Cambridge IGCSE™

CHEMISTRY 0620/12
Paper 1 Multiple Choice (Core) October/November 2023
45 minutes

You must answer on the multiple choice answer sheet.

*1768907936*

You will need: Multiple choice answer sheet

Soft clean eraser
Soft pencil (type B or HB is recommended)

INSTRUCTIONS
 There are forty questions on this paper. Answer all questions.
 For each question there are four possible answers A, B, C and D. Choose the one you consider correct
and record your choice in soft pencil on the multiple choice answer sheet.
 Follow the instructions on the multiple choice answer sheet.
 Write in soft pencil.
 Write your name, centre number and candidate number on the multiple choice answer sheet in the
spaces provided unless this has been done for you.
 Do not use correction fluid.
 Do not write on any bar codes.
 You may use a calculator.

INFORMATION
 The total mark for this paper is 40.
 Each correct answer will score one mark.
 Any rough working should be done on this question paper.
 The Periodic Table is printed in the question paper.

This document has 16 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

IB23 11_0620_12/6RP
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1 The melting points and boiling points of four elements are shown.

melting boiling
element
point / C point / C

W –7 60
X –101 –34
Y 114 184
Z 39 688

In which elements do the particles vibrate about fixed positions at 0 C?

A W and X B W and Z C X and Y D Y and Z

2 Which statements about clean, dry air are correct?

1 It is a mixture of elements only.

2 It is a mixture of elements and compounds.
3 It contains only non-metals.

A 1 and 3 B 1 only C 2 and 3 D 2 only

3 A representation of an atom is shown.

+ +
– – + + + – –
+

What is the nucleon number of this atom?

A 6 B 7 C 12 D 13

4 Which statement describes isotopes of the same element?

A They have different electron arrangements.

B They have different nuclear charges.
C They have nuclei with masses that are the same.
D They have the same number of protons.

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5 Potassium reacts with iodine to form potassium iodide.

Which statement about potassium iodide is correct?

A Each potassium atom shares a pair of electrons with an iodine atom.

B In potassium iodide, the particles of potassium have more protons than electrons.
C Potassium iodide has a high melting point because it is a covalent compound.
D Potassium iodide has a low melting point because it is an ionic compound.

6 Which row describes the properties of a simple molecular substance?

electrical
boiling point conductivity
when solid

A low poor
B high poor
C low good
D high good

7 Different forms of an element G are used as lubricants and in cutting tools.

What is the structure of G?

A giant covalent
B ionic
C metallic
D simple covalent

8 The diagram shows the structure of a molecule of ethyl ethanoate.

H O
H C C H H

H O C C H

H H

What is the molecular formula of a molecule of ethyl ethanoate?

A CHO B C4H8O2 C C4(H2)2(O2) D C2H4O

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9 The formula of a compound containing element X is Na2X2O3.

The relative formula mass of the compound is 158.

What is the relative atomic mass of X?

A 32 B 59.5 C 64 D 119

10 Limestone is used to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power stations.

The equation for the reaction is shown.

CaCO3 + SO2  CaSO3 + CO2

What is the smallest mass of CaCO3 required to remove 1 tonne of SO2?

A 1 tonne
B 2 tonnes
C 64 tonnes
D 100 tonnes

11 Which statement about electrolysis is correct?

A Bromine and hydrogen are formed during the electrolysis of molten lead(II) bromide.

B Metals are formed at the positive electrode.

C Molten covalent compounds are broken down by electricity.
D Platinum is used as an inert electrode.

12 Which statements about hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells are correct?

1 The reaction between hydrogen and oxygen is endothermic.

2 The waste product in a hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell is water.
3 A chemical reaction in the cell produces hydrogen which is used as the fuel.
4 A hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell is used to generate electricity.

A 1 and 2 B 1 and 3 C 2 and 4 D 3 and 4

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13 The initial and final temperatures of four different reactions are measured.

Which reaction is the least exothermic?

initial final
temperature temperature
/ C / C

A 19 25
B 21 18
C 22 17
D 22 26

14 Solid calcium carbonate reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid.

Which changes to the reaction conditions increase the rate of reaction?

concentration of surface area of

hydrochloric acid calcium carbonate

A decrease decrease
B decrease increase
C increase decrease
D increase increase

15 Zinc reacts slowly with dilute sulfuric acid at room temperature.

Bubbles of a gas, L, form on the surface of the zinc.

When a small amount of copper is added, the reaction is faster.

