Electrolysis: past paper questions

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• Question 12May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Molten sodium chloride is electrolysed. Which change occurs at the cathode?

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• Question 12Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Electrolysis is used to plate a metal statue with silver. The statue is an electrode in a suitable electrolyte. Which row is correct?

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• Question 11Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Aqueous copper(II) sulfate is electrolysed using copper electrodes. Which row describes the changes that take place during the electrolysis?

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• Question 12Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Aqueous copper(II) sulfate is electrolysed with copper electrodes. What is the equation for the reaction occurring at the anode?

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• Question 10May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Concentrated and dilute aqueous $\text{XCl}$ are electrolysed separately using inert electrodes. X is a more reactive metal than sodium. Which row shows the products at the cathode and the anode?

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• Question 27Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Aluminium is extracted from molten aluminium oxide by electrolysis. Which material is used for the electrodes in the industrial extraction?

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

  An electrolytic cell is shown. Which statement is correct?

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

  Aqueous copper(II) sulfate is electrolysed using copper electrodes. Which row correctly describes what happens?

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• Question 28May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which substance is used for the electrodes when aluminium is extracted from its ore?

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• Question 11Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The apparatus shown is used to investigate the electrolysis using inert electrodes of dilute sulfuric acid and concentrated aqueous sodium chloride in separate experiments. Which row shows the ratio of volume of gas collected in each test-tube?

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• Question 13Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  An aqueous mixture of copper(II) nitrate and silver nitrate is electrolysed with pure copper electrodes. Which ionic half-equation describes the change occurring at the anode?

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• Question 4Oct/Nov 2023, paper 21Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  Concentrated aqueous calcium bromide is electrolysed using graphite electrodes. Predict the product at each electrode.

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• Question 4May/June 2026, paper 21Structured11 marks

  Potassium iodide is an ionic compound. Concentrated and dilute aqueous potassium iodide are separately electrolysed using graphite electrodes. Complete Table 4.1 about the products of the two electrolysis reactions.

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• Question 9Oct/Nov 2025, paper 21Structured10 marks

  Anhydrous copper(II) sulfate is a white solid. State the meaning of the term anhydrous.

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2024, paper 21Structured6 marksHas a diagram

  Fig. 3.1 shows the apparatus used for the electrolysis of concentrated aqueous sodium chloride using graphite electrodes. Label the cathode on Fig. 3.1.

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• Question 4Oct/Nov 2023, paper 22Structured10 marksHas a diagram

  Concentrated aqueous magnesium iodide is electrolysed using graphite electrodes. Predict the product at each electrode.

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• Question 4May/June 2026, paper 22Structured11 marks

  Copper(II) sulfate is an ionic compound. The electrolysis of aqueous copper(II) sulfate is done using copper or graphite electrodes. Complete Table 4.1 about the observations made in the two electrolysis reactions.

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• Question 9Oct/Nov 2025, paper 22Structured9 marks

  Hydrated zinc chloride is a white solid. State the meaning of the term hydrated.

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2024, paper 22Structured6 marksHas a diagram

  Fig. 3.1 shows the apparatus used for the electrolysis of dilute sulfuric acid using graphite electrodes. Define the term electrolysis.

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2023, paper 42Structured6 marksHas a diagram

  A student investigates the electrolysis of concentrated aqueous sodium chloride. Fig. 1.1 shows the apparatus the student uses. Name apparatus X.

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• Question 14May/June 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement about electrolysis is correct?

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2024, paper 41Structured6 marksHas a diagram

  A teacher investigates the electrolysis of molten lead(II) bromide. Lead(II) bromide is a solid at room temperature. Fig. 1.1 shows the apparatus the teacher uses.

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

  Concentrated aqueous sodium chloride is electrolysed using inert electrodes. Which row shows what happens in this electrolysis and why it happens?

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• Question 15May/June 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows an electrolysis experiment using inert electrodes. Which row shows what happens to the concentration of the electrolyte in L and in M as the electrolysis proceeds?

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• Question 12May/June 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which row shows the substances that can be electrolysed?

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• Question 29May/June 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Three statements about the extraction of aluminium are shown. 1 The electrolyte is aluminium oxide dissolved in molten cryolite. 2 Carbon is used for both the cathode and the anode.

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• Question 12May/June 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows the electrolysis of molten lead bromide with inert electrodes. Which row identifies the particles that carry charge along each arrow?

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• Question 13May/June 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The apparatus shown is set up to electroplate a steel key with copper. The key does not get coated with copper. Which change needs to be made to electroplate the key?

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

  Aqueous copper(II) sulfate is electrolysed using copper electrodes. The current is constant and the anode is weighed at regular time intervals. Which graph is obtained when the mass of the anode is plotted against time?

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• Question 13May/June 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  What are the products formed at the two electrodes when aqueous copper(II) sulfate is electrolysed using copper electrodes?

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