4.1 Electrolysis - CAIE Chemistry IGCSE PhysicsAndMathsTutor.
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Paper 1
Questions are applicable for both core and extended candidates
1 Concentrated aqueous sodium chloride is electrolysed using graphite electrodes.
What is the product formed at the cathode?
A chlorine
B hydrogen
C oxygen
D sodium
2 The diagram shows an electrolysis circuit.
At which electrode is hydrogen formed?
+ – + –
A B C D
aqueous molten
sodium chloride sodium chloride
4.1 Electrolysis - CAIE Chemistry IGCSE PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
3 Concentrated aqueous sodium chloride is electrolysed using inert electrodes.
Gases X and Y are produced at the electrodes shown.
X Y
concentrated aqueous
sodium chloride
– +
– +
What are X and Y?
X Y
A chlorine hydrogen
B hydrogen chlorine
C hydrogen oxygen
D oxygen hydrogen
4 What is produced at each electrode during the electrolysis of aqueous solutions using inert
electrodes?
positive electrode (anode) negative electrode (cathode)
A metals or hydrogen non-metals only
B metals or oxygen non-metals only
C non-metals only metals or hydrogen
D non-metals only metals or oxygen
4.1 Electrolysis - CAIE Chemistry IGCSE PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
5 When molten lead(II) bromide is electrolysed using platinum electrodes, what is observed at each
electrode?
negative electrode positive electrode
A bubbles of a colourless gas bubbles of a brown gas
B bubbles of a colourless gas bubbles of a colourless gas
C shiny grey liquid bubbles of a brown gas
D shiny grey liquid bubbles of a colourless gas
6 Aqueous nickel(II) sulfate is used as the electrolyte to electroplate a piece of steel with nickel.
Which materials are used as the negative electrode and positive electrode?
negative electrode positive electrode
A carbon steel
B nickel steel
C platinum nickel
D steel nickel
7 Molten sodium chloride and concentrated aqueous sodium chloride are electrolysed using
platinum electrodes.
What are the products at the negative electrode (cathode) in each electrolysis?
molten concentrated aqueous
sodium chloride sodium chloride
A hydrogen hydrogen
B hydrogen sodium
C sodium hydrogen
D sodium sodium
4.1 Electrolysis - CAIE Chemistry IGCSE PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
8 An object is electroplated with silver using an aqueous silver salt as the electrolyte.
Which row is correct?
the object to be the other electrode
electroplated is the is made from
A anode carbon
B anode silver
C cathode carbon
D cathode silver
9 The diagram shows the electrolysis of concentrated hydrochloric acid and concentrated aqueous
sodium chloride using carbon electrodes.
+ – + –
electrode 1 electrode 2 electrode 3 electrode 4
concentrated concentrated aqueous
hydrochloric acid sodium chloride
At which electrodes is hydrogen produced?
A electrode 1 only
B electrodes 1 and 3
C electrode 2 only
D electrodes 2 and 4
4.1 Electrolysis - CAIE Chemistry IGCSE PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
10 Which statement about the electrolysis of concentrated aqueous sodium chloride is correct?
A Chlorine is produced at the positive electrode.
B Hydrogen is produced at the positive electrode.
C Oxygen is produced at the negative electrode.
D Sodium is produced at the negative electrode.
4.1 Electrolysis - CAIE Chemistry IGCSE PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
Paper 2
Questions are applicable for both core and extended candidates
unless indicated in the question
11 Concentrated aqueous sodium chloride and dilute sulfuric acid are both electrolysed using inert
electrodes.
Which row identifies the product at the cathode in each electrolysis?
aqueous sodium
dilute sulfuric acid
chloride
A hydrogen oxygen
B hydrogen hydrogen
C chlorine oxygen
D chlorine hydrogen
12 Electrolytes can be broken down by electrolysis.
Which rows are correct for each electrolyte? (extended only)
reaction product
electrolyte
at cathode at anode
+ –
1 dilute aqueous potassium chloride 2H + 2e → H2 oxygen
+ –
2 concentrated hydrochloric acid 2H + 2e → H2 chlorine
2– –
3 molten aluminium oxide 2O → O2 + 4e aluminium
+ –
4 concentrated aqueous sodium bromide Na + e → Na bromine
A 1 and 2 B 1 and 4 C 2 and 3 D 3 and 4
13 An electrolysis experiment is done using carbon electrodes.
Hydrogen and oxygen are formed at the electrodes.
