2022 U.S. NATIONAL Chemistry Olympiad: Local Section Exam Olympiad Examinations Task Force
2022 U.S. NATIONAL Chemistry Olympiad: Local Section Exam Olympiad Examinations Task Force
2022 U.S. NATIONAL Chemistry Olympiad: Local Section Exam Olympiad Examinations Task Force
NATIONAL
CHEMISTRY OLYMPIAD
LOCAL SECTION EXAM
Prepared by the American Chemical Society Chemistry Olympiad Examinations Task Force
This test is designed to be taken with an answer sheet on which the student records his or her responses. All answers are to be marked
on that sheet, not written in the booklet. Each student should be provided with an answer sheet and scratch paper, both of which must
be turned in with the test booklet at the end of the examination. Local Sections may use an answer sheet of their own choice.
The full examination consists of 60 multiple-choice questions representing a fairly wide range of difficulty. A periodic table and other
useful information are provided on page two of this exam booklet for student reference.
Only non-programmable calculators are to be used on the ACS Local Section exam. The use of a programmable calculator, cell
phone, or any other device that can access the internet or make copies or photographs during the exam is grounds for disqualification.
This is a multiple-choice examination with four choices for each question. There is only one correct or best answer to each question.
When you select your choice, blacken the corresponding space on the answer sheet with your pencil. Make a heavy full mark, but no
stray marks. If you decide to change your answer, be certain to erase your original answer completely.
Property of ACS USNCO – Not for use as USNCO Local Section Exam after March 31, 2022
Distributed by the American Chemical Society, 1155 16th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036
All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS CONSTANTS
amount of substance n Faraday constant F molar mass M
ampere A free energy G mole mol R = 8.314 J mol–1 K–1
atmosphere atm frequency ν Planck’s constant h R = 0.08314 L bar mol–1 K–1
atomic mass unit u gas constant R pressure P
F = 96,500 C mol–1
Avogadro constant NA gram g rate constant k
Celsius temperature °C hour h reaction quotient Q F = 96,500 J V–1 mol–1
centi– prefix c joule J second s NA = 6.022 × 1023 mol–1
coulomb C kelvin K speed of light c
h = 6.626 × 10–34 J s
density d kilo– prefix k temperature, K T
electromotive force E liter L time t c = 2.998 × 108 m s–1
energy of activation Ea measure of pressure mm Hg vapor pressure VP 0 °C = 273.15 K
enthalpy H milli– prefix m volt V 1 atm = 1.013 bar = 760 mm Hg
entropy S molal m volume V
equilibrium constant K molar M Specific heat capacity of H2O =
4.184 J g–1 K–1
EQUATIONS
RT −∆H o 1 k2 Ea 1 1
E Eo −
= ln Q =ln K + constant ln=
−
nF R T k1 R T1 T2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Li Be B C N O F Ne
6.941 9.012 10.81 12.01 14.01 16.00 19.00 20.18
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Na Mg 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Al Si P S Cl Ar
22.99 24.31 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B 8B 8B 8B 1B 2B 26.98 28.09 30.97 32.07 35.45 39.95
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr
39.10 40.08 44.96 47.88 50.94 52.00 54.94 55.85 58.93 58.69 63.55 65.39 69.72 72.61 74.92 78.97 79.90 83.80
37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe
85.47 87.62 88.91 91.22 92.91 95.95 (98) 101.1 102.9 106.4 107.9 112.4 114.8 118.7 121.8 127.6 126.9 131.3
55 56 57 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86
Cs Ba La Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn
132.9 137.3 138.9 178.5 180.9 183.8 186.2 190.2 192.2 195.1 197.0 200.6 204.4 207.2 209.0 (209) (210) (222)
87 88 89 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118
Fr Ra Ac Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt Ds Rg Cn Nh Fl Mc Lv Ts Og
(223) (226) (227) (261) (262) (263) (262) (265) (266) (281) (272) (285) (286) (289) (289) (293) (294) (294)
58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71
Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu
140.1 140.9 144.2 (145) 150.4 152.0 157.3 158.9 162.5 164.9 167.3 168.9 173.0 175.0
90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103
Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr
232.0 231.0 238.0 (237) (244) (243) (247) (247) (251) (252) (257) (258) (259) (262)
Page 2 Property of ACS USNCO – Not for use as USNCO Local Section Exam after March 31, 2022
DIRECTIONS
When you have selected your answer to each question, blacken the corresponding space on the answer sheet using a soft, #2
pencil. Make a heavy, full mark, but no stray marks. If you decide to change an answer, erase the unwanted mark very carefully.
