Y12 Chemical Kinetics Test SL

May 2023 [30 marks]

1. Which changes would increase the rate of an exothermic reaction? [1 mark]

Markscheme
A

2. Which arrow shows the activation energy of the uncatalysed forward [1 mark]
reaction for this equilibrium?
2 SO2 (g)+O2 (g)⇌ 2 SO3 (g) ΔH = −196 kJ mol−1

Markscheme
C
3. What initial rate of reaction can be determined from the graph? [1 mark]

A. 0.1 mol dm −3 s−1

B. 0.2 mol dm −3 s−1
C. 1.0 mol dm−3 s−1
D. 1.6 mol dm−3 s−1

Markscheme
A
4. The dotted line represents the volume of carbon dioxide evolved when [1 mark]
excess calcium carbonate is added to hydrochloric acid.
Which graph represents the production of carbon dioxide when excess calcium
carbonate is added to the same volume of hydrochloric acid of double
concentration?

Markscheme
D

5. The graph shows the Maxwell–Boltzmann energy distribution curve for a [1 mark]
given gas at a certain temperature.

How will the curve change if the temperature of the gas is increased, while other
conditions remain constant?
A. The maximum is higher and to the left of A.
B. The maximum is higher and to the right of A.
C. The maximum is lower and to the right of A.
D. The maximum is lower and to the left of A.
 Markscheme
C

6. Several reactions of calcium carbonate with dilute hydrochloric acid are [1 mark]
carried out at the same temperature.
CaCO3 (s) + 2HCl (aq) → CaCl2 (aq) + H2O (l) + CO2 (g)
Which reaction has the greatest rate?

Markscheme
A

7. Which instrument would best monitor the rate of this reaction? [1 mark]
2KI (aq) + Cl2 (aq) → 2KCl (aq) + I2 (aq)

A. Balance
B. Colorimeter
C. Volumetric flask
D. Gas syringe

Markscheme
B
 Lignite, a type of coal, contains about 0.40 % sulfur by mass.

8a. Calculate the amount, in mol, of sulfur dioxide produced when 500.0 g of [2 marks]
lignite undergoes combustion.
S (s) + O2 (g) → SO2 (g)

Markscheme
«0. 40% × 500. 0 g =» 2.0 «g» ✔
1 mol S
«2. 0 g× 32.07g
= 0. 062 mol of S» = 0.062 «mol of SO 2» ✔

Award [2] for correct final answer.

Accept 0.063 «mol».
8b. Sodium thiosulfate reacts with hydrochloric acid as shown: [2 marks]
Na2S2O 3 (aq) + 2HCl (aq) → S (s) + SO2 (aq) + 2NaCl (aq) + H2O (l)
The precipitate of sulfur makes the mixture cloudy, so a mark underneath the
reaction mixture becomes invisible with time.

Suggest two variables, other than concentration, that should be controlled

when comparing relative rates at different temperatures.

Markscheme
Any two of:
depth/volume «of solution» ✔
colour/darkness/thickness/size/background of mark ✔
intensity of lighting in the lab ✔

Accept same size flask.

Accept position of observation/person observing.
Accept same equipment/apparatus.
Do not accept catalyst/particle size/pressure/time.
8c. Discuss two different ways to reduce the environmental impact of [2 marks]
energy production from coal.

Markscheme
Any two of:
remove sulfur from coal ✔
add lime during combustion ✔
not allow sulfur oxides to be released into the environment ✔
reduce proportion/percentage of energy/power produced by «the combustion
of» coal ✔

Accept any valid method to wash coal and remove sulfur content for M1.
Accept any valid combustion/post-combustion method to remove sulfur oxides.
Accept any suggestion that would reduce the amount of coal that is burnt or
would reduce the damage caused.
Do not accept answers that only reduce production of SO2/CO2 from other
fuels.
Accept “improve efficiency of energy production from coal”.
Accept “use coal of lower sulfur content” OR “cleaner coal”.
 Chloroquine is a medication used to prevent and treat malaria.

9a. Draw a circle around the secondary amino group in chloroquine. [1 mark]

Markscheme

9b. Determine the index of hydrogen deficiency, IHD, of chloroquine. [1 mark]

Markscheme
seven/7 ✔
9c. Compare, giving a reason, the length of the carbon-nitrogen bond in the [1 mark]
ring to the length of the carbon-N1 bond.

Markscheme
«bond in ring is» shorter AND more electrons are shared
OR
«bond in ring is» shorter AND partial double/multiple bonding/bond order 1.5
✔

9d. State, giving a reason, whether carbon or nitrogen is the most [1 mark]
electronegative element.

Markscheme
nitrogen AND larger number of protons/nuclear charge/Zeff
OR
nitrogen AND smaller «atomic» radius ✔

Accept nitrogen AND further along period.

 Chloroquine can be synthesized by reacting 4,7-dichloroquinoline with another
reactant, B.

