Alkanes: past paper questions

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• Question 34May/June 2026, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement describes ethane?

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• Question 28Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement about alkanes is correct?

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• Question 9Oct/Nov 2024, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  Propane, ${\text{C}}_3{\text{H}}_8$, is burned in a limited amount of oxygen. Which equation represents this reaction?

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• Question 34May/June 2026, paper 22Multiple choice1 mark

  Which equation represents a substitution reaction?

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• Question 32Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Four different substances or types of substance are listed. 1 hydrogen 2 alcohols 3 alkenes 4 carboxylic acids Which substances are produced by cracking larger alkane molecules?

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• Question 31Oct/Nov 2024, paper 21Multiple choice1 mark

  Which process is used to make an alkene from a long-chain alkane?

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• Question 38Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Ethane is used as a fuel. Which equation shows the complete combustion of ethane?

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• Question 32May/June 2026, paper 23Multiple choice1 mark

  The formulas of three hydrocarbons are listed. 1 ${\text{CH}}_3{\text{CH(CH}}_3){\text{CH}}_3$ 2 ${\text{CH}}_3{\text{CH}}_2{\text{CH}}_2{\text{CHCH}}_2$ 3 ${\text{CH}}_3{\text{CH}}_2{\text{CH}}_2{\text{CH}}_2{\text{CH}}_3$ Which compounds are members of the same homologous series?

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• Question 10Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which equation represents the complete combustion of butane, ${\text{C}}_4{\text{H}}_{10}$?

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• Question 33Oct/Nov 2024, paper 21Multiple choice1 mark

  Alkanes undergo substitution reactions with chlorine in the presence of ultraviolet light. Which equation shows a reaction of this type?

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• Question 36Oct/Nov 2023, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  Four types of reactions are listed. 1 substitution 2 combustion 3 polymerisation 4 addition Which reactions will ethane undergo?

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• Question 1May/June 2026, paper 31Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  The structures of six substances, A to F, are shown in Figure 1.1. Figure 1.1 Answer the following questions about these substances. Each substance may be used once, more than once or not at all.

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• Question 33Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Gas X is a waste gas from digestion in animals. Gas Y is formed when gas X is burned with an insufficient amount of oxygen. Gas Z is formed when gas X is burned with an excess of oxygen.

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• Question 33Oct/Nov 2024, paper 22Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which row shows the properties of methane?

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• Question 33Oct/Nov 2023, paper 21Multiple choice1 mark

  When a mixture of methane and chlorine is exposed to ultraviolet light, a reaction takes place. Which statements about this reaction are correct?

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• Question 4May/June 2026, paper 31Structured12 marksHas a diagram

  This question is about organic compounds and their reactions. Compound M is unsaturated. Figure 4.1 shows the displayed formula of compound M. On Figure 4.1, draw a circle around the carboxylic acid functional group.

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• Question 30Oct/Nov 2025, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  The molecular formulae of four compounds are shown. $${\text{C}}_2{\text{H}}_2{\text{C}}_3{\text{H}}_8{\text{C}}_4{\text{H}}_8{\text{C}}_5{\text{H}}_{10}$$ How many of these compounds are in the alkane homologous series?

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• Question 30Oct/Nov 2024, paper 23Multiple choice1 mark

  Which compounds have similar chemical properties?

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• Question 4May/June 2026, paper 33Structured12 marksHas a diagram

  Table 4.1 shows the properties of some alkanes. Use the information in Table 4.1 to answer the following questions. Predict the boiling point of propane.

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• Question 31Oct/Nov 2025, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  Which type of reaction takes place when pentane reacts with chlorine?

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• Question 33Oct/Nov 2024, paper 23Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement about the manufacture of ethene from larger alkane molecules is correct?

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• Question 34Oct/Nov 2023, paper 22Multiple choice1 mark

  What is the total number of covalent bonds in a molecule of butane, ${\mathrm{C}}_4{\mathrm{H}}_{10}$?

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• Question 34Oct/Nov 2025, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Ethane reacts with chlorine. Which row identifies the type of reaction and the formulae of the products formed?

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• Question 4Oct/Nov 2024, paper 32Structured13 marksHas a diagram

  Fig. 4.1 shows the displayed formula of compound A. On Fig 4.1 draw a circle around the alcohol functional group.

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• Question 35Oct/Nov 2023, paper 22Multiple choice1 mark

  Propane reacts with chlorine in a substitution reaction. Which reaction condition is required for the reaction to occur?

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• Question 7May/June 2026, paper 41Structured12 marksHas a diagram

  This question is about hydrocarbons. Alkanes are a homologous series of hydrocarbons. State what is meant by the term hydrocarbon.

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• Question 36Oct/Nov 2025, paper 22Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which row shows the products obtained by the cracking of a large alkane?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2024, paper 42Structured11 marks

  Alkenes are manufactured by cracking larger alkane molecules. State the source of the large alkane molecules used in cracking.

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• Question 34Oct/Nov 2023, paper 23Multiple choice1 mark

  Methane reacts with chlorine in sunlight. $${\text{CH}}_4+{\text{Cl}}_2\to {\text{CH}}_3\text{Cl}+\text{HCl}$$ Which statements about this reaction are correct?

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• Question 31Oct/Nov 2025, paper 23Multiple choice1 mark

  Which type of reaction takes place when methane reacts with chlorine in the presence of ultraviolet light?

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