VCAA Chemistry What are the current and future options for supplying energy?
15 sample questions with marking guides and sample answers
The molar enthalpy for combustion of glucose, , is .
Which one of the following describes what occurs to one mole of carbon dioxide, , during photosynthesis?
473.3 kJ of energy is absorbed.
2840 kJ of energy is absorbed.
473.3 kJ of energy is released.
2840 kJ of energy is released.
Reveal Answer
473.3 kJ of energy is absorbed.
Photosynthesis is the reverse of combustion, so it absorbs per mole of glucose produced. Since 6 moles of are required to produce one mole of glucose, of energy is absorbed per mole of .
2840 kJ of energy is absorbed.
This is the total energy absorbed to produce one full mole of glucose. Producing one mole of glucose requires 6 moles of , not just one.
473.3 kJ of energy is released.
Photosynthesis is an endothermic process that absorbs energy from sunlight. This option incorrectly states that energy is released.
2840 kJ of energy is released.
This describes the energy released during the combustion of one mole of glucose, rather than the energy absorbed per mole of during photosynthesis.
Lignite is a type of brown coal. When lignite is completely combusted in a power station, 19.0 MJ/tonne of energy is released. The efficiency of the power station is 39%.
What mass of lignite is required to produce 42.0 MJ of usable energy in the power station?
0.862 tonnes
1.16 tonnes
2.21 tonnes
5.67 tonnes
Reveal Answer
0.862 tonnes
This incorrect answer is obtained by calculating , which incorrectly divides the energy density by the efficiency instead of multiplying them to find the usable energy per tonne.
1.16 tonnes
This incorrect answer is obtained by calculating , which incorrectly divides the energy density by the required energy instead of dividing the required energy by the usable energy per tonne.
2.21 tonnes
This incorrect answer is obtained by calculating , which represents the mass needed if the power station were 100% efficient, completely ignoring the 39% efficiency factor.
5.67 tonnes
The usable energy per tonne is . To produce 42.0 MJ of usable energy, the mass required is .
Three voltaic cells are constructed with metal Q as one electrode and metals R, S or T as the other electrode. The potential differences for the cells are shown in the table.
| Voltaic cell | Half-cell | Half-cell | Potential difference (V) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.18 | ||
| 2 | 0.72 | ||
| 3 | 0.95 |
The relative strength of the reducing agents from strongest to weakest is
T > Q > S > R
S > Q > T > R
R > Q > S > T
Q > R > T > S
Reveal Answer
T > Q > S > R
In Cell 3, T is oxidized while Q is reduced, so T is a stronger reducing agent than Q (). In Cells 1 and 2, Q is oxidized while R and S are reduced, so Q is stronger than both (). Since the potential with R () is higher than with S (), R has a higher reduction potential, making S the stronger reducing agent ().
S > Q > T > R
This option incorrectly ranks S as stronger than Q. In Cell 2, Q acts as the anode (oxidized) and S as the cathode (reduced), which demonstrates that Q is a stronger reducing agent than S.
R > Q > S > T
This option incorrectly identifies R as the strongest reducing agent. R produces the largest voltage when reduced by Q, indicating it has the highest reduction potential and is therefore the weakest reducing agent.
Q > R > T > S
This option incorrectly ranks Q as stronger than T. In Cell 3, T acts as the anode (oxidized) and Q as the cathode (reduced), which demonstrates that T is a stronger reducing agent than Q.
Biodiesel and petrodiesel
have different viscosities.
have the same environmental impact.
contain molecules with no polar groups.
will flow easily through fuel lines in very cold climate conditions.
Reveal Answer
have different viscosities.
This is correct because biodiesel contains polar ester groups that create stronger intermolecular forces, resulting in a higher viscosity compared to non-polar petrodiesel.
have the same environmental impact.
This is incorrect because biodiesel is derived from renewable biomass and generally produces fewer net carbon emissions and particulates compared to fossil-fuel-derived petrodiesel.
contain molecules with no polar groups.
