Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) topic quiz

What’s in a medicine?
Instructions and answers for teachers
These instructions cover the learner activity section which can be found on page 10. This
Lesson Element supports OCR AS and A Level Chemistry B (Salters).

When distributing the activity section to the learners either as a printed copy or as a
Word file you will need to remove the teacher instructions section.

The Activity
This Lesson Element is a teaching and learning resource containing 10 multiple choice
questions (MCQs) on the theme of what’s in a medicine. Some questions might require
synoptic thinking, using knowledge and ideas from various topics across the full A Level
content.

This resource can be used to test and consolidate understanding at the end of a topic or to
revisit and refresh knowledge at a later point in the course.

Learning Outcomes
This lesson element relates to the specification learning outcomes WM(b), WM(c), WM(d),
WM(e), WM(h), WM(i), WM(j).

Introduction
Multiple choice questions allow rapid coverage of a wide range of sub-topics.

Contrary to a widespread belief among students, multiple choice questions are not
necessarily easy – they can be easy, moderate or difficult.

The questions are written so that the incorrect answers are plausible distractors based on
common errors or misconceptions.

The questions in this quiz cover topics mainly from specification sections:

What’s in a medicine?

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Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) topic quiz - answers
1. The formation of ethene from the dehydration of ethanol can best be described
as:

A an addition reaction The reverse process is an addition reaction;

the learner may have confused reactants and
products.

B an elimination reaction Correct answer: Water is eliminated from

the ethanol molecule.

C an oxidation reaction The learner may have associated ethanol

with oxidation reactions.

D a substitution reaction The learner may have made the association

with substitution reactions as ethanol is the
reactant.

Your answer B

2. Which of these compounds is a secondary alcohol?

A ethane-1,2-diol The learner may be associating the term ‘diol’

with a secondary alcohol.

B 2-methylpentan-3-ol Correct answer: The –OH group is attached

to a carbon in the 3 position, which is
attached to two carbons.

C 2-methylpentan-2-ol This is a common error as the learner has

linked the –OH group being in the 2 position
with it being a secondary alcohol, whereas in
fact it is tertiary.

D methylpropan-1-ol This is a primary alcohol.

Your answer B

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3. Which of these compounds could be oxidised to produce a carboxylic acid?

A CH3CH2CH3 The learner does not understand the

oxidation process if they have chosen a
molecule that does not contain oxygen.

B CH3CH2(OH)CH2CH3 This is a secondary alcohol; the learner may

be answering the first part of the question
(can be oxidised) without considering the
second part.

C CH3CHO Correct answer: Ethanal can be further

oxidised to ethanoic acid.

D (CH3)2C(OH)CH2CH3 This is a tertiary alcohol and cannot be

oxidised at all.

Your answer C

4. A compound has the empirical formula CH2O. A mass spectrum of the compound
features a molecular ion peak with an m/z ratio of 60. The infrared spectrum of the
compound has no peaks above 3000 cm–1.

What is the name of the compound?

A ethanal The learner has seen the empirical formula

and associated it with the aldehyde functional
group, even though this does not fit with the
molecular formula.

B ethanoic acid This does fit the molecular formula, but is

contradicted by absence of an O–H peak in
the infrared spectrum.

C ethyl ethanoate The learner has correctly identified an ester,

but has too many carbon atoms to fit the
molecular mass or empirical formula.

D methyl methanoate Correct answer: The compound has the

molecular formula C2H4O2 but is not a
carboxylic acid or alcohol, so must be an
ester.

Your answer D

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5. The mass spectrum of an organic compound sometimes contains a signal at one m/z
unit higher than the molecular ion. Why is this?

A It is due to the presence of one Although this would result in an m/z ratio one
atom of 2H. higher than the Mr, the extremely low
abundance of deuterium would make this
peak all but invisible on this scale.

B It is due to the association of a H This would result in a higher m/z ratio but is
atom to the molecular ion. chemically extremely unlikely.

C It is due to the presence of one Correct answer: This peak becomes more
atom of 13C. noticeable as the size of the molecule
increases and the chance of a 13C atom being
incorporated increases.

D It is due to removal of two While the removal of an extra electron can

electrons at the ionisation stage. occur in the mass spectrometer, it would in
fact result in a peak at half the molecular
mass.

Your answer C

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6. Naturally occurring chlorine exists as two abundant isotopes.

How many molecular ion peaks would one expect to see in the mass spectrum of
chloroform, CCl3H?

A 1 The learner has failed to appreciate that the

existence of isotopes with similar abundance
will result in more than one molecular ion
peak.

B 2 The learner has assumed one peak for each

isotope, without appreciating that there is
more than one chlorine atom in the molecule.

C 3 The learner has assumed one peak for each

chlorine atom, without appreciating the
number of different combinations that could
be present.

D 4 Correct answer: Three atoms of chlorine,

each having two possible isotopic masses,
results in four different combinations of 35Cl
and 37Cl.

Your answer D

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7. A mixture of propan-1-ol and methanoic acid is refluxed in the presence of
concentrated sulfuric acid.

Which statement is true for this reaction?

A The ester formed is called propyl Correct answer: The ester formed would be
methanoate. called propyl methanoate.

B It is an irreversible reaction. This is a reversible reaction, although the

conditions of concentrated acid do help to
force the equilibrium position further to the
right hand side.

C The mixture turns from orange to The learner is confusing esterification with
green. oxidation.

D Hydrogen chloride is also formed. Hydrogen chloride would be formed in the

reaction of an acyl chloride and alcohol but in
this reaction the by-product is water.

Your answer A

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8. A student wants to carry out the preparation of an ester, propyl ethanoate, under
acidic conditions. The balanced equation for the reaction is shown below.

