HKCEE PAST PAPER 87-94/SECtion 4/LQ/PAGE 1

Section 4 Common Acids and Alkalis

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1988 Q.2(a)

14.80 g of a dibasic acid (H2X) were dissolved in distilled water and made up to 100.0 cm3. The
acid solution was then added, 5.0 cm3 at time, to 50.0 cm3 of 2.0M sodium hydroxide solution in a
polystyrene cup. The resultant solution was stirred and the temperature after each addition of the
acid solution was recorded until a total volume of 75.0 cm3 of acid had been added. The results
obtained are represented by the graph shown below:

(i) Explain why a polystyrene cup was used in this experiment.

(ii) (1) What is meant by the term “dibasic acid”?
(2) Write an equation for the complete neutralization of H2X by sodium hydroxide solution.
(An ionic equation will NOT be accepted.)
(iii) Explain the rise and fall in temperature shown in the graph.
(iv) What was the maximum temperature reached in the graph.
(v) What volume of acid solution was required to neutralize the sodium hydroxide solution in the
polystyrene cup?
(vi) Calculate the concentration (in mol dm-3) of the H2X solution and hence deduce the relative
molecular mass of H2X.
(12 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1988 Q.5(a)

An experiment was carried out to deduce the formula of the sulphate of a certain metal X.
Different volumes of a 0.14M solution of the nitrate of metal X were added to six beakers,
labelled A to F, each containing 50 cm3 of 0.050M sulphuric acid. The precipitate obtained in each
beaker was dried and weighed.

The masses of precipitate and volumes of the nitrate solution are tabulated below:

Beaker A B C D E F
Volume of metal nitrate solution added (cm3) 5 10 15 20 25 30
Mass of precipitate (g) 0.16 0.32 0.48 0.58 0.58 0.58

(Relative atomic masses: H = 1, O = 16, S = 32, metal X = 137)

(i) Why was the precipitate dried before weighed?

(ii) (1) Using graph paper, plot a graph of mass precipitate against volume of nitrate solution
added.
(2) Explain the shape of your graph.
(iii) From your graph, deduce the volume of the metal nitrate solution that would completely
react with 50 cm3 of 0.050M sulphuric acid.
(iv) Calculate the number of moles of sulphate ions present in 50 cm3 of 0.050M sulphuric acid.
 HKCEE PAST PAPER 87-94/SECtion 4/LQ/PAGE 2

(v) Calculate the number of moles of metal ions needed to precipitate all the sulphate ions in the
sulphuric acid.
(vi) Deduce the formula of the precipitate.
(12 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1989 Q.2(a)

Antacid tablets are used to relieve pain caused by excess acid in the stomach. The label (in English
and Chinese) on a brand of antacid, called “Consonant”, is shown in the diagram below:

The following experiment was performed by a student to find out the amount of calcium
carbonate in such a tablet:
Steps:
(1) A tablet was weighed and ground to a powder, and then added to a conical flask containing
some distilled water.
(2) A few drops of methyl orange indicator were added to the flask. Standard hydrochloric acid
was then added from a burette in small portions.
(3) On adding each portion of the acid, the solution in the flask first turned pink and then yellow
upon swirling. Effervescence was also observed.
(4) More acid was added until a permanent pink colour was just observed.

Experiment results: Mass of one tablet = 1.20 g

Volume of the hydrochloric acid used = 15.2 cm3
Concentration of the hydrochloric acid = 1.00M

(i) Explain the meaning of the term “Standard” in step (2).

(ii) In step (3), explain
(1) the colour changes in the solution.
(2) why effervescence was observed.
(iii) In step (4), explain why a permanent pink colour was observed.
(iv) Calculate the percentage by mass of calcium carbonate in one antacid tablet.
(Relative atomic masses: C = 12.0, O = 16.0, Ca = 40.0)
(v) On the label, it was recommended that the tablets should be chewed before swallowing.
Suggest an explanation for this.
(vi) Antacid tablets containing calcium carbonate are seldom used nowadays. Instead magnesium
hydroxide is usually used as the active ingredient. Based on the reactions involved, suggest
one reason why magnesium hydroxide is preferred to calcium carbonate.
(13 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1991 Q.2(a)

A student wished to find out which of the two commercial brands of vinegar, A and B, was the
better buy, i.e. of lower price per gram of ethanoic acid (CH3COOH). The following table listed
some of the information about these two brands:

Brand Price Volume of vinegar Concentration of ethanoic acid

A $3.00 250 cm3 50 g dm-3
B $6.00 500 cm3 UNKNOWN
 HKCEE PAST PAPER 87-94/SECtion 4/LQ/PAGE 3

The student carried out a titration experiment to determine the concentration of ethanoic acid in
Brand B as follows:

25.0 cm3 of vinegar was first diluted to 250.0 cm3 with distilled water. 25.0 cm3 portions of
the diluted solution were then titrated against 0.10M sodium hydroxide solution, using a
suitable indicator, until the end-point was reached.

