AQA A-Level Chemistry Paper 3, 2024
Every question from AQA A-Level Chemistry Paper 3, 2024: 35 questions, 90 marks, each with its mark scheme and topic.
- Question 1 19 marks
Describe the esterification of 2-hydroxybenzenecarboxylic acid with methanol and the preparation and purification of aspirin, including mechanism, role of catalyst, apparatus for filtration, likely impurities, recrystallisation procedure and melting-point purity tests.
Organic Chemistry · Required Practicals · 3.3.1 Introduction to Organic Chemistry · 3.3.6 Organic Analysis · 3.3.9 Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives · 3.3.14 Organic Synthesis · Required Practical 12: Separation and purification techniques
- Question 2 11 marks
Investigate the rate of reaction between calcium carbonate and hydrochloric acid by continuous monitoring of mass loss, explain experimental choices, relate mass loss to [HCl], plot rate versus (m_total − m_t) and show the rate law Rate = k[HCl], and suggest alternative measurable variables.
Physical Chemistry · Required Practicals · 3.1.5 Kinetics · 3.1.9 Rate Equations · Required Practical 7: Measuring the rate of reaction by an initial rate method
- Question 3 10 marks
Use temperature-dependent rate data for the thermal decomposition of but-3-en-1-ol to complete missing k and ln k, deduce the reaction order from units, plot ln k vs 1/T to find the gradient and calculate the activation energy Ea, and deduce structures of the alkene and carbonyl products from a related alcohol.
Physical Chemistry · Organic Chemistry · 3.1.5 Kinetics · 3.1.9 Rate Equations · 3.3.1 Introduction to Organic Chemistry · 3.3.4 Alkenes · 3.3.8 Aldehydes and Ketones
- Question 4 11 marks
Interpret a titration pH curve for propanoic acid titrated with NaOH: define a weak acid, explain adding alkali dropwise near the equivalence point, derive pH = pKa at half-neutralisation, calculate Ka from the pH, explain buffer action and comment on indicator suitability.
Physical Chemistry · Required Practicals · 3.1.12 Acids and Bases · Required Practical 9: Investigate how pH changes when a weak acid reacts with a strong base and when a strong acid reacts with a weak base
- Question 5 9 marks
Explain why some transition metal complexes are coloured, list factors that affect the colour and describe how colorimetry can be used to determine concentration of a coloured complex; calculate the energy change for an electron absorbing radiation at the peak wavelength from the spectrum.
Inorganic Chemistry · Physical Chemistry · 3.2.5 Transition Metals · 3.1.1 Atomic Structure · 3.2.6 Reactions of Ions in Aqueous Solution
- Question 6 1 mark
Identify which row contains two species with different numbers of electrons.
Physical Chemistry · 3.1.1 Atomic Structure
- Question 7 1 mark
Identify which element has the highest third ionisation energy from the options Li, Be, K and Ca.
Physical Chemistry · Inorganic Chemistry · 3.1.1 Atomic Structure · 3.2.1 Periodicity
- Question 8 1 mark
Calculate the overall percentage yield of R from P given two step yields of 50% and 30%.
Organic Chemistry · 3.3.14 Organic Synthesis
- Question 9 1 mark
Identify the correct formula of ammonium ethanedioate.
Organic Chemistry · 3.3.1 Introduction to Organic Chemistry
- Question 10 1 mark
Which diagram shows the formation of a dative (coordinate) covalent bond?
Physical Chemistry · 3.1.3 Bonding
- Question 11 1 mark
Which substance (benzene, boron trifluoride, cyclohexane, graphite) does not have any bond angles of 120°?
- Question 12 1 mark
Which of the given molecules does not have a permanent dipole (choices: NH3, PCl3, SCl2, SiCl4)?
Physical Chemistry · 3.1.3 Bonding
- Question 13 1 mark
Identify which of four given organic compounds forms the greatest number of hydrogen bonds per molecule in the liquid state.
Physical Chemistry · Organic Chemistry · 3.1.3 Bonding · 3.3.5 Alcohols · 3.3.9 Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives
- Question 14 1 mark
Identify what the total area under a Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution curve represents (given a Maxwell–Boltzmann energy distribution for a gaseous reaction mixture).
Physical Chemistry · 3.1.5 Kinetics
- Question 15 1 mark
Determine the rate of reaction (cm^3 s^-1) at 70 s from the volume of gas vs time graph for Mg + 2HCl → MgCl2 + H2.
Physical Chemistry · Required Practicals · 3.1.5 Kinetics · Required Practical 7: Measuring the rate of reaction by an initial rate method
- Question 16 1 mark
Choose which statement explains why adding a catalyst at constant temperature increases the rate of a reaction.
