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PRACTICE
2021 EXAMINATION

CHS Chemistry

General Instructions • Printing time – 8.35am – 8.50am

• Reading time – 5 minutes (8.55am – 9.00am)
• Working time – 3 hours (9.00am – 12.00pm)
• Scan and upload time – 40min (12.00pm – 12.40pm)
• Write using black pen.
• Draw diagrams using pencil.
• For questions in Section II, show all relevant working in
questions involving calculations.
• NESA approved calculators may be used.
Total marks: 100 • Write your NESA number on alternate pages

Section I – 20 marks (GOOGLE FORM)

• Attempt questions 1 – 20.

• Allow about 35 minutes for this section.

Section II – 80 marks (pages 2 - 19)

• Attempt questions 21 – 33
• Allow about 2 hours and 25 minutes for this section.
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PRACTICE
2021 EXAMINATION

Chemistry
Section II
Answer Booklet

80 marks

Attempt Questions 21 – 33

Allow about 2 hours and 25 minutes for this part

Instructions • 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.

• Extra writing space is provided at the back of this booklet. If

you use this space, clearly indicate which questions you are
answering.

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Question 21 (4 marks) Marks

Hydrogen iodide can be produced by the reversible reaction of hydrogen gas and
iodine gas according to:

H2(g) + I2(g) ⇌ 2HI(g)

Keq for this reaction is 2.25 × 103 at a temperature of 753°C.

(a) Calculate the concentration of HI in an equilibrium mixture if the

concentration of H2 is 0.15 M and the concentration of I2 is 0.25 M. 2

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(b) 2.4 moles of H2(g) and 1.5 moles of I2(g) were placed in a sealed 2.0 L
vessel maintained at a temperature of 753°C. After 2 hours, the number of
moles of each gas present were as follows.

Moles of H2(g) Moles of I2(g) Moles of HI(g)

1.7 0.8 1.4

Show by calculation whether the forward or reverse reaction must increase

for the system to come to a state of dynamic equilibrium. 2

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Question 22 (7 marks) Marks

Buffers are solutions that resist changes in pH.

(a) Calculate the solubility (in mol L−1) of lead(II) hydroxide in a solution that
is buffered at pH = 8.45. 3

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(b) Blood must remain within a narrow pH range or death can result. Blood
contains carbonic acid (H2CO3) and bicarbonate anions (HCO3−) which
buffer blood so that its pH stays close to 7.4.

Explain, using chemical equations, how these species work to resist

changes in pH. 4

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Question 23 (4 marks) Marks

A classroom activity to model dynamic equilibrium is carried out as follows.

Twenty-four coins are placed on a table with their heads side facing up.

Each minute, half the heads are flipped to tails, and one quarter of the tails are
flipped back to heads.

Equilibrium is reached when there are 8 heads and 16 tails.

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(a) Describe a positive feature of this model.

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(b) Describe a limitation of this model in modelling dynamic equilibrium in

chemical systems. 2

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Question 24 (4 marks) Marks

Acid X is monoprotic and has a Ka value of 1.64 × 10−5.

(a) Define the term “weak acid” and classify acid X as either strong or weak,
giving a reason for your choice. 2

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(b) Determine the pH of a 2.43 × 10−3 M solution of acid X.

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Question 25 (3 marks)

When ammonia gas (NH3) is bubbled through water that contains a few drops of
phenolphthalein indicator, the water turns pink.

Explain how the Brønsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases can account for this
observation, supporting your response with a chemical equation. 3

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Question 26 (7 marks)
Marks
As a common pollutant in the marine environment, copper has been recognized
as one of the three most toxic heavy metals to marine invertebrates, affecting
their reproduction, growth, and abundance.

The levels of this heavy metal in marine ecosystems must be carefully monitored,
and AAS is one spectroscopic technique that can be used to determine the
concentration of copper, even at very low levels.

An analytical chemist given the task of measuring copper levels in some marine
samples first produced a primary standard of copper(II) nitrate solution with a
concentration of 100 ppm. This standard solution was then diluted using
volumetric apparatus to make four standards.

