GCSE CHEMISTRY (9–1): PAST PAPER 1:
HIGHER TIER. ALL ASSESSMENT &
MARK SCHEME FINAL TEST 2026
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
GRADED A+
◍ What are the most common ores?.
Answer: Oxides and sulfides
◍ What are the noble gases at room temperature?.
Answer: Colourless gases
◍ What are titrations used for?.
Answer: Finding out exactly how much acid is needed to neutralise a
quantity of alkali - or vice versa
◍ 8.4)Give your answer as the simplest whole number ratio. [3 marks ].
Answer: Surface area= 6 x 0.5 x 0.5=1.5cm²Volume=0.5 x 0.5 x
0.5=0.125cm³Surface area : volume=12:1
◍ 4.4)The manufacturers of the green ink Always use the same proportion of
yellow dye and blue dye.Suggest one reason why. [1 mark ].
Answer: So that the shade of green is the same.
◍ 10.1) Give the name of the solvent used to dissolve the ions in this reaction .
[1 mark].
Answer: Water or H2O
◍ 8.2)determine the mean rate of reaction for small calcium carbonate lumps
between 20 seconds and 105 seconds.Give the unit.Use figure 4.[4 marks].
Answer: Mean rate of reaction=0.0038 - 0.0014 /105-20=0.000028 or 2.8 x
, 10^-6Unit=mol/s or moles per second
◍ What are nanoparticles?.
Answer: Particles that have a diameter between 1 nm and 100 nm - these are
the smallest particles that contain only a few hundred atoms
◍ What does acid strength tell you?.
Answer: What proportion of the acid molecules ionise in water
◍ How are negative ions formed?.
Answer: A non-metal gains electrons
◍ Hydrogen Half Equation.
Answer: 2H(plus) + 2e(minus) --> H2
◍ What are fine particles?.
Answer: Particles that have diameter between 100 nm and 2,500 nm
◍ Formula for Percentage Mass.
Answer: Percentage Mass of an Element in a Compound = Relative Atomic
Mass (Ar) x Number of atoms of that element / Relative Formula Mass (Mr)
of the compound x 100
◍ 8.5)describe how the surface area to volume ratio of this larger cube differs
from that of the cube shown in Figure 5. [1 mark].
Answer: Decreases by a factor of 10 or is 10 times smaller
◍ How many products do the highest atom economy reactions have?.
Answer: Only one product - the lower the number of products, the higher the
atomy economy is likely to be
◍ What is the Avogadro constant?.
Answer: 6.02x10²³
◍ 2.6)Between 1992 and 2010 the proportion of processed solid sewage sludge
used as a fertiliser increased. Suggest two reasons why . [2 marks].
Answer: 1:higher demand for foods due to increasing population 2:more
sustainable
,◍ 9.2)Glucose is produced when algae photosynthesise. Name 2 naturally
occurring polymers produced from glucose. [2 marks].
Answer: Starch and cellulose
◍ What's the difference between the hardness of Group 1 and transition
metals?.
Answer: Transition metals are harder, denser and stronger than Group 1
metals
◍ 1.5) Give the result of the test .Solution :Result: [2 marks].
Answer: Solution: silver nitrate solution Result:yellow precipitate
◍ 9.4)Name the other substance produced [1 mark].
Answer: Water
◍ 4.5) which will definitely produce a smaller Rf value if the solvent and
paper are both changed ?Tick one box. [1 mark].
Answer: The dye is less soluble in the new solvent and more attracted to the
new paper.
◍ 1.1)What flame colour is produced by copper sulfate solution ?[1 mark].
Answer: Green
◍ 6.2)Explain how reducing the amount of sulfur in fossil fuels reduces the
erosion of limestone.[4 marks].
Answer: Sulfur reacts with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide. Therefore less
sulfur dioxide is emitted so there is less acid rain as well as less limestone
reacting with acid rain.
◍ Reduction =.
Answer: Loss of oxygenGain of electrons
◍ Examples of exothermic reactions.
Answer: CombustionNeutralisationMany oxidation reactions
◍ What happens in an electrochemical cell?.
Answer: The chemical reactions between the electrodes & the electrolyte set
up a charge difference between the electrodesIf the electrodes are connected
, by a wire, the charge is able to flow & electricity is producedA voltmeter
can be connected to the circuit to measure the voltage of the cell
◍ Describe the structure of graphite.
Answer: Each carbon atom forms three covalent bonds to create layers of
hexagons. Each carbon atom also has one delocalised electron.
◍ Are metal oxides and hydroxides bases or acids?.
Answer: Bases
◍ Hydrogen-Oxygen Fuel Cell.
Answer: Combines hydrogen & oxygen to produce nice, clean water and
release energy
◍ What are coarse particles?.
Answer: Particles that have a diameter between 2,500 nm and 10,000 nm -
also known as dust
◍ What type of ion do elements from Group 7 form?.
Answer: Negative ions
◍ List the main properties of ionic compounds.
Answer: 1) High melting and boiling points - many strong bonds between
the ions2) They can't conduct electricity when they're solid - the ions are
held in a fixed arrangement therefore they can't pass on the electrical
current.3) They can conduct electricity when they're liquids because the ions
are free to move therefore they can pass on the electrical current.4) They
dissolve easily in water - they are free to move in the solution and can carry
electrical current.
◍ What is relative atomic mass?.
Answer: The mass number which refers to the element as a whole
◍ 8.1)complete figure 4 [3 marks].
Answer: All seven points plotted correctly.
◍ 4.1) The Rf value of the yellow dye =0.60 The distance moved by the
yellow =5.7cmCalculate the distance moved by the solvent .[3 marks].
