Edexcel GCSE Chemistry

Topic Questions

GCSEChemistryEdexcelTopic Questions2. States of Matter & Mixtures2.1 States of Matter

2.1 States of Matter

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1a4 marks

There are three states of matter, solid, liquid and gas.

The three boxes in Figure 1 show the arrangement of particles in different states.

i)
Under each box write the name of the state of matter shown.

fig-1-q1ai-1cho-1f-specimen-2018

Figure 1

(2)

ii)
A student is given some solid wax.

Use words from the box to name two pieces of equipment that the student should use to convert the solid wax into a liquid.

Bunsen burner                       test tube                                    filter funnel

      burette                                     pipette
(2)

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1b1 mark

Some liquid is left in a warm room.

After a few days no liquid can be seen.

Give the name of the process that has occurred.

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1c3 marks

The freezing point of water is 0°C.

i)
Describe how the movement and arrangement of water particles changes when water is cooled from 10°C to –10°C.
(2)
ii)
What is the structure of water?
(1)
  ☐ A ionic
  ☐ B simple molecular (covalent) 
  ☐ C giant covalent
  ☐ D metallic 

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2a1 mark

The three states of matter are solid, liquid and gas.

What is the name of the change of state when a liquid changes into a solid?

  ☐ A condensation
  ☐ B evaporation
  ☐ C freezing
  ☐ D melting

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2b
Sme Calculator2 marks

A gas was left to cool to form a liquid.

Figure 1 shows how the temperature of the substance changed with time. 

fig-1-q1b-1cho-1f-paper-1-june-2019

Figure 1

From A to B the substance is a gas.
From C to D the substance is a liquid.

i)
State the time when the gas first started to form a liquid. 

(1)

............................ minutes 

ii)
Calculate the number of minutes it took from the gas first starting to form a liquid until the substance was completely liquid.  
(1)

............................ minutes 

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2c2 marks

Figure 2 shows the melting points and boiling points of four substances, W, X, Y and Z. 

substance melting point in °C boiling point in °C
W -220 -188
X -101 -34
Y -7 59
Z 114 184

Figure 2

Using the information in Figure 2

i)
give the letter of the substance that is a solid at 20 °C

(1)
ii)
give the letter of a substance that is a liquid at 50 °C 
(1)

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2d2 marks

The diagrams below show particles in five different structures.
The different circles show different particles. 


Draw one straight line from each substance to its structure. 

fig-1-q1d-1cho-1f-paper-1-june-2019

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3a2 marks

A solid substance is heated at a constant rate and its temperature is taken every minute

Figure 1 shows the results.

edx-2-1e-q3a-heatingcurve

 Figure 1

Use the correct words from the box to complete the sentence:

             horizontal                 gases                 matter                 sloped            

The ……….. lines on the graph show interconversions between the three states of ………….

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3b2 marks

Describe the movement of the particles when the substance is at point A.

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3c1 mark

Name the state the substance is in at point B.

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3d1 mark

Name the interconversion of state happening at line C.

☐ A Boiling
☐ B Condensing
☐ C Freezing
☐ D Sublimation

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4a2 marks

Changes can be physical or chemical.

Draw one straight line from each change to show if it is a physical change or a chemical change.

edx-2-1-easy-q4a-table

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4b1 mark

What changes during a physical change?

☐ A The energy of each particle
☐ B The mass of each particle
☐ C The number of particles
☐ D The size of each particle

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4c3 marks

A student puts some solid wax into a test tube and heats it with a Bunsen burner.

i)
Name the interconversion of state that happens.

[1]

ii)
Describe how the student could reverse this change.

[2]

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4d2 marks

A teacher reacts sodium with chlorine to make the compound sodium chloride.

Are the properties of sodium chloride the same or different to sodium and chlorine?

Give a reason for your answer.

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5a1 mark

Figure 1 shows the interconversions of state.

edx-2-1e-q5a-interconversions-of-stateedx-2-1e-q5a-interconversions-of-state

Figure 1

Name the interconversion shown by X.

