S & P Block Elements MCQs set 2 for JSMU Karachi Entry Test Chemistry — 20 solved questions.
Q1. A lab technician ignites a piece of sodium metal in a container with a limited supply of dry air. Which oxide is predominantly formed?
Answer: Sodium monoxide
Explanation: Sodium forms a stable monoxide in limited oxygen; sodium peroxide is the tempting distractor but requires excess oxygen for formation.
Q2. A student observes that only one alkali metal reacts directly with nitrogen gas at room temperature to form a stable nitride. Identify this metal.
Answer: Lithium
Explanation: Lithium is the only alkali metal reacting directly with nitrogen; Magnesium is tempting because it also forms nitrides but belongs to Group IIA.
Q3. A sample of Magnesium nitrate is heated strongly in a test tube. Which set of products is released during this thermal decomposition mechanism?
Answer: Magnesium oxide, Nitrogen dioxide, and Oxygen
Explanation: Group IIA nitrates decompose into metal oxides and NO2; lithium nitrate is tempting as it behaves similarly despite being a Group IA metal.
Q4. During the laboratory preparation of Boric acid, Borax is treated with a concentrated mineral acid like HCl. What is the primary acidic product?
Answer: Orthoboric acid
Explanation: Reaction of Borax with HCl yields Boric acid and NaCl; Boron trichloride is tempting but requires direct chlorination of Boron at high heat.
Q5. When an aluminum container is used to transport concentrated Nitric acid, the metal does not dissolve. What mechanism explains this chemical passivity?
Answer: Formation of a protective oxide layer
Explanation: Concentrated Nitric acid renders Aluminum passive by forming an oxide layer; dilute acid is tempting but actually reacts to release nitrogen oxides.
Q6. A person trapped in a poorly ventilated room with a coal heater suffers from hypoxia because a specific gas binds irreversibly to hemoglobin.
Answer: Carbon monoxide
Explanation: CO binds to hemoglobin more strongly than O2; CO2 is tempting but it binds to different sites and with much lower affinity.
Q7. In the industrial Ostwald process for manufacturing Nitric acid, which catalyst is employed during the step-wise oxidation of Ammonia to Nitric oxide?
Answer: Platinum-Rhodium gauge
Explanation: The Ostwald process uses Platinum-Rhodium catalyst to oxidize ammonia; Iron is tempting because it is used in the Haber process instead.
Q8. A chemist adds water to Phosphorus trichloride (PCl3). Which phosphorus-containing acid is formed through the resulting vigorous hydrolysis mechanism?
Answer: Phosphorous acid
Explanation: Hydrolysis of PCl3 yields Phosphorous acid (H3PO3); PCl5 is tempting as its hydrolysis produces Phosphoric acid (H3PO4) instead.
Q9. Chlorine gas is bubbled through a cold, dilute aqueous solution of Sodium hydroxide. What are the products of this disproportionation reaction?
Answer: Sodium hypochlorite and NaCl
Explanation: Cold NaOH yields hypochlorite; hot NaOH is the tempting distractor which produces chlorate (NaClO3) through a different disproportionation pathway.
Q10. Concentrated Sulfuric acid is poured over a sample of cane sugar, resulting in a black charring mass. What chemical mechanism occurs?
Answer: Dehydration of sugar to carbon
Explanation: Sulfuric acid acts as a powerful dehydrating agent on sugar; oxidizing agent is tempting but dehydration is the dominant visible reaction.
Q11. To synthesize Xenon hexafluoride (XeF6), Xenon and Fluorine must be reacted at 300 degrees Celsius under high pressure in which specific ratio?
Answer: 1:20 ratio
Explanation: XeF6 requires a 1:20 ratio of Xe to F2; 1:1 or 1:5 ratios are tempting but produce XeF2 or XeF4.
Q12. During a qualitative analysis, a student adds dilute H2SO4 to various Group IIA nitrates. Which metal ion produces the most insoluble sulfate precipitate?
Answer: Barium sulfate
Explanation: Barium sulfate is highly insoluble due to high lattice energy; Magnesium sulfate is tempting but it is actually highly soluble.
Q13. A sample of Orthoboric acid (H3BO3) is heated carefully in a crucible to exactly 100 degrees Celsius. What is the resulting product?
Answer: Metaboric acid
Explanation: Orthoboric acid first loses water at 100C to form Metaboric acid; Tetraboric acid is tempting but forms at higher temperatures (140C).
Q14. In a metallurgical process, powdered silicon is reacted with a hot concentrated solution of sodium hydroxide. Identify the gas evolved in this mechanism.
Answer: Hydrogen gas
Explanation: Silicon reacts with hot NaOH to produce Sodium silicate and Hydrogen; Oxygen is tempting but it is not a product of this displacement.
Q15. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is dissolved in cold water as part of an acid rain simulation. Which two acids are produced by this disproportionation?
Answer: Nitric acid and Nitrous acid
Explanation: NO2 reacts with water to give both HNO3 and HNO2; purely HNO3 is tempting but requires the presence of excess oxygen.
Q16. In the Contact Process for the industrial production of Sulfuric acid, which catalyst facilitates the conversion of SO2 to SO3?
Answer: Vanadium pentoxide
Explanation: Vanadium pentoxide is the standard catalyst for SO2 oxidation; Platinum is tempting because it was used historically but is now outdated.
Q17. Chlorine is widely used in the paper industry for bleaching wood pulp. What is the fundamental chemical mechanism of its bleaching action?
Answer: Oxidation mechanism
Explanation: Chlorine bleaches via the formation of nascent oxygen; SO2 is tempting as it bleaches via reduction, but the question specifies Chlorine.
Q18. A miner uses a carbide lamp where water drips onto Calcium carbide (CaC2). Which flammable gas is generated to provide the flame?
Answer: Ethyne
Explanation: Calcium carbide reacts with water to produce Ethyne (Acetylene); Methane is tempting but comes from Aluminum carbide hydrolysis instead.
Q19. A white precipitate of Silver chloride (AgCl) is treated with an excess of aqueous Ammonia. Why does the precipitate dissolve?
Answer: Diamminesilver(I) chloride
Explanation: AgCl dissolves in NH3 by forming a soluble diamminesilver(I) complex; silver nitride is tempting but is an explosive solid, not a solution.
Q20. An artist wishes to etch a design onto a glass surface. Which halogen acid must be used due to its unique reactivity with silicates?
Answer: Hydrofluoric acid
Explanation: HF reacts with silicates in glass to form soluble Na2SiF6 or SiF4; HCl is tempting but cannot break the Si-O bonds.