A2 LEVEL CHEMISTRY
5.1.3 ACIDS, BASES AND BUFFERS
ASSESSED HOMEWORK
Answer all questions
Max 96 marks
Name …………………………………………………………..
Mark ……../96 ……....% Grade ………
Paddington Academy 1
1. Nitric acid, HNO3, is sold by a chemical supplier as a 65% solution, by mass. As
supplied, each cubic decimetre of this nitric acid has a mass of 1400g.
Calculate the pH of this solution.
pH = ....................................
[Total 3 marks]
2. A student measured the pH of water as 7.0 at 25 °C. The student then warmed
the water to 40 °C and measured the pH as 6.7.
What do these results tell you about the tendency of water to ionise as it gets
warmer?
Explain your reasoning in terms of equilibrium.
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[Total 2 marks]
3. Phenol, C6H5OH, is a powerful disinfectant and antiseptic. Phenol is a weak
Brønsted-Lowry acid.
What is meant by the following terms;
(i) a Brønsted-Lowry acid;
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[1]
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(ii) a weak acid?
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[Total 2 marks]
4. When phenol is mixed with aqueous sodium hydroxide, an acid–base reaction
takes place.
C6H5OH(aq) + OH–(aq) C6H5O–(aq) + H2O(l)
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In the available spaces,
• label one conjugate acid–base pair as acid 1 and base 1,
• label the other conjugate acid–base pair as acid 2 and base 2.
[Total 1 mark]
5. A solution of phenol in water has a concentration of 4.7 g dm –3.
(i) Write an expression for the acid dissociation constant, Ka, of phenol.
[1]
(ii) Calculate the pH of this solution of phenol. (K a of phenol = 1.28 x 10-10
moldm-3)
[5]
Paddington Academy 3
[Total 6 marks]
Paddington Academy 4
6. This question looks at two acids:
• methanoic acid, HCOOH, a weak organic acid;
• nitric acid, HNO3, a strong acid which can also act as a powerful oxidising
agent.
Methanoic acid is a weak BrØnsted-Lowry acid.
Explain what is meant by a weak BrØnsted-Lowry acid.
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[Total 2 marks]
7. Calculate the pH of a 0.025 mol dm–3 solution of methanoic acid. Show your
working.
For HCOOH, Ka = 1.58 x l0–4mol dm–3.
pH = ............................
[Total 3 marks]
8. A student measured the pH of a solution of sodium hydroxide as 13.54 at 25 °C.
Kw = 1.0 × 10–14 mol2 dm–6 at 25 °C.
(i) Write down an expression for the ionic product, Kw, for water.
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[1]
(ii) Calculate the concentration, in mol dm–3, of this solution of sodium
hydroxide.
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[2]
[Total 3 marks]
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9. Methanoic acid, HCOOH, is a weak organic acid which occurs naturally in ants
and stinging nettles.
(a) Use an equation for the dissociation of methanoic acid to show what is
meant by a weak acid.
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[1]
(b) A 1.50 × 10–2 mol dm–3 solution of HCOOH has [H+] = 1.55 × 10–3 mol dm–
3
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(i) Calculate the pH of this solution and give one reason why the pH
scale is a more convenient measurement for measuring acid
concentrations than [H+].
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(ii) Write the expression for Ka for methanoic acid.
[1]
(iii) Calculate the values of Ka and pKa for methanoic acid.
[3]
(iv) Estimate the percentage of HCOOH molecules that have dissociated
in this aqueous solution of methanoic acid.
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[1]
[Total 8 marks]
10. The Ka values for three acids are shown in the table below.
acid Ka / mol dm–3
ethanoic acid CH3COOH 1.70 ×10–5
phenol C6H5OH 1.28 ×10–10
sulphurous acid H2SO3 1.50 ×10–2
(a) What information is provided by Ka values?
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[1]
(b) When sulphurous acid and ethanoic acid are mixed together, an acid-base
reaction takes place.
H2SO3(aq) + CH3COOH(aq) HSO3–(aq) + CH3COOH2+(aq)
....................... ....................... ....................... ......................
(i) In the spaces above
• label one conjugate acid-base pair as acid 1 and base 1,
• label the other conjugate acid-base pair as acid 2 and base 2.
[2]
(ii) Predict and explain the acid-base reaction that would take place if
ethanoic acid were mixed with phenol. Include an equation in your
answer.
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[2]
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(c) The pH value of 0.0450 mol dm–3 hydrochloric acid is different from that of
0.0450 mol dm–3 ethanoic acid.
Calculate the pH values of these two acids. Show all your working.
[5]
[Total 10 marks]
11. When nitric acid is added to methanoic acid, the acid-base equilibrium below is
set up.
HNO3 + HCOOH NO3– + HCOOH2+
Use this equilibrium to explain what is meant by the term conjugate acid-base
pairs.
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[Total 3 marks]
Paddington Academy 10
12. Hydroiodic acid, HI(aq), is a strong acid that is an aqueous solution of hydrogen
iodide.
In the laboratory, hydroiodic acid can be prepared by the method below.
A mixture of 480 g of iodine and 600 cm3 of water was put into a flask.
The mixture was stirred and hydrogen sulphide gas, H 2S(g), was
bubbled through for several hours.
The mixture became yellow as sulphur separated out. The sulphur
was filtered off and the solution was purified by fractional distillation. A
fraction of HI(aq) was collected containing 440 g of HI in a total
volume of 750 cm3.
(i) Construct a balanced equation, with state symbols, for the preparation of
hydroiodic acid.
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[2]
(ii) Determine the percentage yield of hydroiodic acid.