There is only one correct answer to each question. Any questions for which more than one response has been blackened will not
be counted.
Your score is based solely on the number of questions you answer correctly. It is to your advantage to answer every question.
1. Which potassium salt is 28.9% chlorine by mass? 6. 14.0 mL of 0.53 M barium nitrate solution and 16.0 mL
of 0.44 M sodium sulfate solution are mixed. Which ion
(A) KCl (B) KClO (C) KClO2 (D) KClO3
is LEAST abundant in solution?
2. How many sulfur atoms are in 3.00 g of iron pyrite, FeS2 (A) Ba2+ (B) NO3– (C) Na+ (D) SO42-
(M = 120.0)?
7. Which salt gives a colorless aqueous solution?
(A) 7.53 × 1021 (B) 1.51 × 1022
(A) NaClO4 (B) K2CrO4
(C) 3.01 × 1022 (D) 6.02 × 1023
(C) Ni(NO3)2 (D) CuSO4
3. A gas mixture contains 50 mol% H2 and 50 mol% He.
1.00-L samples of this gas mixture are mixed with 8. 100 mL of a 1.0 M solution of hydrochloric acid is
variable volumes of O2 (at 0 °C and 1 atm). A spark is gradually added to a stirred mixture containing 0.01 mol
introduced to allow the mixture to undergo complete calcium hydroxide, 100 mL water, and a small amount of
combustion. The final volume is measured at 0 °C and 1 phenolphthalein. What changes are observed?
atm. Which graph best depicts the final volume as a I. The mixture changes from colorless to pink.
function of the volume of added O2? II. The mixture changes from cloudy to clear.
(A) (B) (A) I only (B) II only
(C) Both I and II (D) Neither I nor II
(C) (D)
Property of ACS USNCO – Not for use as USNCO Local Section Exam after March 31, 2022 Page 3
11. Which liquid will NOT react with metallic sodium? 17. Which statement about sulfur, whose phase diagram is
shown below, is correct?
(A) Water (B) Mineral oil
(C) Ethanol (D) Carbon tetrachloride
13. When liquid water converts to solid ice at 0 °C and 1 atm (D) The conversion of rhombic sulfur to monoclinic
pressure, which of the following changes takes place? sulfur is endothermic.
(A) Heat flows out of the system. 18. Aluminum crystallizes in a face-centered cubic unit cell
(B) The volume of the system decreases. with an edge length of 405 pm. What is its density?
(C) The vapor pressure of water increases. (A) 0.674 g cm-3 (B) 1.35 g cm-3
(D) The hydrogen bonds become weaker. (C) 2.70 g cm-3 (D) 5.40 g cm-3
14. Which isomer of C4H8O2 has the greatest solubility in 19. A container with 100.0 g of ice at 0 °C is placed in a
water? humid room whose temperature is 40 °C. The ice melts
as water vapor condenses into the container. Assuming
(A) (B) that all the heat transferred to the container comes from
condensation, how much water will have condensed in
(C) (D) the container once all the ice is melted and has reached
40 °C? The heat of fusion of ice is 334 J g-1 and the heat
of vaporization of water is 2260 J g-1.
