Question 1

Rock climbing equipment and bicycle components are often made from 7075 grade aluminium that contains variable amounts of
zinc, magnesium and copper. 7075 grade aluminium is best classified as

A. a mixture. B. an element. C. a compound. D. an isotope.

Question 2
Which set of diagrams (A, B, C, or D) represents one molecule of each of carbon disulfide, CS 2, methane, CH4, and hydrogen
sulfide, H2S?

A. B. C. D.

Question 3
Esters are used as flavours. The reaction shows the formation of the ester propyl ethanoate that has the odour of pears.

Substance X is

A. C.

B. D.

Question 4
Alkenes are carbon compounds with a double bond between two carbon atoms. The melting and boiling points of the simplest
four alkenes are given.

Alkene Melting point (°C) Boiling point (°C)

ethene 169 104
propene 185 48
butene 138 6
pentene 165 30

How many of these alkenes will be liquid at 140 °C?

A. 0 B. 1 C. 2 D. 3

Question 5
Nitroglycerine (C3H5N3O9) is highly explosive but is extremely shock-sensitive. Alfred Nobel combined it with diatomaceous
earth to make dynamite which was much more stable than nitroglycerine. Diatomaceous earth is a soft sedimentary rock
containing silica (SiO 2), alumina (Al2O3), and iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3).

How many elements are present in dynamite?

A. 4 B. 6 C. 7 D. 8
The next two questions (6 & 7) refer to the following information

A company marketing bottled water states that H2 water which is claimed to

have the formula H3O2 not knowing much chemistry.

Question 6
The substance dihydrogen monoxide with formula H2O is best classified as

A.
B. a compound because the proportion of its constituent atoms is fixed.
C. a mixture because the proportion of its components can vary.
D. a mixture because the proportion of its components is fixed.

Question 7
The most likely substance that the company adds live has the
formula H3O2 and not H2O is

A. calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2, as a source of OH ions.

B. hydrogen chloride, HCl, as a source of H+ ions.
C. nitrogen dioxide, NO2, as a source of O2 molecules.
D. hydrazine, N2H4, as a source of H2 molecules.

Question 8
Microbeads are plastic spheres that are widely used in cosmetics and personal care products. They are frequently made from
polyethylene (PE), but can also be made from polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). They
are manufactured with diameters

plants. They therefore enter waterways where they are becoming significant pollutants.

If each microbead was how many microbeads, laid in a line, would measure 1 millimetre?

A. 10 000 B. 1000 C. 100 D. 10

The next two questions (9 & 10) refer to the following information

Packets of fertiliser may show an NPKS ratio. It refers to the ratio, by mass, of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and
sulfur (S) in the fertiliser.
Sometimes another number is given in parentheses after the ratio. This shows the total percentage, by mass, of the fertiliser
that is made up of N, P, K, and S. The remainder of the fertiliser is filler.

A fertiliser label showing NPKS ratio = 4:2:3:1 (30) means that 30% of the mass of the substance in the packet is made up of N,
P, K and S in the ratio; 4 parts N: 2 parts P: 3 parts K: 1 part S by mass.

Question 9
Which of the following fertilisers would have an NPKS ratio of 11:34:0:0 (60)?

A. Ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) B. Ammonium phosphate ((NH4)3PO4)

C. Calcium sulfate (CaSO4) D. Potassium nitrate (KNO 3)

Question 10
What is the mass of phosphorus in a 500 g sample of fertiliser with an NPKS ratio of 5:2:3:0 (40)?

A. 20 g B. 40 g C. 60 g D. 80 g

Question 11
Hydrochloric acid (HCl) was reacted separately with zinc, zinc hydroxide (Zn(OH)2), and zinc carbonate (ZnCO3). The partial
word equations are as follows:

hydrochloric acid + zinc substance W + substance X

hydrochloric acid + zinc hydroxide substance W + substance Y
hydrochloric acid + zinc carbonate substance W + substance Y + substance Z

Substance Y is
A. carbon dioxide. B. hydrogen.
C. water. D. zinc chloride.
Question 12
The limewater test is used to detect the presence of carbon dioxide gas. When carbon dioxide gas is bubbled through clear
limewater, the limewater becomes cloudy.
The reaction is: Ca(OH)2 + CO2 H2O + CaCO3

Which substance is the insoluble solid causing the limewater to appear cloudy?