Physical Chemistry · 3.1.5 Kinetics
- Question 17 1 mark
Calculate the standard electrode potential of the PbO2 / PbSO4 electrode given the cell EMF and the standard potential of the PbSO4 / Pb electrode.
Physical Chemistry · 3.1.11 Electrode Potentials · 3.1.7 Oxidation, Reduction and Redox Equations
- Question 18 1 mark
Use the given Kw values at 18 °C and 25 °C to select the correct statement about water (including the hydroxide concentration at 18 °C and how acidity changes with temperature).
Physical Chemistry · 3.1.12 Acids and Bases
- Question 19 1 mark
Identify which statement about the Period 3 elements (sodium to chlorine) is correct.
Inorganic Chemistry · 3.2.1 Periodicity
- Question 20 1 mark
Which statement correctly describes a trend down Group 7 from Cl to I?
Inorganic Chemistry · Physical Chemistry · 3.2.3 Group 7(17), The Halogens · 3.1.3 Bonding
- Question 21 1 mark
Identify which statement about chloride ions is correct (they form a cobalt(II) complex with a tetrahedral shape).
Inorganic Chemistry · 3.2.5 Transition Metals · 3.2.3 Group 7(17), The Halogens · 3.2.6 Reactions of Ions in Aqueous Solution
- Question 22 1 mark
Identify the formulae of the precipitate and the gas formed when aqueous aluminium sulfate is added to aqueous sodium carbonate.
Inorganic Chemistry · 3.2.6 Reactions of Ions in Aqueous Solution · 3.1.12 Acids and Bases
- Question 23 1 mark
Identify the correct structural formula for 4-chloro-2-methylpent-2-enoic acid.
Organic Chemistry · 3.3.1 Introduction to Organic Chemistry · 3.3.4 Alkenes · 3.3.9 Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives
- Question 24 1 mark
Choose which conversion involves a nucleophile attacking the organic reactant.
Organic Chemistry · 3.3.1 Introduction to Organic Chemistry · 3.3.8 Aldehydes and Ketones
- Question 25 1 mark
Identify which compound is a position isomer of CH3COOCH2CH(CH3)2 (Compound Y).
Organic Chemistry · 3.3.1 Introduction to Organic Chemistry · 3.3.9 Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives
- Question 26 1 mark
Identify which compound shows E–Z isomerism.
Organic Chemistry · 3.3.1 Introduction to Organic Chemistry · 3.3.4 Alkenes
- Question 27 1 mark
Identify the product formed by nucleophilic addition of acidified KCN to 3-methylbutan-2-one (formation of the cyanohydrin).
Organic Chemistry · 3.3.1 Introduction to Organic Chemistry · 3.3.8 Aldehydes and Ketones
- Question 28 1 mark
Decide which multiple-choice statement about nylon-6,6 is correct (reactants used, polymerisation type, hydrolysis by NaOH, or uniform molecular mass).
Organic Chemistry · 3.3.12 Polymers
- Question 29 1 mark
Select the correct statement about the industrial hydration of ethene to ethanol at 300 °C (C2H4 + H2O ⇌ C2H5OH, ΔH = −46 kJ mol−1).
Physical Chemistry · 3.1.6 Chemical Equilibria, Le Chatelier's Principle and Kc · 3.1.4 Energetics · 3.1.10 Equilibrium Constant Kp
- Question 30 1 mark
Identify the compound formed by the acid hydrolysis of phenyl benzenecarboxylate.
Organic Chemistry · 3.3.9 Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives
- Question 31 1 mark
Identify which type of polymer is most difficult to hydrolyse from the options polyalkene, polyamide, polyester or protein.
Organic Chemistry · 3.3.12 Polymers
- Question 32 1 mark
Identify which polymer has hydrogen bonding between polymer chains.
Organic Chemistry · Physical Chemistry · 3.3.12 Polymers · 3.1.3 Bonding
- Question 33 1 mark
Which structure shows a zwitterion of an amino acid?
Organic Chemistry · 3.3.13 Amino Acids, Proteins and DNA
- Question 34 1 mark
Identify which isomer of C6H12O2 is the most abundant from a gas chromatogram given a polar stationary phase.
Organic Chemistry · Physical Chemistry · 3.3.6 Organic Analysis · 3.3.16 Chromatography · 3.1.3 Bonding
- Question 35 1 mark
Identify which structure is formed by phenylalanine in solution at pH = 3.
Physical Chemistry · Organic Chemistry · 3.1.12 Acids and Bases · 3.3.13 Amino Acids, Proteins and DNA