15. Which compound has the lowest normal boiling point? (A) 13.8 g (B) 14.8 g (C) 22.2 g (D) 677 g
(A) HF (B) HCl (C) HBr (D) HI
20. The standard enthalpy of formation of hematite, Fe2O3(s),
16. A sealed container contains a gaseous sample at 300.0 K is –825.5 kJ mol-1. What is the standard enthalpy of
consisting of either pure ethane (C2H6), pure neon (Ne), reaction for the reduction of hematite with carbon
or a mixture of the two. The pressure inside the container monoxide to give metallic iron as shown below?
at this temperature is 1.00 atm. When the container is
CO(g) + 1/2 O2(g) → ∆H°rxn = –283.0 kJ mol-1
cooled to 150.0 K, the pressure is 0.37 atm. What is the
composition of the sample? (The vapor pressure of C2H6 CO2(g)
at 150 K is 0.10 atm; the critical temperature of Ne is Fe2O3(s) + 3 CO(g) → ∆H°rxn = ???
44 K.) 2 Fe(s) + 3 CO2(g)
(A) Pure ethane (A) –23.5 kJ mol-1 (B) –542.5 kJ mol-1
(B) Pure neon (C) –849.0 kJ mol-1 (D) –1674.5 kJ mol-1
(C) A mixture of ethane and neon.
(D) It cannot be determined from the information given.
Page 4 Property of ACS USNCO – Not for use as USNCO Local Section Exam after March 31, 2022
21. Which of the following equations correctly describe the 25. Dichromate ion is reduced by chloride ion according to
change in internal energy, ΔE, of a reaction taking place the equation below. If [Cl–] is decreasing at a rate of 0.37
in a bomb calorimeter? mol L-1 min-1, how is the concentration of Cr3+(aq)
changing?
I. ∆E = q
II. ∆E = ∆H – V∆P 14 H+(aq) + Cr2O72-(aq) + 6 Cl–(aq) →
2 Cr3+(aq) + 3 Cl2(aq) + 7 H2O(l)
(A) I only (B) II only
(A) Increasing by 0.12 mol L-1 min-1
(C) Both I and II (D) Neither I nor II
(B) Increasing by 1.11 mol L-1 min-1
22. Cyclopropane isomerizes exothermically to propene as
shown. (C) Decreasing by 0.12 mol L-1 min-1
(D) Decreasing by 1.11 mol L-1 min-1
Property of ACS USNCO – Not for use as USNCO Local Section Exam after March 31, 2022 Page 5
29. An irreversible reaction A + B → C is carried out under 33. In a solution prepared by dissolving 0.1 mol NaNO2 in
various conditions, but always with [B]0 >> [A]0. Plots 1.0 L pure water, which species has the lowest
of 1/[A] as a function of time for each reaction are linear, concentration?
and the slopes of these plots do not depend on the initial
(A) Na+ (B) NO2– (C) HNO2 (D) H3O+
concentration of B. What is the rate law for the reaction
under these conditions?
34. A saturated solution of which silver salt has the highest
(A) Rate = k[A] (B) Rate = k[A][B] concentration of Ag+?
(C) Rate = k[A]2 (D) Rate = k[A]2[B] (A) AgCl, Ksp = 1.8 × 10-10
(B) Ag2CrO4, Ksp = 1.1 × 10-12
30. The reaction of H2(g) with C2H4(g) to form C2H6(g) is
catalyzed by metallic platinum. Which statement most (C) AgBr, Ksp = 5.0 × 10-13
accurately describes the impact of changing the catalyst
in this reaction? (D) Ag2SO3, Ksp = 1.5 × 10-14
(A) The rate of the reaction would not change if a 35. What is the pH of a 0.10 M solution of NH4F? The Ka of
greater mass of catalyst were used because the NH4+ is 5.6 × 10-10 and the Ka of HF is 6.8 × 10-4.
platinum is a solid so its concentration is a fixed
number. (A) 2.08 (B) 5.12 (C) 6.21 (D) 8.08
(B) The rate of the reaction would increase if more 36. 1.000 g of which salt, when titrated with 0.500 M HCl,
finely divided platinum were used because the gives the titration curve shown?
reaction depends on the surface area of the catalyst.
(C) The ∆H° for the reaction would become more
negative if a greater mass of catalyst were used
because the catalyst adsorbs the reactants
exothermically.
