SJChO 2023 Paper (copy)
SJChO 2023 Paper (copy)
form compounds with other elements under the right reaction conditions. The first true noble gas
compound, containing actual covalent bonds between a noble gas element and other atoms, was
reported in 1962.
Which of the following statements about the redox chemistry of noble gas compounds are likely to be
true?
I: The heavier the noble gas element, the more easily reduced it will be.
II: KrF2 is likely to be a strong oxidizing agent as Kr is more stable as a monoatomic gas.
A. I only
B. I, II and III
Q2: The salt (C2H5)4N+Cl- is reacted with hydrogen chloride to form a white solid X which is then dissolved
in water to form an acidic solution. 20 cm 3 of this aqueous solution of X required 24.6 cm 3 of 0.1 M NaOH
for neutralization. Another 20 cm 3 of this same solution of X needed exactly 49.2 cm 3 of 0.1 M aqueous
AgNO3 for complete precipitation of AgCl as a white solid. Which of the following is identity of the anion
in solid X?
A. HCl32-
B. H2Cl3-
C. H2Cl53-
D. HCl2-
Q3: Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Their structure comprises of an amine (-NH 2), a
carboxylic acid group (-COOH) and a distinctive side chain which can contain different functional groups.
When dissolved in water, the amine group can get protonated to become cationic (i.e. -NH 3+) and the
carboxylic acid group can form the anionic carboxylate group (i.e. -COO -) depending on the solution pH.
For every amino acid, there exists an isoelectric point (pl), which is the pH where the amino acid carries
no net charge. It thus follows that at pH > pl, the amino acid will carry a net negative charge, whilst at pH
< pl, the amino acid will be cationic.
Three naturally occurring amino acids are shown below. Based on their chemical structures, arrange
their pl starting from the lowest.
A. Glu < Lys ≈ Gln
Q4: A molecule or ion is chiral when it is non-superimposable, i.e. it cannot be superimposed on its
mirror image, like your left hand and right hand. Chiral molecules therefore do not have a plane of
symmetry or a center of symmetry. Pairs of molecules which are mirror images of one another are called
enantiomers.
A. C.
B. D.
Q5: Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a routine tool used by chemists to study the
organic chemicals that they have made in the lab. 1H NMR is particularly useful as 1H (hydrogen) atoms
gives NMR signals and they are found in almost all organic compounds. As each compound gives a
unique spectrum, 1H NMR can be used to identify chemicals. Each 1H atom in a different environment
gives rise to one unique NMR signal. For example, the compound 4-heptanone has 3 unique 1H NMR
signals as there are only 3 different 1H environments (a1 = a2, b1 = b2, c1 = c2 as 4-heptanone is
symmetrical about the C=O group).
How many unique signals would you expect to see in the 1H NMR spectrum of the following compound?
A. 15
B. 6
C. 8
D. 5
Q6: When an iodine atom is covalently bonded to an electron-withdrawing group X, the electron density
on the large iodine atom is distorted such that it is now non-uniform across the entire atom. As shown in
the figure below, an area at the tip of the iodine atom immediately opposite the X-I bond becomes very
electron-deficient, while the equatorial region of the iodine atom is electron-rich. The electron-deficient
region of the iodine atom can interact non-covalently with Lewis bases such as anion A -.
Which of the following is the most likely X-I --- A- bond angle for the non-covalent interaction? (---
indicates non-covalent interaction)
A. 90°
B. 180°
C. 109.5°
D. 120°
Q7: In recent years, concerns about the production of hazardous by-products during chemical reactions
has motivated chemists to develop new reactions that minimize the amount of waste produced. Thus,
they have developed a measure, known as “percentage atom economy” to evaluate the environmental-
friendliness of a chemical reaction, which is defined as follows:
Based on this definition, the higher the percentage atom economy, the greater the percentage of the
starting materials that end up in the desired product. Thus, reactions with high atom economy are more
sustainable and produce less waste.
Which of the following reactions has the highest percentage atom economy?
Q8: Transition metals are chemical elements in the d-block of the periodic table located between group
2 and 3.
I: They are typically less reactive than alkali metals such as sodium.
II: They show trends in group properties like other groups in the periodic table.
A. III only
B. I, II and III
Q9: A sodium nitrate NaNO3 solution is prepared by adding 0.10 mol of sodium nitrate, NaNO3, to 2.00 L
of water. Which of the following is incorrect?
