Cambridge IGCSE™

1: Experimental techniques – Topic questions Paper 6

The questions in this document have been compiled from a number of past papers, as indicated in the table below.

Use these questions to formatively assess your learners’ understanding of this topic.

Question Year Series Paper number

1 2016 March 62
3 2016 March 62
4 2016 March 62

The mark scheme for each question is provided at the end of the document.

You can find the complete question papers and the complete mark schemes (with additional notes where available) on
the School Support Hub at www.cambridgeinternational.org/support

1: Experimental techniques - Topic questions (Paper 6) Copyright © UCLES 2017 1

 1 The diagrams show the apparatus used to obtain crystals of calcium chloride from a mixture of solid
calcium chloride and solid calcium carbonate.
Calcium chloride is soluble in water and calcium carbonate is insoluble in water.

dish

solid
A B C

(a) Complete the boxes to name the apparatus. [2]

(b) (i) Write down the order in which the apparatus should be used in this experiment.

. ...................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Name the separation process in C.

. ...................................................................................................................................... [1]

(c) (i) What has been added to the mixture in B?

. ...................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) What is the general name given to the liquid in the dish in C?

. ...................................................................................................................................... [1]

(d) How would you know when to stop heating the dish in A?

....................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 7]

1: Experimental techniques - Topic questions (Paper 6) Copyright © UCLES 2017 2

 2 A teacher investigated the rate of a reaction between two solutions, J and K, and sulfuric acid at
different temperatures.

Four experiments were carried out.

(a) Experiment 1

 large measuring cylinder was used to pour 50 cm3 of distilled water and 40 cm3 of sulfuric acid
A
into a 250 cm3 conical flask.
A small measuring cylinder was used to add 2 cm3 of methyl orange and 5 cm3 of solution J to
the mixture in the conical flask. The temperature of the mixture was measured.
The reaction was started by adding 5 cm3 of solution K to the conical flask, immediately starting
the timer and swirling the mixture.
The time taken for the mixture to turn pale yellow was measured. The final temperature of the
mixture was measured.

Experiment 2

Experiment 1 was repeated but the mixture in the conical flask was heated to about 30 °C
before adding the solution K. The temperature of the mixture was measured.
5 cm3 of solution K was added to the conical flask. The timer was started and the mixture
swirled.
The time taken for the mixture to turn pale yellow was measured. The final temperature of the
mixture was measured.

Experiment 3

Experiment 1 was repeated but the mixture in the conical flask was heated to about 40 °C
before adding the solution K to the flask. The same measurements were taken.

Experiment 4

Experiment 1 was repeated but the mixture in the conical flask was heated to about 50 °C
before adding the solution K to the flask. The same measurements were taken.

Stop-clock diagrams for these experiments are on page 4.

1: Experimental techniques - Topic questions (Paper 6) Copyright © UCLES 2017 3

 Use the stop-clock diagrams to record the times in the table.

Work out the average temperatures to complete the table.

time taken for

stop-clock initial final average
experiment mixture to
diagram temperature temperature temperature
turn pale yellow
/ °C / °C / °C
/s

0
seconds
0

1 45 15 5 15 17 15

10
30 minutes

0
0

2 45 15 5 15 28 26

10
30

0
0

3 45 15 5 15 42 40

10
30

0
0

4 45 15 5 15 51 49

10
30

[4]

1: Experimental techniques - Topic questions (Paper 6) Copyright © UCLES 2017 4

 (b) Plot the results on the grid and draw a smooth line graph.

160

140

120

100

time / s
80

60

40

20

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

average temperature / °C
[4]

(c) From your graph deduce the time taken for the mixture to turn pale yellow if Experiment 1 was
repeated at an average temperature of 60 °C.
Show clearly on the grid how you worked out your answer.

.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

1: Experimental techniques - Topic questions (Paper 6) Copyright © UCLES 2017 5

 (d) (i) In which experiment was the rate of reaction greatest?
. ...................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Explain why the rate of reaction was greatest in this experiment.

. ............................................................................................................................................

. ............................................................................................................................................

. ...................................................................................................................................... [2]

(e) (i) Suggest and explain the effect on the results of using a burette to measure the volume of
solution J.

. ............................................................................................................................................

. ...................................................................................................................................... [2]

(ii) Suggest and explain one other improvement to these experiments.

. ............................................................................................................................................

. ...................................................................................................................................... [2]

[Total: 17]

1: Experimental techniques - Topic questions (Paper 6) Copyright © UCLES 2017 6

 4 The label on a bottle of orange drink stated ‘contains no artificial colours’. A scientist thought that
the orange colour in the drink was a mixture of two artificial colours:

• 
Sunset Yellow E110
• Allura Red E129


Plan an investigation to show that the orange colour in the drink did not contain these two artificial
colours.
You are provided with samples of E110, E129 and the orange colouring from the drink. You are also
provided with common laboratory apparatus.
You may draw a diagram to help answer the question.

...........................................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................... [6]

[Total: 6]

1: Experimental techniques - Topic questions (Paper 6) Copyright © UCLES 2017 7

 Question Answer Mark
tripod 2
1 (a) (i)
stirring rod/stirrer

1 (b) (ii) B, C, A 1

1 (b) (ii) filtration 1

1 (c) (i) water 1

1 (c) (ii) filtrate 1

1 (d) solid/crystal appearing on edge/glass rod test 1

Total: 7

3 (a) blue/green (solid/crystals) 1

(pale) blue 4
precipitate
3 (b) (i)
royal/deep blue
dissolves/solution

3 (b) (ii) (pale) blue precipitate 1

3 (b) (iii) white precipitate 1

3 (b) (iv) no reaction/change/precipitate 1

3 (c) ammonium; iodide 2

Total: 10

any 6 from: 6
chromatography
(pencil) baseline/origin
apply orange colour to paper
4
add samples of both E110 and E129
solvent/names solvent
check heights of spots of E colours against orange drink
conclusion/allow comparison to known Rf values

Total: 6

1: Experimental techniques - Topic questions (Paper 6) Copyright © UCLES 2017 8