Electrochemistry

Chapter 6

Paper 1
Answer all questions. Each question is followed by four options, A, B, C and D. For
each question, choose one answer only.
1)

Which of the following is an electrolyte?

A Naphthalene
B Lead(II) chloride

2)

C Aluminium
D Hydrogen chloride

Which of the following cells shows iron acting as a positive terminal?

A
C
V
V

Zinc plate

Copper
plate

Dilute sulphuric acid

Dilute sulphuric acid

B

Silver
plate

Lead plate
iron plate

Iron plate

Dilute sulphuric acid

Dilute sulphuric acid

3)

Iron plate

Iron plate

The diagram below shows the apparatus that is used to electroplate iron nail with copper.

What can be observed at the copper plate and the iron nail at the end of the experiment?
Copper plate
Iron nail
A
Thinned
Brown solids are deposited
B
Thickened
Brown solids are deposited
C
Thinned
Gas bubbles are released
D
Gas bubbles are released
Brown solids are deposited
4)

A dilute copper(II) chloride solution is electrolysed using carbon electrodes. Which of the
following occurs at the anode and cathode respectively?
Anode
Cathode
A Copper metal is deposited
Oxygen is released
B Oxygen is released
Copper metal is deposited
C Chloride is released
Oxygen is released
D Oxygen is released
Copper metal is deposited

5)

Sodium sulphate solution is electrolysed using carbon electrodes. What is the product
formed at the cathode and anode respectively?
Cathode
Anode
A Oxygen
Hydrogen
B Sodium
Oxygen
C Hydrogen
Sulphur dioxide
D Hydrogen
Oxygen

6)

Lead(II) iodide solids do not conduct electricity because

A ions are not present
B the ions are not free to move
C lead(II) iodide consists of molecules
D of the strong attraction of the atomic nucleus of the ions

7)

The diagram below shows the apparatus arrangement for the electrolysis of the dilute
lead(II) nitrate solution.

What is formed at the carbon electrode P?

A Lead
B Nitrogen

C Oxygen
D Hydrogen

8)

The diagram below shows a simple voltaic cell.

The voltmeter shows a reading of 1.1 V. What is the possible reading of the voltmeter if
the zinc plate is replaced with a lead plate?
A 0.7 V
C 1.2 V
B 1.1 V
D 2.1 V
9)

The diagram below shows the apparatus set-up that is used in an electrolytic process.

Which of the following is solution X if the ammeter pointer is deflected?

A Glucose solution
C Kerosene
B Ammonia solution
D Ethanol
10)

Electrolysis is carried out on a dilute nitric acid by using platinum electrodes. The gas
that is released at the cathode
A turns lime water cloudy
B lights up a glowing wooden splint
C bleaches a moist red litmus paper
D produces a pop sound with a lighted wooden splint

11)

During the electrolysis of a copper(II) sulphate solution using copper electrodes, the ions
that are attracted to the cathode are
A hydroxide ions
B hydrogen ions
C copper(II) ions
D copper atoms

12)

Which of the following is a cation?

A Hydrogen ion
B Hydroxide ion
C Sulphate ion
D Chloride ion

13)

When a copper plate is placed into dilute hydrochloric acid, no reaction occurs. This is
because
A hydrogen is not a metal
B the mixture needs to be heated
C copper is more electropositive than hydrogen
D hydrogen is more electropositive than copper

14)

Which of the following equations represents the reaction that occurs at the negative
terminal of a mercury cell?
A Pb Pb2+ + 2eB Pb2+ + 2e- Pb
C Zn Zn2+ + 2eD Zn2+ + 2e- Zn

15)

An electrolysis is carried out on solution X using carbon electrodes. If hydrogen is

released at the cathode, which of the following is solution X?
A Copper(II) chloride solution
B Dilute sulphuric acid
C Silver nitrate solution
D Copper(II) sulphate solution

Paper 2
Answer all the questions.
Structured question
The diagram below shows the apparatus set-up that is used to study the electrolysis of dilute
potassium chloride solution.

(a) (i)

What is meant by cation?

__________________________________________________________

(ii)

State the energy change that occurs in the electrolytic process.

__________________________________________________________

(b) (i)
(ii)

Use the words anode and cathode to label the diagram above.
Write the formula of the ions that move to the anode and cathode of the
electrolytic cell in the table below.
Anode

Cathode

(c) State the observation at the anode and cathode of the cell.
_______________________________________________________________

(d) (i)

Name gas X.
__________________________________________________________

(ii)

Give a chemical test to determine and identify gas X.

__________________________________________________________

(iii)

Write a half equation for the formation of gas X.

