Science Bowl Chemistry Questions

Which of the following refers to an easily melted product of the reaction between the flux and the impurities of an ore? A. slag B. slurry C. slug D. none of the above

ANSWER: A - SLAG

Which of the following is NOT a physical property of crystalline boron? A. brown color B. diamond hardness C. brittleness D. high electrical resistance

ANSWER: A -- BROWN COLOR (Crystalline boron is transparent.)

Which of the following terms refers to the number of molecules or ions attached to a central metallic atom? A. coordination number B. connection number C. bonding number D. none of these

ANSWER: A -- COORDINATION NUMBER

Which of the following pairs do NOT show similar chemical properties? A. fluorine-argon B. beryllium-aluminum C. boron-silicon D. lithium-magnesium

ANSWER: A -- FLUORINE-ARGON

Which of the following pairs of German scientists discovered the atomic fission of uranium and set the stage for the nuclear age? A. Hahn and Strassman B. Nernst and Planck C. Ostwald and Heisenberg D. Bohr and Rutherford

ANSWER: A -- HAHN AND STRASSMAN

Which of the following is NOT a general property of hydroxide bases in aqueous solution? A. High solubility B. Bitter taste C.Ability to neutralize aqueous acid solutions D. Ability to change phenolphthalein from colorless to red

ANSWER: A -- HIGH SOLUBILITY (The hydroxides of the alkali metals are soluble in water but all the other metal hydroxides are only moderately or sparingly soluble.)

Which of the following terms refers to a material which slows neutrons? A. retarder B. moderator C. buffer D. bottleneck

ANSWER: B - MODERATOR

For which of the following classes of salts are all of its compounds soluble in water? A. sulfates B. nitrates C. hydroxides D. chlorides

ANSWER: B - NITRATES

How many electrons can occupy an s orbital? A. one B. two C. three D. four

ANSWER: B - TWO

Aqua regia is: A. concentrated nitric acid B. a mixture of three parts of concentrated hydrochloric acid and one part concentrated nitric acid C. concentrated hydrochloric acid D. a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid

ANSWER: B -- A MIXTURE OF THREE PARTS OF CONCENTRATED HYDROCHLORIC ACID AND ONE PART CONCENTRATED NITRIC ACID

The noble gases have low boiling points because: A. their ionization potentials are very low B. only weak Van der Waals forces hold the atoms together C. they are produced by the fractional distillation of liquid air D. they have eight electrons in the outer shell

ANSWER: B -- ONLY WEAK VAN DER WAALS FORCES HOLD THE ATOMS TOGETHER

Which of the following refers to the scattering of light by colloidal particles? A. Rutherford effect B. Tyndall effect (pron: tin-dahl) C. Thompson effect D. none of these

ANSWER: B -- TYNDALL EFFECT

Name the person who developed a table of elements which revealed regularities in elemental properties in 1869? A. Theodore Richards B. Antoine Lavoisier C. Dmitri Mendeleev D. Svante Arrhenius

ANSWER: C -- DMITRI MENDELEEV

Which of the following is a necessary characteristic for electrons that share an s orbital? A. coplanar spins B. parallel spins C. opposite spins D. none of these

ANSWER: C -- OPPOSITE SPINS

Which noble gas has the highest melting point ? A. argon B. krypton C. xenon D. radon

ANSWER: D - RADON

Which of the following scientists was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1911 for the discovery of the radioactive elements, radium and polonium? A. John Dalton B. Dmitri Mendeleev C. Emil Fischer D. Marie Curie

ANSWER: D -- MARIE CURIE

Name the state function that represents the heat content of a system.

ANSWER: ENTHALPY

Name the thermodynamic state function that is a measure of randomness.

ANSWER: ENTROPY

Who is accredited in the history of modern chemistry of proving that neutrons existed?

ANSWER: JAMES CHADWICK

What is the common name for calcium oxide, CaO?

ANSWER: QUICKLIME or LIME

What term is used to describe silver which contains 7.5% copper?

