Bond Energies, Cells and Fuel Cells - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

18 original exam-style questions - 13 pages of questions with a full mark scheme - free printable PDF.

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GCSE · Chemistry

C5b Bond Energies, Cells and Fuel Cells

AQA 8464 · Calculator allowed · about 110 minutes
Total Marks
Name: _______________________________    Date: ____ / ____ / ______
Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.
1
A hydrogen fuel cell is a type of chemical cell. Unlike a battery, it does not store its reactants inside the cell itself.
(a)State how the fuel (hydrogen) and oxygen are supplied to a hydrogen fuel cell.(1)
(b)Contrast this with how the reactants are held in a non-rechargeable battery.(1)
(c)State what happens to the electricity a hydrogen fuel cell can produce if the supply of hydrogen and oxygen is maintained continuously.(1)
(Total for Question 1 is 3 marks)
2
A simple chemical cell can be made by placing two different metal electrodes into an electrolyte and connecting them with wires and a voltmeter, as shown in Figure 1. A student, Owusu, sets up a cell using a magnesium electrode and a silver electrode dipped into dilute sulfuric acid.
Figure 1: a simple chemical cellVvoltmeterMgAgdilute sulfuric acid(electrolyte)beaker
(a)State two components, other than the two metal electrodes, that are needed to complete this simple chemical cell.(2)
(b)Explain why this cell produces a voltage between the magnesium and silver electrodes.(2)
(c)Predict, giving a reason based on the reactivity series, whether replacing the silver electrode with a copper electrode (keeping the magnesium electrode and electrolyte the same) would increase or decrease the voltage produced.(2)
(Total for Question 2 is 6 marks)
3
In a simple chemical cell, the more reactive metal electrode loses electrons more readily than the less reactive metal electrode.
(a)State which electrode, the more reactive metal or the less reactive metal, acts as the negative electrode in a simple cell.(1)
(b)State whether conventional current in the external circuit flows in the same direction as electron flow, or the opposite direction.(1)
(c)Explain why the less reactive metal electrode becomes the positive electrode of the cell.(2)
(Total for Question 3 is 4 marks)
4
The overall reaction taking place inside a hydrogen fuel cell is between hydrogen and oxygen, producing water.
(a)Write the balanced symbol equation, including state symbols, for the overall reaction in a hydrogen fuel cell.(2)
(b)State the energy transfer that takes place inside a hydrogen fuel cell, and identify, in terms of electron transfer, what happens to hydrogen during this reaction.(2)
(Total for Question 4 is 4 marks)
5
A non-rechargeable battery is described as 'flat' once it can no longer produce a useful voltage, whereas a rechargeable battery can be restored by connecting it to a charger.
(a)Explain, in terms of the chemicals inside it, why a non-rechargeable battery goes flat.(2)
(b)Explain how connecting a rechargeable battery to a charger restores its ability to produce a voltage.(2)
(Total for Question 5 is 4 marks)
6
Chemical cells and batteries are used to store chemical energy and release it as electrical energy when needed.
(a)State what is meant by a 'chemical cell'.(1)
(b)State what is meant by a 'battery'.(1)
(c)State what is meant by an 'electrode'.(1)
(d)State one similarity between how a battery and a hydrogen fuel cell each produce electricity.(1)
(Total for Question 6 is 4 marks)
7
Fatima investigates how the voltage produced by a simple chemical cell depends on the pair of metal electrodes used. She sets up cells using different pairs of metal electrodes dipped into dilute sulfuric acid, connects a voltmeter, and repeats each measurement three times. Her results are shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: voltage produced by different pairs of metal electrodesMetal pairRepeat 1 / VRepeat 2 / VRepeat 3 / VIron and copper0.780.790.80Zinc and copper1.081.101.65Magnesium and copper2.702.722.71Magnesium and silver3.153.173.16
(a)Identify the independent variable and the dependent variable in this investigation.(2)
(b)State two variables Fatima should control to make this a fair test.(2)
