Sample Exam

HIGHER SCHOOL CERTIFICATE

MODULE EXAMINATION
ACID/BASE REACTIONS

Chemistry

General Instructions
Total marks − 50
ˆ Reading time − 5 minutes
ˆ Working time − 1 hour and 30 minutes
ˆ Write using blue or black pen Part A Pages 2 − 5
Black pen is preferred 10 marks
ˆ Draw diagrams using pencil ˆ Attempt Questions 1 − 10
ˆ Board-approved calculators may be used ˆ Allow about 17 minutes for this part
ˆ A data sheet and a Periodic Table are
provided at the back of this paper Part B Pages 6 − 12
ˆ Write your name and class at the top of 40 marks
this page ˆ Attempt Questions 11 − 19
ˆ Allow about 1 hour and 13 minutes for this part

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Part A: Multiple Choice Questions (10 marks)
Attempt Questions 1 − 10
Allow about 17 minutes for this part

Use the multiple choice answer sheet for Questions 1 − 10.

1. A B C D
2. A B C D
3. A B C D
4. A B C D
5. A B C D
6. A B C D
7. A B C D
8. A B C D
9. A B C D
10. A B C D

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1. A variety of common household substances were tested with acid-base indicators.

Which row of the following table matches the indicator used with its correct colour in the
given substances?

Substance Indicator used Colour

(A) Carbonated lemonade Litmus Blue
(B) Washing soda Methyl orange Orange
(C) Distilled water Bromothymol blue Blue
(D) Oven cleaner Phenolphthalein Pink

2. A chemist took 20.0 mL of a hydrochloric acid solution with a pH of 1.30 and diluted it with
distilled water to a volume of 250.0 mL in a volumetric flask.

What is the pH of the diluted solution?

(A) 0.80
(B) 1.30
(C) 1.85
(D) 2.40

3. A 0.350 g sample of sodium metal is mixed with 100.0 mL of 0.100 mol L–1 sulfuric acid.

What volume of gas is produced from this reaction at 25◦ C and 100 kPa?
(A) 0.173 L
(B) 0.189 L
(C) 0.346 L
(D) 0.378 L

4. Consider the following species:

H2PO4– ZnO HCO3– CH3COO– NH4+

How many of the above species are amphiprotic?

(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4

5. Which of the following statements regarding conjugate acid/base pairs is correct?

(A) The conjugate base of a Brönsted-Lowry acid always has a negative charge
(B) The conjugate base of a Brönsted-Lowry acid always has a lone pair of electrons
(C) The conjugate acid of the C6H6O72– ion is the C6H5O73– ion
(D) The conjugate base of the H2PO4– ion is H3PO4

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6. A solution of a monoprotic acid, HX, is prepared by dissolving 0.10 moles of HX in distilled
water to make a 250.0 mL solution. The pH of the resultant solution is 3.50.

What would be the expected pH of an aqueous solution of the salt NaX?

(A) NaX solution has pH < 7
(B) NaX solution has pH = 7
(C) NaX solution has pH > 7
(D) The pH range cannot be determined from the information given

7. Solutions of acetic acid and hydrochloric acid were both found to have a pH of 2.50. Equal
volumes of these two acid solutions were then neutralised with a 0.100 mol L–1 NaOH solution.

The volume of the NaOH solution required to completely neutralise the acetic acid is:
(A) Equal to the volume required to completely neutralise the hydrochloric acid solution
(B) Less than the volume required to completely neutralise the hydrochloric acid solution
(C) Greater than the volume required to completely neutralise the hydrochloric acid solution
(D) There is not enough information to determine the relative volume of NaOH required

8. A student made some errors while conducting an acid-base titration. After rinsing with distilled
water, the student did not rinse the burette further with small volumes of the acid titrant.
Furthermore, when transferring an aliquot of base to the conical flask, the student blew through
the pipette tip to ensure all of the solution had been transferred.

As a result of these errors, the calculated base concentration would be expected to be:
(A) Greater than the actual base concentration
(B) The same as the actual base concentration
(C) Less than the actual base concentration
(D) There is insufficient information to determine the effect of the errors

9. The pKa of four 0.10 mol L–1 monoprotic acids is shown in the table below.

Acid pKa
W 1.20
X 2.45
Y 4.85
Z 5.43

Which of these acid solutions would have the highest hydrogen ion concentration at equilibrium?
(A) W
(B) X
(C) Y
(D) Z

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10. Benzoic acid is a weak monoprotic acid that can be used as a food preservative. A 0.010 mol L–1
solution of benzoic acid has a pH of 3.11.

What is the pKa of benzoic acid?

(A) 4.18
(B) 4.22
(C) 9.78
(D) 9.82

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Part B: Short Answer Questions (40 marks)
Attempt Questions 11 − 19
Allow about 1 hour and 13 minutes for this part

Answer the questions in the spaces provided. These spaces provide guidance for the expected
length of response.