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5b1 mark

Complete the sentence:

Freezing point is the same as ……………… point.

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5c2 marks

Gallium is a metal that melts at 30°C.

Describe what happens to the:

i)
Energy of the gallium particles when it melts.

[1]

ii)
Arrangement of the gallium particles when it melts.

[1]

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5d1 mark

A balloon is filled with helium gas.

What is true about the gas particles inside the balloon?

☐ A They have little energy
☐ B They vibrate in fixed positions
☐ C They fall to the bottom of the balloon
☐ D They move in random directions

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1a3 marks

The table gives the melting and boiling points of four pure substances, W, X, Y and Z.

  Melting point in °C Boiling point in °C
W -7 60
X 660 2500
Y 180 1330
Z 115 445

Use data from the table to answer the questions.

i)
Which substance is a gas at 100 °C?

(1)

  ☐ A W
  ☐ B X
  ☐ C Y
  ☐ D Z

ii)
Which substance is a liquid for the largest range of temperature?

(1)

  ☐ A W
  ☐ B X
  ☐ C Y
  ☐ D Z

iii)
Which substance is a liquid at 1000 °C and a gas at 2000 °C?

(1)

  ☐ A W
  ☐ B X
  ☐ C Y
  ☐ D Z

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1b1 mark

Substance Y does not conduct electricity when solid but does conduct electricity when molten.

Give the type of bonding in substance Y.

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1c1 mark

Suggest how the melting point of a pure substance changes when an impurity is added.

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1d4 marks
A mixture containing substance W is purified using the equipment shown in Figure 1.
 
distillation
 
Figure 1
 

Explain how this technique works by referring to the energy and arrangement of the particles during the physical changes that occur.

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2a2 marks

Figure 1 shows how the temperature of a substance that starts off as a gas changes as it is cooled at a constant rate.

edx-2-1h-q1a-cooling-curve

Figure 1

Use Figure 1 to identify:

i)
The melting point of the substance.

[1]

ii)
The boiling point of the substance.

[1]

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2b2 marks

Give the state of the substance at:

i)
0°C

[1]

ii)
120°C

[1]

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2c1 mark

Calculate how long it took for the liquid to completely change into a solid.

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2d3 marks

Describe what happens to the energy, movement and arrangement of particles as a substance condenses.

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3a2 marks

Air is a mixture of gases.

Figure 1 shows the boiling points for the main gases in the air.

Gas Boiling point in °C
Oxygen -183
Argon -186
Nitrogen -196

Figure 1

The gases in air can be separated in an industrial process.

In the first step the air is cooled to turn it into a liquid.

State the minimum temperature needed for this.
Give a reason for your answer.

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3b2 marks

Then, the liquid air is slowly heated to separate the gases.

State how to separate only nitrogen from the liquid air.

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3c2 marks

Nitrogen is a reactant in the Haber process to make ammonia.

The reaction is reversible.
The symbol equation for the reaction is:

2N2 (g) + 3H2 (g) ⇌ 2NH3 (g)

The gaseous ammonia is turned into a liquid as soon as it is made.

Suggest how this is done.

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3d2 marks

Higher Tier Only

Explain why ammonia is turned into a liquid as soon as it is made.

Give your answer in terms of equilibrium.

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4a1 mark

The alkanes are a homologous family of hydrocarbons.

Figure 1 shows information about some of the alkanes.

Alkane Molecular formula Melting point Boiling point (°C)
Ethane C2H6 -183.3 -88.6
Propane C3H8 -187.7 -42.1
Butane C4H10 -138.3 -0.5
Pentane C5H12 -129.7 36.1

Figure 1

Name the alkane that is a liquid at room temperature (20°C).

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4b1 mark

State the empirical formula of butane.

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4c1 mark

Describe the relationship between length of alkane and boiling point.

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4d3 marks

Suggest a reason for this relationship.

