IGCSE Cambridge (CIE) Science 2 hours 18 questions

Theory Questions

Preparation of Salts
Preparing Soluble Salts / Preparing Insoluble Salts / Hydrated & Anhydrous Salts

Easy (5 questions) /28 Scan here to return to the course

Hard (5 questions) /31

Total Marks /118

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Easy Questions
1 The salt copper(II) sulphate can be prepared by reacting copper(II) oxide with sulphuric
acid.

Complete the list of instructions for making copper(II) sulphate using six of the words
below.

blue cool dilute filter

saturated sulfate oxide white

Instructions

1 Add excess copper(II) oxide to .............................. sulphuric acid in a beaker and boil it.

2 .............................. to remove the unreacted copper(II) oxide.

3 Heat the solution until it is ..............................

4 .............................. the solution to form .............................. coloured crystals of copper(II)

(6 marks)

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2 (a) Aqueous sodium hydroxide, NaOH(aq), is a strong alkali that reacts with dilute sulfuric
acid exothermically.

Complete the equation for the reaction between aqueous sodium hydroxide and dilute
sulfuric acid.

2NaOH + H2SO4 → ......................... + .........................

(2 marks)

(b) A student investigates the rate of reaction of small pieces of calcium carbonate with an
excess of hydrochloric acid of concentration 1 mol / dm3.

CaCO3 (s) + 2HCl (aq) → CaCl2 (aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O (l)

Name the salt formed when calcium carbonate reacts with hydrochloric acid.

(1 mark)

(c) Describe how you could prepare a pure sample of crystals of hydrated zinc sulfate using
dilute sulfuric acid and an excess of zinc.

(3 marks)

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(d) A student investigates the rate of reaction of large pieces of magnesium carbonate with
an excess of dilute nitric acid.

MgCO3 + 2HNO3 → Mg(NO3)2 + CO2 + H2O

Name the salt formed when magnesium carbonate reacts with dilute nitric acid.

(1 mark)

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3 (a) This question is about cobalt and compounds of cobalt.

Describe how you could prepare a pure sample of crystals of hydrated cobalt(II) sulfate
using dilute sulfuric acid and an excess of cobalt(II) carbonate.

(3 marks)

(b) A student investigates the rate of reaction of magnesium ribbon with an excess of dilute
hydrochloric acid.

Mg + 2HCl → MgCl2 + H2

Name the salt formed when magnesium reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid.

(1 mark)

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4 (a) A student prepares crystals of magnesium chloride by adding an excess of magnesium
carbonate to 50.00 cm3 of 2.00 mol / dm3 hydrochloric acid. The student filters the
mixture and rinses the residue.

Why does the student add an excess of magnesium carbonate?

(1 mark)

(b) Why does the student rinse the residue?

(1 mark)

(c) Describe how the student would obtain pure crystals of magnesium chloride from the
filtrate.

(3 marks)

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5 (a) Sulfuric acid has many uses.
Dilute sulfuric acid is used to make salts known as sulfates.
A method consisting of three steps is used to make zinc sulfate from zinc carbonate.
step 1 Add an excess of zinc carbonate to 20 cm3 of 0.4 mol / dm3 dilute sulfuric acid
until the reaction is complete.
step 2 Filter the mixture.
step 3 Heat the filtrate until a saturated solution forms and then allow it to crystallise.

Suggest two observations which show that the reaction is complete in step 1.

(2 marks)

(b) State why it is important to add an excess of zinc carbonate in step 1.

(1 mark)

(c) Define the term saturated solution.

(2 marks)

(d) Name another zinc compound which can be used to make zinc sulfate from dilute
sulfuric acid using this method.

(1 mark)

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Medium Questions
1 Soluble salts can be made by the neutralisation of an acid by a base. Insoluble salts can
be made by precipitation.

The following is a brief description of the preparation of the soluble salt, nickel(II)
chloride-6-water, from the insoluble base nickel(II) carbonate. Nickel(II) carbonate is
added in small amounts to hot dilute hydrochloric acid until it is in excess. The mixture is
filtered. The filtrate is partially evaporated and then allowed to cool until crystals of
nickel(II) chloride-6-water form.

i) Why is it necessary to use excess carbonate?

[1]

ii) Explain why it is necessary to filter.

[1]

iii) Why partially evaporate rather than evaporate to dryness?

[1]

iv) What additional steps are needed to obtain dry crystals?

[2]

(5 marks)

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2 (a) Three common methods of preparing salts are shown below.

method adding an excess of an insoluble base or carbonate or metal to a dilute

method using a burette and indicator

method mixing two solutions to obtain the salt by precipitation

For each of the following salt preparations, choose a method, A, B or C. Name any
additional reagent which is needed and complete the equation.

