Understanding how to approach exam questions helps to boost exam performance. Question types will include multiple choice, structured, mathematical and practical questions.
Make sure you give answers to a suitable number of significant figures.
Maths questions might ask you to plot or complete a graph or table. When you draw a graph, make sure you:
plot each point accurately
draw a best fit straight line or curve, where appropriate
You may be given a grid with axes labelled and scales already given. Sometimes you may be given an empty grid for you to supply your own axes. When you do this:
put the independent variable on the x-axis and the dependent variable on the y-axis
choose even scales and make sure that the points cover at least half the given grid
label the axes with their quantity and unit, eg time (s)
These questions have been written by Bitesize consultants as suggestions to the types of questions that may appear in an exam paper.
Sample question 1 - Foundation
Question
Calcium nitrate contains calcium ions and nitrate ions.
Calculate the relative formula mass of calcium nitrate, Ca(NO3)2.
(relative atomic masses: Ca = 40, N = 14, O = 16) [2 marks]
40 + (2 × 14) + (6 x 16) [1]
= 164 [1]
Sample question 2 - Foundation
Question
Magnesium reacts with oxygen:
2Mg + O2 → 2MgO
Calculate the maximum mass of magnesium oxide that can be formed from 4.8 g of magnesium.
(Relative atomic mass of Mg = 24; relative formula mass of MgO = 40) [2 marks]
24 g of Mg produces 40 g of MgO. [1]
so 4.8 g of Mg produces 40 × 4.8/24 = 8 g [1]
Sample question 3 - Higher
Question
Calculate the mass of 0.25 mol of carbon dioxide, CO2.
(relative atomic masses: C = 12, O = 16) [2 marks]
12 + (2 × 16) = 44 [1]
(mass of 1 mole = 44 g)
0.25 mol × 44 g/mol = 11 g [1]
Sample question 4 - Higher
Question
50 cm3 of potassium hydroxide solution of concentration 40 g/dm3 is needed for an experiment.
Calculate the mass of potassium hydroxide that must be dissolved in water to make 50 cm3 of solution of this concentration. [2 marks]