(c)Identify the anomalous result in the 'zinc and copper' row of the table, and calculate the mean voltage for this pair of metals, excluding the anomalous result.(3)
(d)Describe the pattern shown by Fatima's results, linking it to the reactivity series.(2)
(e)Suggest one improvement Fatima could make to increase confidence in her conclusion.(1)
(f)The bottle of dilute sulfuric acid used is labelled with a hazard symbol showing a black exclamation mark on an orange background. Name the hazard indicated by this symbol, and state one safety precaution Fatima should take.(2)
(g)Fatima now wants to investigate how the concentration of the sulfuric acid electrolyte affects the voltage produced by a zinc and copper cell. Describe how she could adapt her method to investigate this, name one variable she would need to keep constant, and state how she should present her results to identify any pattern.(4)
(Total for Question 7 is 16 marks)
8
A torch can be powered either by non-rechargeable alkaline batteries or by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack. Evaluate the use of a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack compared with non-rechargeable alkaline batteries, for powering a torch that is used regularly over several years. In your answer, consider how each type of battery works, and their relative cost, convenience and environmental impact.
(Total for Question 8 is 6 marks)
9
Higher tier only. When a chemical reaction takes place, the covalent bonds in the reactants are broken and new covalent bonds are formed to make the products. The bond energy of a covalent bond is the energy needed to break one mole of that bond (measured in kJ per mole).
(a)State whether breaking a covalent bond is an exothermic or endothermic process, and state whether forming a new covalent bond is an exothermic or endothermic process.(2)
(b)A reaction is found to be exothermic overall. State what this tells you about the relative amounts of energy needed to break the bonds in the reactants and released forming the bonds in the products.(2)
(Total for Question 9 is 4 marks)
10
Higher tier only. Hydrogen reacts with bromine to form hydrogen bromide: H2 + Br2 -> 2HBr. Bond energies: H-H = 436 kJ/mol, Br-Br = 193 kJ/mol, H-Br = 366 kJ/mol.
(a)Calculate the total energy needed to break all the bonds in the reactants.(1)
(b)Calculate the total energy released when the new bonds form in the products.(1)
(c)Calculate the overall energy change for this reaction, and state whether the reaction is exothermic or endothermic.(2)
(d)Explain, using your answers above, why this reaction is exothermic.(1)
(Total for Question 10 is 5 marks)
11
Some vehicle manufacturers are developing cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells, as an alternative to both petrol/diesel engines and rechargeable battery-electric vehicles.
(a)Give one advantage of a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle compared with a petrol vehicle.(1)
(b)Give one advantage of a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle compared with a rechargeable battery-electric vehicle.(1)
(c)Suggest two reasons why hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are not yet widely used on UK roads, despite these advantages.(2)
(d)Hydrogen used in fuel cells is often produced industrially from natural gas (a fossil fuel), rather than by the electrolysis of water using renewable electricity. Explain why this affects how 'clean' hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles really are overall.(2)
(Total for Question 11 is 6 marks)
12
Higher tier only. Hydrogen reacts with oxygen (including inside a hydrogen fuel cell) according to the equation 2H2 + O2 -> 2H2O. Bond energies: H-H = 436 kJ/mol, O=O = 498 kJ/mol, O-H = 463 kJ/mol.
(a)Calculate the total energy needed to break all the bonds in the reactants (2 mol of H2 and 1 mol of O2).(2)
(b)Each mole of H2O contains two O-H bonds. Calculate the total energy released when the new bonds form in 2 mol of H2O.(2)
(c)Calculate the overall energy change for this reaction (per 2 mol of hydrogen gas), and state whether the reaction is exothermic or endothermic.(2)
(d)State one reason why this large exothermic energy change makes hydrogen a useful fuel for a hydrogen fuel cell.(1)
(Total for Question 12 is 7 marks)
13
The reaction 2H2 + O2 -> 2H2O releases 482 kJ of energy for every 2 mol of hydrogen gas that reacts completely.
