Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Chemistry · 4CH1 · Free · no account needed

Energy Diagrams and Bond Energies — exam questions

12 original Incandio exam-style questions on Energy Diagrams and Bond Energies, 27 marks, about 27 minutes of writing. Each one carries the command word, the tariff and the specification statement it assesses, exactly as a paper presents them. This is an original Incandio practice question, written to reflect the structure and demands of the qualification. It is not an official Pearson Edexcel past-paper question.

This is the practice set for Energy Diagrams and Bond Energies — the lesson that teaches it. Read the lesson first if the idea is new; come here when you want to find out whether you can turn it into marks. Completely free, no account needed to read.

What these questions ask of you

7 command words run through this set, and on Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Chemistry each one means something precise. Answering the wrong command is the commonest way a candidate who understands the lesson still loses the mark.

Which (1 mark)
one option chosen from the set given
State what is meant by (1–2 marks)
the definition
Give (1–2 marks)
a short factual answer — the most common chemistry command
Describe (2–5 marks)
developed, linked statements of what happens or what is observed Misread as: giving one bare observation where the tariff asked for a developed account
Explain (2–4 marks)
the reason, in terms of particles, bonding, energy or equilibrium Misread as: describing the observation without giving the chemistry that causes it
Calculate (1–4 marks)
a numerical answer with working, to the stated precision
Suggest (1–3 marks)
a plausible answer applying taught chemistry to an unfamiliar substance

Assessed on Paper 1 (4CH1/1C) and Paper 2 (4CH1/2C), against AO1, AO2, AO3.

Where these sit in the specification

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Chemistry (4CH1) — statements 3.6 · 3.5 · 3.7. Incandio is aligned to this specification; it is not published by, endorsed by or affiliated with Pearson, and it reproduces none of Pearson's wording.

The 12 questions

Answer them on paper, then open the lesson's exam practice to have them marked. The mark scheme, the accepted and rejected answers and the annotated model answer are in Incandio and are not printed here — an answer beside its question is not practice.

  1. Hydrogen reacts with chlorine to form hydrogen chloride: H₂ + Cl₂ → 2HCl. One H–H bond and one Cl–Cl bond are broken, and two H–Cl bonds are made.

    Table 1 — bond energies
    BondBond energy / kJ per mole
    H–H436
    Cl–Cl242
    H–Cl431
    O=O498
    O–H464

    (a)

    (1)Calculate

    Calculate the total energy needed to break the bonds in the reactants.

    Hydrogen reacts with chlorine to form hydrogen chloride: H₂ + Cl₂ → 2HCl. One H–H bond and one Cl–Cl bond are broken, and two H–Cl bonds are made.

    Table 1 — bond energies
    BondBond energy / kJ per mole
    H–H436
    Cl–Cl242
    H–Cl431
    O=O498
    O–H464

    ............................ kJ

    Specification 3.7 · AO2 · about 1 min

    (b)

    (2)Calculate

    Calculate the total energy released when the bonds in the product are made.

    Hydrogen reacts with chlorine to form hydrogen chloride: H₂ + Cl₂ → 2HCl. One H–H bond and one Cl–Cl bond are broken, and two H–Cl bonds are made.

    Table 1 — bond energies
    BondBond energy / kJ per mole
    H–H436
    Cl–Cl242
    H–Cl431
    O=O498
    O–H464

    total energy released = ............................ kJ

    Specification 3.7 · AO2 · about 2 min

    (c)

    (3)Calculate

    Calculate the overall energy change for the reaction, and state whether it is exothermic or endothermic.

    Hydrogen reacts with chlorine to form hydrogen chloride: H₂ + Cl₂ → 2HCl. One H–H bond and one Cl–Cl bond are broken, and two H–Cl bonds are made.

    Table 1 — bond energies
    BondBond energy / kJ per mole
    H–H436
    Cl–Cl242
    H–Cl431
    O=O498
    O–H464

    Specification 3.7 · AO2 · about 3 min

    (d)

    (3)Suggest

    Suggest how the energy level diagram for this reaction would differ from one for a reaction with the same ΔH but a much higher activation energy.

    Hydrogen reacts with chlorine to form hydrogen chloride: H₂ + Cl₂ → 2HCl. One H–H bond and one Cl–Cl bond are broken, and two H–Cl bonds are made.

    Table 1 — bond energies
    BondBond energy / kJ per mole
    H–H436
    Cl–Cl242
    H–Cl431
    O=O498
    O–H464

    Specification 3.5 · AO3 · about 3 min

    (Total for Question 1 = 9 marks)

  2. (1)Which

    Which statement about bond breaking is correct?

    Statement
    Ait releases energy and is exothermic
    Bit takes in energy and is endothermic
    Cit needs no energy at all
    Dit releases energy and is endothermic

    Specification 3.6 · AO1 · about 1 min

    (Total for Question 2 = 1 mark)

  3. (1)State what is meant by

    State what is meant by the activation energy of a reaction.

    Specification 3.5 · AO1 · about 1 min

    (Total for Question 3 = 1 mark)

  4. (1)Give

    Give the position of the products relative to the reactants on the energy level diagram of an exothermic reaction.

    Specification 3.5 · AO1 · about 1 min

    (Total for Question 4 = 1 mark)

  5. (2)Describe

    Describe what an energy level diagram for an endothermic reaction would look like.

    Specification 3.5 · AO1 + AO2 · about 2 min

    (Total for Question 5 = 2 marks)

  6. (3)Explain

    Explain why a reaction is exothermic when more energy is released making bonds than is used breaking them.

    Specification 3.6 · AO2 · about 3 min

    (Total for Question 6 = 3 marks)

  7. (3)Calculate

    Calculate the energy change for the reaction 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O, in which two H–H bonds and one O=O bond are broken and four O–H bonds are made.

    Table 1 — bond energies
    BondBond energy / kJ per mole
    H–H436
    Cl–Cl242
    H–Cl431
    O=O498
    O–H464

    energy change = ............................ kJ/mol

    Specification 3.7 · AO2 · about 3 min

    (Total for Question 7 = 3 marks)

  8. (3)Suggest

    Suggest why a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen can sit unreacted for years, even though the reaction between them is strongly exothermic.

    Specification 3.5, 3.6 · AO2 + AO3 · about 3 min

    (Total for Question 8 = 3 marks)

  9. (4)Explain

    Explain why breaking bonds is always endothermic and making bonds is always exothermic, whatever the reaction.

    Specification 3.5, 3.6, 3.7 · AO1 + AO2 · about 4 min

    (Total for Question 9 = 4 marks)

Have them marked, then defend the answer

Practice tells you the mark; teaching it back tells you whether you understand it. On Incandio a topic counts as mastered only once you have taught it and defended it.

  1. Mark these questions — 12 questions, marked on Incandio against the authored scheme, with the mistake you actually made named.
  2. Teach it — explain Energy Diagrams and Bond Energies to Ember, an AI pupil who does not have it yet and asks the awkward question.
  3. Defend it — argue it against John Dalton over three rounds, marked against descriptors you can read first.

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