nitrate solution. Which of the following is the theoretical mass of the calcium
sulphate obtained?
(Relative atomic masses: 0 = 16.0, S = 32.1, Ca = 40.1)
A. 0.68 g
B. 1.36 g no of moles of CaSO4 formed = 1.00.010 = 0.01.
C. 2.72 g Mass of CaSO4 = 0.01(40.1+32.1+16.04) g = 1.36 g
D. 4.08 g

62. Consider the following information concerning metals W, X, Y and Z :

(1) Heating oxide of W gives metal W. [only Ag2O and HgO will decompose on heating]
(2) Heating metal X in steam gives a colourless gas. [only from heated Mg, Zn or Fe can give H2 with
steam]
(3) Putting metal Y in CH3CO2H(aq) gives a colourless gas. [Y must be metals higher than Cu in the
reactivity series]
(4) Putting metal Z in CuSO4(aq) gives a reddish-brown solid. [Z is more reactive than Cu]
Which of these metals has the lowest reactivity?
A. W
B. X
C. Y
 D. Z

[HKDSE 2016]
63. The pH of a sample of sulphuric acid is 2.6. 100 cm3 of this sample is mixed with 100 cm3 of water.
What is the pH of the resulting mixture?
A. 5.8
B. 2.9 pH =2.6  [H+] = 10-2.6 M
C. 2.6 When diluted, [H+] = 10-2.6 × (1/2)  pH = 2.9
D. 1.3

64. Consider the following experimental set-up:

A colourless gas is given out when water is dropped to the mixture. Which of the following statements is
correct?
A. Oxalic acid ionizes in water to give hydrogen ions.
B. Zinc ionizes in water to give zinc ions.
C. Water reacts with oxalic acid to give the colourless gas.
D. Water reacts with zinc to give the colourless gas.

65. Which of the following pairs of substances, when mixed together, can be used to prepare copper(II)
sulphate crystals?
A. CuO (s) and H2SO4 (aq)
B. CuO (s) and MgSO4 (aq) [no reaction between the two and CuO is insoluble]
C. Cu (s) and H2SO4 (aq) [Cu is too unreactive. No reaction would occur between the two.]
D. Cu (s) and MgSO4 (aq) [no reaction between the two and Cu is insoluble]

66. Which of the following statements concerning vinegar is / are correct?

(1) The process of forming hydrogen ions in vinegar is reversible. [vinegar is slightly ionized!]
(2) Neutralisation occurs when sugar is added to vinegar.
(3) The pH of vinegar used in kitchen is around 1. [vinegar is a weak acid. It’s pH would not be
lower than 3.]

A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
67. The hazard warning label below is displayed on a bottle containing chemical Z:

Which of the following chemicals may Z be?

(1) sodium
(2) trichloromethane
(3) concentrated aqueous ammonia
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only

68. Which of the following processes are exothermic?

(1) placing calcium oxide in water
(2) placing a zinc strip in a copper(II) sulphate solution
(3) passing hydrogen chloride gas into a sodium hydroxide solution
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)

[HKDSE_2017]
69. Which of the following statements concerning hydrochloric acid is INCORRECT?
A. It is a mineral acid.
B. It completely ionizes in water.
C. It contains aqueous hydrogen ions.
D. It does not contain aqueous hydroxide ions. [All aqueous solutions, including acids and alkalis
contain H2O molescules, H+ ions and OH- ions.]
70. Which of the following is NOT the appropriate substance for preparing magnesium sulphate by directly
mixing it with dilute sulphuric acid?
A. magnesium metal
B. magnesium oxide
C. magnesium nitrate [Mg(NO3)2 is soluble and would not react with H2SO4]
D. magnesium carboante
71. Calcium phosphate is insoluble in water. What is the theoretical number of moles of calcium phosphate
obtained when 100.0 cm3 of 0.30 mol dm-3 CaCl2 (aq) is mixed with 300.0 cm3 of
0.10 mol dm-3 Na3PO4 (aq)?
(Relative atomic masses: O = 16.0, Na = 23.0, P = 31.0, Cl = 35.5, Ca = 40.1)
A. 0.010
Each Ca3(PO4)2 unit has 3 Ca2+ and 2 PO43-.
B. 0.015 No of moles of Ca2+ available = 0.3×0.1 = 0.03;
C. 0.020 No of moles of PO43- available = 0.1×0.3 = 0.03. Thus, PO43- is
D. 0.030 limiting. Thus, no of moles of PO43- ions = 0.03/3 = 0.01 mole

72. Which of the following statements concerning NaOH (aq) and NH3 (aq) is / are correct?
(1) Both of them can react with MgCl2 (aq). [Both are alkalis. Mg2+ form Mg(OH)2 with each of them]
(2) Both of them can form a deep blue solution with Cu(OH)2 (s). [Cu(OH)2 only form deep blue solution
with NH3(aq)]
(3) NaOH (aq) can react with CH3COOH (aq), but NH3 (aq) cannot. [both NaOH and NH3 can neutralize
CH3COOH]
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only

73. Which of the following can distinguish a sample of AgNO3 (aq) from a sample of NaNO3 (aq)?
(1) adding Cu(NO3)2 (aq) to the samples [no reaction with both]
(2) adding HCl (aq) to the samples [AgNO3 gives white precipitate of AgCl but no reaction with NaNO3]
(3) adding KOH (aq) to the samples [AgNO3 gives brown precipitate of Ag2O but no reaction with NaNO3]
A. (1) and (2or= ) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)