A. Ca(OH)2 B. CO2 C. H2O D. CaCO3

Question 13
In an experiment, Beaker A contained a solution of potassium iodide, and Beaker B contained a solution of lead nitrate.
Step1: The two solutions were poured into Beaker C and a bright yellow lead iodide solid precipitate formed.
Step 2: The mixture was filtered, removing the yellow precipitate, leaving a clear solution.
Step 3: The clear solution was divided equally into two beakers, Beaker D and Beaker E.
Step 4: To Beaker D, two drops of potassium iodide solution were added, and a yellow precipitate formed.
Step 5: To Beaker E, two drops of lead nitrate solution were added, but no change was observed.

Which statement is true?

A. Beakers A, C, and D contained lead nitrate.

B. Beakers B and E did not contain potassium iodide.
C. After Step 3, Beakers D and E contained potassium iodide.
D. After Step 3, Beaker D contained lead nitrate but Beaker E did not.

Question 14
The elements in the first column of the Periodic Table are called the alkali metals. Their melting points, going down the group,
are given in the table.

Element lithium sodium potassium rubidium caesium francium

Melting point (°C) 181 98 64 39 29 ?

Based on these data, the best estimate for the melting point of francium is

A. 27 °C B. 19 °C C. 15 °C D. 4 °C

Question 15
There are many compounds containing carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. There is a set of rules for naming these compounds
based on the number of carbon atoms and the arrangement of the other atoms. The names and structures of four compounds
are shown.
Structure Name and formula Structure Name and formula
propanoic acid butanol

CH3CH2COOH CH3CH2CH2CH2OH

propanone pentanoic acid

CH3COCH3 CH3CH2CH2CH2COOH

What is the name of the compound with the formula CH3CH2COCH3?

A. butanoic acid B. butanone

C. propanol D. pentanol

Question 16
The reaction between monomethyl hydrazine (CH3N2H3) and dinitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) is used to propel rockets. The reactants
spontaneously ignite on contact with each other. The products of the reaction are all gases: nitrogen (N2), carbon dioxide (CO2),
and water vapour (H2O).

If 100 molecules of monomethyl hydrazine react, how many gaseous molecules are produced?

A. 100 B. 300 C. 625 D. 750

Question 17
An ion that has 11 protons, 9 neutrons and 10 electrons would have a net charge of

A. +1 B. +2 C. 1 D. 2

Question 18
Which term identifies a type of chemical reaction?
A. evaporation B. combustion C. distillation D. melting

The next two questions (19 & 20) refer to the following information

There are 20 common amino acids found in living

organisms. Amino acids all contain carbon, hydrogen, Glycine
oxygen and nitrogen. Two also contain sulfur. Amino NH2CHHCOOH
acids have the general formula NH2CHRCOOH, where
R is either H or one of 19 groups of atoms, mostly C with
H and O, but sometimes N and S as well.
Glycine and alanine are examples of amino acids.

Other examples of amino acids are: Alanine

Asparagine where R = CH2CONH2 NH2CHCH3COOH
Glutamine where R = CH2CH2CONH2
Glutamic acid where R = CH2CH2COOH
Throenine where R = CH2OH

Question 19
Which of these amino acids has the molecular formula C5H9NO4?

A. Asparagine B. Glutamine C. Glutamic acid D. Threonine

Question 20
Which molecule is NOT an amino acid?

A. B. C. D.

Question 21
Nickel (Ni) metal can be obtained from a solution containing nickel bromide (NiBr 2) by a process known as electrolysis. This
involves passing an electric current through the solution as shown in the diagram.

The nickel metal is deposited on the carbon electrode that is

called the cathode.
The other carbon electrode is called the anode.
The carbon electrodes are inert, which means that they do not
take part in the chemical reaction.
Electrons (e ) flow from the negative terminal of the power
supply to the cathode; and from the anode to the positive
terminal of the power supply. Ions moving in the solution
complete the circuit.
Half-equations describe the reactions occurring at each
electrode. They show electrons being lost or gained by atoms
or ions.