ANSWER: STERLING

Who was the first American chemist to receive a Nobel Prize? He was selected in 1914 for his precise determination of atomic weights. A. Edward Frankland B. Theodore Richards C. John Bardeen D. Paul Dirac

ANSWER: THEODORE RICHARDS

Convert -40oF into Centigrade:

Answer: -40oF-32/1.8 = -40o Centigrate

What is the concentration, in parts per billion, of a solution that contains 1 microgram of solute per liter?

Answer: 1 PPB

How many significant figures are there in the number 0.0036:

Answer: 2

A patient in the Emergency Room required 20 grams of a clotbusting drug based on his body weight of 150 pounds. The weight per volume (w/v) of the drug solution is 10%. How many milliliters of the drug solution should be administered?

Answer: 200 Milliliters

To the nearest whole number, convert 0.300 atmosphere into millimeters of mercury, or torr:

Answer: 228 Millimeters Of Mercury, Or Torr

How many milliliters of water would you add to 100 milliliters of a 0.350 molar solution to make a 0.100 molar solution?

Answer: 250 Milliliters

Knowing that Iron has an atomic number of 26, how many protons and how many electrons does Fe+2 have?

Answer: 26 Protons, 24 Electrons

An atom has 18 protons and 22 neutrons. What is its mass number:

Answer: 40

Convert 673 Kelvin into degrees centigrade:

Answer: 400oC

Round the following number to four significant figures and express the result in standard exponential notation: 0.006543210

Answer: 6.543 X 10-3

Fish in an aquarium require oxygen to live, which is usually done by pumping air into the fish tank using a mechanical pump. If all other things remain constant, the most effective transfer of oxygen to water comes from: A. small bubbles of air B. large bubbles of air C. bubbling of cold air D. slow bubbling of air

Answer: A

If a human being were to be exposed suddenly to the surface of Mars, which of the following would most likely occur to the person's blood: A. it would boil in a matter of seconds B. it would freeze in a matter of seconds C. it would coagulate in a matter of seconds D. there would be no immediate change

Answer: A

The Tyndall Effect can be demonstrated when light is passed through which of the following: A. a colloidal suspension B. supercritical water C. aqueous solutions D. mixtures of gasses

Answer: A

Which of the following is NOT true about the Periodic Table: A. metals tend to gain ele ctrons while nonmetals tend to lose electrons B. metals tend to lose electrons while nonmetals tend to gain electrons C. elements with metallic properties are found on the left side of the table D. alkali metals are found in the vertical column that contains lithium

Answer: A

Which of the following is true about the Kinetic Theory of Gases: A. gas particles do not attract or repel each other B. gas particles are attracted to the walls of the container they are in C. the kinetic energy of gas particles is unrelated to temperature D. gas particles attract and repel each other

Answer: A

Which of the following represents the simplest chemical formula: A. empirical formula B. molecular formula C. structural formula D. primary formula

Answer: A

Which one of the following statements is true about the specific gravity of a substance: A. specific gravity is one of the few unitless values encountered in chemistry B. the specific gravity of water is 1 gram per milliliter C. specific gravity is calculated by dividing the density of water by the density of the substance D. specific gravity is measured with an instrument called the densitometer

Answer: A

Many of the groups of elements in the periodic table have acquired common names. The elements in Group IA, with the exception of hydrogen, are called what?

Answer: Alkali Metals

Element A is a nonmetal with an electronegativity value of 3.0 and element B is a nonmetal with an electronegativity value of 2.5. What kind of bonding will occur between these two elements: A. nonpolar covalent B. polar covalent C. ionic D. fission

Answer: B

If CO2 is bubbled through distilled water at room temperature, which of the following will most likely occur: A. the pH of the water increases B. the pH of the water decreases C. the pH of the water is unchanged D. carbon will precipitate out of solution

Answer: B

In the chemistry lab, for safety reasons, when a concentrated acid is mixed with water: A. the water is always added to the acid B. the acid is always added to the water C. these can only be mixed at cold temperatures D. these can never be mixed

