CIE AS Chemistry

Topic Questions

Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2020

Last exams 2024

|

4.1 Analytical Techniques

11 mark

Which of the following corresponds to the base peak in a mass spectrum?

  • The peak corresponding to the ion with lowest m/e.

  • The peak corresponding to the molecular ion.

  • The peak corresponding to any ion formed by the fragmentation of the molecule.

  • The peak corresponding to the most abundant ion.

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21 mark

The diagram shows the structure of ricinoleic acid.

4-1-e-2

Which fragment would produce the tallest peak in the mass spectrum of ricinoleic acid at m/e = 55?

  • CH2CO2+

  • CH═CHCHOH+

  • C4H7+

  • COOH+

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31 mark

In a mass spectrometer, the ions are separated.

Which of the following species will be deflected to the greatest extent?

  • 37Na+

  • 35Na+

  • 37Na

  • 35Na2+

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41 mark

Which of the following statements about propanal, CH3CH2CHO, and propanone, CH3COCH3 is not correct?

The compounds have:

  • Molecular ion peaks at different mass to charge ratios.

  • Different fragmentation patterns in the mass spectrum.

  • Absorption in the infrared spectrum due to the carbonyl group.

  • A different fingerprint region in the infrared spectrum.

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51 mark

A sample of silicon contains the following isotopes

Isotope

Percentage abundance

28Si

81.21

29Si

14.10

30Si

4.69

What is the relative atomic mass of silicon in this sample, to 1dp?

  • 29.8

  • 29.0

  • 28.2

  • 28.0

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61 mark

Chlorine exists as two isotopes with mass numbers 35 and 37. A sample of chlorine contains 75.3% of chlorine-35 atoms.

What is the relative atomic mass of chlorine in this sample, to 2dp?

  • 35.16

  • 36.00

  • 35.49

  • 35.00

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71 mark

A sample of neon contains the following isotopes

Isotope

Percentage abundance

20Ne

90.92

21Ne

0.26

22Ne

8.82

What is the relative atomic mass of neon in this sample, to 2dp?

  • 21.00

  • 20.18

  • 20.09

  • 20.00

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81 mark

Nitrogen trichloride has the formula NCl3, a sample was found to contain only nitrogen atoms with mass number 14, and chlorine atoms with mass numbers 35 and 37.

Which of the following ions and mass/charge ratio for the ions responsible for the molecular ion peaks in the mass spectrum of nitrogen trichloride is incorrect?

 

Ion

m/e

A

N(35Cl)3+

119

B

N(35Cl)237Cl+

121

C

N35Cl(37Cl)2+

123

D

N(37Cl)2+

125

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91 mark

The mass spectrum of silicon is shown below.

4-1-e-9

What is the best estimate for the relative atomic mass of silicon in this sample?

  • 29.0

  • 28.8

  • 28.3

  • 28.0

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101 mark

Which of the following cannot be obtained from an infrared spectrum?

  • The molecular mass

  • The presence of C=O bonds

  • The presence of O-H bonds

  • The identity of a compound through comparison with other spectra

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11 mark

Data from the mass spectrum of a sample of pure iron is shown in the table below.

m/e

Relative peak height

28

0.1

54

6.3

56

100.0

57

2.4

58

0.3

Which species is most likely to cause the peak at m/e = 28?

  • 84Sr3+

  • 28Si+

  • 56Fe2+

  • 28Fe+

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21 mark

Two stable isotopes of bromine have relative masses of 79 and 81. 

Which is the correct pattern of peaks in the mass spectrum of molecular bromine?

  • b0gDg7dh_4-1-h-2a

  • 4-1-h-2b

  • 4-1-h-2c

  • 4-1-h-2d

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31 mark

The mass spectra of three compounds A, B and C are shown below.

4-1-h-3a

4-1-h-3b

4-1-h-3c

Which of the following features of the three compounds A, B and C shows the molecular formula is C4H10O?