4,7-dichloroquinoline chloroquine

9e. Deduce the structure of B. [2 marks]

Markscheme

primary amine/–NH2 ✔
rest of structure ✔

Do not penalize using “N1”.

9f. Annotate the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution curve showing the [1 mark]
activation energies, Ea, for the catalysed and uncatalysed reactions.

Markscheme

both Ea values marked AND left one labelled catalysed ✔

9g. Explain, referring to the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution curve, the effect [1 mark]
of a catalyst on a chemical reaction.
 Markscheme
increases rate AND there is a greater area under the curve past activation
energy
OR
increases rate AND greater proportion of/more molecules have «kinetic» E ≥
Ea «(cat) than Ea (uncat)» ✔

Do not award a mark for general statements about catalysts such as

“provides alternative pathway” or “lowers Ea”.

A student investigated how the type of acid in acid deposition affects limestone, a
building material mainly composed of calcium carbonate.

The student monitored the mass of six similarly sized pieces of limestone. Three
were placed in beakers containing 200.0 cm 3 of 0.100 mol dm−3 nitric acid, HNO3
(aq), and the other three in 200.0 cm3 of 0.100 mol dm−3 sulfuric acid, H2SO4
(aq).

The limestone was removed from the acid, washed, dried with a paper towel and
weighed every day at the same time and then replaced in the beakers.
The student plotted the mass of one of the pieces of limestone placed in nitric acid
against time.
 [Source: © International Baccalaureate Organization 2019]

10a. Draw a best-fit line on the graph. [1 mark]

Markscheme
best-fit smooth curve ✔
NOTE: Do not accept a series of connected lines that pass through all points
OR any straight line representation.
10b. Determine the initial rate of reaction of limestone with nitric acid from [3 marks]
the graph.
Show your working on the graph and include the units of the initial rate.

Markscheme
tangent drawn at time zero ✔
g day−1 ✔
0.16 ✔

NOTE: Accept other reasonable units for initial rate eg, mol dm−3 s−1, mol
dm−3 min−1, g s−1 OR g min−1.
M3 can only be awarded if the value corresponds to the correct unit given in
M2.
Accept values for the initial rate for M3 in the range: 0.13 − 0.20 g day−1 OR
1.5 × 10−6 g s−1 − 2.3 × 10−6 g s−1 OR 7.5 × 10−8 − 1.2 × 10−7 mol dm−3
s−1 OR 4.5 × 10−6 − 6.9 × 10−6 mol dm−3 min−1 OR 9.0 × 10−5 − 1.4 × 10−4
g min−1 OR a range based on any other reasonable unit for rate.
Ignore any negative rate value.
Award [2 max] for answers such as 0.12/0.11 g day−1, incorrectly obtained by
using the first two points on the graph (the average rate between t = 0 and 1
day).
Award [1 max] for correctly calculating any other average rate.

10c. Explain why the rate of reaction of limestone with nitric acid decreases [2 marks]
and reaches zero over the period of five days.
 Markscheme
acid used up
OR
acid is the limiting reactant ✔
concentration of acid decreases
OR
less frequent collisions ✔
NOTE: Award [1 max] for "surface area decreases" if the idea that CaCO3 is
used up/acts as the limiting reactant” is conveyed for M1.
Do not accept “reaction reaches equilibrium” for M2.

10d. Suggest a source of error in the procedure, assuming no human errors [1 mark]
occurred and the balance was accurate.
 Markscheme
surface area not uniform
NOTE: Accept “acids impure.
OR
limestone pieces do not have same composition/source
NOTE: Accept “«limestone» contains impurities”.
OR
limestone absorbed water «which increased mass»
OR
acid removed from solution when limestone removed
NOTE: Accept “loss of limestone when dried" OR "loss of limestone due to
crumbling when removed from beaker”.
OR
«some» calcium sulfate deposited on limestone lost
OR
pieces of paper towel may have stuck to limestone
OR
beakers not covered/evaporation
OR
temperature was not controlled ✔

The student hypothesized that sulfuric acid would cause a larger mass loss than
nitric acid.

10e. Justify this hypothesis. [1 mark]

 Markscheme
sulfuric acid is diprotic/contains two H+ «while nitric acid contains one
H+»/releases more H+ «so reacts with more limestone»
OR
higher concentration of protons/H+ ✔
NOTE: Ignore any reference to the relative strengths of sulfuric acid and nitric
acid.
Accept “sulfuric acid has two hydrogens «whereas nitric has one»”.
Accept "dibasic" for "diprotic".

10f. The student obtained the following total mass losses. [1 mark]

She concluded that nitric acid caused more mass loss than sulfuric acid, which did
not support her hypothesis.
Suggest an explanation for the data, assuming that no errors were made by the
student.

Markscheme
calcium sulfate remained/deposited on limestone «in sulfuric acid»
OR
reaction prevented/stopped by slightly soluble/deposited/layer of calcium
sulfate ✔
NOTE: Answer must refer to calcium sulfate.

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