The following results were obtained:

Titration 1 2 3 4

Burette reading
Final reading (cm3) 25.50 25.70 26.20 25.90
Initial reading (cm3) 0.00 1.00 1.30 1.10

(i) Describe, giving the names of the apparatus used, how 25.0 cm3 of the vinegar should be
diluted to 250.0 cm3.
(ii) Suggest a suitable indicator for this titration and state its colour change at the end-point.
(iii) Based on the titration results, calculate a reasonable average for the volume of the sodium
hydroxide solution used.
(iv) Write the equation for this titration. (Ionic equation will not be accepted.)
(v) Calculate the molarity of ethanoic acid in Brand B.
(vi) Show by calculation which brand of vinegar is the better buy.
(Relative atomic masses: H = 1.0, C = 12.0, O = 16.0)
(13 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1992 Q.1(a)

A student tried to prepare a sample of a solid salt by reacting copper(II) oxide with sulphuric acid
in the laboratory as shown in the diagram below.

The student wrote the following procedure of the experiment in her notebook:
I. Excess copper(II) oxide was added to 50.0 cm3 of 2.0M sulphuric acid in a beaker.
II. The mixture was heated for 2 minutes, and was stirred continuously during this time.
III. The remaining copper(II) oxide was filtered off.
IV. The filtrate was allowed to cool for one day.

(i) Referring to the above diagram, write down TWO aspects that are considered UNSAFE in
the laboratory.
(ii) (1) Name the salt the student tried to prepare.
(2) Calculate the theoretical mass of the salt that can be obtained.
(iii) Explain why the student heated the reaction mixture in step II.
(iv) The student followed exactly the procedure written in her notebook, but did not obtain any
SOLID salt after one day. Suggest an explanation.
(Relative atomic masses: H = 1.0, O = 16.0, S = 32.0, Cu = 63.5)
(8 marks)
 HKCEE PAST PAPER 87-94/SECtion 4/LQ/PAGE 4

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1992 Q.2(c)

1.0 g of calcium carbonate is added to 50.0 cm3 of 0.1M nitric acid. At the end of the reaction,
55.0 cm3 of a certain gas are collected at room temperature and pressure.

(i) Draw a diagram of the set-up suitable for this experiment.

(ii) Calculate the theoretical volume of the gas which would be liberated at room temperature
and pressure.
(iii) Explain any difference between the theoretical volume and the volume of the gas collected.
(Relative atomic masses: C = 12.0, O = 16.0, Ca = 40;
Molar volume of gas at room temperature and pressure = 24.0 dm3)
(6 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1993 Q.1(b)

Liquid wastes discharged from some factories are acidic and need to be neutralized before
discharging into the sea. A certain factory use slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) to neutralize its
liquid waste, which consisted of 0.5M hydrochloric acid, discharging at a rate of 20 dm3 per
minute.

(i) Why are the liquid wastes neutralized before discharging into the sea?
(ii) Write an equation for the reaction between hydrochloric acid and slaked lime.
(iii) Calculate the mass of slaked lime required per minute to neutralize the acid present in the
liquid wastes.
(iv) Although slaked lime is cheaper, factories nowadays use sodium carbonate instead of slaked
lime to neutralize their acidic liquid wastes. Suggest a reason.
(Relative atomic masses: H = 1.0, O = 16.0, Ca = 40.0)
(6 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1993 Q.4(b)

To determine the percentage by mass of calcium carbonate in egg shells, a student added 100 cm3
of 2 M hydrochloric acid to 0.3 g of egg shells in a container. After 30 minutes, all the egg shells
dissolved and 67 cm3 of carbon dioxide were collected at room temperature and pressure.

(i) Write an equation for the reaction between calcium carbonate and hydrochloric acid.
(ii) Calculate the percentage by mass of calcium carbonate in the egg shells.
(iii) The rate of reaction between the egg shells and 2M hydrochloric acid was slow. Suggest
TWO methods to increase the rate of this reaction without using other chemicals. Explain
your answer in each case.
(Relative atomic masses: H = 1.0, C = 12.0, O = 16.0, Ca = 40.0;
Molar volume of gas at room temperature and pressure = 24.0 dm3)
(8 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

<END OF SECTION 4>