plumiCatalysts and sustainability: OCR A‑Level Chemistry A questions
OCR A-Level Chemistry A past-paper questions on 3.2.2.2 Catalysts and sustainability, 2016–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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Q18(a)(i)
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All 22 questions on Catalysts and sustainability, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q18(a)(i) (1 mark): Explain why platinum is an example of a heterogeneous catalyst for Reaction 18.1. [1]
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q18(a)(ii) (2 marks): Explain how the platinum catalyst increases the rate of reaction. Include a labelled sketch of the Boltzmann distribution on the grid. Number of molecules 0 0 E
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q18(a)(iii) (1 mark): In industry, catalysts have great economic importance and benefits for increased sustainability. Explain how the use of catalysts is beneficial to the environme
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q13 (1 mark): Which statement is not a sustainability benefit of an industrial process using a catalyst? A Lower temperatures can be used. B The position of equilibrium moves
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q8 (1 mark): Which row in the table explains how a catalyst affects the activation energy (Ea) and the proportion of molecules with energy > Ea? How the activation Proportio
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q16(b)(i) (3 marks): Complete the enthalpy profile diagram for Reaction 16.1 using formulae for the reactants and products. • Use Ea to label the activation energy without MnO2. • U
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q16(b)(ii) (1 mark): Explain why MnO2 is described as a heterogeneous catalyst for this reaction. [1]
- June 2024, AS Paper 2, Q4(a) (4 marks): Explain, using a Boltzmann distribution model, why the rate of a reaction increases in the presence of a catalyst. You are provided with the axes below, which y
- June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q23(a)(iii) (2 marks): CO and NO are removed by use of a catalyst. Explain the role of the catalyst. Refer to your enthalpy profile diagram in Fig. 23.1 in your answer. [2]
- June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q3(b)(i) (2 marks): Describe two differences the student would observe between the test tubes. 1 2 [2]
- June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q3(b)(ii) (3 marks): Using the axes below, sketch an enthalpy profile diagram for the reaction with and without the catalyst. On your diagram, include the following labels: • ΔH, th
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q22(a) (3 marks): The rate of this reaction increases when a catalyst is present. Complete the enthalpy profile diagram below. On your diagram: • label the activation energies, E
- November 2021, AS Paper 2, Q5(c) (2 marks): The industrial manufacture of methanol has used a copper-based catalyst. Chemists have recently developed a new method for making methanol that uses a nickel- g
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q17(b) (2 marks): A catalyst is used in the production of methanol in equilibrium 1. State two ways that the use of catalysts helps chemical companies to make their processes mor
- November 2020, AS Paper 1, Q24(b) (5 marks): The industrial manufacture of NH3 from N2 and H2 is carried out at an increased temperature and in the presence of a catalyst. Explain, using Boltzmann distribu
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q19(c)(i) (4 marks): Explain how the presence of V2O5(s) increases the rate of reaction. Include a labelled sketch of the Boltzmann distribution, on the grid below. Label the axes.
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q19(c)(ii) (1 mark): Explain whether vanadium(V) oxide is acting as a homogeneous or heterogeneous catalyst. [1]
- June 2019, AS Paper 2, Q4(e)(i) (2 marks): The rate of the reaction between zinc and hydrochloric acid can be increased using a solution of copper(II) sulfate as a catalyst. Explain how a catalyst increa
- June 2019, AS Paper 2, Q4(e)(ii) (1 mark): Why is it difficult to classify the solution of copper(II) sulfate as a homogeneous or heterogeneous catalyst in this reaction? [1]
- June 2018, Paper 1, Q20(b) (3 marks): Hydrogen iodide, HI, is decomposed by heat into its elements: 2HI(g) H2(g) + I2(g) ∆H = +9.5 kJ mol–1 The decomposition is much faster in the presence of a plat
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q23(a) (4 marks): Using the Boltzmann distribution model, explain why the rate of a reaction increases in the presence of a catalyst. You are provided with the axes below, which
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q23(b) (2 marks): The reaction for the production of methanol in the presence of the copper catalyst is carried out at 200–300 °C. Explain why use of the catalyst reduces energy
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