CHEM 105

Midterm Exam 2 Instructions

Date/Time: Friday, March 17th from 7:30 – 9:30 PM (2 hours writing time)
Location: Check your room assignment on eClass

Item Checklist:
Pen (black or dark blue ink). Do not use red ink or light colours.
Scientific non-programmable calculator (with faculty sticker)
ONECard or valid photo ID (driver’s licence, passport)

Sample Questions

Please attempt the mock exam to become familiar with the format of questions on your
midterm exam.

*Disclaimer: You are responsible for all material covered in Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3.

Do not expect the midterm to have the same topics or weight of topics as these practice
questions. These questions were chosen simply to provide more experience. Midterm 2 will
cover all content covered up to and including the lecture on Thursday, March 9th with
emphasis on topics covered in Units 2 and 3. The exam will encompass ~ 10% from Unit 1.

When attempting questions for practice:

DO NOT EXPECT THAT YOU WILL GET THE SAME QUESTIONS -- REVIEW YOUR
CLASS NOTES, PROBLEM SETS, AND QUIZZES.

If you require additional practice, problem sets and textbook problems can also be utilized
(suggested problems are provided in the lecture notes).

I recommend that you try the sample exam questions in a “closed-book format”. By simulating
exam conditions, you get a better sense of your confidence and preparedness.

Please note that the actual midterm exam will be longer. It should take you no longer than 90
minutes to finish the sample exam questions.

© M. Gedik, Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta (2023)

Sample Midterm Exam Questions

This file contains questions from previous exams that you may find relevant. I have also included
information on the format you can expect to see on the online midterm exam (multiple choice,
numerical, written response, etc…)

The number of questions on the midterm you write may be different and you can also expect different
weights for questions.

There are usually two major complaints about sample exams. The first complaint is that the questions
were much different. The questions are different, because each exam is different.

The second complaint is that the sample exam was easier. Solving a practice exam at your leisure time
and possibly consulting your textbook, friends, etc., is much easier.

Try this exam under simulated exam conditions (closed book, timed). You should be able to finish this
exam in 90 minutes.

Disclaimer: The midterm exam is cumulative. Hence, you are responsible for all material covered in in
Units 1-3, up to and including the section on Isomers. The questions below are only meant to be
representative of the varying degrees of difficulty of questions. The difficulty of the exam is entirely
dependent on how well you have prepared for this assessment and your mastery of topics throughout
the semester.

DO NOT EXPECT THAT YOU WILL GET THE SAME QUESTIONS -- REVIEW YOUR NOTES,
LESSONS, PROBLEM SETS, AND QUIZZES.

Question Maximum Mark

mark received
1 10
2 6
3 3
4 6
5 6
6 10
7 8
Total 48

© M. Gedik, Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta (2023)

Multiple Choice (8 marks total)

1. (a) (1.5 marks) When the salt LiOCl is dissolved in water, it produces a solution that is
i) Acidic
ii) Basic
iii) Neutral
iv) Insufficient information to know

(b) (2 marks) The solubility of magnesium phosphate is 2.27 × 10–3 g/1.0 L of solution. What is the
Ksp for Mg3(PO4)2?
i) 6.5 × 10–12
ii) 6.0 × 10–14
iii) 5.2 × 10–24
iv) 1.0 × 10–26
v) 4.8 × 10–26

(c) (1.5 marks) In a coordination compound involving a complex ion of square planar geometry,
which of the following types of isomerism is/are never possible?
i) geometric
ii) coordination
iii) optical
iv) more than one of the above
v) linkage

(d) (2 marks) Which of the following has the highest buffer capacity?
i) 0.10 M H2PO4–/0.50 M HPO42
ii) 0.10 M H2PO4–/0.10 M HPO42–
iii) 0.50 M H2PO4–/0.10 M HPO42–
iv) 0.50 M H2PO4–/0.50 M HPO42–
v) They all have the same buffer capacity

© M. Gedik, Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta (2023)

 (e) (1 mark) A transition metal complex has the formula MX42+. If the metal ion has a d8 electron
configuration, what is the likely shape of the complex?
i) Linear
ii) Octahedral
iii) Square planar
iv) Tetrahedral
v) None of the above

(f) (2 marks) A buffer is prepared by adding 150 mL of 1.0 M Na2HPO4 to 250 mL of

1.0 M NaH2PO4. The pH of the resulting solution is:
i) 2.36
ii) 1.92
iii) 6.98
iv) 7.42
v) 12.60

© M. Gedik, Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta (2023)

Short Answer/Numerical
2. (a) (4 marks) The Lindlar catalyst is used in the commercial synthesis of Vitamin A. This solid
catalyst contains palladium (Pd) deposited onto calcium carbonate. This catalyst is used for
hydrogenation of triple bonds to form double bonds as in the simple reaction below, where the reactants
and products are in the gas phase:

What type of catalyst in the Lindlar catalyst? ______________________________

Based on the graph below, briefly describe how the rate behaviour of this reaction changes under
increasing reactant pressure and explain why this behaviour is observed.
Rate

Reactant (C4H6) pressure ®

(b) (2 marks total) The active ingredient in an over the counter pain killer analgesic decomposes with a
rate constant, k = 9.05 × 10-4 day-1

The order of the reaction is ______________

How many days does it take for 15% of the original ingredient to decompose?