Which alternative shows the correct half-equations for the reactions occurring at each electrode?
Reaction at cathode Reaction at anode
A. Ni2+ + 2e Ni 2Br Br2 + 2e
B. 2Br Br2 + 2e Ni2+ + 2e Ni
C. Ni Ni2+ + 2e Br2 + 2e 2Br
D. Br2 + 2e 2Br Ni Ni2+ + 2e
Question 22
An unboiled egg was placed into a beaker of water. The egg sank. Some salt was then dissolved in the water, and the egg
floated to the surface. The egg was placed into another beaker of fresh water. The egg sank again.
The explanation for this phenomenon is that the salt
A. reacted with the eggshell. B. made the egg more dense.
C. made the water less dense. D. made the water more dense.

Question 23
The amount of salt in water is measured in parts per million (ppm) where 1 ppm is equivalent to 1 g of salt present in 1000 000 g
of solution.
Dylan tested some water from his bore. He heated a 2000 g sample of bore water. After all the water was evaporated he was
left with 10.4 g of salt.

A. 520 ppm B. 1040 ppm C. 5200 ppm D. 10 400 ppm

Question 24
The elements in the Periodic table are arranged according to their atomic number (the number of protons in their nuclei), starting
with element number 1, hydrogen. The atomic mass of an atom is the number of protons and neutrons in its nucleus. The
discovery of element number 118 ununoctium (Uuo) was confirmed in January 2016. One possible isotope of ununoctium is
Uuo-291, which has an atomic mass of 291.
How many neutrons are in the nucleus of Uuo-291?

A. 118 B. 173 C. 291 D. 409

The next two questions (25 & 26) refer to the following information

The hydroxide ion (OH ) ion is a polyatomic ion because it contains more than one element. It is an ion because it has a charge.
Each element in a polyatomic ion can be given an oxidation number.
There are some simple rules for working out oxidation numbers in polyatomic ions.
the oxidation number of each hydrogen atom = +1
the oxidation number of each oxygen atom = 2
the sum of the oxidation numbers of all the atoms in the ion is equal to the charge on the ion.

Question 25
The hydrogen sulfate ion (HSO4 1) has an overall charge of 1.
What is the oxidation number of the sulfur (S) atom in the hydrogen sulfate ion?
A. 1 B. 2 C. 0 D. +6

Question 26
The oxidation number of carbon atoms in carbon compounds depends on the atoms to which each particular
C atom is attached.
The oxidation number rules for carbon are:
every bond between the C atom and
every bond between the C atom and H will decrease the oxidation number of C by 1.
every bond between the C atom and O will increase the oxidation number of C by 1.
Two examples are shown:

In methane, CH4, the In the compound, CH3C*HO, the

carbon is attached to carbon* is attached to 1 carbon, 1
4 hydrogens so the hydrogen and 2 bonds to oxygen,
so its oxidation number is +1. The
number is 4. carbon attached to 3 hydrogens
has an oxidation number of 3.

What is the oxidation number of C* in CH3C*OOH

with the structure shown?

A. 1 B. 0 C. +1 D. +3
Question 27
Diagrams U, V, W, and X represent containers of gas.

Key:
Atom of element Y

Atom of element Z

U V W X
Which diagram or diagrams represent a pure element?
A. V only B. W only C. V and W D. U and X

The next two questions (28 & 29) refer to the following information

Ammonia gas can be

produced in the laboratory by ammonia gas
heating two solids in the collected
apparatus shown. The
products of the reaction are delivery tube
ammonia gas (NH3), solid
calcium chloride (CaCl2), and
water (H2O). tube packed
The calcium oxide (CaO) is with calcium
used to absorb the water oxide (CaO)
vapour that is produced.

Question 28
The two solid reactants are
A. NH4Cl and CaCO3 B. NH4Cl and Ca(OH)2
C. NH4NO3 and CaH2 D. NH4NO3 and Ca(OH)2

Question 29
The reason that the apparatus is arranged in this way is because ammonia gas
A. is less dense than air. B. is more dense than air.
C. dissolves in calcium chloride. D. dissolves in calcium oxide.

Question 30
Amedeo Carlo Avogadro was an Italian scientist who provided the key to solving many problems facing the chemical sciences in
hypothesis states that under the same conditions of temperature and pressure, equal volumes of all
gases contain the same number of molecules.
Different atoms have different masses. The table gives the mass of some atoms relative to hydrogen.