  • All show a molecular ion peak at 74

  • All show a molecular ion peak at 13

  • All show a molecular ion peak at 73

  • All show a molecular ion peak at 33

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41 mark

The infrared spectrum below shows an unknown compound.

4-1-h-4

 

Bond

Wavenumber range / cm-1

C−O; hydroxyl, ester

1040 – 1300

C═C; aromatic compound, alkene

1500 - 1680

C═O amide

carbonyl, carboxyl

ester

1640 – 1690

1670 – 1740 

1710 - 1750

C≡N; nitrile

2200 – 2250

C−H; alkane

2850 – 2950

N−H; amine, amide

3300 – 3500

O−H; carboxyl

hydroxyl

2500 – 3000

3200 - 3600

Which compound could have produced the infrared spectrum?

  • 4-1-h-4a

  • 4-1-h-4b

  • 4-1-h-4c

  • 4-1-h-4d

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51 mark

The diagram shows an infrared spectrum of a compound.

4-1-h-5

Bond

Wavenumber range / cm-1

C−O; hydroxyl, ester

1040 – 1300

C═C; aromatic compound, alkene

1500 - 1680

C═O amide

carbonyl, carboxyl

ester

1640 – 1690

1670 – 1740 

1710 - 1750

C≡N; nitrile

2200 – 2250

C−H; alkane

2850 – 2950

N−H; amine, amide

3300 – 3500

O−H; carboxyl

hydroxyl

2500 – 3000

3200 - 3600

Which compound would give this spectrum?

  • Butanoic acid

  • Butanal

  • Butan-1-ol

  • 1-bromobutane

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61 mark

Which of the following infrared spectra could show a carboxylic acid?

Bond

Wavenumber range / cm-1

C−O; hydroxyl, ester

1040 – 1300

C═C; aromatic compound, alkene

1500 - 1680

C═O amide

carbonyl, carboxyl

ester

1640 – 1690

1670 – 1740 

1710 - 1750

C≡N; nitrile

2200 – 2250

C−H; alkane

2850 – 2950

N−H; amine, amide

3300 – 3500

O−H; carboxyl

hydroxyl

2500 – 3000

3200 - 3600

  • 4-1-h-6a

  • 4-1-h-6b

  • 4-1-h-6c

  • 4-1-h-6d

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71 mark

Chlorine exists as two isotopes 35Cl and 37Cl in the ratio 3:1.

Which of the following statements about the molecular ion peaks in the mass spectrum of Cl2 is correct?

  • Peaks at m/e = 70 and 72 in the ratio 3:1

  • Peaks at m/e = 70, 72 and 74 in the ratio 9:3:1

  • Peaks at m/e = 70, 72 and 74 in the ratio 9:6:1

  • Peaks at m/e = 70 and 74 in the ratio 3:1

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81 mark

A compound XFn is a fluoride of another halogen, X, and it is known that n > 1. The highest mass peak in the spectrum of XFn is assigned to the parent ion and comes as single peak at m/e = 222. 

Which of the following statements is incorrect?

  • n = 5

  • The compound could contain bromine

  • X and F are monotopic

  • The compound is a fluoride of iodine

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91 mark

In the mass spectrum of trifluoroacetic acid, CF3CO2H, intense peaks are observed at m/e = 69 and 45 (base peak) in addition to other peaks. 

The peak at m/e = 69 is accompanied by a peak at m/e = 70, which is about 1.1% the intensity of the peak at m/e = 69. 

Which of the following statements is not supported by this information?

  • C−C bond cleavage occurs

  • Fluorine is monotopic

  • [HO2C]+ is a fragment ion

  • CF3CO2H fragments by sequential loss of F atoms

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101 mark

A sample is analysed by mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy. The following incomplete data is obtained.

Mass spectrometry

Infrared spectroscopy

Molecular ion peak at m/e = 128

Sharp peak at 1720 cm-1

Fragment ion peak at m/e = 15

No broad peak around 3200 cm-1

Which of the following compounds is demonstrated by this data?

