Admission number: …………………………………….

CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL OF COLOMBO Marks: ………………………

2nd TERM EXAMINATION Grade: ……………………..
CHEMISTRY – 2025 Sign: …………………………

GRADE: 10 – BC
DURATION: 2 HOURS PART 1 TOTAL MARKS: 110 MARKS

1. 1 This question is about oxygen.

(a) Oxygen can be stored in tanks as a liquid or as a gas.
(i) Complete the diagram to show the arrangement of six more particles
in a gas (2m)
(ii) Give a reason why a tank can store much more oxygen as a liquid. (2m)
(iii) Identify a hazard when storing oxygen as a gas. (2m)
(b) Sulfur burns in oxygen to form sulfur dioxide.
(i) Give one observation that can be made when sulfur burns in oxygen.
(2m)
(ii) Some universal indicator is added to sulfur dioxide.
Explain the final colour of the universal indicator. (4m)
(Total Marks – 12 marks)

2. This question is about mixtures and compounds.

(a) The box gives some techniques used to separate mixtures.
crystallisation filtration fractional distillation simple distillation

The table lists some substances and mixtures.

(i)Complete the table using words from the box to show the best technique to obtain the named substance
from each mixture.
Each technique may be used once, more than once or not at all.(3m)
Substance Mixture Technique
Solid Sodium chloride aqueous sodium chloride
water aqueous copper(II) sulfate
sand sand and water
(ii) State how the box represents a mixture. (3m)
 Admission number: …………………………………….
(c) Food colourings are mixtures of food dyes. A student uses paper chromatography to
separate the food dyes contained in food colouring D. The student places spots of
three food dyes A, B and C and food colouring D on chromatography paper. The
diagram shows the appearance of the paper after the experiment
Describe the composition of food colouring. (4m)

(d) A compound has the formula Ca(HCO3)2 (2)

(i) Determine the number of different elements in Ca(HCO3)2
(ii) Determine the number of atoms in the formula of Ca(HCO3)2
(Total Marks – 12 marks)

3. (a) The diagram represents an atom of an element.

I. What is the particle labelled W? (1m)
A electron
B neutron
C nucleus
D proton
II. An atom of this element contains 13 neutrons.
What is the mass number of this element? (1m)
A 12 B 13 C 25 D 49
III. State why atoms have no overall charge. (3m)
IV. What is the charge on the ion usually formed from this element?
A 1+ B 2+ C 1– D 2–
(b) There are two isotopes of the element lithium.

(i) State why both isotopes react in the same way. (3m)
(ii) A sample of lithium contains 7.60% 6Li and 92.4% 7Li
Calculate the relative atomic mass, Ar , of this sample of lithium. Give your answer to two decimal places.
(4m)
(Total Marks – 12 marks)

4. This question is about gases.

(a) The table gives information about some gases.
Complete the table by choosing a gas from the box that matches the information.
carbon dioxide /carbon monoxide/ helium /methane /nitrogen /oxygen
You may use each gas once, more than once, or not at all. (4m)
Information Gas
the most abundant gas in air
a toxic gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons
an unreactive gas that exists as atoms
a gas produced by the fractional distillation of crude oil
 Admission number: …………………………………….
(b) A teacher uses this apparatus to determine the percentage of oxygen in a sample of air.

This is the teacher’s method.

• record the total volume of air in the apparatus
• heat the copper powder
• use the syringes to pass air over the heated copper powder several times
• allow the remaining gas to cool and record its volume
The copper powder turns black.

(i) State why the copper powder turns black. (2m)

(ii) Give a reason why the remaining gas is allowed to cool before its volume is recorded. (3m)
(iii) At the start of the experiment, the total volume of air in the apparatus
is 138cm3. At the end of the experiment, the volume of gas remaining is 108cm3 Calculate the percentage of
oxygen in the sample of air. Assume that all the oxygen has reacted. (3m)
(Total Marks – 12 marks)

5. This question is about iron.

(a) One problem with iron is that it rusts.
(i) Name the two substances that iron reacts with when it rusts. (2m)
(ii) State what type of reaction occurs when iron rusts. (1m)
(b) Iron can be prevented from rusting by painting or by coating with zinc.
(i) Explain how painting prevents iron from rusting. (2m)
(ii) Name the process used to coat iron with zinc. (1m)
(iii) Explain why a layer of zinc protects iron from rusting, even if the layer of zinc is scratched. (2m)
(c) Iron is formed when aluminium reacts with iron(III) oxide. This is the equation for the reaction.
2Al + Fe2O3 → Al2O3 + 2Fe
(i) Explain what this reaction shows about the relative reactivity’s of aluminium and iron. (2m)
(ii) Explain which substance acts as an oxidising agent in this reaction. (2m)
(Total Marks – 12 marks)

6. A teacher uses this apparatus to test the products of the combustion of liquid hydrocarbons.
 Admission number: …………………………………….
(a) Explain the change in appearance that occurs in the limewater. (3m)
(b) The equation represents the complete combustion of an alkene.
CnH2n + oxygen → carbon dioxide + nH2O
Complete combustion of 0.0100mol of the alkene produces 2.16g of water.
(i) Determine the molecular formula of this alkene. [for H2O, Mr = 18] (4m)
(ii) Give a reason why the mass of pure water that collects in the U-tube is less than 2.16g. (3m)
(iii) Give a physical test to show that the water that collects in the U-tube is pure. (4m)
(c) The teacher burns 30.0g of heptane.
This is the equation for the complete combustion of heptane.
C7H16 + 11O2 → 7CO2 + 8H2O
Calculate the minimum mass of oxygen needed for the complete combustion of 30.0g of heptane.
[for C7H16 , Mr = 100 for O2 , Mr = 32] (6m)
(Total Marks – 20 Marks)

7. Diamond, graphite and C60 fullerene are all forms of the element carbon. The diagram shows the
structures of these three substances.

(a) Explain why graphite conducts electricity. (4m)

(b) Explain why diamond is hard but graphite is soft. (4m)
(c) Doctors use C60 fullerene to deliver medicines to certain parts of the body, so that the medicine does not
damage other parts of the body. Suggest why C60 fullerene is suitable for this purpose. (2m)
(10 marks)
9. This question is about ionic compounds.
(a) Calcium nitrate has the formula Ca(NO3)2
(i) Give the formula of each ion in calcium nitrate.
a) calcium ion b) nitrate ion (4m)
(ii) Explain why calcium nitrate has a high melting point. Refer to structure and bonding in your answer. (4m)
(iii) Calcium nitrate decomposes when heated.
Complete the chemical equation for the decomposition of calcium nitrate.
................Ca(NO3)2 → ................CaO + ................NO2 + ................O2 (4m)
(b) A student has four unlabelled beakers, each containing a colourless solution of a different salt.
These are the four salt solutions.
• calcium bromide
• calcium chloride
• sodium chloride
• sodium sulfate
Describe a series of tests to identify each solution. Do not refer to safety precautions in your answer. (8m)
(Total Marks – 20 marks)
Admission number: …………………………………….