BLANTYRE RURAL DISTRICT EXAMINATIONS

2024 MALAWI SCHOOL CERTIFICATE MOCK EXAMINATIONS

CHEMISTRY

Time Allowed: 2 hours

08:00 – 10:00 am
PAPER I
Theory
(100 marks)

Instructions:
1. This paper contains 11 printed pages. Please check. Question Tick if Do not write in
2. Write your name at the top of each page. Number answered these columns
3. This paper contains two sections, A and B. In section A there 1
are ten short answer questions while in Section B there are 2
three restricted essay questions. 3
4. Answer all the thirteen questions in the spaces provided. 4
5. Use of a calculator is allowed. 5
6. The maximum number of marks for each answer is indicated 6
against each question. 7
7. In the table provided on this page, tick against the number of 8
the question you have answered. 9
10
11
12
13
14
15

Page 1 of 10
 Section A (70 marks)
1. a. Define an acid according to Lowry-Bronsted theory.
________________________________________________________________________________(1mark)
b. Complete the equation by writing the conjugate acid-base
H2SO4 + NH3 _____________ + ___________ (2marks)
c. Explain how hydronium ion is produced
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________(2 mark)
d. State one difference between strong acid and weak acid.
____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________(1 mark)
2. a. Define temporally water hardness.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________ (1 mark)
b. Explain the disadvantage of disposing wastes in landfills.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________(2 marks)
c. Give one chemical property of acidic oxide.
___________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________(1 mark)

d. Describe how the presence of a catalyst increases rate of chemical

reaction?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________(2 marks)

3. a. Define “hydrocarbon”
___________________________________________________________________________ (1 mark)
b. Figure below shows formulae of some organic compounds A, B, C, D, E, F

C3H7OH C5H10 C2H5COOH C9H20 C2H5CHO C5H10O

A B C D E F
(i). Which compounds are hydrocarbons
_____________________________________________________________________ (2 marks)
(ii). Name compound C and F
C__________________________________________________________________________ (1 mark)
F__________________________________________________________________________ (1 mark)
(iii). Draw the structure of compound E

Page 2 of 10
 (2 marks)

(iv). Using relevant equations, explain how E is prepared from an alkanol through oxidation process
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________ (3 marks)

(v). Describe a test which could be done to distinguish compound A from C

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________ (2 marks)

vii. Draw the structures of the two isomers of Hexanone (C6H12O)

(2 marks)
4. Figure 1 shows a graph of volume of hydrogen gas collected against time for the reaction between
magnesium ribbon and an acid.

Page 3 of 10
 Figure 1
a. In which region along the graph (P, Q or R) is the rate of reaction fastest?

_________________________________________________________________________________ (1 mark)
b. Give a reason for your answer to 4 (a) above.
_________________________________________________________________________________ (2 marks)
5. (a). Molten lead bromide ( PbBr2) undergoes electrolysis. Write down the equations occurring at the:
(i) anode ________________________________________________________________________ ( 2 marks)
(ii) cathode _______________________________________________________________________ ( 2 marks)
(iii) Overall balanced equation
______________________________________________________________________________ (2 marks)

6. In an experiment to investigate changing mass of the reactants with time, a student mixed 2g of small
marble chips and 40cm3 of 2.0M hydrochloric acid
HCl +CaCO3 CaCl +H2O +CO2
The following results were obtained

Loss in mass (g) 0.10 0.15 0.18 0.2 0.2

Time (s) 20 40 60 80 100
a) Use data in table above, to plot a graph of loss of mass against time. (4 marks)

Page 4 of 10
 b. On your graph sketch the time you would expect if the experiment were repeated with 40cm3 of 0.5 M
hydrochloric acid (1 marks)
c. Explain your answer in 10b.
__________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________ (2 marks)

7. a. State three uses of phosphorus

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________ (3 marks)

b. (i). State any two conditions necessary for rusting to take place
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________ (1 mark)
(ii). How does galvanizing iron sheets prevent them from rusting.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________ (2 marks )

8. Table 1 shows results of an experiment on displacement reactions involving copper (Cu), Magnesium (Mg),
Zinc and their aqueous solutions

Page 5 of 10
 Reaction Observations
Cu(s) + MgSO4(aq) No reaction
Mg(s) + CuSO4(aq) Fast reaction
Zn(s) + CuSO4(aq) Slow reaction
Mg(s) + ZnCl2(aq) Moderate reaction
Zn(s) + MgSO4(aq) No reaction

(i).Write a balanced chemical equation for the reaction between magnesium (Mg) and Copper sulphate
(CuSO4) solution ________________________________________________________________ (1 mark)
(ii). Arrange the metals in order of increasing reactivity

(2 marks)
(iii). Name the oxidizing agent and the reducing agent in the question 6b (i)
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________ (2 marks)
9. The diagrams in figure 2 represent the bonding structures of two substances X and Y.

FIGURE 1

(i) Name the following substances.

X_______________________________Y_________________________________ (2 marks)
(ii) Which substance is the hardest between X and Y?
__________________________________________________________________________________ (1 marks)
(iii) Suggest one reason for your answer to (ii) above.
Page 6 of 10
__________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________ (1 marks)
10. a. What are biodegradable wastes?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________ (1 mark)

b. Describe how the presence of Sulphur dioxide (SO2) can be tested using
Potassium dichromate (VI) paper.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________ (2 marks)
11. a. Define molar gas volume.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________(1 mark)
b. Calculate the volume occupied by 47.6g of ammonia gas (NH3) gas
at r.t.p.? (RAM, N = 14; H = 1 and Molar gas volume r.t.p is (22.4dm3).

(3 marks)
12. a. Figure 3 is a diagram for Plastics.

Figure 3
i. Name the type of plastic labelled.
X.___________________________________________________________________________ (1 mark)

Page 7 of 10
 Y.____________________________________________________________________________ (1 mark)

ii. State one difference between plastic X and plastic Y.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________ (1 mark)
13. If 12g of sodium hydroxide is dissolved in 100mL of water, what would be the concentration in mol/L of the
solution? [RAM: Na = 23, O = 16, H = 1]

(3 marks)

Section B (30 marks)

Answer all the three questions in this section.
14. Describe how nitric acid is produced using Ostwald process. In your answer include relevant chemical
equations.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Page 8 of 10
 _______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________(10 marks)
15. a. Describe how Fehling’s test can be used to distinguish alkanals from alkanones.

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________(5 marks)

b. Describe a test that can be done to distinguish carbon dioxide gas (CO2) from hydrogen gas (H2)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________(5 marks)

13.a. Describe the functions of the three pipes during the extraction of Sulphur.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________ (6 marks)

Page 9 of 10
b. Describe how electroplating is used in metal extraction
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________ (4 marks)

End of Question Paper

Page 10 of 10