plumiPreparing inorganic and organic compounds: Edexcel International A Level Chemistry questions
Edexcel International A Level Chemistry past-paper questions on P.1.8 Preparing inorganic and organic compounds, 2019–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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All 50 questions on Preparing inorganic and organic compounds, as a list
- June 2025, AS Unit 3, Q4(b) (2 marks): State the purpose of both the anhydrous calcium chloride and the ceramic wool in the combustion tube. (2)
- June 2025, AS Unit 3, Q4(c) (1 mark): Give the reason why the iron wool must not be heated until about half a minute after the reaction to produce chlorine has begun. (1)
- June 2025, AS Unit 3, Q4(d) (1 mark): State the purpose of the sodium hydroxide. (1)
- June 2025, Unit 6, Q4(a) (1 mark): State the main safety precaution, other than wearing safety spectacles and a laboratory coat, that should be taken when weighing the phenol in Step 1. (1)
- June 2025, Unit 6, Q4(b) (1 mark): Give one reason why Step 2 must be performed in a fume cupboard. (1)
- June 2025, Unit 6, Q4(d) (2 marks): Give two reasons why the crude product is washed with water in Step 3. (2)
- January 2024, AS Unit 1, Q20(e)(iv) (1 mark): State how the magnesium sulfate solution could be separated from the mixture produced in this experiment. (1)
- January 2024, Unit 6, Q4(a) (2 marks): The use of phenylammonium chloride is preferred to the use of phenylamine in this preparation. Compound State at room temperature Hazard symbols phenylamine liq
- January 2024, Unit 6, Q4(c)(i) (2 marks): The filter paper used should fit in the funnel and lie flat on the base of the Büchner funnel rather than curl up the sides of the funnel. correct incorrect Exp
- January 2023, Unit 6, Q4(a) (2 marks): Give two reasons why it is often necessary to heat a reaction under reflux as in Step 3. (2)
- January 2022, AS Unit 3, Q4(a)(i) (2 marks): Explain the purpose of the anhydrous calcium chloride. (2)
- January 2022, AS Unit 3, Q4(a)(ii) (1 mark): Give the reason why granules of anhydrous calcium chloride are used rather than powder. (1)
- January 2022, AS Unit 3, Q4(b)(ii) (1 mark): Give a reason why the concentrated hydrochloric acid is added ‘drop by drop’ to the pear‑shaped flask. (1)
- January 2022, AS Unit 3, Q4(c) (1 mark): Suggest why the heating of the aluminium in Step 3 is delayed by 20 s after the initial production of chlorine gas. (1)
- January 2022, AS Unit 3, Q4(d) (1 mark): State how you would know the reaction is complete in Step 3. (1)
- January 2022, AS Unit 3, Q4(e) (1 mark): Suggest the purpose of the potassium hydroxide in the absorption tube. (1)
- June 2021, AS Unit 3, Q4(b)(i) (1 mark): State what must be added to the mixture in the flask before heating in Step 2. (1)
- June 2021, AS Unit 3, Q4(b)(ii) (3 marks): Draw a labelled diagram of the apparatus that you would use to heat the mixture under reflux in Step 2. (3)
- June 2021, AS Unit 3, Q4(c)(i) (1 mark): State why sodium hydrogencarbonate solution is added in Step 4. (1)
- June 2021, AS Unit 3, Q4(c)(ii) (2 marks): Addition of sodium hydrogencarbonate solution in Step 4 causes vigorous effervescence. Explain how the problem associated with Step 4 should be dealt with. (2)
- June 2021, AS Unit 3, Q4(c)(iii) (1 mark): Give the purpose of the anhydrous calcium chloride used in Step 5. (1)
- June 2021, AS Unit 3, Q4(c)(iv) (1 mark): State how the appearance of the organic liquid would change in Step 5. (1)
- June 2021, AS Unit 3, Q4(d) (1 mark): For the final distillation in Step 6, a thermometer with a scale giving readings to the nearest 1° C was provided. Give a suitable temperature range for the col
- June 2021, Unit 6, Q2(d) (1 mark): Give the reason why the addition of ethanol in Step 3 results in the precipitation of crystals of Cu(NH3)4SO4.H2O. (1)