Bond

Wavenumber range / cm-1

C−O; hydroxyl, ester

1040 – 1300

C═C; aromatic compound, alkene

1500 - 1680

C═O amide

carbonyl, carboxyl

ester

1640 – 1690

1670 – 1740 

1710 - 1750

C≡N; nitrile

2200 – 2250

C−H; alkane

2850 – 2950

N−H; amine, amide

3300 – 3500

O−H; carboxyl

hydroxyl

2500 – 3000

3200 - 3600

  • 4-1-h-10a

  • 4-1-h-10b

  • 4-1-h-10c

  • 4-1-h-10d

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11 mark

Which alcohol is not likely to have a fragment ion at m/e at 43 in its mass spectrum?

  • (CH3)2CHCH2OH

  • CH3CH(OH)CH2CH2CH3

  • CH3CH2CH2CH2OH

  • CH3CH2CH(OH)CH3

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21 mark

Which of the compounds below is not likely to have a fragment ion at m/e = 43 in its mass spectrum?

  • 4-1-m-2a

  • 4-1-m-2b

  • 4-1-m-2c

  • 4-1-m-2d

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31 mark

Assuming that chlorine has only two isotopes and hydrogen and carbon as one, how many molecular ion peaks will be shown in the mass spectrum of C4H6Cl4?

  • 5

  • 4

  • 3

  • 2

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41 mark

Bromine exists as two isotopes 79Br and 81Br, which are found in almost equal abundance.

Which of the following statements is correct?

  • 79Br is more reactive than 81Br.

  • The mass spectrum of C3H7Br has two molecular ion peaks at 122 and 124.

  • The atomic radius of 79Br is less than the atomic radius of 81Br.

  • The first ionisation energy of 79Br is less than the first ionisation energy of 81Br.

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51 mark

Which alcohol is likely to have a fragment ion at m/e = 31 in its mass spectrum?

  • (CH3)2CHCH2OH

  • CH3CH(OH)CH2CH2CH3

  • CH3CH2CH2C(OH)(CH3)2

  • CH3CH2CH(OH)CH3

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61 mark

Which pair of compounds would you expect to both have a singly charged peak at m/e = 29 in the mass spectrum?

  • Propan-1-ol and propanal

  • Propanal and propanone

  • Propan-2-ol and propanal

  • Propan-1-ol and propan-2-ol

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71 mark

The infrared spectrum of a compound is shown below.

4-1-m-7

Use the infrared absorptions, in wavenumbers, to identify the compound.

Bond

Wavenumber range / cm-1

O−H (alcohol)

3750 – 3200

C−H (alkane)

2962 – 2853

C−H (aldehyde)

2900 – 2820 and 2775 – 2700

C═O (aldehyde or ketone)

1740 - 1680

Which compound is shown by the infrared spectrum?

  • Propan-1-ol

  • Propan-2-ol

  • Propanal

  • Propanone

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81 mark

Which of the ketones listed would not be expected to have a peak in its mass spectrum at m/e = 57?

  • Hexan-3-one, CH3CH2CH2COCH2CH3

  • Pentan-3-one, CH3CH2COCH2CH3

  • 3-methylbutanone, (CH3)2CHCOCH3

  • Butanone, CH3CH2COCH3

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91 mark

Chlorine has two isotopes, 35Cl and 37Cl

What is the number of molecular ion peaks in the mass spectrum of a sample of Cl2?

  • 5

  • 4

  • 3

  • 2

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101 mark

Which of the following statements about the mass spectrum of CH3Br is correct?

  • There is one peak for the molecular ion with an m/e value of 44.

  • There is one peak for the molecular ion with an m/e value of 95.

  • The last two peaks have abundances in the ratio 3:1 and occur at m/e values of 94 and 96.

  • The last two peaks are of equal size and occur at m/e values of 94 and 96.

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