The table below shows details of how the dilutions were carried out.

Standard Volume of stock Final volume of diluted

Solution 100 ppm standard solution upon addition
withdrawn by pipette of correct volume of
(mL) distilled water (mL)
Original na na
(100 ppm)
1 2 200
2 5 200
3 10 200
4 15 200

(a) Complete the table below by filling in the concentrations (in ppm) for the
calibration standards 1–4 using data provided in the table above.
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STANDARD STANDARD STANDARD STANDARD

SAMPLE BLANK
1 2 3 4

CONC. (PPM) 0
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ABSORBANCE 0.00 0.05 0.13 0.24 0.38

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Question 26 (continues)
Marks
(b) The marine sample was then analysed in the same instrument and its
absorbance was measured at 0.42.

Draw a scientifically formatted calibration curve from your table in part (a)
that would allow the concentration of the marine sample to be accurately
estimated. 3

(c) Use your graph to determine the concentration of copper(II) ions in the
marine sample and express this in ppm and as a molarity.

Show all working on the graph and in the space below. 2

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Question 27 (6 marks) Marks

In an investigation to determine the solubility of NaCl in water, methanol and

hexane, a student added 40.0 g of NaCl to 100.0 mL of each liquid maintained at
a temperature of 25°C.

After 2 minutes of stirring each mixture, the mass of undissolved salt was
determined through filtering the mixture and weighing the residue.

The results of the investigation are shown below.

Liquid Mass of NaCl(s)

recovered by filtration
(g)
hexane 39.9
methanol 38.6
water 3.85

(a) Place the liquids tested in order of their increasing solubility of NaCl.
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(b) Explain the trend in solubility of NaCl in the three liquids using your
knowledge of the process by which ionic solids dissolve and the 5
intermolecular forces involved.

Include at least one labelled diagram to support your explanation.

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Question 28 (3 marks) Marks

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas forms an equilibrium system with nitric oxide (NO)
gas and oxygen gas.

A syringe is used to inject 0.70 moles of nitrogen dioxide into an empty, sealed
2.0 L container maintained at a temperature of 185°C.

When the system has come to equilibrium, there are 7.8 × 10−3 moles of oxygen
gas present in the container.

Calculate Keq for the decomposition reaction of NO2(g).

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Question 29 (14 marks) Marks

2-butyl ethanoate (commonly known as sec butyl acetate) is an organic chemical

used as a solvent in lacquers and enamels.

It is a clear flammable liquid with a sweet smell. Its structural diagram is shown
below.

A small chemical plant aims to synthesise this chemical from two readily
available petrochemicals, ethene and 2-butene.

(a) Identify the class (family) of organic compound to which 2-butyl ethanoate
belongs. 1

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(b) Explain the chemical property of molecules, such as ethene and 2-butene,
which makes them useful as starting materials in the synthesis of a range of 2
organic chemicals.

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Question 29 continues on page 24.

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Question 29 (continued) Marks

(c) Describe the series of reactions which could be followed to synthesise

2-butyl ethanoate from ethene and 2-butene as the only organic starting 8
compounds.

Your description should:

• identify a series of reactions which could be followed in the synthesis;

• identify the reaction conditions, including any inorganic reagents, needed
to optimise yield and rate of the main reactions identified;
AND
• include a series of relevant balanced chemical equations, using structural
formula for all organic molecules.
• Give the correct IUPAC names for each structure shown in your
equations.

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Question 29 continues on page 25.

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(d) Explain how 2- butyl ethanoate could be purified in the lab. Provide the 3
relevant aparatus that could be used to purify the ester.

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Question 30 (8 marks) Marks

Acetylsalicylic acid is a pain relief medication also known as aspirin. The purity
of an aspirin tablet was determined by titration against a basic standard.

First, the basic solution was standardised by titrating it with a standard solution
of potassium hydrogen phthalate:

KHC8H4O4(aq) + NaOH(aq) → H2O(l) + NaKC8H4O4(aq)

An average titre of 19.25 mL of the sodium hydroxide solution was required to

reach equivalence with 25.0 mL of 0.0116 M potassium hydrogen phthalate.