CH3COOH(aq) + CH3CH2CH2OH(aq) H2O(l) + CH3COOCH2CH2CH3

The student carries out some tests on the reaction mixture and decides that the
reaction had not gone to completion.

Which result provides proof that this is the case?

A The presence of a sharp peak This peak merely confirms the presence of a
around 1700 cm–1 on the infrared. C=O bond and will be present at any stage in
the reaction.

B The presence of a single spot on This would be evidence that the reaction had
a thin layer chromatography plate. gone to completion, as only the ester would
be visible in the reaction mixture.

C The presence of three spots on a Correct answer: The presence of three

thin layer chromatography plate. spots shows that some ester has been
produced but that the two reagents are still
present in the reaction mixture.

D The presence of a peak on the This peak could occur as a fragment whether
mass spectrum with an m/z ratio the ester has been formed or not (it
of 59. represents the CH3COO+ ion).

Your answer C

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9. The alcohol butan-1-ol is heated with acidified sodium dichromate and the product
distilled directly from the reaction mixture.
Which statement is not true of the reaction?

A The product is called butanal. This is the correct name for the product – the
learner may have thought the product was
butanoic acid.

B The product cannot be oxidised Correct answer: This is not true as the
any further. aldehyde can be further oxidised to a
carboxylic acid.

C The product has a lower boiling This is true, and the reason that the product
point than the original alcohol. can be separated by distillation. The
candidate may be thinking of butanoic acid
again.

D The reaction mixture will change
from orange to green.
The reaction mixture would change as the
butan-1-ol is able to reduce the
dichromate(VI) ion – the learner may think
that there is not a colour change during
partial oxidation of the alcohol.

Your answer B

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 10. Which of the following statements is/are true for 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, a precursor
for the manufacture of aspirin?

1. The infrared spectrum will contain a broad peak at around 3000 cm–1 and a sharp
peak at around 1700 cm–1.

2. The compound will turn purple in the presence of iron(III) chloride.

3. The compound will react with ethanoic anhydride to form an ester.

A 1, 2 and 3 Correct answer: The compound contains a

phenol and a carboxylic acid group.

B only 1 and 2 The candidate has not correctly identified that

the phenol group will react with an acid
anhydride.

C only 2 and 3 The candidate has not correctly identified the

presence of the –OH and C=O peaks in the
IR spectrum.

D only 1 The candidate has not correctly identified

either the positive test for phenol or its ability
to react with an acid anhydride.

Your answer A

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Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) topic quiz

What’s in a medicine?
Learner Activity

1. The formation of ethene from the dehydration of ethanol can best be described as:

A an addition reaction

B an elimination reaction

C an oxidation reaction

D a substitution reaction

Your answer

2. Which of these compounds is a secondary alcohol?

A ethane-1,2-diol

B 2-methylpentan-3-ol

C 2-methylpentan-2-ol

D methylpropan-1-ol

Your answer

3. Which of these compounds could be oxidised to produce a carboxylic acid?

A CH3CH2CH3

B CH3CH2(OH)CH2CH3

C CH3CHO

D (CH3)2C(OH)CH2CH3

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 Your answer

4. A compound has the empirical formula CH2O. A mass spectrum of the compound
features a molecular ion peak with an m/z ratio of 60. The infrared spectrum of the
compound has no peaks above 3000 cm–1.

What is the name of the compound?

A ethanal

B ethanoic acid

C ethyl ethanoate

D methyl methanoate

Your answer

5. The mass spectrum of an organic compound sometimes contains a signal at one m/z
unit higher than the molecular ion. Why is this?

A It is due to the presence of one atom of 2H.

B It is due to the association of a H atom to the molecular ion.

C It is due to the presence of one atom of 13C.

D It is due to removal of two electrons at the ionisation stage.

Your answer

6. Naturally occurring chlorine exists as two abundant isotopes.

How many molecular ion peaks would one expect to see in the mass spectrum of
chloroform, CCl3H?

A 1

B 2

C 3

D 4

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 Your answer

7. A mixture of propan-1-ol and methanoic acid is refluxed in the presence of

concentrated sulfuric acid.

Which statement is true for this reaction?

A The ester formed is called propyl methanoate.

B It is an irreversible reaction.

C The mixture turns from orange to green.

D Hydrogen chloride is also formed.

Your answer

8. A student wants to carry out the preparation of an ester, propyl ethanoate, under
acidic conditions. The balanced equation for the reaction is shown below.

CH3COOH(aq) + CH3CH2CH2OH(aq) H2O(l) + CH3COOCH2CH2CH3

The student carries out some tests on the reaction mixture and decides that the
reaction had not gone to completion.

Which result provides proof that this is the case?

A The presence of a sharp peak around 1700 cm–1 on the infrared spectrum.

B The presence of a single spot on a thin layer chromatography plate.

C The presence of three spots on a thin layer chromatography plate.

D The presence of a peak on the mass spectrum with an m/z ratio of 59.

Your answer

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9. The alcohol butan-1-ol is heated with acidified sodium dichromate and the product
distilled directly from the reaction mixture.
Which statement is not true of the reaction?

A The product is called butanal.

B The product cannot be oxidised any further.

C The product has a lower boiling point than the original alcohol.

D The reaction mixture will change from orange to green.

Your answer

10. Which of the following statements is/are true for 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, a precursor
for the manufacture of aspirin?

1. The infrared spectrum will contain a broad peak at around 3000 cm–1 and a sharp
peak at around 1700 cm–1.

2. The compound will turn purple in the presence of iron(III) chloride.

3. The compound will react with ethanoic anhydride to form an ester.

A 1, 2 and 3

B only 1 and 2

C only 2 and 3

D only 1

Your answer

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