The soluble salt, nickel chloride, from the insoluble compound nickel carbonate

method .......................................................................................................................................
reagent ......................................................................................................................................
word equation ............................................................................................................................

(3 marks)

(b) The soluble salt, lithium sulfate, from the soluble base lithium hydroxide

method .......................................................................................................................................

reagent ......................................................................................................................................

equation .....................................................................................................................................

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 (4 marks)

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3 (a) Extended tier only

Three ways of making salts are

titration using a soluble base or carbonate

neutralisation using an insoluble base or carbonate

precipitation

Complete the following table of salt preparations.

Method Reagent 1 Reagent 2 Salt

Titration ............................. ............................. Sodium nitrate

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

Neutralisation Nitric acid ............................. Copper(II) nitrate

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

Precipitation ............................. ............................. Silver(I) chloride

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

Neutralisation Sulfuric acid Zinc(II) carbonate .............................

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

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 (6 marks)

(b) i) Write an ionic equation with state symbols for the preparation of silver(I) chloride.

[2]

ii) Complete the following equation.

ZnCO3 + H2SO4 → ............... + ............... + ...............

[2]

(4 marks)

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4 (a) Chlorine reacts with phosphorus to form phosphorus trichloride.

Draw a diagram showing the arrangement of the outer electrons in one molecule of the
covalent compound, phosphorus trichloride.

Use x to represent an electron from a phosphorus atom. Use o to represent an electron

(2 marks)

(b) Extended tier only

Phosphorus trichloride reacts with water to form two acids.

i) Balance the equation for this reaction.

PCl3 + .......H2O → .......HCl + H3PO3

[1]

ii) Describe how you could show that phosphorus acid, H3PO3, is a weaker acid than
hydrochloric acid.

[3]

iii) Two salts of phosphorus acid are its sodium salt, which is soluble in water, and its
calcium salt which is insoluble in water. Suggest a method of preparation for each of
these salts from aqueous phosphorus acid. Specify any other reagent needed and briefly
outline the method.

Sodium salt

[2]

Calcium salt

[2]

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 (8 marks)

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5 (a) Oxides are classified as acidic, basic, neutral and amphoteric.

Complete the table.

Type of oxide pH of solution of oxide Example Acidic Basic Neutral

(6 marks)

(b) Extended Only

[1]

ii) Name two reagents that are needed to show that an oxide is amphoteric.

[2]

(3 marks)

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6 Extended tier only

There are three methods of preparing salts.

Method A – use a burette and an indicator.

Method B – mix two solutions and obtain the salt by precipitation.

Method C – add an excess of base or a metal to a dilute acid and remove the excess
by filtration.

For each of the following salt preparations, choose one of the methods A, B or C, name
any additional reagent needed and then write or complete the equation.

i) The soluble salt, zinc sulfate, from the insoluble base, zinc oxide

method ..................................................

reagent ..................................................

word equation ..................................................

[3]

ii) The soluble salt, potassium chloride, from the soluble base, potassium hydroxide

method ..................................................

reagent ..................................................

equation ..................... + ..................... → KCl + H2O

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 [3]

iii)

The insoluble salt, lead(II) iodide, from the soluble salt, lead(II) nitrate

method ..................................................

reagent ..................................................

equation Pb2+ + ..................... → .....................

[4]

(10 marks)

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7 (a) Carbon dioxide is a gas.

Which one of these processes does not produce carbon dioxide?

Tick one box.

the reaction of hydrochloric acid with calcium carbonate

the complete combustion of carbon-containing fuels

the reaction of hydrochloric acid with magnesium

the thermal decomposition of calcium carbonate

(1 mark)

(b) Concentrated sulfuric acid is a dehydrating agent which can chemically remove water
from substances.

Both hydrated copper(II) sulfate crystals and sucrose (a sugar), C12H22O11, can be
completely dehydrated by concentrated sulfuric acid.

Name the solid product formed in each case.

hydrated copper(II) sulfate crystals ________________

sucrose ________________

(2 marks)

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(c) This question is about copper and copper compounds.

Describe how you could prepare a pure sample of crystals of hydrated copper(II) sulfate
using dilute sulfuric acid and an excess of copper(II) oxide.

(3 marks)

8 Extended tier only

Silver chloride, AgCl, is insoluble. It can be made by a precipitation reaction between

What is meant by the term precipitate?

(2 marks)

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Hard Questions
1 (a) Hydriodic acid, HI (aq), is a strong acid. Its salts are iodides.