A. There are equal moles of sodium ions and nitrate ions in the solution.
B. Gastric juice
C. Ammonia solution
D. Vinegar
II: The first step of the reaction has a higher activation energy than the second step.
A. I only
D. I, II and III
Q12: A transdermal patch is a medicated adhesive patch that is placed on the skin to deliver a specific
dose of medication. These “skin patch” drugs include pain relivers, nicotine, hormones, and drugs to
treat angina and motion sickness. The patches are made from “pressure-sensitive adhesives” that stick
onto the skin but are easy to remove. One such adhesive has the following structure.
Which of the following monomer is used to make this polymer?
A. C.
B. D.
Q13: An organic compound Z reacts with both sodium hydroxide and with sodium carbonate. What
could the structure of Z be?
A. C.
B. D.
Q14: An organic acid has the structural formulas shown below. Which of the following statements is
incorrect?
A. It turns blue litmus red.
Q15: A chemical analysis on a household brand of lemon juice shows the presence of a compound called
octyl ethanoate. What is the most likely use of octyl ethanoate in lemon juice?
A. Antioxidant
B. Flavoring
C. Preservative
D. Sweetener
Q16: Which one of the following compounds can undergo addition polymerisation?
A. CH3CH2Cl
B. CH3CHO
C. CH3CHCH2
D. CH3CH2CH2CH3
Q17: Which one of the following is the correct formula for the ester formed when butanoic acid, CH 3CH2
CH3CH2CH2COOH reacts with methanol, CH3OH?
A. CH3CH2CH2CH2CO2CH3
B. CH3CO2CH2CH2CH3
C. CH3CH2CO2CH3
D. CH3CH2CO2CH2CH3
Q18: Some synthetic products are said to be non-biodegradable. What does this mean?
A. Not harmful to living organisms
A. Polyethene
B. PVC
C. Terylene
D. Nylon
This polymer is going out of use in furniture manufacturing. In which of the following sets are all the
chemicals atmospheric pollutants formed when polyurethane burns?
B. C, CO, NO2
C. C, SO2, NO2
D. C, CO2, H2O
Compound A reacted with water under high temperature and pressure conditions to produce
compound B. Which of the following are possible structures of compound B?
A. I and II only
C. II and IV only
22. Compound B is a colourless, flammable organic compound with a pungent alcoholic odor. It has a
molecular formula C3H8O. Which of the following are isomers of compound B?
A. V and VI only
24: Compound B was utilised widely during the Covid-19 pandemic as a sterilisation agent. Referring to
the 4 structures in Question 21, what is the likely structure for B?
A. I
B. II
C. III
D. IV
25: Refer to Question 22: Compound VIII was easily oxidized and produced an unknown compound.
What is the likely structure for this compound?
A. IX
B. X
C. XI
D. XII
26: Compound B (from question 22) and the oxidised form of compound VIII can undergo ____________
in the presence of a small amount of acid to produce a/an ___________ which is a sweet-smelling
chemical. Fill in the blanks:
A. Condensation, acid
B. Condensation, ester
C. Hydrogenation, acid
D. Hydrogenation, ester
27: Thin layer chromatography (TLC) is a method to separate different molecules present in a mixture
based on their affinity towards the stationary phase (TLC plate) and the mobile phase (solvent). The less
polar molecules move further up the TLC plate than more polar molecules.
The retention factor (Rf) of each molecule in a particular solvent can be calculated by:
A. 0.50
B. 0.25
C. 0.30
D. 0.90
28: For the next 2 questions, please use the following table with the densities and boiling points of
various solvents.
B. IV and V
C. III and IV
D. I and II
A. liquid-liquid extraction
C. fractional distillation
D. recrystallisation
30: For the next 2 questions, refer to the flowchart below. Mixture T contains two different chemicals. A
series of experiments were used to determine the identity of the chemicals, with their observations
detailed in the flowchart.
A. U V X Y
Lead (II) chloride Magnesium hydroxide Ammonia Silver iodide
B. U V X Y
Lead (II) iodide Sodium hydroxide Oxygen Silver iodide
C. U V X Y
Lead (II) iodide Calcium hydroxide Hydrogen Silver chloride
D. U V X Y
Lead (II) chloride Potassium hydroxide Nitrogen Silver chloride
32: The first electron affinity is the change in energy (in kJ/mol) when an electron is added to a neutral
atom (in the gaseous phase) to form a negative ion. The easier it is for a neutral atom to gain an
electron, the more negative the electron affinity. Please review the following statements:
I: Argon has a more negative electron affinity than chlorine because it has a full valence shell.