__________________________________________________________

(e) If 36 cm3 of gas X is collected at the end of experiment, calculate the number of
molecules of gas X that is collected.
[Molar volume = 24 dm3 at room conditions; NA = 6.02 x 1023 mol-1]

(f) State the ratio of the volumes of gas X and gas Y that are collected.
_________________________________________________________________

Essay question
(a) You are given two electrolyte solutions as listed below.

Dilute sodium chloride solution

Concentrated sodium chloride solution

Explain why the product collected at the anode of the cell is different but the product
collected at the cathode of the cell is the same, if both the electrolyte solutions are
electrolysed using carbon electrodes.
(b) A student wants to purify an impure copper plate by the process of electrolysis.
Design an experiment in the laboratory to purify the impure copper plate.
Your answer should include the following:
Materials and apparatus needed
Diagram of the apparatus set-up
Procedure of the experiment
Observation
Chemical equation involved

Paper 3
Answer the question.
A student carried out an experiment to study the potential difference between two
different types of metal. The apparatus set-up that is used in the experiment is shown
below.
Before the experiment

After the experiment

(a) Fill in the table below by stating the observation and inference involved in the
experiment.
Metal plate
Zinc
Iron

Observation

Inference

(b) The student repeated the experiment by replacing the iron metal with copper metal,
aluminium metal and magnesium metal.

Metal pairs

Negative terminal

Positive terminal

Voltage / V

Zinc iron

Zinc

Iron

0.4

Zinc copper

Zinc

Copper

1.1

Zinc aluminium

Aluminium

Zinc

0.8

Zinc magnesium

Magnesium

Zinc

1.4

Complete the table below, based on the above information.

Type of variable
(i) Variables that are manipulated

Action to be taken
(i) Way to change the manipulated variables

(ii) Variables that respond

(ii) How these variables respond

(iii) Variables that are kept constant

(iii) Way to fix the constant variable

(c)

State the hypothesis of the experiment.

(d)

If the experiment is repeated by using lead metal to replace iron metal, predict the
possible reading recorded by the voltmeter.

Answers
Paper 1
1
B
2
C
3
A
4
B
5
D
6
B
7
C
8
A
9
B
10
D

11
12
13
14
15

C
A
D
C
B

Paper 2
Structured question
(a) (i) Positively charged ions
(ii) Electrical energy to chemical energy
(b) (i) Anode: On the left side; Cathode: On the right side
(ii) Anode: Cl- and OH-; Cathode: K+ and H+
(c) Anode: Colourless bubbles are released
Cathode: Colourless bubbles are released
(d) (i) Oxygen
(ii) Insert a glowing wooden splint into the test tube. The wooden splint lights up.
(iii) 4OH- 2H2O + O2 + 4e(e) Number of moles of gas X = 36 = 0.0015 mol
24000
Number of molecule of gas X = 0.0015 x 6.02 x 1023
= 9.03 x 1020 molecules
(f) 1 : 2

Essay question
(a)
Dilute sodium chloride solution
Product collected at
the anode
Explanation

Oxygen

Product collected at
the cathode
Explanation

Hydrogen

- Choice of ion to be discharged is

based on the electrochemical series
- Hydroxide ion is below chloride ion
in the electrochemical series.
Therefore, hydroxide ion is chosen to
be discharged

Concentrated sodium chloride

solution
Chlorine
- Choice of ion to be discharged
is based on the concentration of
the ion
- Chloride ion is more
concentrated than the hydroxide
ion. Therefore, chloride ion is
chosen to be discharged
Hydrogen

- Choice of ion to be discharged is based on the electrochemical series

- Hydrogen ion is lower than sodium ion in the electrochemical series.
Therefore, hydrogen ion is chosen to be discharged

(b) Material: Impure copper plate, pure copper plate, copper(II) sulphate solution
Apparatus: Battery, connecting wires with crocodile clips, ammeter, rheostat, beaker

Procedure:
- Impure copper plate is used as the anode
- Pure copper plate is used as the cathode
- Copper(II) sulphate solution is used as the electrolyte
- The circuit is completed by allowing the electric current to flow through the
electrolyte
Observation:
Anode: Impure copper plate dissolves / is corroded/ is thinned
Cathode: Pure copper plate is thickened / brown solids are deposited

10

Chemical equations:
Anode: Cu Cu2+ + 2eCathode: Cu2+ + 2e- Cu
Paper 3
(a)

(b)
(c)
(d)

Metal plate
Zinc

Observation
Dissolved

Iron

Brown solid is formed

Inference
Zinc loses electron to form
zinc ion
Copper(II) ion receives
electrons to form copper
metal

(i) Metal pairs: Use different pairs of metals

(ii) Voltmeter reading / Voltage value: Voltmeter readings vary
(iii) Zinc electrode: Using the same zinc electrode
The further apart the position of the metal pairs in the electrochemical series, the higher
the voltmeter reading.
Between 0.4 1.1 V

11