Element hydrogen (H) carbon (C) nitrogen (N) oxygen (O) sulfur (S)
Mass of atom 1 12 14 16 32

Ashwyn had six balloons, all at the same temperature The volume of each balloon is shown in the table:
and pressure. Each balloon contained a different gas.
The gases were: hydrogen (H2), nitrogen (N2), Balloon U V W X Y Z
oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide
Volume (L) 3 5 1 2 1 1
(SO2), and ammonia (NH3).

Ashwyn compared the mass of gas in each balloon. He found that the mass of gas in:
Balloon X was the same as that in Balloon Z. Balloon U was less than that in Balloon Z.
Balloon V was less than that in Balloon W. Balloon W was less than that in Balloon Y.
Balloon U was greater than that in Balloon Y.

Which gas was in Balloon W?

A. ammonia B. carbon dioxide C. nitrogen D. oxygen

MSo
Questions compiled and typeset by Martin Sormus, Wollongong, NSW, with thanks for advice received from: Andrew Eaton,
Narellan, NSW; Fiona Fisher, Tewantin, Qld; and Doug Wright, Burdekin, Qld.
Question 31
When ammonia gas (NH3) and hydrogen chloride gas (HCl) react they produce a white, solid precipitate of ammonium chloride
(NH4Cl). A molecule of hydrogen chloride gas has approximately double the mass of an ammonia gas molecule.

An experiment to study the rate at which a gas diffuses (spreads out) was carried out using ammonia gas and hydrogen chloride
gas in a glass tube. The results are shown in the diagram.
Precipitate

Cotton with NH4OH (produces NH3) Cotton with HCl

From these results it can be concluded that
A. as the mass of a molecule increases, so does its rate of diffusion.
B. hydrogen chloride gas diffuses at the same rate as ammonia gas.
C. hydrogen chloride gas diffuses at a faster rate than does ammonia gas.
D. the rate of diffusion increases as the mass of the gas molecules decreases.

Question 32
The names used for chemical substances have not always been the same as the ones we use today. For example, silver nitrate
(AgNO3) used to be called lunar caustic, silver chloride (AgCl) was horn silver, sulfuric acid (H2SO4) was oil of vitriol, potassium
sulfate (K2SO4) was salt of lemery, potassium hydroxide (KOH) was caustic potash, mercurous chloride (Hg2Cl2) was horn
quicksilver, iron chloride (FeCl3) was oil of Mars, and ammonium hydroxide solution (NH4OH) was spirit of hartshorn.
Which one of the following old chemical recipes is most likely to be correct?
A. Mix lunar caustic with horn silver to make oil of vitriol.
B. Mix oil of Mars with spirit of hartshorn to make horn silver.
C. Mix oil of vitriol with caustic potash to make salt of lemery.
D. Mix horn quicksilver with caustic potash to make lunar caustic.

Question 33
Dylan inflated a balloon with air and filled another identical balloon with water.
He placed a lighted match under each balloon. The air-filled balloon burst immediately, while the other balloon was not affected
by the flame.
The most likely explanation for this is that
A. air inside the first balloon starts to burn.
B. air inside the first balloon expands until the rubber breaks.
C. water inside the second balloon puts the match out.
D. water inside the second balloon takes the heat away from the rubber.

Question 34
The French chemist, Lavoisier, proposed that oxygen was the element responsible for substances being acidic. While many
acids contain oxygen, not all substances containing oxygen are acids.
Which of these oxygen-containing substances is not an acid?
A. HNO3 B. NaOH C. H2SO4 D. H3PO4

Question 35
An exothermic reaction is one in which heat energy is released, causing the surroundings to become warmer.
An endothermic reaction is one in which heat energy is absorbed, causing the surroundings to become cooler.

One type of pack contains a supersaturated solution of sodium acetate in water. This supersaturated solution is unstable and
can be triggered to form crystals of sodium acetate. When this occurs, the temperature of the solution increases.

Based on the information provided, sodium acetate would be used in a

A. cold pack because it undergoes an exothermic crystallisation process.
B. cold pack because it undergoes an endothermic crystallisation process.
C. heat pack because it undergoes an exothermic crystallisation process.
D. heat pack because it undergoes an endothermic crystallisation process.
ANSWER KEY:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
A C D D C B A C B B
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
C D B A B C A B C D
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
A D C B D D B B A C
31 32 33 34 35
D C D B C