Answer: B

Ten grams of dietary fat contains how many food calories? A. 40 calories B. 90 calories C. 60 calories D. 120 calories

Answer: B

The property of water which permits an insect to "walk" on water is: A. viscosity B. surface tension C. tensile strength D. turgor pressure

Answer: B

Under which of the following conditions will iron rust: A. in water B. in water and oxygen C. in oil D. in oil and water

Answer: B

Which of the following is true of an oxidation reaction: A. in an electrolytic cell, oxidation takes place at the cathode B. in the following reaction, bromine is oxidized Br2 + 2e- à 2Br- C. in a chemical reaction, the substance that is being oxidized is also known as the reducing agent D. in a chemical reaction, the substance that is being oxidized is also known as the oxidizing agent

Answer: B

Which of the following is true of bases: A. they give rise to hydrogen ions when dissolved in water B. they are substances that accept or react with hydrogen ions C. they always contain the hydroxide ion in it's structure D. they have a pH below 7

Answer: B

Which one of the following statements is true about the neutralization of an acid by a base: A. the pH decreases when the base is added to the acid B. a salt and water are end products C. gas is an end product D. organic compounds are end products

Answer: B

According to Bronsted-Lowry definition, a base is: A. a proton donor B. an electron donor C. a proton acceptor D. an electron acceptor

Answer: C

Magnesium can exist as three naturally occurring isotopes. These isotopes would all have the same: A. atomic weight B. number of neutrons C. number of protons D. nucleus

Answer: C

The wavelength of yellow light is 600 nanometers. What is the wavelength in centimeters: A. 6.0 x 10-9 B. 6.0 x 10-7 C. 6.0 x 10-5 D. 6.0 x 10-2

Answer: C

What is the pH of a solution with a hydronium ion concentration of 1 X 10-8 moles/dm3? A. 7 B. 6 C. 8 D. 7.5

Answer: C

Which of the following is NOT true about cholesterol: A. there is no cholesterol in plants B. cholesterol is found in meats, milk and eggs C. cholesterol is not synthesized in the human body D. cholesterol is a component of cellular membranes

Answer: C

Which of the following is NOT true of helium? A. deep sea divers breath a mixture of helium and oxygen B. breathing helium causes a temporary change in the pitch and quality of one's voice C. helium gas is commonly used by dentists as a mild anesthetic D. a mixture of helium and neon gas produced the first gas laser

Answer: C

Which of the following is NOT a final product of the overall cell reaction in a hydrogen fuel cell: A. heat B. electric power C. carbon dioxide D. water

Answer: CARBON DIOXIDE

Which of the following is the best example of a polysaccharide: A. glucose B. galactose C. sucrose D. cellulose

Answer: CELLULOSE

Convert the molecular structure of the hydrocarbon C5H12 into its straight-chain Condensed Structural Formula:

Answer: CH3CH2CH2CH2CH3

Which of the following is an organic molecule: A. CaSO4 B. CH4 C. NH3 D. H2O

Answer: CH4

What is the acid anhydride of H2CO3?

Answer: CO2

Never found uncombined on Earth, what element occurs abundantly in limestone, gypsum and fluorite:

Answer: Calcium

Carbohydrates are made of what three elements?

Answer: Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen

Another name for heavy water is: A. ice B. salt water C. deuterium D. deuterium oxide

Answer: D

The reaction of hydrocarbons with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water and heat is called: A. fission B. fusion C. endothermic D. combustion

Answer: D

Which of the following are NOT carbonate minerals: A. calcite B. magnesite C. dolomite D. graphite

Answer: D

Which of the following has the same electron configuration as neon: A. Ar B. F C. Cl- D. Na+

Answer: D

Which of the following instruments would typically be used to measure the smallest quantities of mass: A. double-pan balance B. triple-beam hanging balance C. triple-beam platform balance D. analytic balance

Answer: D

Which of the following is a nonpolar molecule: A. HCl B. NaCl C. CaCl D. H2

Answer: D

Out of the following choices, which is the correct name for N2O3: A. dinitrogen oxide B. dinitrogen dioxide C. dinitrogen trioxide D. dinitrogen tetroxide

Answer: DINITROGEN TRIOXIDE

The disruption of the three-dimensional shape of a protein by factors such as heat, acids, bases, and organic solvents, is called what?

