Accessible paper overall.
Lowest demand: Questions 1, 2, 3, 5, 13 and 22.
Highest demand: Questions 28 and 37.
Listed in general comments as lowest demand.
Listed in general comments as lowest demand.
Listed in general comments as lowest demand.
Listed in general comments as lowest demand.
Listed in general comments as lowest demand.
Listed in general comments as lowest demand.
Less well-performing candidates confused the anode and cathode and suggested option C. Some chose option B, which would be correct for a dilute acid or the cation of a reactive metal.
Items with the word ‘not’ must be read carefully. Ticking or crossing each statement can help. Option D was the most common incorrect answer.
Most recognised the need to filter the reaction mixture, but there was confusion about whether to collect the filtrate or the residue. Weaker candidates often chose option C.
Copper does not react with dilute acids. Many thought magnesium reacts violently with water (option B) or that magnesium is formed by heating its oxide with carbon (option C).
Cryolite is the solvent in which purified aluminium oxide is dissolved, allowing electrolysis below the melting point of Al2O3. Candidates confused this with lowering aluminium’s melting point and chose option D. (Highest demand.)
Nearly half of the less well-performing candidates thought cobalt(II) chloride paper identifies carbon dioxide and chose option A.
Nearly all better-performing candidates were correct; others were more likely to choose option B.
Most could identify one of the two addition products; some confused the addition product of ethene with bromine and chose option C.
Challenging: many did not recognise the structure of an ester and chose option D. Other distractors were also common among weaker candidates.
Substitution in methane: a hydrogen atom is replaced by chlorine; four different products are possible. The most popular (incorrect) answer was option A. (Highest demand.)
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