It has the reactions of a typical strong acid. Complete the following equations.

i) ............Li + ............HI → ........................ + ...................

[1]

ii) Zinc carbonate + hydriodic acid → .................... + .................... + ....................

[1]

iii) MgO + ............HI → ................... + ...................

[1]

(3 marks)

(b) Two of the reactions in (a) are acid / base and one is redox. Which one is redox? Explain
your choice.

(2 marks)

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(c) Describe how you could distinguish between hydriodic, HI (aq), and hydrobromic, HBr
(aq) acids, by bubbling chlorine through these two acids.

Result with hydriodic acid ..................................................................................................

Result with hydrobromic acid .......................................................................................

(2 marks)

(d) 20.0 cm3 of aqueous sodium hydroxide, 2.00 mol / dm3, was placed in a beaker.

The temperature of the alkali was measured and 1.0 cm3 portions of hydriodic acid were
added.

After each addition, the temperature of the mixture was measured. Typical results are
shown on the graph.

NaOH (aq) + HI (aq) → NaI (aq) + H2O (l)

i) Explain why the temperature increases rapidly at first and then stops increasing.

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 [2]

ii) Suggest why the temperature drops after the addition of 18.0 cm3 of acid.

[1]

iii) In another experiment, it was shown that 15.0 cm3 of the acid neutralised 20.0 cm3 of
aqueous sodium hydroxide, 1.00 mol / dm3. Calculate the concentration of the acid.

[2]

(5 marks)

2 The hydroxides of the Group I metals are soluble in water. Most other metal hydroxides
are insoluble in water.

Crystals of lithium chloride can be prepared from lithium hydroxide by titration.

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25.0cm3 of aqueous lithium hydroxide is pipetted into the conical flask.

A few drops of an indicator are added. Dilute hydrochloric acid is added slowly to the
alkali until the indicator just changes colour. The volume of acid needed to neutralise the
lithium hydroxide is noted.

A neutral solution of lithium chloride, which still contains the indicator, is left. Describe
how you could obtain a neutral solution of lithium chloride which does not contain an
indicator.

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 (2 marks)

3 Soluble salts can be made using a base and an acid.

Complete this method of preparing dry crystals of the soluble salt cobalt(II) chloride-6-
water from the insoluble base cobalt(II) carbonate.

Step 1

Add an excess of cobalt(II) carbonate to hot dilute hydrochloric acid.

Step 2

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

Step 3

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

Step 4

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

[4]

(4 marks)

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4 (a) Silver(I) chromate(VI) is an insoluble salt. It is prepared by precipitation. 20 cm3 of
aqueous silver(I) nitrate, concentration 0.2 mol /dm3, was mixed with 20 cm3 of aqueous
potassium chromate(VI), concentration 0.1 mol /dm3. After stirring, the mixture was
filtered. The precipitate was washed several times with distilled water. The precipitate
was then left in a warm oven for several hours.

2AgNO3 (aq) + K2CrO4 (aq) → Ag2CrO4 (s) + 2KNO3 (aq)

What difficulty arises if the name of a compound of a transition element does not include
its oxidation state, for example iron oxide?

(2 marks)

(b) Extended tier only

These questions refer to the preparation of the salt.

i) Why is it necessary to filter the mixture after mixing and stirring?

[1]

ii) What is the purpose of washing the precipitate?

[1]

iii) Why leave the precipitate in a warm oven?

[1]

(3 marks)

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5 (a) Extended tier only

Insoluble salts are made by precipitation.

A preparation of the insoluble salt calcium fluoride is described below.

To 15 cm3 of aqueous calcium chloride, 30 cm3 of aqueous sodium fluoride is added. The
concentration of both solutions is 1.00 mol / dm3. The mixture is filtered and the
precipitate washed with distilled water. Finally, the precipitate is heated in an oven.

i) Complete the equation.

Ca2+ + ..........F- →...............

[2]

ii) Why is the volume of sodium fluoride solution double that of the calcium chloride
solution?

[1]

iii) Why is the mixture washed with distilled water?

[1]

iv) Why is the solid heated?

[1]

(5 marks)

(b) Extended tier only

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The formulae of insoluble compounds can be found by precipitation reactions. To 12.0
cm3 of an aqueous solution of the nitrate of metal T was added 2.0 cm3 of aqueous
sodium phosphate, Na3PO4. The concentration of both solutions was 1.00 mol/ dm3.

When the precipitate had settled, its height was measured.

The experiment was repeated using different volumes of the phosphate solution. The
results are shown on the following graph.

What is the formula of the phosphate of metal T? Give your reasoning.

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 (3 marks)

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