1. Two respondents stated that the term anion did not appear in the programme.

The question was

well answered with 77% of candidates getting it right.

2. This was the most difficult question on the paper. Nearly half of the candidates chose response
C and most of the remaining candidates gave the correct response, B.

3. Several respondents were concerned that candidates might be confused by the system used for
numbering the groups in the Periodic Table. In fact, 72% of candidates chose the correct
response, A. Note that the numbering system used appears in the Data Booklet and in the
Periodic Table printed as part of Paper 1.

4. No specific comment available.

5. No specific comment available.

6. No specific comment available.

7. (a) Most candidates were aware of the basic distinction but were careless in their definition.
(b) This was generally correct.
(c) The correct isotope was often identified without any logical explanation.
(d) A wide variety of species was seen here, particularly H-1, other isotopes of carbon, both
vanadium isotopes and various others. Also relative atomic masses rather than mass
numbers were sometimes suggested, e.g. the value 12.01 given in the Data Booklet.

8. No specific comment available.

9. There was considerable carelessness in the drawing of these arrows and many drawings seemed
to begin or end between the levels. It was common for only the mark for downward direction to
be gained in (ii) as many candidates did not know where the visible series originates.

1
10. There was a good deal of success with the atomic particles in the tritium atom (although 3
neutrons was a common wrong answer) but the equations were found to be rather more difficult.
It was intended to be a relatively straightforward recall of equations involving the preparation of
ammonia and sodium hydroxide. Common errors were to write the nitrogen as 2N and to write
H instead of T.

11. No specific comment available.

12. No specific comment available.

13. No specific comment available.

14. No specific comment available.

15. No specific comment available.

16. SL
This was well answered by many candidates, although a common error was to misunderstand
the meaning of physical property in (a) and give as an answer as difference in the number of
neutrons.
HL
(a) Candidates would have benefited from reading the question more carefully as it asked for
a physical property that is different for isotopes of an element. Answers such as “number
of neutrons” or “they have the same number of protons and electrons” cannot receive
credit. Acceptable answers were: isotopes differ in their mass, density, melting or boiling
points (and for gases, their rate of diffusion).
(b) There was a tendency to round answers off, for example to 75% and 25% rather than
77.5% and 22.5%. Otherwise, generally candidates knew how to approach the problem.

17. No specific comment available.

2
18. No specific comment available.

19. (a) Most candidates were aware of the difference between two isotopes but lacked precision
when giving a definition. Thus many candidates lost a mark by describing an isotope as
an “element” rather than an “atom” with specific properties.

(b) The method asked was generally well known, but answers were often given to an
inappropriate number of significant figures.

(c) This was well understood.

20. No specific comment available.

21. No specific comment available.

22. Some candidates did not refer to atoms of the same element; others referred to different
elements. The part on determining average atomic mass was done well, but some did not pay
attention to the number of significant figures and gave answers to 2 or as many as 7 significant
figures.

23. A number of candidates had difficulty stating how a line spectrum differs from a continuous
spectrum. To state that a line spectrum consists of lines and a continuous spectrum does not
consist of lines cannot be an acceptable answer at HL. The answer has to be in terms of discrete
or all colours/wavelengths/frequencies. Some candidates did not recognize that the visible line
spectrum of hydrogen converges towards high energy, but most knew that a line represents an
electron transition between energy levels.

24. Most candidates were able to state the correct electron configuration for argon, and give
formulas of two oppositely charged ions that are isoelectronic with argon. However, a few
+
candidates did not read the question carefully and incorrectly stated Na as one of the ions.

25. No specific comment available.

26. No specific comment available.

3
27. No specific comment available.

28. No specific comment available.

29. No specific comment available.

30. No specific comment available.

31. SL
(a) The vast majority of candidates were able to successfully determine the empirical formula
of the hydrocarbon. A select few gave the formula as C 2H as opposed to CH2. A minority
also worked out the ratio, but forgot to write the formula, thereby losing the second point
in the question.

(b) This caused a number of problems for candidates. Most candidates quoted pV = nRT, but
had difficulty with respect to the choice of the most appropriate value of R, the universal
gas constant, with respect to the pressure and volume parameters given in the question.
As a result, students who failed to work out part (i) correctly, were not able to determine
the molecular formula of the hydrocarbon in part (ii) as C 4H8, as no ECF was invoked
here. Some candidates appeared confused as to what was being specifically asked for and
attempted to write the structural formula, as opposed to just simply writing the molecular
formula as C4H8 which was asked for in the question.
HL
(a) The calculation in this part was usually correct, although with a minority working out the
ratio (C7H14) but not writing the empirical formula.
(b) Those candidates who used the molar volume of a gas at STP usually had no problem
with the calculation of the molar mass of the hydrocarbon but those who used PV=nRT
often ran into problems with units especially when using R in J/K.mol. Some candidates
attempted to write structures in (b)(ii), confusing molecular with structural formulas.

4
32. SL
One of the most popular questions. This was very well answered, with virtually every student
15
correctly able to determine all the sub-atomic particles in the 7 N 3– ion.