This is incorrect because while petrodiesel consists of non-polar hydrocarbons, biodiesel consists of fatty acid methyl esters which contain polar ester groups.
will flow easily through fuel lines in very cold climate conditions.
This is incorrect because biodiesel has a higher cloud point than petrodiesel, meaning it is more prone to gelling and restricting flow in very cold climates.
Methane gas, , can be captured from the breakdown of waste in landfills. is also a primary component of natural gas. can be used to produce energy through combustion.
Write the equation for the incomplete combustion of to produce carbon monoxide, CO.
Reveal Answer
2CH4(g) + 3O2(g) → 2CO(g) + 4H2O(l) or
CH4(g) + 1.5O2(g) → CO(g) + 2H2O(l)
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
Correct response. | 1 |
If 20.0 g of is kept in a 5.0 L sealed container at , what would be the pressure in the container?
Reveal Answer
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
Calculates correct amount of CH4 (1.25 mol). | 1 |
Calculates correct pressure of CH4 (6.2 x 10^2 kPa). | 1 |
A Bunsen burner is used to heat a beaker containing 350.0 g of water. Complete combustion of 0.485 g of raises the temperature of the water from to .
Calculate the percentage of the Bunsen burner's energy that is lost to the environment.
Reveal Answer
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
Calculating the energy from CH4. | 1 |
Calculating the energy absorbed by water. | 1 |
Working out the percentage of energy loss. | 1 |
Compare the environmental impact of obtained from landfill to the environmental impact of obtained from natural gas.
Reveal Answer
Similarity – methane from both sources
- Both produce atmospheric carbon dioxide through combustion.
- Methane from both sources contains small amounts of nitrogen and sulfur; combustion of natural gas leads to the formation of acidic oxides such as SOx and NOx.
Difference – landfill versus natural gas
- Methane from landfill can be produced renewably, whereas methane from natural gas releases stored carbon.
- Methane from landfill is more carbon neutral, methane from natural gas increases atmospheric CO2 levels.
- Obtaining methane from natural gas via fracking causes additional significant environmental damage, whereas when obtaining methane from a landfill the damage has already been done in the formation of the landfill.
- Landfill gases contain less methane and release more CO2 (for the same amount of energy generated), natural gas contains more methane and releases comparatively less CO2.
- Methane captured from landfill and used as a source on energy may have a positive impact as it is a more potent greenhouse gas than CO2.
- CH4 from landfill is more easily collected compared to fracking/sourcing methane from fossil fuels.
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
1 mark for each valid comparison point (any 2 of): Both produce atmospheric carbon dioxide through combustion; Methane from both sources contains small amounts of nitrogen and sulfur; Methane from landfill can be produced renewably, whereas methane from natural gas releases stored carbon; Methane from landfill is more carbon neutral; Obtaining methane from natural gas via fracking causes additional significant environmental damage; Landfill gases contain less methane and release more CO2; Methane captured from landfill may have a positive impact as it is a more potent greenhouse gas than CO2; CH4 from landfill is more easily collected. | 2 |
Identify the redox reaction.
Reveal Answer
This is a thermal decomposition reaction where the oxidation states of Calcium (+2), Carbon (+4), and Oxygen (-2) remain unchanged.
This is a combination reaction where no elements change their oxidation states (Ca remains +2, O remains -2, H remains +1).
This is a disproportionation redox reaction where chlorine is simultaneously reduced from 0 to -1 in and oxidized from 0 to +1 in .
This is an acid-base neutralization reaction where ions exchange partners without any change in oxidation numbers.
The combustion of which fuel provides the most energy per 100 g?
pentane (), which releases
nitromethane (), which releases
butanol (), which releases
ethyne (), which releases
Reveal Answer
pentane (), which releases
Converting to gives , which yields per . This is slightly less than the energy provided by ethyne.
nitromethane (), which releases
An energy release of yields per , which is the lowest energy output among the given choices.
butanol (), which releases
Dividing by the molar mass of gives , resulting in per .
ethyne (), which releases
Dividing by the molar mass of gives . This yields per , which is the highest energy output of all the options.
