This document contains a sample exam paper for a Level 1 Science exam on acids and bases. The exam consists of 4 questions. Question 1 asks students to explain why magnesium and calcium form ions with a charge of +2 and to complete information about sodium and beryllium ions. Question 2 asks about isotopes of lithium and beryllium. Question 3 describes an acid-base reaction using indicators and asks students to explain the observations. Question 4 describes a reaction between marble chips and hydrochloric acid and asks students to explain the rate of reaction and effects of powdering the marble. The exam paper provides space for students to show their work and additional pages in the back if more space is needed to answer questions fully

1. 1
SAMPLE PAPER
Level 1 Science
90944 (1.5): Demonstrate understanding of aspects of
acids and bases
Credits: Four
You should answer ALL parts of ALL questions in this booklet.
A table of ions and a periodic table are provided in the resource booklet for Science 90944 (1.5). Check
that you have been supplied with the resource booklet for Science 90944 (1.5).
If you need more space for any answer, use the page(s) provided at the back of this booklet and clearly
number the question.
Check that this booklet has pages 2–11 in the correct order and that none of these pages is blank.
YOU MUST HAND THIS BOOKLET TO YOUR TEACHER AT THE END OF THE ALLOTTED TIME.
For Assessor’s
use only Achievement Criteria
Achievement Achievement
Achievement
with Merit with Excellence
Demonstrate understanding of Demonstrate in-depth Demonstrate comprehensive
aspects of acids and bases. understanding of aspects of understanding of aspects of
acids and bases. acids and bases.
Overall Level of Performance
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority, 2010
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the prior permission of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.

2. 2 Assessor’s
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You are advised to spend 60 minutes answering the questions in this booklet.
QUESTION ONE: IONIC COMPOUNDS
(a) Magnesium and calcium atoms both form ions with a charge of +2. Magnesium atoms form
Mg2+ ions, and calcium atoms form Ca2+ ions.
Explain why magnesium and calcium atoms form ions with the same charge of +2. In your
answer, you should:
• define an ion
• explain why atoms form ions
• identify the group on the periodic table where the two atoms are found
• explain why both magnesium and calcium ions have a charge of +2.
(b) Sodium and beryllium atoms form ions with different charges.
Complete the table below.
Periodic table Electron arrangement Charge on the ion that
Element
group number of atom the atom forms
Sodium
Beryllium
Science 90944 (1.5)

3. 3 Assessor’s
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(c) Explain why the ions in sodium hydroxide combine to give the formula NaOH but the ions in
beryllium hydroxide combine to give the formula Be(OH)2.
In your answer, you should:
• compare the charges on the individual ions found in the compounds sodium hydroxide and
beryllium hydroxide
• explain why the ions combine in the ratios the way they do to form the compounds NaOH
and Be(OH)2.
Science 90944 (1.5)

4. 4 Assessor’s
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QUESTION TWO: ISOTOPES AND IONS
6
Lithium atoms can exist in different forms called isotopes. Two of these isotopes are Lithium-6 ( 3
7
Li ) and Lithium-7 ( 3 Li).
6 7
(a) Explain why 3 Li and 3 Li are both neutral atoms. In your answer, you should fully
describe their atomic structure and state their electron configuration.
Science 90944 (1.5)

5. 5 Assessor’s
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7
(b) Berylium can exist as an isotope in the form of beryllium-7 ( 4 Be).
7 6 7
Discuss how the mass of 4 Be compares with 3 Li AND 3 Li. In your answer, you
should:
• consider the atomic structure of each atom
• consider the meaning of the numbers ‘6’ and ‘7’ in terms of the atomic structures
• explain how the particles within an atom contribute to its overall mass.
You may draw labelled diagrams in the box below to support your answer.
Science 90944 (1.5)

6. 6 Assessor’s
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Science 90944 (1.5)

7. 7 Assessor’s
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QUESTION THREE: ACID AND BASE REACTIONS
A student puts 5 mL of dilute hydrochloric acid into a boiling tube and adds five drops of universal
indicator to the solution. The student then takes a solution of sodium hydroxide of the same
concentration as the acid and adds it one drop at a time to the acid until the colour stops changing.
(a) (i) Describe the colour of the universal indicator solution:
• in the hydrochloric acid before any sodium hydroxide was added.
• when the sodium hydroxide was added and the colour of the solution stopped
changing.
(ii) As the sodium hydroxide is added several colour changes occur.
Explain how the colour changes relate to pH AND what ions are present in the solution
colour changes.
Science 90944 (1.5)

8. 8 Assessor’s
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(b) The student combines equal volumes of nitric acid solution and sodium carbonate solution.
Both solutions have the same concentration.
Discuss what happens in this reaction. In your answer, you should:
• name the type of reaction involved and the ions involved
• describe what the student would observe
• state the products of the reaction and link these to the observations made
• write a word equation for the reaction
• write a balanced symbol equation for the reaction.
Word equation:
Balanced symbol equation:
Science 90944 (1.5)

9. 9 Assessor’s
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QUESTION FOUR: RATES OF REACTION
Marble chips (calcium carbonate) are added to dilute hydrochloric acid in a conical flask. The flask
is connected to an inverted measuring cylinder in a trough of water, as shown in the diagram below.
The volume of gas produced is measured over a few minutes, and the results used to sketch a graph.
(a) The slope of the graph is steep at the beginning and then levels off over time.
Explain what is happening, in terms of particles, during the reaction.
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10. 10 Assessor’s
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(c) Complete the word and symbol equations below to show the reaction in the experiment.
Word equation:
Balanced symbol equation:
(d) The experiment is repeated but this time the same mass of marble chips is crushed into a
powder before it is added to the flask.
Discuss the effect on the reaction rate of using powdered marble with hydrochloric acid
compared with using marble chips. In your answer, you should:
• compare the rates of reaction
• explain the differences in the reaction rate by discussing how crushing the marble chips
affects the number of particle collisions.
Science 90944 (1.5)

11. 11 Assessor’s
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Extra paper for continuing your answers, if required.
Clearly number the question.
Question
number
Science 90944 (1.5)

12. 12 Assessor’s
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Extra paper for continuing your answers, if required.
Clearly number the question.
Question
number
Science 90944 (1.5)