© M. Gedik, Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta (2023)

3. (3 marks) A student wants to dissolve the maximum amount of CaF2 (s) in order to make a 500mL
aqueous solution. Which of the following aqueous conditions would work best? Explain your answer
by comparing both conditions.

0.1M NaOH 0.1M HCl

4. (6 marks total). Four solutions are preprared by mixing 100 mL of 0.50 M NH3 with 100 mL of
0.50 M solutions of each of methylamine (CH3NH2), perchloric acid (HClO4), hydrofluoric acid (HF),
and hydrocyanic acid (HCN).

List the solutions described above in order of decreasing concentration of ammonium, NH4+.
HINT: No calculations are required, a qualitative prediction, with explanations is adequate.

_________ _________ _________ _________

Most concentrated NH4+ Least concentrated NH4+

© M. Gedik, Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta (2023)

5. (6 marks total)
(a) (3 marks) Draw and label the structures of all possible isomers of [CoCl3(H2O)3]-.

(b) (2 marks) Give the systematic name for [CoCl3(H2O)3]-.

(c) (1.5 mark) Provide the ground state condensed electron configuration for the transition metal ion.

© M. Gedik, Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta (2023)

Written Response
6. (10 marks total) Consider the following gas phase reaction at 500oC:
2 N2O (g) + O2 (g) D 2 NO2 (g) + N2 (g) K = 9.80 ´ 106
(a) (8 marks) Determine the equilibrium partial pressure of all gases at 500oC, from the initial
conditions of:
PNO2 = 0.100 atm PN2 = 0.200 atm PN2O = 0.200 atm PO2 = 0.100 atm

(b) (2 marks) If the above reaction is exothermic and the temperature is decreased, in which direction
would the equilibrium shift? Briefly explain your answer.

© M. Gedik, Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta (2023)

7. (8 marks total)
(a) (4 marks) A 250.0 mL solution is prepared by mixing 100.0 mL of 0.150 M sodium benzoate
(NaC6H5COO) with 150.0 mL of 0.200 M benzoic acid (C6H5COOH). What is the pH of resulting
solution?

(b) (4 marks) Calculate the amount (in moles) of NaOH it would take to reach the maximum buffer
capacity for this system. Explain your answer and include any definitions.

© M. Gedik, Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta (2023)

Formula Sheet
[A]0
[A]t = – kt + [A]o 𝑡!/# =
2k
[A]t ln(2)
ln [A]t = – kt + ln [A]0 or ln = – kt 𝑡!/# =
[A]o k
1 1 1
= kt + 𝑡!/# =
[A]t [A]0 k [A]0

±1 ∆[X]
Rate = = k [A], [B]- … (X = reactant or product)
x ∆t
$ &' - Ea Ea 1 1
k
k=A𝑒 () ln (k) = + ln (A) ln ! 1 " = "T – T #
RT k2 R 2 1

pH = – log [H3O+] Kw = Ka Kb = 1.0 x 10-14

base
pH = pKa + log ! " pKa = – log Ka
acid
calc-approx term neglected
# #x 100% < 5% or # # x 100% < 5%
calc approx value

Nomenclature
• The cation is named before the anion. Metal Name in
• Ligands are named in alphabetical order before the metal ion. Anionic Anion
ligands drop the –ide and add –o after the root name. Neutral ligands Iron ferrate
named as the molecule except for the exceptions for H2O, NH3, CO, Cooper cuprate
NO.
• A numerical prefix is used to indicate the number of ligands of a Lead plumbate
particular type (di, tri, tetra…). Ligands that include a numerical prefix Silver argentate
in the name use the prefixes bis (2), tris (3), or tetrakis (4) to indicate Gold aurate
their number.
Tin stannate
• A Roman numeral is used to indicate the oxidation state for a metal
that can have more than one state.
• If the complex ion is an anion, we drop the ending of the metal name
and add –ate.
Math Miscellaneous Constants

ln (x) = y à x = ey
ln (xy) = ln(x) + ln(y)
*
ln + = ln (x) – ln (y)
ln (xa) = a ln (x)

© M. Gedik, Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta (2023)