The main reason a vehicle powered by a hydrogen fuel cell has lower polluting emissions than a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine is because
hydrogen fuel cells release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere; however, it is not produced by the burning of fossil fuels.
the only by-products of the hydrogen fuel cell are water and heat.
fuel cells convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy.
fuel cells will not work unless the reactants are constantly supplied.
Reveal Answer
hydrogen fuel cells release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere; however, it is not produced by the burning of fossil fuels.
Hydrogen fuel cells do not produce carbon dioxide () during operation; they generate electricity through an electrochemical reaction rather than combustion.
the only by-products of the hydrogen fuel cell are water and heat.
The chemical reaction in a hydrogen fuel cell combines hydrogen () and oxygen () to produce only water () and heat, eliminating the harmful tailpipe emissions associated with burning fossil fuels.
fuel cells convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy.
While this describes the efficient energy conversion mechanism of a fuel cell, it does not explain the composition of the emissions or why they are less polluting.
fuel cells will not work unless the reactants are constantly supplied.
This statement describes the operational requirement of a fuel cell (continuous fuel supply) but is unrelated to the environmental impact or chemical composition of its emissions.
A fuel cell utilises the reaction between hydrogen, , and oxygen, , to produce water, as shown in the reaction below.
When a fuel cell produces 36000 C of charge, the mass of consumed is closest to
11.9 g
2.98 g
1.49 g
0.373 g
Reveal Answer
11.9 g
This incorrect answer assumes that only 1 mole of electrons is transferred per mole of , rather than the actual 4 moles required by the half-equation.
2.98 g
First, calculate the moles of electrons: mol. Since the reduction of requires 4 electrons (), mol. The mass is g.
1.49 g
This incorrect answer uses the molar mass of atomic oxygen ( g/mol) instead of molecular oxygen (, g/mol) to calculate the final mass.
0.373 g
This value represents the number of moles of electrons produced ( mol), not the mass of consumed in grams.
To form ethanol biofuel in the fermentation of glucose, a catalyst is used because
less energy is required and the rate of reaction is increased.
less energy is required and the rate of reaction is decreased.
more energy is required and the rate of reaction is increased.
more energy is required and the rate of reaction is decreased.
Reveal Answer
less energy is required and the rate of reaction is increased.
Catalysts (such as the enzymes in yeast) provide an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy, which allows the reaction to proceed faster.
less energy is required and the rate of reaction is decreased.
While catalysts do lower the activation energy required, they function to speed up the reaction, not slow it down.
more energy is required and the rate of reaction is increased.
Catalysts lower the activation energy required for the reaction to occur, rather than requiring more energy.
more energy is required and the rate of reaction is decreased.
This is incorrect because catalysts lower the activation energy and increase the rate of reaction.
1 L of octane has a mass of 703 g at SLC. The efficiency of the reaction when octane undergoes combustion in the petrol engine of a car is 25.0%.
What volume of octane stored in a petrol tank at SLC is required to produce 528 MJ of usable energy in a combustion engine?
3.92 L
11.8 L
15.7 L
62.7 L
Reveal Answer
3.92 L
This result comes from incorrectly multiplying the theoretical volume by the efficiency (), rather than dividing by it to account for the extra fuel needed due to energy loss.
11.8 L
This value is obtained by incorrectly multiplying the theoretical volume by (or ), which is an incorrect application of the efficiency percentage.
15.7 L
This is the volume of octane required if the engine were efficient (). It fails to account for the efficiency of the engine, which requires more fuel to be burned.
62.7 L
The total energy needed is . With an energy density of (calculated from octane's heat of combustion of , molar mass of , and density of ), the required volume is .
Determine the oxidation state of manganese in .
+1
+2
+7
+8
Reveal Answer
+1
This is incorrect. If manganese had an oxidation state of +1, the total charge of the ion would be , which does not match the actual charge of -1.
+2
This is incorrect. While +2 is a very common oxidation state for manganese (e.g., in salts), it is not the oxidation state found in the permanganate ion.
+7
This is correct. Oxygen typically has an oxidation state of -2. Using the formula (where -1 is the overall charge), we solve for to find that manganese is +7.
