Shapes of molecules: past paper questions

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• Question 5May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Which molecule or structure does not contain three atoms bonded at an angle between ${109}^{\circ }$ and ${110}^{\circ }$?

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• Question 24Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  When dry ammonia and hydrogen chloride gases are mixed, a solid white ionic compound is formed. Two statements are listed. 1 The formation of the ionic compound is a redox reaction.

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• Question 24Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Three statements about ammonia molecules and ammonium ions are given. 1 In aqueous solution, ammonia molecules form coordinate bonds with hydroxide ions. 2 Ammonium ions are Brønsted–Lowry acids.

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which row is correct?

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• Question 24May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Ammonia can be made by a suitable reaction using ammonium chloride as one of the reactants. Two statements are given about this reaction. 1 This reaction takes place when ammonium chloride is heated with $\text{KOH(aq)}$.

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Three bond angles are labelled on the molecule shown. What is the order of decreasing size of the bond angles $x$, $y$ and $z$?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  An ion contains 1 nitrogen atom and 2 hydrogen atoms. It has an $\mathrm{H}-\mathrm{N}-\mathrm{H}$ bond angle of approximately ${105}^{\circ }$. Which row is correct?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Ammonium ions, ${\text{NH}}_4^{+}$, are formed when ammonia gas reacts with hydrogen chloride gas. Which statement about the changes that occur in this reaction is correct?

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• Question 36May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Ethanenitrile is heated with an excess of sodium hydroxide until the reaction is complete, giving organic compound X. Which row is correct?

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• Question 7Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Two compounds of boron are sodium borohydride, ${\text{NaBH}}_4$, and boron trifluoride, ${\text{BF}}_3$. What are the shapes of the borohydride ion and the boron trifluoride molecule?

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• Question 2May/June 2026, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  Which molecule has the greatest bond angle?

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• Question 2Oct/Nov 2025, paper 42Structured9 marks

  Ethanal, $\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{H}}_3\mathrm{C}\mathrm{H}\mathrm{O}$, reacts with nitrogen dioxide, $\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{O}}_2$. The products of the first step of this reaction are a $\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{H}}_3\dot{\mathrm{C}}=\mathrm{O}$ radical and a molecule of nitrous acid, $\mathrm{H}\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{O}}_2$.

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2024, paper 41Structured6 marksHas a diagram

  The shapes of four different complexes, P, Q, R and S, are shown in Table 5.1. The symbol J represents an atom or ion of a transition element. The symbol L is used to represent a monodentate ligand.

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• Question 24May/June 2026, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  Ammonium sulfate is heated with calcium hydroxide. Two statements about the reaction are listed. 1 The ammonium ion acts as a base during the reaction.

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• Question 6May/June 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  The structure of the sulfur dioxide molecule is shown. $$\ddot{\text{O}}=\ddot{\text{S}}=\ddot{\text{O}}$$ What is the shape of the sulfur dioxide molecule?

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• Question 7May/June 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Histidine is an amino acid. What are the approximate bond angles 1, 2, and 3?

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• Question 1May/June 2026, paper 21Structured17 marksHas a diagram

  Complete the dot-and-cross diagram in Figure 1.1 to show the arrangement of outer shell electrons in a molecule of ${\mathrm{S}\mathrm{F}}_6$.

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• Question 24May/June 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  What is the bond angle in the ammonium ion?

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• Question 6May/June 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which statement about the $\text{Cl}-\text{N}=\text{O}$ molecule is correct?

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• Question 11May/June 2025, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  ${\text{BF}}_3$ reacts with ${\text{NH}}_3$ to form a single compound with a simple molecular structure. $${\text{BF}}_3+{\text{NH}}_3\to {\text{F}}_3{\text{B–NH}}_3$$ Which row describes how the bond angles change during the reaction?

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• Question 5May/June 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which shape is correctly predicted by VSEPR theory?

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• Question 5May/June 2024, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  Arsenic forms a compound with fluorine. In this compound, the arsenic atom has no lone pair of electrons and there are no dative bonds. Selenium also forms a compound with fluorine.

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• Question 5May/June 2023, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Ammonia reacts with acids to form the ammonium ion. $$\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{H}}_3+{\mathrm{H}}^{+}\rightleftharpoons \mathrm{N}{\mathrm{H}}_4^{+}$$ Which row is correct?

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• Question 6May/June 2024, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A structure for borazole, ${\mathrm{N}}_3{\mathrm{B}}_3{\mathrm{H}}_6$, is shown. Which shape is borazole and how many $\pi$ electrons are there in the structure?

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• Question 1May/June 2023, paper 21Structured13 marksHas a diagram

  Tellurium is an element in Group 16. The most common isotope of tellurium is ${}^{130}\mathrm{T}\mathrm{e}$. Its electronic configuration is $[\mathrm{K}\mathrm{r}]4{\mathrm{d}}^{10}5{\mathrm{s}}^{2}5{\mathrm{p}}^4$.

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• Question 2May/June 2024, paper 21Structured12 marksHas a diagram

  Sulfur chloride, ${\mathrm{S}\mathrm{C}\mathrm{l}}_2$, is a liquid at room temperature. When ${\mathrm{S}\mathrm{C}\mathrm{l}}_2$ is added to water, misty fumes are seen and a solution is made that turns universal indicator red. Identify the type of reaction that occurs when ${\mathrm{S}\mathrm{C}\mathrm{l}}_2$ is added to water.

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