[3]
(iii) Calculate the pH of the hydroiodic acid fraction.
[2]
[Total 7 marks]
Paddington Academy 11
13. Methanoic acid is a component of a buffer solution used in shampoos. The
buffer solution can be made by mixing methanoic acid with another chemical.
(i) State what is meant by a buffer solution.
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[1]
(ii) Suggest a chemical that could be added to methanoic acid to prepare a
buffer solution. Explain your answer.
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(iii) What factors determine the pH of a buffer solution?
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[Total 5 marks]
14. Hexylresorcinol is an antiseptic used in solutions for cleansing wounds and in
mouthwashes and throat lozenges.
The structure of hexylresorcinol is shown below.
OH
OH
C H 2 (C H 2 ) 4 C H 3
Identify a compound that could be added to hexylresorcinol to make a buffer
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solution.
Explain your answer.
[Total 2 marks]
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15. When dilute, nitric acid behaves as a typical acid.
Write an equation for the reaction of nitric acid with limestone.
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[Total 2 marks]
16. An excess of magnesium was added to 100 cm3 of 0.0450 mol dm–3
hydrochloric acid.
The same mass of magnesium was added to 100 cm 3 of 0.0450 mol dm–3
ethanoic acid.
Both reactions produced 54 cm3 of hydrogen gas, measured at room
temperature and pressure, but the reaction with ethanoic acid took much longer
to produce this gas volume.
Explain why the reactions produced the same volume of a gas but at different
rates.
Use equations in your answer.
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[Total 4 marks]
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17. ‘Superphosphate’ fertilisers contain calcium dihydrogenphosphate, Ca(H 2PO4)2.
This compound is one of the world's most important fertilisers. When dissolved
in water, Ca(H2PO4)2 dissociates forming H2PO4– ions which are easily taken up
by plants.
(a) Calcium dihydrogenphosphate, Ca(H2PO4)2, is produced by treating rock
phosphate, containing Ca3(PO4)2, with sulphuric acid, H2SO4.
Write a balanced equation for this reaction.
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[1]
(b) Aqueous H2PO4– ions can act as a weak acid.
Write an equation to represent the dissociation of the H 2PO4– ion.
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(c) The H2PO4– ion can act as either an acid or a base.
(i) State the formula of the conjugate base of H2PO4–.
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(ii) State the formula of the conjugate acid of H2PO4–.
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(iii) A solution of calcium dihydrogenphosphate, Ca(H 2PO4)2, in water
acts as a buffer solution.
Suggest, with the aid of equations, how this buffering action takes
place.
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[3]
[Total 7 marks]
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18. Chocolate mousse contains gelatine and a compound to promote fast setting of
the mousse.
Compound A is such a setting agent. It has two acidic hydrogen atoms per
molecule and is one of the six acids listed below.
oxalic acid HOOCCOOH
malonic acid HOOCCH2COOH
succinic acid HOOC(CH2)2COOH
glutaric acid HOOC(CH2)3COOH
adipic acid HOOC(CH2)4COOH
pimelic acid HOOC(CH2)5COOH
The student analysed a sample of compound A by titration.
The student dissolved 2.82 g of compound A in water and made the solution up
to 250 cm3 in a volumetric flask. He titrated 25.0 cm 3 of this solution with 0.175
mol dm–3 NaOH.
22.05 cm3 of NaOH were required for complete neutralisation.
Use the results of the student’s analysis to identify compound A from the list
above.
Show all of your working.
[Total 5 marks]
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19. A student analysed an unsaturated carboxylic acid, A, using a titration
procedure.
The student dissolved 2.580 g of the compound in water and made the solution
up to 250.0cm3. The student titrated 25.0 cm3 of this solution with 0.1263mol
dm–3 NaOH. The volume of NaOH(aq) required to reach the end point was
23.75cm3.
Each molecule of A has one acidic hydrogen atom and A behaves as a
monoprotic (or monobasic) acid.
• Calculate the molar mass of the unsaturated carboxylic acid.
• Determine the molecular formula and possible displayed or skeletal
formulae of the carboxylic acid.
[Total 8 marks]
Paddington Academy 20
20. This question looks at different compounds used in medicine.
(a) Nitrous oxide, N2O, is the gas used as a general anaesthetic.
(i) What is the oxidation number of nitrogen in nitrous oxide?
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[1]
(ii) Suggest a ‘dot-and-cross’ diagram for nitrous oxide. Show outer
electrons only.
The sequence of atoms in a nitrous oxide molecule is N N O.
[1]
(b) The structure of the painkiller ibuprofen is shown below.
OH
(i) Determine the molecular formula of ibuprofen.
[1]
(ii) Suggest a chemical that would react with a solution of ibuprofen to
produce a gas.
Name the gas produced and write a balanced equation for the
reaction.
chemical ...............................................................................................
gas .......................................................................................................
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equation
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[2]
(c) Lidocaine, C13H20N2O2, is used as a local anaesthetic in dentistry.
Lidocaine is administered by syringe as a solution containing 100 mg in
5.00 cm3.
Calculate the concentration, in mol dm–3, of lidocaine in the syringe.
concentration = ......................mol dm–3
[3]
(d) Eugenol is used as a painkiller in dentistry. It is an organic compound of C,
H
and O.
A sample of 1.394 g of eugenol was analysed by burning in oxygen to form
3.74 g of CO2 and 0.918 g of H2O. The relative molecular mass of eugenol
was shown to be 164 using a mass spectrometer.
Calculate the molecular formula of eugenol.
[5]
[Total 13 marks]
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