High School Chemistry : High School Chemistry

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for High School Chemistry

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Solutions And Mixtures

What is the molarity of a  solution that contains  of potassium nitrate?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

In order to solve for molarity, we need to know the necessary equation to use. Molarity is given by the moles of solute divided by the liters of solution.

Since we are given the mass of potassium nitrate, we must first convert it into moles before we can solve for the molarity of the solution. Potassium nitrate has the formula . Use this to calculate the molar mass.

Now that we have the number of moles, we can solve for the molarity of the solution using the given volume:

Example Question #1 : Solutions And Mixtures

Which of the following is an example of a mixture?

Possible Answers:

Yeast in the bottom of a bottle of wine

A sugar cube dissolved in a cup of coffee

A glass of warm salt water

A nutrient mix for plants contains dissolved nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium

Correct answer:

Yeast in the bottom of a bottle of wine

Explanation:

A mixture can be filtered or otherwise separated into its individual components. In this case, we could filter out the solid yeast from the bottom of the bottle of liquid wine. However, we could not filter out the salt, sugar, or nutrients since they are chemically mixed into the water, are in the same phase. The the salt water, coffee, and nutrient water are incorrect since these are solutions.

Example Question #2 : Solutions And Mixtures

Which of the following is an example of a solution?

Possible Answers:

A farmhand combining solid fertilizers in a bin

Rice cooking in a pot of water

Lemonade made from dissolving concentrate in water

A chef making a salad out of spinach, walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, and apples

Correct answer:

Lemonade made from dissolving concentrate in water

Explanation:

To identify a solution, look for a homogenous mixture composed of only one phase. Thre rice, salad, and fertilizer are descriptions of mixtures: combinations of materials which can be physically separated. The only option describing a solution is the lemonade solution since the concentrate is dissolved in water, which results in a homogenous mixture. Solutions are both mechanically and chemically combined.

Example Question #2 : Solutions And Mixtures

Which is considered the solute when hydrochloric acid is used to disolve sodium bisulfite?

Possible Answers:

None of these is correct

Hydrochloric acid

Two or more of these are correct

Sodium bisulfite

Correct answer:

Sodium bisulfite

Explanation:

The solvent can be thought of as the substance present in greater amount, or the substance in which the solute is dissolved. Solvents are often liquid. The solute is the substance present in lesser amounts, and is dissolved by the solvent. In this case, the hydrochloric acid is the solvent, because it dissolves the sodium bisulfite. Because it is getting dissolved, the sodium bisulfite is the solute.

Example Question #1 : Identifying Mixtures And Solutions

Which phase label subscript is associated with a soluble compound?

Possible Answers:

(aq)

(l)

(s)

(g)

(r)

Correct answer:

(aq)

Explanation:

If something is soluble, it means it's dissolved in liquid. Generally, the compound associate with the liquid (l) phase label is water; everything else takes the (aq) phase. Note that all these phase labels are written as superscripts after the species they are labeling.

Example Question #1 : Identifying Precipitates

A solution is created by adding all of the following soluble salts to water:

,

Which salt will precipitate out of this solution?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

All of the three salts will dissolve completely in the solution, resulting in all of the ions interacting with one another.

Chloride compounds are generally soluble, but the salt  is one of the notable insoluble chloride salts. When these two ions meet in solution, they will combine and precipitate out of the solution. All the other ion combinations still form soluble compounds except for , which is also insoluble.

Example Question #2 : Identifying Precipitates

What is the precipitate in the following aqueous reaction?

Possible Answers:

There is no precipitate; all compounds are soluble

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The precipitate will be the product that is insoluble in water, so your choices are  or .

Nitrate salts are always soluble in water, as are alkali metal salts such as sodium. Thus, we know that  will fully dissolve.

Halide salts (such as chlorides) are soluble in water, unless they are combined with silver, lead, or mercury. In this case, the silver atom makes the halide salt, , insoluble in water.  is the precipitate.

Example Question #14 : Solutions And Mixtures

What is the precipitate in the following aqueous reaction?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The precipitate will be the product that is insoluble in water. The products in this reaction are  and .

Halide salts (such as chlorides) are soluble in water, unless combined with silver, lead, or mercury. In this case,  is soluble in water.

Sulfate salts are soluble in water, unless combined with silver, calcium, strontium, barium, or lead ions. In this case,  is insoluble and is, therefore, the precipitate.

Example Question #2 : Identifying Precipitates

Which of the following is not an example of a chemical change?

Possible Answers:

A cup of water left in the freezer turned into ice

An iron fence rusted

A wood log gets turned to ashes after burning

A precipitate formed during the mixing of two substances

Bubbles formed after adding a salt to an acid

Correct answer:

A cup of water left in the freezer turned into ice

Explanation:

Water turning to ice is not a chemical reaction, it is a physical reaction. Nothing is changing about the water molecules chemically, they're just going from a liquid state to a solid state. Burning wood is a non-reversible chemical change because the carbon in the wood is reacting with oxygen to create ash and smoke, also, energy in the form of light and heat is released. Rust is formed when iron reacts chemically with oxygen, producing the red-orange color of rust. A gas forming is a good indicator that a chemical reaction has taken place. A precipitate is also a good indicator for a chemical reaction. It may just seem like something is changing states, but the precipitate is not a solid version of one of the reactants, it's the insoluble product formed from the chemical reaction.

Example Question #3 : Identifying Precipitates

Which phase label subscript is associated with an insoluble compound?

Possible Answers:

(g)

(aq)

(l)

(s)

(r)

Correct answer:

(s)

Explanation:

If something is insoluble, it means it cannot be dissolved. The phase label reserved for solids is (s). The other phase labels are: (l) = liquid; (aq) = aqueous; (g) = gas; and the (r) phase label does not exist. Note that all of the phase labels are written as subscripts after the species; for example: .

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