HIGHER TIER. ALL ASSESSMENT &
MARK SCHEME FINAL TEST 2026
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
GRADED A+
◍ What are the most common ores?.
Answer: Oxides and sulfides
◍ What are the noble gases at room temperature?.
Answer: Colourless gases
◍ What are titrations used for?.
Answer: Finding out exactly how much acid is needed to neutralise a
quantity of alkali - or vice versa
◍ 8.4)Give your answer as the simplest whole number ratio. [3 marks ].
Answer: Surface area= 6 x 0.5 x 0.5=1.5cm²Volume=0.5 x 0.5 x
0.5=0.125cm³Surface area : volume=12:1
◍ 4.4)The manufacturers of the green ink Always use the same proportion of
yellow dye and blue dye.Suggest one reason why. [1 mark ].
Answer: So that the shade of green is the same.
◍ 10.1) Give the name of the solvent used to dissolve the ions in this reaction .
[1 mark].
Answer: Water or H2O
◍ 8.2)determine the mean rate of reaction for small calcium carbonate lumps
between 20 seconds and 105 seconds.Give the unit.Use figure 4.[4 marks].
Answer: Mean rate of reaction=0.0038 - 0.0014 /105-20=0.000028 or 2.8 x
, 10^-6Unit=mol/s or moles per second
◍ What are nanoparticles?.
Answer: Particles that have a diameter between 1 nm and 100 nm - these are
the smallest particles that contain only a few hundred atoms
◍ What does acid strength tell you?.
Answer: What proportion of the acid molecules ionise in water
◍ How are negative ions formed?.
Answer: A non-metal gains electrons
◍ Hydrogen Half Equation.
Answer: 2H(plus) + 2e(minus) --> H2
◍ What are fine particles?.
Answer: Particles that have diameter between 100 nm and 2,500 nm
◍ Formula for Percentage Mass.
Answer: Percentage Mass of an Element in a Compound = Relative Atomic
Mass (Ar) x Number of atoms of that element / Relative Formula Mass (Mr)
of the compound x 100
◍ 8.5)describe how the surface area to volume ratio of this larger cube differs
from that of the cube shown in Figure 5. [1 mark].
Answer: Decreases by a factor of 10 or is 10 times smaller
◍ How many products do the highest atom economy reactions have?.
Answer: Only one product - the lower the number of products, the higher the
atomy economy is likely to be
◍ What is the Avogadro constant?.
Answer: 6.02x10²³
◍ 2.6)Between 1992 and 2010 the proportion of processed solid sewage sludge
used as a fertiliser increased. Suggest two reasons why . [2 marks].
Answer: 1:higher demand for foods due to increasing population 2:more
sustainable
,◍ 9.2)Glucose is produced when algae photosynthesise. Name 2 naturally
occurring polymers produced from glucose. [2 marks].
Answer: Starch and cellulose
◍ What's the difference between the hardness of Group 1 and transition
metals?.
Answer: Transition metals are harder, denser and stronger than Group 1
metals
◍ 1.5) Give the result of the test .Solution :Result: [2 marks].
Answer: Solution: silver nitrate solution Result:yellow precipitate
◍ 9.4)Name the other substance produced [1 mark].
Answer: Water
◍ 4.5) which will definitely produce a smaller Rf value if the solvent and
paper are both changed ?Tick one box. [1 mark].
Answer: The dye is less soluble in the new solvent and more attracted to the
new paper.
◍ 1.1)What flame colour is produced by copper sulfate solution ?[1 mark].
Answer: Green
◍ 6.2)Explain how reducing the amount of sulfur in fossil fuels reduces the
erosion of limestone.[4 marks].
Answer: Sulfur reacts with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide. Therefore less
sulfur dioxide is emitted so there is less acid rain as well as less limestone
reacting with acid rain.
◍ Reduction =.
Answer: Loss of oxygenGain of electrons
◍ Examples of exothermic reactions.
Answer: CombustionNeutralisationMany oxidation reactions
◍ What happens in an electrochemical cell?.
Answer: The chemical reactions between the electrodes & the electrolyte set
up a charge difference between the electrodesIf the electrodes are connected
, by a wire, the charge is able to flow & electricity is producedA voltmeter
can be connected to the circuit to measure the voltage of the cell
◍ Describe the structure of graphite.
Answer: Each carbon atom forms three covalent bonds to create layers of
hexagons. Each carbon atom also has one delocalised electron.
◍ Are metal oxides and hydroxides bases or acids?.
Answer: Bases
◍ Hydrogen-Oxygen Fuel Cell.
Answer: Combines hydrogen & oxygen to produce nice, clean water and
release energy
◍ What are coarse particles?.
Answer: Particles that have a diameter between 2,500 nm and 10,000 nm -
also known as dust
◍ What type of ion do elements from Group 7 form?.
Answer: Negative ions
◍ List the main properties of ionic compounds.
Answer: 1) High melting and boiling points - many strong bonds between
the ions2) They can't conduct electricity when they're solid - the ions are
held in a fixed arrangement therefore they can't pass on the electrical
current.3) They can conduct electricity when they're liquids because the ions
are free to move therefore they can pass on the electrical current.4) They
dissolve easily in water - they are free to move in the solution and can carry
electrical current.
◍ What is relative atomic mass?.
Answer: The mass number which refers to the element as a whole
◍ 8.1)complete figure 4 [3 marks].
Answer: All seven points plotted correctly.
◍ 4.1) The Rf value of the yellow dye =0.60 The distance moved by the
yellow =5.7cmCalculate the distance moved by the solvent .[3 marks].
