8 and 18 practice test

2015 PP.
1. (a) The nitrite ion is present in nitrous acid, HNO2, which is a weak acid. The
nitrate ion is present in nitric acid, HNO3, which is a strong acid. Distinguish
between the terms strong and weak acid and state the equations used to show
the dissociation of each acid in aqueous solution.
(3)

(b) A small piece of magnesium ribbon is added to solutions of nitric and nitrous
acid of the same concentration at the same temperature. Describe two
observations that would allow you to distinguish between the two acids.
(2)

(c) A student decided to investigate the reactions of the two acids with separate
–3
samples of 0.20 mol dm sodium hydroxide solution.

(i) Calculate the volume of the sodium hydroxide solution required to

3 –3
react exactly with a 15.0 cm solution of 0.10 mol dm nitric acid.
(1)

(ii) The following hypothesis was suggested by the student: “Since nitrous
acid is a weak acid it will react with a smaller volume of the 0.20 mol
–3
dm sodium hydroxide solution.” Comment on whether or not this is
a valid hypothesis.
(1)

(d) The graph below shows how the conductivity of the two acids changes with
concentration.

Identify Acid 1 and explain your choice.

(2)
(Total 9 marks)
2. (a) Ammonia can be converted into nitric acid, HNO3(aq), and hydrocyanic
acid, HCN(aq). The pKa of hydrocyanic acid is 9.21.

(i) Distinguish between the terms strong and weak acid and state the
equations used to show the dissociation of each acid in aqueous
solution.
(3)

(ii) Deduce the expression for the ionization constant, Ka, of hydrocyanic
acid and calculate its value from the pKa value given.
(2)

+
(iii) Use your answer from part (a) (ii) to calculate the [H ] and the pH of
an aqueous solution of hydrocyanic acid of concentration 0.108 mol
–3
dm . State one assumption made in arriving at your answer.
(4)

(b) A small piece of magnesium ribbon is added to solutions of nitric and

hydrocyanic acid of the same concentration at the same temperature.
Describe two observations that would allow you to distinguish between the
two acids.
(2)

(c) A student decided to investigate the reactions of the two acids with separate
–3
samples of 0.20 mol dm sodium hydroxide solution.

(i) Calculate the volume of the sodium hydroxide solution required to

3 –3
react exactly with a 15.0 cm solution of 0.10 mol dm nitric acid.
(1)

(ii) The following hypothesis was suggested by the student: “Since

hydrocyanic acid is a weak acid it will react with a smaller volume of
–3
the 0.20 mol dm sodium hydroxide solution.” Comment on whether
or not this is a valid hypothesis.
(1)

(iii) Use Table 16 of the Data Booklet to identify a suitable indicator for
the titration of sodium hydroxide and hydrocyanic acid.
(1)
 (d) The graph below shows how the conductivity of the two acids changes with
concentration.

Identify Acid 1 and explain your choice.

(2)
(Total 16 marks)

3. (i) Describe how an indicator works.

(3)

(ii) Using Table 16 of the Data Booklet, identify the most appropriate indicator
for the titration of ethanoic acid with potassium hydroxide. Explain your
choice.
(2)
(Total 5 marks)

3 –3
4. Determine the pH of the solution resulting when 100 cm of 0.50 mol dm
3 –3
HCl(aq) is mixed with 200 cm of 0.10 mol dm NaOH(aq).
(Total 5 marks)

3 –2 –3
5. (i) 25.0 cm of 1.00 × 10 mol dm hydrochloric acid solution is added to 50.0
3
cm of
–2 –3
1.00 × 10 mol dm aqueous ammonia solution. Calculate the
concentrations of both ammonia and ammonium ions in the resulting
solution and hence determine the pH of the solution.
(5)

(ii) State what is meant by a buffer solution and explain how the solution in (i),
which contains ammonium chloride dissolved in aqueous ammonia, can
function as a buffer solution.
(3)
 (Total 8 marks)

–3
6. A 0.10 mol dm ammonia solution is placed in a flask and titrated with a 0.10 mol
–3
dm hydrochloric acid solution.

(i) Explain why the pH of the ammonia solution is less than 13.
(2)

(ii) Estimate the pH at the equivalence point for the titration of hydrochloric acid
with ammonia and explain your reasoning.
(2)

(iii) State the equation for the reaction of ammonia with water and write the Kb
expression for NH3(aq).
(2)

(iv) When half the ammonia has been neutralized (the half-equivalence point),
the pH of the solution is 9.25. Deduce the relationship between [NH3] and
+
[NH4 ] at the half-equivalence point.
(1)

(v) Determine pKb and Kb for ammonia based on the pH at the half-equivalence
point.
(3)

(vi) Describe the significance of the half-equivalence point in terms of its

effectiveness as a buffer.
(1)
(Total 11 marks)

7. An experiment was carried out to determine the concentration of aqueous ammonia

–3
by titrating it with a 0.150 mol dm sulfuric acid solution. It was found that 25.0
3 3
cm of the aqueous ammonia required 20.1 cm of the sulfuric acid solution for
neutralization.

(a) Write the equation for the reaction and calculate the concentration, in mol
–3
dm , of the aqueous ammonia.
(4)

(b) Several acid-base indicators are listed in Table 16 of the Data Booklet.
 Identify one indicator that could be used for this experiment. Explain your
answer.
(3)

–3
(c) (i) Determine the pOH of 0.121 mol dm aqueous ammonia (pKb =
4.75).
(4)

(ii) State what is meant by the term buffer solution, and describe the
composition of an acid buffer solution in general terms.
(3)

3 –3
(iii) Calculate the pH of a mixture of 50.0 cm of 0.100 mol dm aqueous
3 –3
ammonia and 50.0 cm of 0.0500 mol dm hydrochloric acid
solution.
(4)
(Total 18 marks)