2025-DSE

CHEM
B Please stick the barcode label here.

PAPER 1B

HONG KONG EXAMINATIONS AND ASSESSMENT AUTHORITY

HONG KONG DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION 2025 Candidate
Number

CHEMISTRY PAPER 1
SECTION B: Question-Answer Book B

This paper must be answered in English

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SECTION B

(1) After the announcement of the start of the
examination, you should first write your Candidate
Number in the space provided on Page 1 and stick
barcode labels in the spaces provided on Pages 1, 3,
5, 7 and 9.

(2) Refer to the general instructions on the cover of the

Question Paper for Section A.

(3) This section consists of TWO parts, Parts I and II.

(4) Answer ALL questions in both Parts I and II. Write your
answers in the spaces provided in this Question-
Answer Book. Do not write in the margins. Answers
written in the margins will not be marked.

(5) An asterisk (*) has been put next to the questions

where one mark will be awarded for effective
communication.

(6) Supplementary answer sheets will be provided on

request. Write your candidate number, mark the
question number box and stick a barcode label on
each sheet, and fasten them with string INSIDE this
Question-Answer Book.

(7) No extra time will be given to candidates for sticking

on the barcode labels or filling in the question number
boxes after the ‘Time is up’ announcement.

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2025-DSE-CHEM-1A- 1 1 *A 1 4 0 E 0 1 B*
 PART I

Answer ALL questions. Write your answers in the spaces provided.

1. Two experiments were carried out to estimate the mass of sodium chloride in the same sea water sample. Below
shows the steps involved in the two experiments:

Experiment 1
Step (1): Filter the sea water sample.
Step (2): Weigh an evaporating basin.
Step (3): Transfer the filtered sea water sample to the evaporating basin.
Step (4): Heat the filtered sea water sample to dryness.
Step (5): Weigh the evaporating basin and its contents.

Experiment 2
Step (1): Filter the sea water sample.
Step (2): Transfer the filtered sea water sample to a beaker.
Step (3): Place a filter paper on top of the beaker.
Step (4): Evaporate the filtered sea water sample slowly at room temperature.
Step (5): Filter the salt crystals from the solution when the crystals stopped growing in size.
Step (6): Weigh the crystals collected.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

(a) During Step (4) of Experiment 2, the filtered sea water sample becomes more and more concentrated
Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

and finally becomes saturated. Someone claims that a saturated solution must be a concentrated
solution. Do you agree?

(1 mark)

(b) Common salt crystals can also be obtained by slow cooling of saturated sea water.

(i) However, the common salt crystals obtained in this way are often low in yield. Suggest a
reason for this.

(ii) This method of crystallization relies on the fact that the solubility of sodium chloride increases
with temperature. Give an example of a substance of decreasing solubility with temperature.

(2 marks)

(c) Before Step (6), what steps need to be carried out to ensure accurate weighing of the crystals?

(2 marks)

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

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1. (d) The purity of the common salt obtained by both experiments are different.

(i) State which experiment yield common salt of higher purity.

(ii) Suggest why the crystals in experiment 2 stopped growing in size after a few days.

(iii) Explain whether the mass of sodium chloride crystals obtained in experiment 2 is an
underestimation or an overestimation.
Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

(3 marks)

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

2025-DSE-CHEM-1A- 3 3 Go on to the next page

 2. This question investigates the properties of magnesium. In the diagram below, a piece of burning magnesium
ribbon is placed in an empty cavity in between two dry ice blocks.

Burning magnesium ribbon Empty cavity

Dry ice block

(a) The magnesium ribbon continued burning in the empty cavity with a bright white light.

(i) Write a balanced chemical equation for the reaction occurring in the empty cavity.

(ii) Explain whether carbon dioxide extinguishers should be used to put out magnesium fires.
Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

(2 marks)

The properties of magnesium metal were further investigated by the following experimental set-up.

Beaker

Triangular pile of
magnesium metal granules

The triangular pile of magnesium metal is lit on fire. The pile first turns red hot, then burns with a bluish-green
flame and cloudy white smoke. The pile stops burning after a while. The resultant pile is then split in half, the
surface of the pile is covered with white solids, while the centre of the pile is filled with yellow solids.

(b) The yellow solids are then sprayed with water. A gas which turns red litmus paper blue is given out.

(i) Draw the electron diagram of the yellow solids.

(ii) Hence, write a balanced chemical equation for the formation of the yellow solids from the
burning of magnesium metal in air.

(2 marks)

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

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2. (c) To determine the mass of yellow solids produced, the following steps are proposed:

Step (1): Add an excess amount of water to a conical flask containing the yellow solids.
Step (2): Absorb the gas evolved with a known volume and concentration of excess HCl(aq).
Step (3): Titrate the resultant solution against standard NaOH(aq).

(i) Write the chemical equation for the reaction in Step (1).

(ii) Suggest and outline the procedures of a step before Step (3) to make up the resultant solution
to 250.0 cm3.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

(iii) Suppose the gas evolved is absorbed by 100.0 cm3 of 2.0 M HCl(aq) to form solution A.
Solution A first undergoes the procedures in (c) (ii) to form solution B, then 25.0 cm3 aliquots
of solution B is titrated against 0.1 M NaOH(aq). The reasonable average titre is 23.70 cm3.
Calculate the mass of yellow solids produced.

(iv) Explain whether an accurate estimation of the mass of yellow solids is obtained by the
proposed steps. If not, is the mass of yellow solids calculated in (c) (iii) an underestimation or
an overestimation? Assume the error induced by the spraying of the yellow solids to test for
the pH of the gas given out is negligible.

(7 marks)

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

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 3. (a) (i) Compare and explain the difference in melting points between trans-butenedioic acid and
cis-butendioic acid.

(ii) Compare and explain the difference in boiling points between trans-butenedioic acid and
cis-butenedioic acid.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

(4 marks)

(b) Sulfamic acid is an intermediate compound between sulphuric acid and sulfamide, with the formula
H3NSO3.

(i) Draw the three-dimensional structure of sulfamic acid.

(ii) Explain, with the aid of a structural diagram, whether the melting point of sulfamic acid or
sulphuric acid is higher.

(4 marks)

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

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