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5a3 marks

Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide.

In the box below draw the arrangement of particles in dry ice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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5b1 mark

Solid carbon dioxide changes straight into a gas.
This happens at -78.5°C.

Name this interconversion of state.

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5c1 mark

Compare the energy of the particles in dry ice compared to the particles in gaseous carbon dioxide.

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5d3 marks

A piece of dry ice is added inside an empty balloon.
The neck of the balloon is sealed.

Describe what you would see happening.

Give a reason for your answer.

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1a1 mark

Which of the following substances will be a solid at 20degreeC and will melt when placed in a beaker of hot water at 80degreeC?
 

      melting point in °C boiling point in °C
  ☐ A 122 249
  ☐ B −7 59
  ☐ C 30 2403
  ☐ D −32 27

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1b4 marks

A student set up the apparatus shown in Figure 4 to obtain pure water from sea water by distillation.

fig-4-q5b-1cho-1h-paper-1-june-2018

Figure 4

i)
Explain how the water in sea water separates to produce the pure water in this apparatus.
(2)
ii)
Explain how the apparatus could be improved to increase the amount of pure water collected from the same volume of sea water.
(2)

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1c4 marks

A substance is heated at a constant rate and its temperature is taken every minute.
During the heating, the substance undergoes one change of state.

The results are shown on the graph in Figure 5.

fig-5-q5c-1cho-1h-paper-1-june-2018

Figure 5

Explain the shape of the graph in terms of the changes in the movement and arrangement of the particles as the substance is heated.

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21 mark

Substances exist as solids, liquids or gases.

1-1-q6-image

What change of state occurs at Y? 

  ☐ A melting
  ☐ B freezing
  ☐ C boiling
  ☐ D condensation

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31 mark

Substance Y melts at -101 oC and boils at -35 oC.

What is the state of substance Y at at -110 oC? 

  ☐ A solid
  ☐ B liquid
  ☐ C gas
  ☐ D aqueous

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4a3 marks

If liquid water is cooled below 0°C it turns into the solid, ice.

i)
Give the name for the change of state from liquid to solid.

(1)

ii)

Here are five statements about ice and water.

Place ticks in boxes by the two statements that are correct.

the molecules move faster in water than in ice  
the molecules are more randomly arranged in ice than in water  
the molecules start moving when water becomes ice  
the molecules are arranged regularly in ice but not in water  
the molecules have more energy in ice than in water  

(2)

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4b
Sme Calculator5 marks

Figure 2 shows a label from a bottle of drinking water.

Pure drinking water

Mass of dissolved solids in mg per 1000 cm3
calcium ions                               60
sodium ions                                 2
hydrogencarbonate ions            200
pH of water

pH                                             7

Figure 2

i)
Explain why this drinking water should not be described as pure water.

(2)

ii)
State the information from Figure 2 that shows that the drinking water is neutral.

(1)

iii)

Calculate the mass of calcium ions in 250 cm3 of this drinking water.

(2)

mass = .............................................................. mg

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4c1 mark

State how you know that calcium is a metal from its position in the periodic table.

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51 mark

Solids, liquids and gases have different properties due to the arrangement of their particles.

Which statement is not a property of a liquid?

  ☐ A Particles are close together in a random arrangement
  ☐ B Cannot be compressed as no space between particles
  ☐ C Have a fixed volume but not a fixed shape
  ☐ D Particles have no forces between them and can move in all directions

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61 mark

Substance Z has a melting point of -7 oC and boiling point of 59 oC. 

What is the state of Z at 0 oC and 100 oC?  

      State at 0oC State at 100oC
  ☐ A solid gas
  ☐ B gas liquid
  ☐ C liquid solid
  ☐ D liquid gas

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71 mark

Which of the following is not a chemical change?

  ☐ A Iron railings becoming rusty 
  ☐ B Burning a piece of wood 
  ☐ C Neutralising an acid with alkali
  ☐ D Dissolving salt in water  

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