§-Chemistry Q&A
WA · SCSA← Chemistry
Chemistry Q&A by dot point
A short Q&A bank for every WA Chemistry syllabus dot point. Each question and answer is drawn directly from our worked dot-point page, so you can scan key concepts before opening the long-form answer.
Unit 3: Equilibrium, Acids and Bases, and Redox
Explain how acid-base indicators work as weak acid equilibria and select an appropriate indicator for a titration
Apply the Bronsted-Lowry theory, identify conjugate acid-base pairs, distinguish strong from weak acids and bases, and calculate pH using Kw
Explain how buffer solutions resist changes in pH using Le Chatelier's principle and conjugate acid-base equilibria
Explain dynamic chemical equilibrium and predict the effect of changes in concentration, pressure and temperature using Le Chatelier's principle
Identify conjugate acid-base pairs in proton-transfer reactions and explain amphiprotic behaviour
Explain the corrosion of iron as an electrochemical process and evaluate methods of corrosion prevention
Describe the operation of electrolytic cells, predict the products of electrolysis, and explain industrial applications
Write equilibrium constant expressions, interpret their magnitude, and calculate equilibrium concentrations using an ICE table
Describe the structure and operation of galvanic (voltaic) cells, including electrode reactions, electron and ion flow, and cell notation
Assign oxidation numbers, identify oxidation and reduction, and balance redox half-equations and overall equations
Describe the stepwise ionisation of polyprotic acids and explain why successive ionisation constants decrease
Apply Faraday's laws to relate charge, current, time and the amount of substance produced or consumed at an electrode
Calculate the reaction quotient Q and compare it with Kc to predict the direction in which a reaction will proceed to reach equilibrium
Assign oxidation numbers, write and balance half-equations, and use the standard electrode potential series to predict and calculate cell potentials for galvanic and electrolytic cells
Explain the self-ionisation of water, define and use the ionic product Kw, and relate pH, pOH and temperature
Write solubility product expressions, calculate Ksp and solubility, and predict precipitation by comparing the ionic product with Ksp
Use the standard electrode potential series to predict the spontaneity of redox reactions and calculate standard cell potentials
Distinguish strong from weak acids and bases by degree of ionisation, and define and use Ka, Kb and pKa to compare strengths
Perform and interpret acid-base titrations, sketch titration curves, and calculate unknown concentrations from volumetric data
Unit 4: Organic Chemistry and Chemical Synthesis
Describe the addition reactions of alkenes including hydrogenation, halogenation, hydration and hydrogen halide addition
Classify alcohols as primary, secondary or tertiary and describe their characteristic reactions including oxidation, dehydration and combustion
Describe the structure, properties and formation of amines and amides, including the amide (peptide) linkage
Describe the properties and reactions of carboxylic acids, and explain esterification and hydrolysis of esters
Evaluate chemical synthesis using percentage yield and atom economy and green chemistry principles, and interpret instrumental analysis data to identify substances
Identify the functional groups that define the main organic families and explain the trends within a homologous series
Describe the principles of green chemistry and evaluate syntheses against them
Compare the structure, bonding, general formulas and reactivity of alkanes, alkenes and alkynes
Interpret infrared spectra to identify functional groups from characteristic absorption bands
Explain and identify structural isomerism and cis-trans (geometric) isomerism, and relate isomerism to differences in physical and chemical properties
Interpret mass spectra to determine molar mass and identify fragments of organic molecules
Interpret proton and carbon-13 NMR spectra to determine the number and types of chemical environments in a molecule
Describe the characteristic reactions of organic families, including substitution, addition, oxidation and esterification, and combine them into multi-step pathways
Identify functional groups and apply IUPAC rules to name and draw structural formulas for the main families of organic compounds
Describe the oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols to carbonyl compounds and carboxylic acids using oxidising agents
Calculate percentage yield and atom economy and use them to evaluate the efficiency of a chemical synthesis
Relate the physical properties of organic compounds to their intermolecular forces and functional groups
Describe addition and condensation polymerisation, identify monomers and repeating units, and relate polymer structure to physical properties
Describe substitution reactions, including the halogenation of alkanes and the conversion of haloalkanes to alcohols
Describe how x-ray crystallography uses the diffraction of x-rays by a crystal to determine three-dimensional structure