Cambridge Past Paper Questions
Browse 23,045questions from 25 years of O-Level & A-Level exams. Click any question to practice.
Total removal of the pollutant sulfur dioxide, SO₂, is difficult. The quantities emitted from furnace chimneys can be lowered by using desulfurisat...
Which oxide does not react with cold dilute sodium hydroxide to produce a salt?
Which row correctly describes the reaction between propene and bromine, Br₂(l)? [Table with columns: reaction mechanism, organic product]
Use of the Data Booklet is relevant to this question. Which compound has an M_r of 84 and will react with HBr to give a product with an M_r of 164.9?
1,1-dichloropropane reacts with aqueous sodium hydroxide in a series of steps to give propanal. CH₃CH₂CHCl₂ NaOH(aq) CH₃CH₂CHO Which term describes...
Considering only structural isomers, what is the number of alcohols of each type with the formula C₅H₁₂O? [Table with columns: primary, secondary, ...
Lactic acid, CH₃CH(OH)CO₂H, causes pain when it builds up in muscles. Which reagent reacts with both of the –OH groups in lactic acid?
In the hydrolysis of bromoethane by aqueous sodium hydroxide, what is the nature of the attacking group and of the leaving group? [Table with colum...
Corticosterone is a hormone involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins. [Figure showing the chemical structure of corticosterone.] Ho...
Methyl methylpropenoate is the monomer used to make Perspex. Which diagram correctly shows methyl methylpropenoate?
The ester CH₃CH₂CH₂CO₂CH₃ is responsible for the aroma of apples. When this ester is hydrolysed by acid in the stomach, what is the empirical formu...
Which equation correctly represents the balanced equation for the complete combustion of a hydrocarbon with the formula CₓHᵧ?
β-carotene is responsible for the orange colour of carrots. [Figure showing the chemical structure of β-carotene.] β-carotene is oxidised by hot, c...
Use of the Data Booklet is relevant to this question. Which ions contain one or more unpaired electrons? 1 Cu²⁺ 2 Mn³⁺ 3 V³⁺
Use of the Data Booklet is relevant to this question. The bond energy of the Br–O bond is 235 kJ mol⁻¹. Which reactions are exothermic? 1 OH• + HBr...
A reversible reaction is catalysed. Which statements about the effects of the catalyst on this system are correct? 1 The catalyst alters the mechan...
A student borrowed a friend's chemistry notes and copied out the notes in the box below. Which statements are correct? A gas behaves less like an i...
On being heated, hydrogen iodide breaks down more quickly than hydrogen chloride. Which statements explain this faster rate? 1 The HI bond is weake...
Which statements about calcium oxide are correct? 1 It reacts with cold water. 2 It is produced when calcium nitrate is heated. 3 It can be reduced...
Propanal will react with hydrogen cyanide to form 2-hydroxybutanenitrile. A suitable catalyst for this reaction is sodium cyanide. NaCN CH₃CH₂CHO +...
X is an organic compound that gives a precipitate with aqueous silver nitrate. This precipitate remains undissolved when concentrated aqueous ammon...
For which mixtures of reagents are the colour changes described correctly? [Table with columns: reagents, colour change] 1 pentanal + hot, acidifie...
A reaction pathway diagram is shown. [Figure showing a reaction pathway diagram with two humps.] Which reactions would have this profile? 1 (CH₃)₃C...
Which type of bonding is never found in elements?
Arsenic chloride, AsCl3, reacts with sodium borohydride, NaBH4. pAsCl3 + qNaBH4 → rAsH3 + sNaCl + tBCl3 What are the numbers p, q, r, s and t when ...
Three substances have the physical properties shown in the table. substance melting point /°C boiling point /°C conductivity (solid) conductivity (...
Calcium forms an ionic compound with carbon, called calcium carbide. The oxidation number of carbon in calcium carbide is –1. Calcium carbide is re...
Hess' law may be used to determine enthalpy changes using average bond energies, as shown in the diagram. [Figure showing U, V, W for reactants, pr...
The process of electrolysis can be used to purify copper, and to extract aluminium from an aluminium oxide/cryolite mixture. What are the reactions...
Hydrogen can be obtained by reacting methane with steam. CH4(g) + H2O(g) ⇌ CO(g) + 3H2(g) ΔH° = +210 kJ mol-1 Which conditions of pressure and temp...
Nitrogen monoxide reacts with oxygen in a reversible reaction according to the equation shown below. 2NO(g) + O2(g) ⇌ 2NO2(g) The partial pressures...
The decomposition reaction SF6(g) → SF4(g) + F2(g) can be described by the reaction pathway diagram shown. [Figure showing energy profile with X an...
Which row correctly describes what happens when the temperature of a chemical reaction is decreased?
Which property decreases on descending Group II?
Use of the Data Booklet is relevant to this question. The reaction between aluminium powder and anhydrous barium nitrate is used as the propellant ...
Which chloride of a Period 3 element dissolves in water to form a solution with a pH of 7?
Use of the Data Booklet is relevant to this question. Which row correctly compares the electrical conductivity and first ionisation energy of magne...
Use of the Data Booklet is relevant to this question. Brine is concentrated aqueous sodium chloride. In the commercial electrolysis of brine, the p...
A student observed the reactions when sodium chloride and sodium iodide were each reacted separately with concentrated sulfuric acid and with conce...
A white powder is a mixture of sodium chloride and sodium iodide. It is dissolved in water in a test-tube. Excess aqueous silver nitrate is added t...
Use of the Data Booklet is relevant to this question. 4.70 g of an ammonium salt is heated with excess aqueous sodium hydroxide. The volume of ammo...
Which ester is formed when the alcohol CH3CH2OH is reacted with CH3CH2CH2CO2H?
Which compound shows optical isomerism?
Compound Q can be made from propanone. [Figure of compound Q, 4-methylpent-3-en-2-one] Which types of reaction will Q undergo?
The depletion of the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere reduces the Earth's natural protection from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Which compound ...
Compound X has been investigated for use as an artificial sweetener. [Figure of compound X, a glucose derivative with two -Cl and multiple -OH grou...
The compounds below are all produced by plants. Each compound is warmed with acidified potassium dichromate(VI). Which compound will give a differe...
What is the mechanism for the reaction of ethanal, CH3CHO, with hydrogen cyanide, HCN, in the presence of a base?
Menthol and menthone are both found in peppermint oil. [Figure of menthol and menthone] Which statement about these compounds is correct?
What is the skeletal formula of 2-methylpentan-1-ol?