Which row identifies L and explains why the reaction is faster?

gas formed
reason the reaction is faster
in reaction

A hydrogen copper acts as a catalyst

B hydrogen copper is more reactive than zinc
C oxygen copper acts as a catalyst
D oxygen copper is more reactive than zinc

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16 Which reaction shows a colour change from white to blue?

A adding water to anhydrous copper(II) sulfate

B adding water to hydrated copper(II) sulfate

C heating anhydrous copper(II) sulfate

D heating hydrated copper(II) sulfate

17 In a blast furnace, iron(III) oxide is converted to iron and carbon monoxide is converted to
carbon dioxide.

Fe2O3 + 3CO  2Fe + 3CO2

What happens to each of these reactants?

A Both iron(III) oxide and carbon monoxide are oxidised.

B Both iron(III) oxide and carbon monoxide are reduced.

C Iron(III) oxide is oxidised and carbon monoxide is reduced.

D Iron(III) oxide is reduced and carbon monoxide is oxidised.

18 Which products are formed when magnesium carbonate reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid?

A carbon dioxide, hydrogen and magnesium chloride

B carbon dioxide and magnesium chloride only
C carbon dioxide, water and magnesium chloride
D water and magnesium chloride only

19 Which element forms an oxide that reacts with an aqueous solution of a base?

A argon
B sulfur
C magnesium
D copper

20 Which salt is insoluble?

A barium sulfate

B lead(II) nitrate

C magnesium chloride
D sodium carbonate

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21 Some properties of element R are shown.

melting point in C 98
boiling point in C 883
reaction with cold water gives off H2 gas
reaction when heated with oxygen burns to give a white solid

In which part of the Periodic Table is R found?

A Group I
B Group VII
C Group VIII
D transition elements

22 Lithium, sodium and potassium are elements in Group I.

Statements about these elements are listed.

1 Lithium is more dense than sodium.

2 Sodium is more reactive than potassium.
3 They all conduct electricity at room temperature.
4 They all react with oxygen at room temperature.

Which statements are correct?

A 1 and 2 B 1 and 4 C 2 and 3 D 3 and 4

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23 An outline of the Periodic Table is shown.

Which name is given to the elements in column Y?

A alkali metals
B halogens
C noble gases
D transition elements

24 Which row describes the properties of a metal that can be used in the manufacture of aircraft?

strength density ease of corrosion

A high high corrodes easily

B high low resists corrosion
C low high corrodes easily
D low low resists corrosion

25 Which metallic element is added to iron in the manufacture of stainless steel?

A carbon
B copper
C lead
D nickel

26 Which statement about the uses of metals is correct?

A Aluminium is used in the manufacture of overhead electrical cables as it has a high density.
B Aluminium is used to make food containers as it conducts electricity.
C Stainless steel is used in cutlery because it is resistant to rusting.
D Stainless steel is used to make chemical reactors because it is a soft alloy.

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27 The list gives the order of some metals and hydrogen in the reactivity series.

Metal X is also included.

most reactive K
Mg
Zn
H
X
least reactive Cu

Which row shows the properties of metal X?

reacts with oxide reduced

dilute acids by carbon

A no no
B no yes
C yes no
D yes yes

28 Which gas in the air is needed for iron to rust?

A argon
B carbon dioxide
C nitrogen
D oxygen

29 Why is limestone added to the blast furnace?

A It neutralises the molten slag produced.

B It reacts with impurities to form slag.

C It releases carbon dioxide which reduces the iron(III) oxide.

D It removes acidic gases such as carbon dioxide.

30 Which process removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

A photosynthesis
B thermal decomposition of calcium carbonate
C combustion of fossil fuels
D reaction of sodium carbonate with an acid

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31 The flow chart shows stages in the treatment of river water to produce drinking water.

river sedimentation stage stage drinking

water tank J K water

What occurs at stages J and K?

J K

A distillation chlorination
B distillation filtration
C filtration chlorination
D filtration distillation

32 Which two compounds can be mixed together to form an NPK fertiliser?

A ammonium phosphate and calcium hydroxide

B calcium phosphate and ammonium nitrate
C potassium nitrate and calcium oxide
D potassium phosphate and ammonium nitrate

33 What are the main substances produced by the fractional distillation of liquid air?

A oxygen and carbon dioxide

B oxygen and nitrogen
C helium and nitrogen
D hydrogen and oxygen

34 Which diagram shows the displayed formula for the named organic compound?

A B C D

H O H H H O H H H

H C C O O H H C C H H C C H H C C H

H H H H H H H
ethanoic acid ethene ethanol methane

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35 Poly(ethene) is formed from petroleum using three separate processes.