(D) The ∆S° for the reaction would become more
negative if more finely divided platinum were used
because the catalyst absorbs gas-phase reactants to
form ordered surface species.
Page 6 Property of ACS USNCO – Not for use as USNCO Local Section Exam after March 31, 2022
38. Which element is being reduced in the following 45. Which change in principal quantum number n involves
equation? the greatest change in energy?
3 Cu(s) + 8 HNO3(aq) →
(A) n = 1 → n = 2 in H (B) n = 2 → n = 3 in He+
2 NO(g) + 3 Cu(NO3)2(aq) + 4 H2O(l)
(C) n = 3 → n = 4 in Li2+ (D) n = 4 → n = 5 in Be3+
(A) Cu (B) H (C) N (D) O
(A) 1.43 g (B) 2.20 g (C) 3.63 g (D) 4.41 g 49. Which molecule has a nonzero dipole moment?
41. The standard cell potential of a galvanic cell based on the (A) CF4 (B) C2F4 (C) SF4 (D) SF6
reaction below is 1.10 V. Which concentrations would
result in the largest measured voltage? 50. How many π bonds are in cyanogen, NCCN?
(A) 2 (B) 4 (C) 6 (D) 7
Cu2+(aq) + Zn(s) → Zn2+(aq) + Cu(s)
(A) [Cu2+] = 1.0 M and [Zn2+] = 1.0 M 51. In azomethane, H3CNNCH3, what are the molecular
geometries around the carbon and nitrogen atoms,
(B) [Cu2+] = 3.0 M and [Zn2+] = 1.0 M
respectively?
(C) [Cu2+] = 1.0 M and [Zn2+] = 3.0 M
(A) Tetrahedral at carbon, bent at nitrogen
(D) [Cu ] = 3.0 M and [Zn ] = 3.0 M
2+ 2+
(B) Tetrahedral at carbon, linear at nitrogen
42. The standard reduction potential of oxygen under acidic (C) Square planar at carbon, bent at nitrogen
conditions at 298 K is +1.23 V. What is the standard
(D) Square planar at carbon, linear at nitrogen
reduction potential for the four-electron reduction of
O2(g) under basic conditions?
52. What is the bond order of O2+?
(A) 1.23 V (B) 1.02 V (C) 0.83 V (D) 0.40 V
(A) 1.0 (B) 1.5 (C) 2.0 (D) 2.5
43. Photons of what wavelength of light have an energy of
1.00 × 103 kJ mol-1?
(A) 2.00 × 1031 m (B) 1.20 × 10-7 m
(C) 1.20 × 10-4 m (D) 8.36 × 106 m
Property of ACS USNCO – Not for use as USNCO Local Section Exam after March 31, 2022 Page 7
53. Which is the best explanation for phosphorus favoring 59. Which structure depicts the enantiomer of the diol
formation of P4 over P2 molecules, while nitrogen forms shown?
only N2 molecules?
(A) Phosphorus-phosphorus π bonds are weaker than
nitrogen-nitrogen π bonds.
(B) Phosphorus can have an expanded octet while
nitrogen cannot.
(A)
(C) The nonbonding electrons on phosphorus occupy an
unhybridized s orbital while the nonbonding
electrons on nitrogen occupy hybrid orbitals.
(D) The larger size of phosphorus allows the bonding
electrons to be closer together. (B)
55. A molecule has the formula C5H10O. Which functional (D) The diol shown is achiral and does not have an
groups might it contain? enantiomer.
56. How many distinct branched alkanes are there with the (C) Phenylalanine tRNA (a nucleic acid)
formula C6H14? (D) Trypsin (a protein)
(A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 3 (D) 4
57. Which cycloalkane in its most stable conformation has END OF TEST
average internal C–C–C bond angles most different from
the value given?
(A) Cyclopropane, 60°
(B) Cyclobutane, 90°
(C) Cyclopentane, 108°
(D) Cyclohexane, 120°
Page 8 Property of ACS USNCO – Not for use as USNCO Local Section Exam after March 31, 2022
Olympiad 2022
USNCO Local Section Exam
KEY