Answer: Denaturation

The general term for the removal of salts from brackish water or seawater to make it useable is called:

Answer: Desalination

The use of electricity to decompose molten sodium chloride into its component elements is an example of: A. electrolysis B. galvanization C. a voltaic cell D. electroplating

Answer: ELECTROLYSIS

What is the branch of chemistry that deals with the relationship between electricity and chemical reactions?

Answer: Electrochemistry

The reaction of an acid with an alcohol to form an ester and water is called:

Answer: Esterification

What are the two most common end-products of alcoholic fermentation?

Answer: Ethanol And Carbon Dioxide

This metal lies between silicon and tin in its chemical and physical properties and used extensively in the making of transistors:

Answer: Germanium

Cellulose is a polymer of repeating units of what molecule?

Answer: Glucose

It is estimated that each person in the United States consumes an average of 100 pounds of sucrose each year. Which two simple sugars are linked to make a sucrose molecule?

Answer: Glucose And Fructose

What element does the symbol Au stand for?

Answer: Gold

Which of the following is an example of a buffer system: A. H2CO3 and water B. H2CO3 and NaHCO3 C. NH3 and N2 D. NaCl and KCl

Answer: H2CO3 AND NaHCO3

The ideal fuel for fuel cell use is: A. compressed natural gas B. reformulated gasoline C. hydrogen D. methanol

Answer: HYDROGEN

What is the only known substance for which there is no triple point:

Answer: Helium

What is the common name of the molecule dihydrogen dioxide?

Answer: Hydrogen Peroxide

Name the two most abundant elements in the universe?

Answer: Hyydrogen And Helium

What is the term for the pH at which an amino acid or protein becomes electrically neutral?

Answer: Isoelectric Point

What molecule is characteristically prevalent in sour milk and tired muscles?

Answer: Lactic Acid

What colorless liquid was originally produced from the distillation of wood and is often referred to as wood alcohol:

Answer: Methanol

Myoglobin binds oxygen in what tissue in the human body?

Answer: Muscle

Which of the following dominates the gasses in the Earth's atmosphere, making up some 78% of the air by volume: A. nitrogen B. oxygen C. helium D. hydrogen

Answer: NITROGEN

Which element has the following ground-state electron configuration: 1s22s22p6

Answer: Neon

What gas was discovered by Daniel Rutherford in 1772 by placing a mouse inside a bell jar, removing all the oxygen in the jar by burning a substance in it, and demonstrating the asphyxiation of the mouse:

Answer: Nitrogen

Until the early 1960's, what group of elements were called the inert gases:

Answer: Noble Gases

4.0 liters of oxygen are mixed with 8.0 liters of nitrogen. Identify the solute and solvent in this mixture:

Answer: Oxygen Is The Solute; Nitrogen Is The Solvent

Give the symbol for the element that is derived from the Latin word Plumbum

Answer: Pb

Long chains of amino acids are linked together through what type of bond?

Answer: Peptide Bonds

Which of the following metals react violently with water to produce hydrogen gas: A. sodium B. zinc C. platinum D. silver

Answer: SODIUM

What are the 4 physical states of matter?

Answer: Solid, Liquid, Gas, Plasma

In order to compare two different gas samples, scientists use what is called the STP. What does STP stand for?

Answer: Standard Temperature And Pressure

What radioactive isotope of this alkaline earth element formed as a fission product of uranium and is of particular importance because it is assimilated in the body much like calcium:

Answer: Strontium

Which one of the following has the greatest tendency to lose an electron? A. Zn B. Cl- C. Br2 D. A mixture of PbSO4 and H2O

Answer: Zn