+8
This is incorrect. Manganese is in Group 7 and has only 7 valence electrons, so its maximum possible oxidation state is +7. It cannot reach +8.
Digesters use bacteria to convert organic waste into biogas, which contains mainly methane, . Biogas can be used as a source of energy.
A digester processed 1 kg of organic waste to produce 496.0 L of biogas at standard laboratory conditions (SLC). The biogas contained 60.0% .
Biogas was combusted to release of energy. This energy was used to heat 100 kg of water in a tank. The initial temperature of the water was 25.0 °C.
Both biogas and coal seam gas contain as their main component.
Why is biogas considered a renewable energy source but coal seam gas is not?
Reveal Answer
Biogas is considered renewable because its production-and-use cycle is continuous so that it is constantly replenished whereas coal seam gas is used at a faster rate than it can be replenished.*
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
Provides a direct comparison of both biogas and coal seam gas indicating the period of time used to produce these materials | 1 |
Write the thermochemical equation for the complete combustion of at SLC.
Reveal Answer
*
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
Writes a correctly balanced chemical equation with associated states | 1 |
Provides a molar enthalpy of combustion with a negative sign that matches the equation written | 1 |
Calculate the amount of energy that could be produced by from 1 kg of organic waste.
Reveal Answer
*
*
Energy
*
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
Calculates correctly | 1 |
Calculates correctly | 1 |
Calculates the energy produced correctly | 1 |
What is the maximum temperature that the water in the tank could reach?
Reveal Answer
Energy
*
*
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
Calculates correctly | 1 |
Calculates correctly to three significant figures | 1 |
State why this temperature may not be reached.
Reveal Answer
For example:
- loss of heat/energy to the atmosphere
- heat/energy loss in the combustion chamber
- heat/energy loss since the tank material also is heated
- heat/energy loss from the piping
- faulty insulation
| Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|
Provides any logical reason involving incomplete transfer of heat/energy to the water (e.g., loss of heat to the atmosphere, heat loss in the combustion chamber, heat loss to the tank material, heat loss from piping, or faulty insulation) | 1 |
Butane, , undergoes complete combustion according to the following equation.
67.0 g of released 3330 kJ of energy during complete combustion at standard laboratory conditions (SLC).
The mass of carbon dioxide, , produced was
0.105 g
3.18 g
50.9 g
204 g
Reveal Answer
0.105 g
This value is obtained by incorrectly dividing the moles of (4.62 mol) by its molar mass (44.0 g/mol) instead of multiplying.
3.18 g
This incorrect answer results from a series of calculation errors, likely involving dividing the mass of butane by the product of the molar masses of butane and carbon dioxide.
50.9 g
This mass is calculated by incorrectly assuming a 1:1 molar ratio between butane and carbon dioxide, rather than the correct 2:8 ratio given in the balanced equation.
204 g
First, calculate the moles of butane: . Using the 2:8 molar ratio from the equation, the moles of produced is . Finally, multiply by the molar mass of (44.0 g/mol) to get , which rounds to 204 g.
Which option is true for the redox equation?
Fe is oxidised and Cu is the oxidising agent
Fe is oxidised and is the oxidising agent
is oxidised and Cu is the oxidising agent
is oxidised and is the oxidising agent
Reveal Answer
Fe is oxidised and Cu is the oxidising agent
While Fe is oxidised, the oxidising agent is the specific species that accepts electrons. In this reaction, the copper(II) ion () accepts electrons, not neutral copper (Cu).
Fe is oxidised and is the oxidising agent
Fe loses electrons (oxidation state changes from 0 to +2), so it is oxidised. gains electrons (oxidation state changes from +2 to 0), so it acts as the oxidising agent.
is oxidised and Cu is the oxidising agent
Oxidation involves the reactant losing electrons. Here, solid Fe is oxidised, not the product . Additionally, the oxidising agent is the ion , not neutral Cu.
is oxidised and is the oxidising agent
The species being oxidised is the reactant Fe, which loses electrons to become . The ion is the product of oxidation, not the substance being oxidised.