One aspirin tablet was weighed and found to have a mass of 0.370 g.

It was dissolved in deionised water and made up to 250.0 mL in a volumetric

flask.

The standardised NaOH solution was titrated against 25.0 mL of the aspirin
solution:

C9H8O4(aq) + NaOH(aq) → H2O(l) + NaC9H7O4(aq)

The average titre of NaOH that neutralised the aspirin solution was 13.20 mL.

(a) Explain why dissolving a precisely known mass of solid NaOH and making 2
the solution up to 250.0 mL in a volumetric flask is not an appropriate way
to prepare a standard solution.

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(b) Identify the most appropriate piece of equipment for collecting precisely 1
25.0 mL of the dissolved tablet solution.

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Question 30 continues on page 27.

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Question 30 (continued) Marks

(c) Calculate the concentration of the standardised NaOH solution. 2

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(d) Given that the molecular mass of aspirin is 180.158 g mol−1, calculate the 3
purity of the tablet as %w/w.

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Question 31 (6 marks) Marks

The graph shows the concentrations of three gas-phase species involved in a

reversible decomposition reaction inside a closed container.

The decomposition reaction was known to be exothermic.

Infer from the data a possible balanced equation for the decomposition reaction, 6
in terms of X, Y and Z, and explain the features of the graph in terms of:

• Le Chatelier’s Principle,
• the enthalpy change of the reaction and
• any disturbances to the system made by experimenters at various times.

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Question 32 (7 marks) Marks

A student adds 1 mL of oil to 5 mL of distilled water in a test tube labelled X

which is stoppered and shaken for 10 seconds and allowed to settle.

The experiment is repeated, in a second test tube labelled Y. In addition to the oil
and water, 5 drops of soap solution is added before the test tube is shaken.

(a) Compare the appearance of the mixtures in test tubes X and Y after they
have been shaken and allowed to settle for 10 seconds. 1

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(b) Explain how the molecular structure of soap can account for the changes in
appearance of the mixtures described in part (a). 3

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( c) Assess the suitability of soaps in cases where hard water (containing 3

dissolved salts) is present.

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Question 33 (7 marks)

Read the information below about the Orica ammonia plant in Newcastle.

The city of Newcastle is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New
South Wales. Located at the mouth of the Hunter River, it is one of the largest coal
exporting harbours in the world.

The company Orica is one of the world’s largest providers of commercial explosives and
innovative blasting systems to the mining, quarrying, oil and gas, and construction
markets. The map below shows the location of Orica’s Newcastle Site.

An ammonia-manufacturing plant
operates on Kooragang Island.

Ammonia is used to make ammonium

nitrate, a hazardous chemical used in
the production of fertilisers and
explosives. Large stockpiles of
ammonium nitrate exist within the
Orica site.

Last year, a major explosion in an

overseas major city was due to the
decomposition of large masses of
ammonium nitrate. A photograph of the container used to
store ammonium nitrate at the plant.

Question 33 continues on page 31.

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Question 33 (continued)

(a) At temperatures above 260°C, if confined, and when contaminated,

ammonium nitrate pellets can decompose, forming dinitrogen oxide gas and
water vapour.

Write a balanced chemical equation for the reaction described above. 1

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(b) Given that the enthalpy of decomposition of ammonium nitrate is 2

-454kJ/mol, calculate the energy released from the decomposition of 2.0kg
of the solid.

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(c) Discuss the location of Orica’s ammonium nitrate storage facility, 4

applying principles studied in the Year 12 Chemistry Course.

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Section II extra writing space.

If you use this space indicate clearly which question you are answering.

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Section II extra writing space.

If you use this space indicate clearly which question you are answering.

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2021 TRIAL
EXAMINATION

Chemistry
Multiple Choice Answer Sheet

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BLANK PAGE

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2021 HSC TRIAL EXAMINATION

Chemistry

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