NOVEMBER 2013 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING LICENSURE EXAMINATION

DAY 1: PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PRINCIPLES

What is the definition of eigenfunction?

Answer: In mathematics, an eigenfunction of a linear operator, A, defined on some function space, is any non-zero function f in that
space that returns from the operator exactly as is, except for a multiplicative scaling factor. More precisely, one has Af = λf for some
scalar, λ, the corresponding eigenvalue.

Determination of pH and pOH

Notes/Tips:
 Some problems have given pKa and some problems don’t have given Ka. Write in PChE HB all Ka and Kb of important and
common acids and bases.
 Concentrations are mostly (if not all) expressed in Normality
 Study how to determine equivalence, f for different species (e.g. acids, bases, reductants, oxidants, etc.)
 Concentrations that should be expressed as molarity, M (mol/L) as needed for the solution are expressed in terms of g/L so
just divide it by the species’ molecular weight (g/mol)

Predicting the products and Balancing of Chemical Equations (RedOx, Combustion, and Nuclear Reactions)

__C8H18 + __O2  __CO2 + __H2O Answer: 2/25/16/18

Notes/Tips:
 To save time, just substitute one at a time the values (coefficients) of the given choices (A, B, C, & D)
 Practice writing the overall and half-cell RedOx reactions, predicting the products of RedOx reactions, balancing RedOx
reactions

Periodic Trends

Electronegativity: Which is more and less electronegative than Carbon?

Atomic Radius: What happens to the atomic radius of Na when it becomes Na+ and so with Cl when it becomes Cl-

Titrimetric Methods (Titrations)

Notes/Tips:
 Practice solving average to difficult types of problems on titrations (e.g. RedOx titrations)

Concepts about Nuclear Chemistry

Notes/Tips:
 Definitions of nuclear fusion and fission. When do they occur? Etc.

Chemical Kinetics (Reaction Kinetics)

Notes/Tips:
 Given tabulated data of time and amount of substance, determine the order of reaction
 Half-life and concentration problems

Gas Laws
Notes/Tips:
 Study the definition of different gas laws (e.g. Boyle’s, Charle’s, Amagat’s, etc.)
 Problems on gas laws and ideal gas equation of state

Problem using Clasius-Clapeyron Equation (Determination of P2)

Biochemistry / Biochemical Engineering

What protein is capable of undergoing a reduction process? Answer: Cysteine

Explanation: Only proteins that have disulfide bonds are capable of undergoing a reduction process.

Given the maximum rate, vmax and the substrate concentration, [S] = 0.5Km, solve for the reaction rate, v

Notes/Tips:
 Read and study about the uniqueness each of the 20 essential amino acids possesses.
 NOVEMBER 2013 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING LICENSURE EXAMINATION
DAY 2: CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES

Situation 1: (see ChE Solutions to Problems in Volume 1 by Coulson and Richardson – Problem 1.9)
How many variables are there? Answer: 6 variables
How many dimensionless groups can be generated? Answer: 3 dimensionless groups
It is found that the filtration rate is doubled if the pressure difference is doubled. What would be the effect of raising the temperature
of filtration from 293 to 313 K? Answer: The filtration rate will increase by 75%

Situation 2: (see ChE Solutions to Problems in Volume 1 by Coulson and Richardson – Problem 4.3)
A 150 mm gas main is used for transferring gas (molecular weight 13 kg/kmol and kinematic viscosity 0.25 cm2/s) at 295 K from a
plant to a storage station 100 m away, at a rate of 1 m3/s.

What is the pressure drop if the pipe can be considered to be smooth? Answer: 2.83 kN/m2
What is the Reynold’s number if the flow is increased by 25%? Answer: 4.3 x 105
What is the pressure drop if the flow is increased by 25%?? Answer: 4.33 kN/m2

Situation 3: (see ChE Solutions to Problems in Volume 1 by Coulson and Richardson – Problem 9.56)
Water flows at 2 m/s through a 2.5 m length of a 25 mm diameter tube. If the tube is at 320 K and the water enters and leaves at 293
and 295 K respectively.

What is the value of the heat transfer coefficient? Answer: 1.612 kW/m2 K
What is the new value of the heat transfer coefficient if the temperature of the tube is changed to 350 K and the temperature difference
of the water is changed to 10 K?
What must be the percent increase in the velocity of water to make the heat transfer coefficient (at Ttube = 350 K and ∆T = 10 K) equal
to heat transfer coefficient (at Ttube = 320 K and ∆T = 2 K)?

Situation 4: (see ChE Solutions to Problems in Volume 2 and 3 by Coulson and Richardson – Problem 14.1)
A single-effect evaporator is used to concentrate 7 kg/s of a solution from 10 to 50 per cent of solids. Steam is available at 205 kN/m2
and evaporation takes place at 13.5 kN/m2. If the overall heat transfer coefficient is 3 kW/m2 K, calculate the heating surface required
and the amount of steam used if the feed to the evaporator is at 294 K and the condensate leaves the heating space at 352.7 K. The
specific heat capacity of a 10 per cent solution is 3.76 kJ/kg K, the specific heat capacity of a 50 per cent solution is 3.14 kJ/kg K.
Note: The problem is the same but kg/s is changed to kg/hr (7 kg/s  25200 kg/hr) so answers in Coulson and Richardson must be expressed in kg/hr.

Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (Bulk of the Problems)

Determination of Entropy of the System (Assumption: Ideal System). Determination of Work, Volume, and Pressure.

Agricultural Chemistry / Agricultural Products

Which is not a pesticide?
a. Polychlorinated biphenyl b. Heptachlor c. Hexachlorobenzene d. Chlordane

Conversion of Units

Chemical Engineering Calculations (Bulk of the Problems)

Combustion of Liquid and Gaseous Fuels: Given effluent gas (on a dry basis), calculate for the % excess air, moles of O2 fed, etc.
(learn how to solve everything / complete analysis to be able to answer whatever questions to be asked)

Concepts about Process Control and Fuels

Most of the concepts if not all can be found in PChE HB so read it beforehand / familiarize yourself on the things the HB can offer
you

Fluid Mechanics and Pumps (Bulk of the Problems)

Determination of power of pumps (performance) in hp, net specific speed, etc. (learn to use the Affinity Laws)
Concepts and usual problem solving about fluid mechanics

Heat Transfer (Conduction)

Flat slabs in series arrangement, solve the thickness, temperature in between, and the heat transfer using the usual method, fourier’s
law of heat conduction but thermal conductivities, k are not given only the type of material (see PChE HB)

Particle Dynamics
Determination of terminal / free settling velocity. Determination of void fraction. Determination of hindered settling velocity.
 NOVEMBER 2013 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING LICENSURE EXAMINATION
DAY 3: GENERAL ENGINEERING, ETHICS, AND CONTRACTS

What is the present Chemical Engineering Law of 2004? Answer: R.A. 9297
What is the law for Ecological Solid Management Act? Answer: R.A. 9003
What is the law for Philippine Clean Water Act? Answer: R.A. 9275

Problems using the following formulas:

Strength of Materials:

Engineering Economics

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Concept: Definition of Book Value

Mathematics
Probability
Permutation
Combination
Geometry (Circles, Parabola, Area bounded by curves, Distance between a point and a line, etc.)
Trigonometry
Differential Calculus
Integral Calculus

Physics
Uniform Accelerated Motion
Rotational Motion