HL
This part was poorly done, with very few candidates scoring three of the several possible points.
Common errors were to make no mention of a central atom or of electron pairs, and to refer to
repulsion between atoms or bonds rather than electron pairs. Many, however, correctly stated
that a lone electron pair exerts greater repulsion than a bonding pair.

33. No specific comment available.

34. No specific comment available.

35. Some respondents suggested that the correct response was D but that A could also be correct.
Although response A (electrons absorb energy as they move from low to high energy levels) is a
correct description of a process that occurs, this process does not directly lead to the formation
of an emission spectrum, which was clearly stated in the question. It was not a problem for
candidates, with 73 choosing the correct response (D) and 10 choosing response A.

36. (a) Many candidates demonstrated a good knowledge of the number of protons, electrons and
neutrons in the species shown.

(b) Most candidates gave the correct answer.

(c) The majority of candidates wrote the correct electron arrangement but some candidates
had difficulty in stating the correct formula of calcium bromide.

37. (a) (i) Most students correctly identified the three processes in the mass spectrometer and the
order they occurred in.
(ii) If students had correctly identified the processes they usually were able to explain
how they worked, although marks were lost for lack of precision. For example
ionisation caused by firing electrons at the sample was not specific enough -
students had to state that the electrons had high energy or high velocity.

5
 (b) (i) Surprisingly few students were able to define Mr
(ii) The Mr of germanium was well calculated however several students lost the mark
by having an incorrect number of decimal places.

38. (a) Most students were able to correctly write the electronic configuration of germanium -
either the full form or from the nearest noble gas.

(b) (i) Most students correctly identified a p orbital.

(ii) The equation for the ionisation of germanium was generally done poorly as many
students did not use the correct gas state symbols.
(iii) Explaining the difference in the ionisation energies was done poorly; students
failed to specify that the change was due to the different energy level that the
electron is removed from and the subsequent greater attraction for the nucleus.

39. No specific comment available.

40. No specific comment available.

41. Many candidates lost the marks for giving imprecise definitions, especially in giving ‘element’
rather than ‘atom’ or ‘nucleus’. In (ii) there was sometimes a confusion between ‘mass number’
and simply ‘mass’.

42. No specific comment available.

43. No specific comment available.

44. Electron arrangements were very well managed. Candidates in general identified the correct
3-
number of electrons for P .

6
45. Many candidates demonstrated a good knowledge of the number of protons, electrons and
neutrons in the species shown.

46. No specific comment available.

47. Not surprisingly, most candidates scored the mark in (a), but for many it was their only mark in
this question. In (b), a magnetic field was a popular choice, while those who referred to “plates”
rarely described them as having opposite charges. Very many candidates chose the wrong
isotope in (c), and in spite of being asked to do so in the question, very few references to m/z
values were seen (and there were some who referred to charge/mass ratios).

48. No specific comment available.

49. No specific comment available.

50. This was by far the most commonly answered question.

Most candidates stated the correct electron arrangements.

51. Calculations tended to be right or wrong in equal measure.

52. No specific comment available.

7
53. (a) The operation of the mass spectrometer was generally well done although some
candidates did not identify the formation of positively charged ions (by the bombardment
of fast moving electrons), or that the deflection depends not just on the mass of the ion,
but rather on the mass/charge ratio.
(b) The meaning of the term isotopes was not always defined well. Typical errors included
candidates interchanging the terms element and atom. Some candidates were not able to
set up the equation to calculate the percentage abundance of the two isotopes of rubidium
85 87
Rb and Rb knowing its relative atomic mass. Candidates had some difficulty writing
3+
the electron configuration of Fe ; a few started with noble gas configuration although the
question asks for the full electron configuration.

54. No specific comment available.

55. No specific comment available.

56. No specific comment available.

57. One respondent suggested that since the question asked for the number of orbitals in the n = 3
energy level of an atom, then students could be confused between answer A (3) and the correct
answer which is actually D (9). Students should have a clear understanding of the difference
between the idea of an orbital and that of a subshell. In the n = 3 energy level, there are 9
definite orbitals, based on the 3 subshells, s, p and d. This question in fact was deemed a good
question for this reason and had a related discrimination index of 0.58.

58. Very few correct definitions of Ar were seen, most lacking a key feature such as “average” and
“atom”. In (ii), the explanation of the more abundant isotope was much better done, although
some missed the point and explained their choice in terms of greater stability due to fewer
neutrons

59. This part was done poorly and attempts revealed both misreading of the questions and
misunderstanding of the chemical principles. “Successive” was sometimes interpreted as
meaning across a period. A number of candidates did not state that the reason why successive
ionization energies increase is due to the fact that it is harder to remove an electron from an ion
with increasing positive charge. In part (ii), although most had some idea about changes in IE
when the second and tenth electrons are removed, few scored full marks as the explanations
were missing.

8
60. No specific comment available.

61. No specific comment available.

62. No specific comment available.

63. No specific comment available.