Open(ish) Questions

Questions to get you thinking - Not totally open ended but openish
Q1. NASA has recently announced that water has been discovered on Mars.
Using your knowledge of chemistry discuss how we might identify impurities and
confirm the water safety for human consumption.
Q2.
During the recent NASA mission to MARS two colourless liquids were found
which have different boiling points.
Using your knowledge of chemistry comment on possible reasons for this
difference.
Q3.
The Gulf of Mexico oil slick was a major environmental disaster. During the
cleaning up process a variety of techniques were employed.
Using your knowledge of chemistry comment on the properties required for
scientists to design a new chemical cleaning product. (More closed question).
Q4. Flora butter should be stored in a fridge, while the Flora oil can be stored in a
cupboard.
Using your knowledge of chemistry comment on possible reasons for the different
storage conditions.
Q5.
Below are the ingredients for shop bought mayonnaise and home-made
mayonnaise.
Home-made
Hellman’s (shop)
canola oil
Soybean oil
egg yolk
Water
teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Eggs
white wine vinegar
Salt
Dijon mustard
Sugar
salt
Lemon juice
Calcium disodium EDTA(stabilizer)
Natural flavours
Using your knowledge of chemistry comment on the similarities and differences
between the two mayonnaise mixtures.
Q6. The labels have dropped off three bottles which were known to contain glycerol,
castor oil, ethanoic acid.
Use your knowledge of chemistry to comment on how we could identify these
substances.
Q7.Sunscreens can be used to protect the skin from harmful UV rays from the sun.
Skin care experts advise the use of water resistant sunscreens, some of the ingredients
are shown below.
Meroterpene
Caprylic acid ( Coconut oil)
Emulsifier
Use your knowledge of Chemistry to comment on the role of these ingredients.
Q8. Using your knowledge of chemistry choose an industrial process and comment
on how this process is efficient, or could be made more efficient.
Q9. A student was given three unlabelled bottle which had been known to contain
Propan-1-ol, butanone and ethylpropanoate.
Use your knowledge of Chemistry to comment on the procedures which could be
used to identify each liquid. (more closed question/3 mark bonding question).
Q10 A reaction enthalpy can be determined in a variety of ways. Use your
knowledge of Chemistry to comment on this statement.
Q11 A chemist makes a sample of XXXXXX. Using your knowledge of chemistry comment on
how they can test its purity?
12Q Using your knowledge of chemistry, explain how a titration is carried out
and can be used to solve problems.
Q13 Describe using your knowledge of chemistry the factors the chemical engineers would
need to consider when building a plant to produce Z using the equation below
X+ Y  Z ∆H = -
The Contact Process makes sulfur dioxide, sulfur dioxide is
converted into sulfur trioxide (the reversible reaction at the heart of
the process), then the sulfur trioxide converts into concentrated
sulfuric acid.
Possible Responses to Questions
Q1. NASA has recently announced that water has been discovered on Mars.
Using your knowledge of chemistry discuss how we might identify impurities and
confirm the water safety for human consumption.
Answer could includelinks to
pH/ filtration/ distillation/ evaporation/ density/ viscosity/ H-Bonding(bonding types)
and freezing point/ chromatography/ Titration
Candidates may opt for depth of explanation rather than breadth.
Q2.
During the recent NASA mission to MARS two colourless liquids were found
which have different boiling points.
Using your knowledge of chemistry comment on possible reasons for this
difference.
Answer could include formula mass/ types of bonding- linked to properties/ functional
groups/ impurities/ pH/ chromatography/ boiling points/ charged particles.
Q3.
The Gulf of Mexico oil slick was a major environmental disaster. During the
cleaning up process a variety of techniques were employed.
Using your knowledge of chemistry comment on the properties required for
scientists to design a new chemical cleaning product. (More closed question).
Answer could include hydrophobic/ hydrophilic, structures of oil/ density of material/
Oxidation of oils/ emulsifiers/ solubility/ detergents
Q4. Flora butter should be stored in a fridge, while the Flora oil can be stored in a
cupboard.
Using your knowledge of chemistry comment on possible reasons for the different
storage conditions.
Answer could include oxidation of product/ structure of fats and oils/ hydrogenation/
preservatives/ oxidation/ antioxidants/ free radicals/ rates of reaction
Q5.
Below are the ingredients for shop bought mayonnaise and home-made
mayonnaise.
Home-made
Hellman’s (shop)
canola oil
egg yolk
teaspoons fresh lemon juice
white wine vinegar
Dijon mustard
salt
Soybean oil
Water
Eggs
Salt
Sugar
Lemon juice
Calcium disodium EDTA(stabilizer)
Natural flavours
Using your knowledge of chemistry comment on the similarities and differences
between the two mayonnaise mixtures.
Structure of oils; emulsifiers; food flavourings; hydrogen bonding; polarity of
molecules; solubility; proteins; essential amino acids
Q6. The labels have dropped off three bottles which were known to contain glycerol,
castor oil, ethanoic acid.
Use your knowledge of chemistry to comment on how we could identify these
substances.
Answer could include conductivity/ bonding types/ solubility/ polarity of molecules /
pH/ Scent/
Q7.Sunscreens can be used to protect the skin from harmful UV rays from the sun.
Skin care experts advise the use of water resistant sunscreens, some of the ingredients
are shown below.
Meroterpene
Caprylic acid ( Coconut oil)
Emulsifier
Use your knowledge of Chemistry to comment on the role of these ingredients.
Answer could include waterproofing/ UV protection/ Antioxidant/ Free radical
scavengers/ hydrophilic etc
Q8. Using your knowledge of chemistry choose an industrial process and comment
on how this process is efficient, or could be made more efficient.
Answer could include-Haber process, Esterification, contact process, Ostwald
process, hydrogentaion reaction.
May include use of catalysts, atom economy, equilibrium, percentage yield, bond
enthalpy, end/exothermic reaction, energy efficiency, potential energy diagram,
kinetic energy diagrams.
Q9. A student was given three unlabelled bottle which had been known to contain
Propan-1-ol, butanone and ethylpropanoate.
Use your knowledge of Chemistry to comment on the procedures which could be
used to identify each liquid. (more closed question).
Answer could include- structures/bonding types, functional groups, solubility, aroma,
flammability, enthalpy of combustion, oxidation of alcohol, viscosity.