II: Chlorine has a more negative electron affinity than bromine because it has a smaller atomic radius.
III: Aluminium has a more negative electron affinity than magnesium because it has more protons.
IV: Silicon has a more negative electron affinity than aluminium because it has more electrons.
A. I and IV
B. III and IV
C. II and III
D. I and II
33: Two compounds structurally related to Nirmatrelvir were synthesized and subjected to medical
testing. These two new compounds were labelled B and C. In the structure of compound B, the nitrogen
atoms in Nirmatrelvir are replaced by phosphorus atoms. In the of compound C, the oxygen atoms in
Nirmatrelvir are replaced by sulfur atoms. What is the difference in the molecular weight of compounds
B and C?
A. 37.52
B. 3.60
C. 36.62
D. 20.56
34: Revolutions per minute (abbreviated to RPM or rpm) is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It
states the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis. Cars expose fuel to 1.50
L of atmospheric air every 2 revolutions. Assume atmospheric air contains 21.0% oxygen gas by volume.
If the combustion reaction is standardized to standard ambient temperature and pressure condition and
the amount of pure pentane (C5H12) is excess, calculate the volume of carbon dioxide produced in 30
seconds when the engine idles at 1500 RPM. Use the following balanced chemical reaction:
A. 74.8 L
B. 80.1 L
C. 120 L
D. 54.6 L
35: Diamond is of the most precious stones and it is a solid form of pure carbon with its atoms
A. 72.9 kJ
B. -72.9 kJ
C. 76.7 kJ
D. -76.7 kJ
Q36: The melting point of CaS is higher than that of KCl. Which of the following are explanations for the
observation?
A. II only
C. I and II only
Q37: Helium is very unreactive, with a full outer shell and the highest ionisation energy of any element.
However, a collaboration between 17 researchers across the globe suggested that compound X (a
compound of helium and sodium) had been formed under an extreme pressure of 300 GPa. The unit cell
of a crystal is determined by X-ray crystallography and shows the arrangement of the atoms in the
crystal. Stacking the unit cells together generates the bulk structure. What is the formula of compound
X?
A. NaHe3
B. Na₂He7
C. NaHe
D. Na₂He
B. Y is sodium
Q39: If there are n molecules in 10g of methane, how many molecules are in 55g of carbon dioxide?
A. 4n
B. 2n
C. n
D. 0.5n
Q40 (dumb): When phosphorus is burned in Cl₂, PCl3 and PCl5 are formed. If 0.496 moles of phosphorus
react with 0.028 moles of Cl2, what is the mole ratio between PCl3 and PCl5?
A. 3:2
B. 1:3
C. 2:3
D. 3:1
Q41: Rainfall from unpolluted air should be:
A. Weakly acidic
B. Strongly acidic
C. Neutral
D. Weakly basic
Q42: Amedeo Avogadro discovered that equal volumes of gases at the same temperature and pressure
contain the same number of molecules. Two closed containers, A and B, hold gases at the same
temperature and pressure. The mass of gas A is equal to the mass of gas B, but gas A has a higher
density than gas B. Which of the following statements is true?
Q44: In solar-driven water splitting, a photocatalyst absorbs light energy and stores it in the form of
chemical energy. What are the chemical fuels generated during water splitting and is this reaction
endothermic or exothermic?
C. Electrolyte
Q46: What happens when Ag metal is placed in an aqueous Au³+ solution? Note that a more positive
standard reduction potential (E°) denotes the stronger tendency for a redox pair to undergo reduction
reaction.
A. Nothing happens
Q47: Polyamide is a polymer, and its molecular structure is shown below. Its polymeric chain can be re-
organized from a random structure (middle image) to a more organized structure (right image) through
the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds (i.e., NH...O). What best describes this process?
A. No change in enthalpy
B. Endothermic
C. Exothermic
Q49: Which pair of gases could be removed from exhaust gas using calcium carbonate?
B. CO and SO₂
C. SO2 and O3
Q50: An electrochemical cell typically uses liquid/aqueous-based electrolyte. However, these liquid
electrolytes could impose serious health/safety issues. Thus, solid-state electrolyte has been proposed
as an alternative to replace traditional liquid electrolyte. What properties should an ideal solid-state
electrolyte possess?