In which order are the processes used?

A cracking  fractional distillation  polymerisation

B cracking  polymerisation  fractional distillation

C fractional distillation  cracking  polymerisation

D fractional distillation  polymerisation  cracking

36 Gas oil and naphtha are two fractions obtained from petroleum.

What are uses of gas oil and naphtha?

gas oil naphtha

A jet fuel making chemicals

B jet fuel making roads
C diesel engine fuel making chemicals
D diesel engine fuel making roads

37 Ethene can be polymerised.

Which diagram represents the structure of the product formed?

A B C D

H H H H H H H H H H

C C C C C C H C C C C H

H H H H n H H n H H H H

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38 An acid–base titration is described.

● 25.0 cm3 of dilute aqueous alkali is put into a conical flask.

● Indicator is added to the flask.
● Dilute acid is added to the aqueous alkali until the indicator changes colour.
● The volume of acid used is then recorded.

Which use of apparatus is correct?

A The 25.0 cm3 of aqueous alkali is measured using a volumetric pipette.

B The 25.0 cm3 of aqueous alkali is measured using the lines on the conical flask.
C The volume of acid is measured using a measuring cylinder.
D The volume of acid is measured using a volumetric pipette.

39 The apparatus shown is used to separate a mixture.

heat

What is the mixture?

A anhydrous copper(II) sulfate and hydrated copper(II) sulfate

B sodium chloride and sand
C ethanol and methanol
D iron and steel

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40 The results of tests on three gases, X, Y and Z, are shown.

test X Y Z

aqueous potassium manganate(VII) purple to colourless no change no change

damp red litmus paper no change turns blue no change
lighted splint no change no change pops

What are X, Y and Z?

X Y Z

A chlorine sulfur dioxide hydrogen

B chlorine sulfur dioxide oxygen
C sulfur dioxide ammonia oxygen
D sulfur dioxide ammonia hydrogen

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publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced online in the Cambridge
Assessment International Education Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced for each series of examinations and is freely available to download
at www.cambridgeinternational.org after the live examination series.

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of Cambridge Assessment. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is a department of the University of Cambridge.

© UCLES 2023 0620/12/O/N/23

 The Periodic Table of Elements
Group

© UCLES 2023
I II III IV V VI VII VIII
1 2
H He
hydrogen helium
Key 1 4
3 4 atomic number 5 6 7 8 9 10

Li Be atomic symbol B C N O F Ne
lithium beryllium name boron carbon nitrogen oxygen fluorine neon
7 9 relative atomic mass 11 12 14 16 19 20
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar
sodium magnesium aluminium silicon phosphorus sulfur chlorine argon
23 24 27 28 31 32 35.5 40
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
potassium calcium scandium titanium vanadium chromium manganese iron cobalt nickel copper zinc gallium germanium arsenic selenium bromine krypton
39 40 45 48 51 52 55 56 59 59 64 65 70 73 75 79 80 84
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
rubidium strontium yttrium zirconium niobium molybdenum technetium ruthenium rhodium palladium silver cadmium indium tin antimony tellurium iodine xenon
16

85 88 89 91 93 96 – 101 103 106 108 112 115 119 122 128 127 131
55 56 57–71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86

0620/12/O/N/23
lanthanoids
Cs Ba Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn
caesium barium hafnium tantalum tungsten rhenium osmium iridium platinum gold mercury thallium lead bismuth polonium astatine radon
133 137 178 181 184 186 190 192 195 197 201 204 207 209 – – –
87 88 89–103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118
actinoids
Fr Ra Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt Ds Rg Cn Nh Fl Mc Lv Ts Og
francium radium rutherfordium dubnium seaborgium bohrium hassium meitnerium darmstadtium roentgenium copernicium nihonium flerovium moscovium livermorium tennessine oganesson
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71
lanthanoids La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu
lanthanum cerium praseodymium neodymium promethium samarium europium gadolinium terbium dysprosium holmium erbium thulium ytterbium lutetium
139 140 141 144 – 150 152 157 159 163 165 167 169 173 175
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103
actinoids Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr
actinium thorium protactinium uranium neptunium plutonium americium curium berkelium californium einsteinium fermium mendelevium nobelium lawrencium
– 232 231 238 – – – – – – – – – – –

The volume of one mole of any gas is 24 dm3 at room temperature and pressure (r.t.p.).