1 Ammonia is manufactured by the Haber process.

Nitrogen and hydrogen are passed over a catalyst

at a temperature of 450 °C and a pressure of 200 atmospheres.

The equation for the reaction is as follows.

N2 + 3H2 2NH3

The forward reaction is exothermic.

(a) State one use of ammonia.

.............................................................................................................................................. [1]

(b) What is the meaning of the symbol ?

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(c) What are the sources of nitrogen and hydrogen used in the Haber process?

nitrogen ......................................................................................................................................

hydrogen ....................................................................................................................................
[2]

(d) Name the catalyst in the Haber process.

.............................................................................................................................................. [1]

(e)
e) If a temperature higher than 450 °C was used in the Haber process, what would happen to
the rate of the reaction? Give a reason for your answer.

.............................................................................................................................................

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....................................................................................................................................... [2]

(ii) If a temperature higher than 450 °C was used in the Haber process, what would happen to
the yield of ammonia? Give a reason for your answer.

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.............................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................... [2]

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(f)
f) If a pressur ocess, what would
happen to the yield of ammonia? Give a reason for your answer.

.............................................................................................................................................

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(ii) Explain why the rate of reaction would be faster if the pressure was greater than
200 atmospheres.

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(iii) Suggest one reason why a pressure higher than 200 atmospheres is not used in the
Haber process.

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(g) Draw a dot-and-cross diagram to show the arrangement of the outer (valency) electrons in one
molecule of ammonia.

[2]

(h) Ammonia acts as a base when it reacts with sulfuric acid.

(i) What is a base?

....................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Write a balanced equation for the reaction between ammonia and sulfuric acid.

....................................................................................................................................... [2]

[Total: 18]
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2 Ammonia is made by the Haber process.

N2(g) + 3H2(g) 2NH3(g)

The forward reaction is exothermic.

The conditions in the reaction chamber are:

● a pressure of 200 atmospheres,

● a catalyst of finely divided iron,
● a temperature of 400 to 450 °C.

(a) What are the two advantages of using a high pressure? Give a reason for both.

advantage 1 ...............................................................................................................................

reason ........................................................................................................................................

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advantage 2 ...............................................................................................................................

reason ........................................................................................................................................

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[4]

(b) A higher temperature would give a faster reaction rate.

Why is a higher temperature not used?

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.............................................................................................................................................. [3]

(c)
c) Why is the iron catalyst used as a fine powder?

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(ii) Give two reasons why a catalyst is used.

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 (d) The equilibrium mixture leaving the reaction chamber contains 15% ammonia. Suggest how
the ammonia could be separated from the mixture.

boiling point / °C
hydrogen –253
nitrogen –196
ammonia –33

....................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(e) Ammonia is used to make nitrogen trifluoride, NF3.

Nitrogen trifluoride is essential to the electronics industry. It is made by the following reaction.

F F H F
H N H + F F → F N F + H F
F F H F
H F

Determine if the above reaction is exothermic or endothermic using the following bond energies
and by completing the following table. The first line has been done as an example.
Bond energy is the amount of energy, in kJ / mole, needed to break or make one mole of the
bond.

bond bond energy in kJ / mole

N–H 390
F–F 155
N–F 280
H–F 565

bond energy change / kJ

N–H (3 × 390) = 1170
F–F
N–F
H–F

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.............................................................................................................................................. [4]

[Total: 16]

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3 All metal nitrates decompose when heated. A few form a nitrite and oxygen. Most form the

metal oxide, oxygen and a brown gas called nitrogen dioxide.

(a) (i) Name a metal whose nitrate decomposes to form the metal nitrite and oxygen.

.............................................................................................................................. [1]

(ii) Complete the equation for the action of heat on lead(II) nitrate.

......Pb(NO3)2 → ......... + ......NO2 + O2 [2]

(iii) Suggest why the nitrate of the metal, named in (a)(i), decomposes less readily than
lead(II) nitrate.

....................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................. [2]

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 (b) Almost all samples of nitrogen dioxide are an equilibrium mixture of nitrogen dioxide,
NO2, and dinitrogen tetroxide, N2O4.

forward reaction
2NO2(g) N2O4(g)
reverse reaction
dark brown colourless

In the forward reaction, a bond forms between the two nitrogen dioxide molecules.

NO2 + NO2 → O2N – NO2

(i) Explain the term equilibrium mixture.

....................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................. [1]

(ii) The syringe contains a sample of the equilibrium mixture. The plunger was pulled
back reducing the pressure.
How would the colour of the gas inside the syringe change? Give an explanation for
your answer.

equilibrium mixture

sealed end

gas syringe

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(iii) A sealed tube containing an equilibrium mixture of nitrogen dioxide and dinitrogen
tetroxide was placed in a beaker of ice cold water.
The colour of the mixture changed from brown to pale yellow.

Is the forward reaction exothermic or endothermic? Give an explanation for your

choice.

....................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................. [2]

(iv) What other piece of information given in the equation supports your answer to (iii)?

NO2 + NO2 → O2N–NO2

.............................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 12]
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4 Nitrogen dioxide is a brown gas. It can be made by heating certain metal nitrates.

2Pb(NO3)2 → 2PbO + 4NO2 + O2

(a)
a) Name another metal whose nitrate decomposes to give the metal oxide, nitrogen
dioxide and oxygen.

.............................................................................................................................. [1]

(ii) Complete the word equation for a metal whose nitrate does not give nitrogen dioxide
on decomposition.

metal nitrate → ..................................................... + oxygen

[1]

(b) At most temperatures, samples of nitrogen dioxide are equilibrium mixtures.

2NO2(g) N2O4(g)
dark brown pale yellow

(i) At 25 °C, the mixture contains 20 % of nitrogen dioxide. At 100 °C this has risen to
90 %. Is the forward reaction exothermic or endothermic?
Give a reason for your choice.

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................. [2]

(ii) Explain why the colour of the equilibrium mixture becomes lighter when the pressure
on the mixture is increased.

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.............................................................................................................................. [2]

PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
 (c) A 5.00 g sample of impure lead(II) nitrate was heated. The volume of oxygen formed was
0.16 dm3 measured at r.t.p. The impurities did not decompose.
Calculate the percentage of lead(II) nitrate in the sample.

2Pb(NO3)2 → 2PbO + 4NO2 + O2

Number of moles of O2 formed = .......................................

Number of moles of Pb(NO3)2 in the sample = .......................................

Mass of one mole of Pb(NO3)2 = 331 g

Mass of lead(II) nitrate in the sample = ....................................... g

Percentage of lead(II) nitrate in sample = ..................................... [4]

[Total: 10]

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