elements.

..........................................................................................................................................
1
..........................................................................................................................................

MASS SPEC WS 2
..........................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................[3]
1 [J’07 P4 Q2]
(c) Gently heating ammonium nitrate, NH4NO3, in a test tube produces a mixture of two
gases A and B. No residue remains in the tube.
The mass spectrum of gas A contains peaks at m/e (mass number) values of 16, 17
and 18, whereas that of gas B has peaks at m/e values of 14, 16, 28, 30 and 44.

(i) Identify the peaks in the mass spectra, and suggest the molecular formulae of the
gases A and B.

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

(ii) Hence suggest an equation for the thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrate.

..................................................................................................................................
[5]

[Total: 9]

17 For
2 [J’08 P4 Q9] Examiner’s
Use
(c) At one time, bromomethane, CH3Br, was widely used to control insect pests in agricultural
crops and timber. It is now known to break down in the stratosphere and contribute to
the destruction of the ozone layer.

Samples can be screened for traces of bromomethane by subjecting them to mass

spectrometry.

(i) Which peak(s) would show the presence of bromine in the compound?

..................................................................................................................................

(ii) How could you tell by studying the M and M+2 peaks that the compound contained
bromine rather than chlorine?

..................................................................................................................................
© UCLES 2007 9701/04/M/J/07
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[3]

[Total: 9]

BILAL HAMEED MASS SPEC WS 2

 2 For
Examiner’s
Use
Section
2 A

3 [N’08 P4 Q1] Answer all questions in the spaces provided.

1 (a) Natural bromine consists of the two isotopes 79Br and 81Br in roughly equal proportions.

The mass spectrum of bromine consists of 5 peaks.

(i) Suggest the mass numbers for the 5 peaks and the identities of the species
responsible for them.

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

(ii) Suggest the ratios of the relative abundances of

• the three lines with the highest mass numbers,

..................................................................................................................................

• the two lines with the lowest mass numbers.

..................................................................................................................................
[4]

Esters of 2,3-dibromopropan-1-ol with phosphoric acid are useful flame retardants used in
plastics and fibres.

2,3-dibromopropan-1-ol can be made from propenal by the following two-stage process.

H
C CH2 CH2OH
I II
CH2 CHO Br CH

propenal Br

2,3-dibromopropan-1-oI
A

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 3

4 [J’11 P41 Q8] 17

(c) The mass spectrum shown was obtained from a compound of formula CpHqX, where X For
represents a halogen atom. Examiner’s
Use

100 R

80

60
relative
intensity
40

20

0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130
m/e

(i) Deduce the identity of X, giving a reason.

X is ..........................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

(ii) If the relative heights of the M and M+1 peaks are 9 and 0.3 respectively, calculate
the value of p. Use this value and the m / e value of the molecular ion to calculate
the value of q, and hence the molecular formula of the compound. Show your
working.

(iii) Suggest a formula for the ion responsible for the peak labelled R.

....................................................... [4]

(d) In the fragmentation of alcohols which occurs in a mass spectrometer, small stable,
neutral molecules are sometimes produced. Suggest the identity of two such molecules,
each with an Mr less than 30.

(i) ....................................................... (ii) ....................................................... [2]

[Total: 10]

© UCLES 2011
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MASS SPEC WS 2over
 4

5 [J’11 P41 Q8] 15

For
(c) Propene was treated with bromine in the presence of chloride ions and the product Examiner’s
analysed using mass spectrometry. Use

A group of peaks was found in the range m/e 156–160 with the following relative heights.

m/e relative height

156 3
158 4
160 1

(i) Identify the species responsible for each of these peaks.

156 .............................................................................................................................

158 .............................................................................................................................

160 .............................................................................................................................

A large peak was present in the spectrum with a m/e value of less than 20.

(ii) Suggest the m/e value for the peak and the species that produced it.

m/e .......................................................

species .................................................
[4]

[Total: 10]

BILAL HAMEED MASS SPEC WS 2

© UCLES 2012 9701/41/M/J/12 [Turn over
 5

6 [N’14 P41 Q3] 6

3 (a) Natural phosphorus consists of one isotope, 31P. Chlorine exists naturally as two isotopes, 35Cl
and 37Cl, in the relative abundance ratio of 3 : 1.

(i) The mass spectrum of PCl 3 contains several peaks corresponding to a number of
molecular fragments.

Suggest the isotopic composition of the fragments with the following mass numbers.

mass number isotopic composition

101

103

105

(ii) Predict the relative ratios of the peak heights of the three peaks corresponding to these
fragments.

.............................................................................................................................................
[4]

(b) Phosphorus reacts with chlorine to form a variety of chlorides.

PCl 5 is an example of a compound that exists as two structures depending on the conditions.

2PCl 5(g) [PCl 4]+[PCl 6]–(s)

(i) Draw a ‘dot-and-cross’ diagram to show the bonding in PCl 5. Show the outer electrons
only.

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 6
7

(ii) Draw diagrams to suggest the shapes of [PCl 4]+ and [PCl 6]–.

[PCl 4]+ [PCl 6]–

[3]

(c) (i) Phosphorus(III) oxide, P4O6, contains no P–P or O–O bonds.

In the P4O6 molecule, all oxygen atoms are divalent and all phosphorus atoms are trivalent.

Sketch a structure for P4O6.

(ii) P4O6 can act as a ligand.

What is meant by the term ligand ?

.............................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................
[2]

(d) Phosphate ions in water can be removed by adding a solution containing Ca2+(aq) ions, which
form a precipitate of calcium phosphate, Ca3(PO4)2.

(i) Write an expression for the Ksp of Ca3(PO4)2.

Ksp =

(ii) The solubility of Ca3(PO4)2 is 2.50 10–6 mol dm–3 at 298 K.

Calculate the solubility product, Ksp, of Ca3(PO4)2 at this temperature. Include the units.

Ksp = .................................................................. units ....................................................

[4]

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 2

Section A
7
Answer all the questions in the spaces provided.
7 [N’14 P43 Q1]
1 (a) Chlorine exists naturally as a mixture of two isotopes, 35Cl and 37Cl , in the abundance ratio of 3 : 1.

The mass spectrum of chlorine consists of five peaks.

(i) Suggest the mass numbers for these five peaks and the identities of the species
responsible.

mass number formula of species

(ii) Predict the ratios of the abundances of the three species with the highest mass numbers.

ratio of abundances = ........................................

[4]

(b) Strontium chloride, SrCl 2, can be used to produce a red colour in fireworks.

(i) Draw the ‘dot-and-cross’ diagram for strontium chloride. Show outer shell electrons only.

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 8

[J’15 P42 Q8] [1]

(c) When an isomer of P is heated with concentrated H2SO4 it forms a new compound, Q. This
new compound Q reacts with bromine to give a dibromide, R.

(i) A mass spectrum was obtained of R. The ratio of the heights of the M : M+1 peaks
was 9.3 : 0.5.

Show that there are five carbon atoms present in one molecule of R.

[1]

(ii) Predict the ratio of the heights of the M : M+2 : M+4 peaks as a result of the two bromine
atoms in the dibromide R. Show your working.

ratio ...................................... [1]

(iii) What is the molecular formula of R?

....................................................................................................................................... [1]

[Total: 12]

© UCLES 2015 9701/42/M/J/15 [Turn over

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