- June 2021, Unit 6, Q2(e) (3 marks): Draw a labelled diagram of the apparatus used to filter the crystals under reduced pressure in Step 4. (3)
- June 2021, Unit 6, Q2(f)(i) (1 mark): State the purpose of the ethanol in Step 5. (1)
- June 2021, Unit 6, Q2(f)(ii) (1 mark): Give a reason why the ethanol is cold. (1)
- June 2021, Unit 6, Q2(g)(ii) (1 mark): Suggest a reason why the apparent percentage yield in this preparation is often greater than 100 %. (1)
- January 2021, AS Unit 3, Q4(a)(iii) (1 mark): State why the tap of the separating funnel must be opened in Step 3. (1)
- January 2021, AS Unit 3, Q4(a)(iv) (1 mark): State why anhydrous sodium sulfate is added to the organic layer in Step 5. (1)
- January 2021, AS Unit 3, Q4(a)(v) (4 marks): Draw the apparatus required to distil the product and collect the distillate between 50°C and 52°C in Step 6. (4)
- January 2021, Unit 6, Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): State why a reflux condenser is needed when the mixture is warmed. (1)
- January 2021, Unit 6, Q3(a)(ii) (3 marks): Draw a diagram of the apparatus used to warm under reflux in this experiment. (3)
- January 2021, Unit 6, Q3(a)(iii) (2 marks): Suggest why the reaction mixture is stirred continuously. (2)
- January 2021, Unit 6, Q3(b) (1 mark): The excess acid is removed from the reaction mixture. The layer containing nitrobenzene is separated and dried before being purified by distillation. Identify a
- January 2021, Unit 6, Q3(d)(i) (1 mark): State why a minimum volume of hot solvent is used in Step 1. (1)
- January 2021, Unit 6, Q3(d)(ii) (1 mark): Explain why a preheated funnel is used in Step 2. (1)
- January 2021, Unit 6, Q3(d)(iii) (2 marks): Give a reason for each of the two filtrations in Steps 2 and 3. (2)
- January 2021, Unit 6, Q3(d)(iv) (1 mark): Give a possible reason why it is preferable to dry the solid in a desiccator rather than in an oven in Step 5. (1)
- January 2021, Unit 6, Q3(e) (1 mark): The melting temperature of the recrystallised Organol Brown is measured to check its purity. State what you would observe if the sample was pure. (1)
- October 2020, AS Unit 3, Q5(d) (3 marks): The titration was repeated without using an indicator. Describe how you would obtain large, dry crystals of the metal chloride, MCl, from this titration solutio
- October 2020, Unit 6, Q4(d) (3 marks): One student drew a diagram of the apparatus used for reflux in Step 4. water in water out anti-bumping granules heat Ide
- October 2020, Unit 6, Q4(f) (2 marks): The filtration in Step 7 is carried out under reduced pressure. State two advantages of this method compared with ordina
- January 2020, AS Unit 3, Q4(a) (2 marks): Step 1 5 cm3 of ethanol and 5 cm3 of water are added to a round-bottomed flask. The flask is placed in an ice bath and 5 cm3 of concentrated sulfuric acid is a
- January 2020, AS Unit 3, Q4(c)(i) (3 marks): Draw a labelled diagram to show the apparatus suitable for this distillation. Include a thermometer but no clamps or stands. (3)
- January 2020, AS Unit 3, Q4(c)(ii) (1 mark): State how anti-bumping granules prevent bumping in the distillation flask. (1)
- January 2020, AS Unit 3, Q4(d)(ii) (1 mark): Describe how the aqueous layer could be removed from the separating funnel. (1)
- January 2020, AS Unit 3, Q4(e) (1 mark): Step 5 After removing the aqueous layer, sodium hydrogencarbonate solution is added to the impure bromoethane in a separating funnel and the two layers separat
- January 2020, AS Unit 3, Q4(f)(i) (1 mark): Identify, by name or formula, a suitable drying agent. (1)
- January 2020, AS Unit 3, Q4(f)(ii) (1 mark): Describe how the appearance of the bromoethane changes after the drying agent has been added and the mixture allowed to stand. (1)
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