What is the electrolyte?
A aqueous copper(II) sulfate
B concentrated hydrochloric acid
C dilute aqueous sodium chloride
D molten potassium oxide
4.1 Electrolysis - CAIE Chemistry IGCSE PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
14 Concentrated aqueous copper(II) sulfate is electrolysed using copper electrodes.
Which ionic half-equation describes the reaction taking place at the cathode? (extended only)
A 2H+ + 2e– H2
B 4OH– O2 + 2H2O + 4e–
C Cu Cu2+ + 2e–
D Cu2+ + 2e– Cu
15 Which substance produces hydrogen and bromine when electrolysed? (extended only)
A concentrated aqueous copper(II) bromide
B concentrated aqueous sodium bromide
C dilute aqueous potassium bromide
D molten lead(II) bromide
4.1 Electrolysis - CAIE Chemistry IGCSE PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
16 The diagram shows a circuit used to electrolyse aqueous copper(II) sulfate. (extended only)
power supply
+ –
3 4
anode cathode
1
aqueous
2
copper(II) sulfate
Which arrows indicate the movement of the copper ions in the electrolyte and of the electrons in
the external circuit? (extended only)
copper ions electrons
A 1 3
B 1 4
C 2 3
D 2 4
4.1 Electrolysis - CAIE Chemistry IGCSE PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
17 Which diagram shows the direction of movement of ions and electrons during the electrolysis of
molten sodium chloride? (extended only)
A B
power power
supply supply
cathode anode cathode anode
– –
e e
–
Na+ e Na+ e–
Cl – Cl –
C D
power power
supply supply
anode cathode anode cathode
e– e–
–
Na+ e Na+ e–
Cl – Cl –
18 Molten sodium chloride and concentrated aqueous sodium chloride are electrolysed using
platinum electrodes.
What are the products at the negative electrode (cathode) in each electrolysis?
molten concentrated aqueous
sodium chloride sodium chloride
A hydrogen hydrogen
B hydrogen sodium
C sodium hydrogen
D sodium sodium
4.1 Electrolysis - CAIE Chemistry IGCSE PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
19 An object is electroplated with silver using an aqueous silver salt as the electrolyte.
Which row is correct?
the object to be the other electrode
electroplated is the is made from
A anode carbon
B anode silver
C cathode carbon
D cathode silver
20 The diagram shows the electrolysis of concentrated hydrochloric acid and concentrated aqueous
sodium chloride using carbon electrodes.
+ – + –
electrode 1 electrode 2 electrode 3 electrode 4
concentrated concentrated aqueous
hydrochloric acid sodium chloride
At which electrodes is hydrogen produced?
A electrode 1 only
B electrodes 1 and 3
C electrode 2 only
D electrodes 2 and 4
4.1 Electrolysis - CAIE Chemistry IGCSE PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
21 Aqueous copper(II) sulfate is electrolysed using copper electrodes.
What is the ionic half-equation for the reaction at the cathode? (extended only)
A Cu Cu2+ + 2e–
B Cu2+ + 2e– Cu
C 2H+ + 2e– H2
D 2O2– O2 + 4e–
22 The flow chart shows part of the process for the manufacture of sulfuric acid and its electrolysis.
electrolysis
gas 2
concentrated dilute
gas 3
sulfuric acid sulfuric acid
gas 1
What are gases 1, 2 and 3?
gas 1 gas 2 gas 3
A sulfur dioxide hydrogen sulfur trioxide
B sulfur dioxide oxygen sulfur trioxide
C sulfur trioxide hydrogen sulfur dioxide
D sulfur trioxide oxygen sulfur dioxide
4.1 Electrolysis - CAIE Chemistry IGCSE PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
23 In the electrolysis diagram, oxidation is occurring at electrode 1 and reduction at electrode 2.
battery
electrode 1 electrode 2
electrolyte
Which row shows the directions of movement of the electrons in the external circuit and of the
positive ions in the electrolyte? (extended only)
direction of movement of direction of movement of
electrons in external circuit positive ions in electrolyte
A 12 12
B 12 21
C 21 12
D 21 21