Show all relevant working in questions involving calculations.

Question 11 (3 marks)
Two test tubes, labelled as X and Y, contain different acid solutions of the same concentration.
One is known to contain nitric acid while the other contains sulfuric acid. A series of acid-base
indicators are used to distinguish the two acids. These are listed in the table below with the
relevant pH ranges and colour changes.

Indicator pH range Colour (Low pH) Colour (High pH)

Bromocresol green 3.8 − 5.4 Yellow Blue
Bromophenol blue 3.0 − 4.6 Yellow Blue
Congo red 3.0 − 5.0 Blue Red
Thymol Blue 1.2 − 2.8 Red Yellow

When the two acids were tested with the above indicators, the following results were obtained:

Indicator Test Tube X Test Tube Y

Bromocresol green Yellow Yellow
Bromophenol blue Yellow Green
Congo red Blue Purple
Thymol Blue Yellow Yellow

(a) Identify the narrowest possible pH range for the acid solutions in each test tube. 2

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(b) Explain which test tube contains sulfuric acid. 1

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Question 12 (2 marks)
Describe an application of a neutralisation reaction in industry. Include a relevant chemical 2
equation in your answer.

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Question 13 (5 marks)
In an experiment, a student mixed 30.0 mL of 0.50 mol L–1 hydrochloric acid with 35.0 mL of
0.40 mol L–1 potassium hydroxide in a glass beaker. The initial temperature of the hydrochloric
acid and potassium hydroxide solutions were 23.5◦ C and 23.7◦ C respectively, and the final
temperature of the resultant solution was 25.5◦ C.

(a) Outline why the neutralisation of any strong acid in an aqueous solution by any strong base 1
always results in a heat of reaction of approximately −57 kJ mol–1.

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(b) Calculate the enthalpy of neutralisation of hydrochloric acid and potassium hydroxide using 3
the student’s data.

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(c) Propose an adjustment to the student’s procedure that will improve the accuracy of their 1
result.

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Question 14 (5 marks)
Buffer solutions have an extremely important role in nature due to their ability to moderate
pH levels.

(a) Explain how a buffer solution operates with reference to a specific example in a natural 4
system. Include a relevant chemical equation in your answer.

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(b) A laboratory is known to contain the following solutions: 1

ˆ Potassium nitrate
ˆ Acetic acid
ˆ Sodium chloride
ˆ Hydrochloric acid
ˆ Sodium hydroxide

Explain how a buffer solution can be prepared using TWO of the solutions listed above.

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Question 15 (8 marks)
A student used the following procedure to determine the identity of an unknown metal carbonate
with chemical formula MCO3, where M is a group 2 metal.

ˆ A solution of NaOH was first prepared by weighing out 2.00 g of NaOH pellets and
dissolving them in sufficient water to make a 250.0 mL solution.
ˆ A pure 2.50 g sample of anhydrous MCO3 solid was mixed with 25.0 mL of 2.00 mol L–1
HCl solution. Sufficient water was added to this mixture to make a 100.0 mL solution.
ˆ The resultant diluted solution was then titrated against 25.0 mL of the NaOH solution.
The results are given below:

Titration Titre volume (mL)

1 20.40
2 20.10
3 20.05
4 20.15

(a) Calculate the concentration of excess HCl in the solution that was analysed in the titration 3
as determined by the student using this procedure.

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(b) Calculate the molar mass of MCO3 and hence deduce the identity of M. 3

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(c) Explain any discrepancies that will be observed between the value calculated in part (a) 2
and the true concentration of HCl in the solution that was analysed in the titration.

You may assume that the student has rinsed and used all the glassware correctly.

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Question 16 (4 marks)
A chemist placed two pieces of cotton wool at opposite ends of a sealed horizontal glass tube.
One piece of cotton wool was soaked in concentrated ammonia solution, and the other was
soaked in concentrated hydrochloric acid solution. Over time, a ring of white dense fumes is
formed inside the tube. This is shown in the schematic diagram below.

(a) Write a chemical equation for the reaction that occurs within the glass tube. 1

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(b) “Both the Arrhenius theory and Brönsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases would classify 3
the process above as an acid-base reaction.”

Assess the validity of this statement.

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Question 17 (3 marks)
A student was asked to prepare a 250.0 mL primary standard solution of 0.250 mol L–1 oxalic 3
acid dihydrate (H2C2O4 · 2 H2O).

Describe a procedure that the student can use to accurately prepare this primary standard
solution.

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Question 18 (4 marks)
Calculate the pH of a 0.10 mol L–1 calcium acetate solution, given that the pKa of acetic acid 4
is 4.76.

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Question 19 (5 marks)
The conductivity curve below shows how the conductivity of a hydrochloric acid solution varies
as it is being titrated against a sodium hydroxide solution.

(a) Label the equivalence point on the conductivity curve above. 1

(b) Explain the shape of the conductivity curve. 4

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