(a)Calculate the energy released, in kJ, when 1 mol of hydrogen gas reacts completely.(1)
(b)A hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle's tank contains 6 mol of hydrogen gas. Calculate the total chemical energy that could be released if all of this hydrogen reacts completely.(2)
(c)The fuel cell transfers only 60% of this chemical energy usefully into electrical energy; the rest is wasted, mostly as thermal energy. Calculate the useful electrical energy output, in kJ, for the 6 mol of hydrogen in part b.(2)
(Total for Question 13 is 5 marks)
14
Higher tier only. Nitrogen reacts with hydrogen in the Haber process to produce ammonia: N2 + 3H2 -> 2NH3. Bond energies: N-N (triple bond, in N2) = 945 kJ/mol, H-H = 436 kJ/mol, N-H = 391 kJ/mol.
(a)Calculate the total energy needed to break all the bonds in the reactants (1 mol of N2 and 3 mol of H2).(2)
(b)Each mole of NH3 contains three N-H bonds. Calculate the total energy released forming the bonds in 2 mol of NH3.(2)
(c)Calculate the overall energy change for this reaction, and state whether it is exothermic or endothermic.(2)
(Total for Question 14 is 6 marks)
15
Higher tier only. Inside a car engine, the high temperatures and pressures allow nitrogen and oxygen from the air to react together: N2 + O2 -> 2NO. Bond energies: N-N (triple bond, in N2) = 945 kJ/mol, O=O = 498 kJ/mol, N=O = 630 kJ/mol.
(a)Calculate the overall energy change for this reaction.(3)
(b)State whether this reaction is exothermic or endothermic, and use this to explain why nitrogen monoxide only forms in significant amounts at the high temperatures inside a car engine, rather than at room temperature.(2)
(Total for Question 15 is 5 marks)
16
Higher tier only. Inside a hydrogen fuel cell with an alkaline electrolyte, hydrogen is oxidised at the negative electrode and oxygen is reduced at the positive electrode.
(a)Write the half equation for the reaction at the negative electrode.(2)
(b)Write the half equation for the reaction at the positive electrode.(2)
(c)Show how adding these two half equations together, cancelling the electrons and any other species common to both sides, gives the overall equation for the reaction in a hydrogen fuel cell.(2)
(Total for Question 16 is 6 marks)
17
Higher tier only. Hydrogen reacts with iodine: H2 + I2 -> 2HI. This reaction has an overall energy change of +52 kJ/mol. Bond energies: H-H = 436 kJ/mol, I-I = 152 kJ/mol.
(a)Calculate the total energy needed to break the bonds in the reactants.(1)
(b)The overall energy change of a reaction is equal to the energy needed to break the bonds in the reactants minus the energy released forming the bonds in the products. Use this, and your answer to part a, to calculate the bond energy of the H-I bond.(3)
(c)Explain, referring to your calculations, why this reaction is described as endothermic.(1)
(Total for Question 17 is 5 marks)
18
Higher tier only. Propene reacts with hydrogen, in the presence of a nickel catalyst, to form propane: C3H6 + H2 -> C3H8. Figure 3 shows the carbon skeleton of propene and propane, the number of hydrogen atoms bonded to each carbon atom, and the hydrogen molecule, H2.
Figure 3: carbon skeletons of propene, propane and hydrogenPropene, C3H6CCC(2 H)(1 H)(3 H)Propane, C3H8CCC(3 H)(2 H)(3 H)Hydrogen, H2HHKey: two parallel lines between carbons = a C=C double bond; (n H) = number of hydrogen atoms bonded to that carbon.
(a)Using Figure 3, state the total number of each of the following bond types present in one molecule of propene (C3H6) and one molecule of hydrogen (H2), combined: C-H bonds, C-C bonds, C=C bonds and H-H bonds.(3)
(b)Calculate the total energy needed to break all of these bonds, using the bond energies C-H = 413 kJ/mol, C-C = 347 kJ/mol, C=C = 612 kJ/mol and H-H = 436 kJ/mol.(2)
(c)Using Figure 3, state the number of C-H bonds and C-C bonds in one molecule of propane (C3H8), and calculate the total energy released when all of these bonds are formed.(2)
(d)Calculate the overall energy change for this reaction, and state whether it is exothermic or endothermic.(2)
(Total for Question 18 is 9 marks)
Mark scheme · C5b Bond Energies, Cells and Fuel Cells

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Question 7

Question 8

Question 9

Question 10

Question 11

Question 12

Question 13

Question 14

Question 15

Question 16

Question 17

Question 18