International Chemistry Olympiad

IChO 1976

Halle, German Democratic Republic · 7 theory problems with complete solutions

  1. Problem 1: Peroxo compounds

    1.1 Explain by means of generally used international symbols and formulas which compounds are named as peroxo compounds. Write summary formulas for six of them.

    1.2 Write chemical equations for two methods of quantitative determination of the content of peroxide in calcium(II) peroxide.

    1.3 By means of chemical equations express the following chemical reactions:

    a) \(\ce{[Cr(H2O)6]Cl3}\) dissolved in water, is mixed with an excess of sodium hydroxide solution. A clear green solution is formed. The colour of the solution changes to yellow when an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution is added.

    b) If an aqueous solution of a violet manganese compound is mixed with a hydrogen peroxide solution, the resulting solution is decolourised and a gas is released from it.

    Official English text of the problem.

  2. Problem 2: Formula of a crystallohydrate

    A sample of 2.3793 g of crystallohydrate of the type \(\ce{M_xA_y . zH2O}\), where M is a metal, reacted with an excess of \(\ce{SOCl2}\). Gaseous products formed by the reaction were introduced into a barium chloride solution containing hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Small quantities of \(\ce{SOCl2}\) carried by the gaseous products were removed by freezing out. The mass of the precipitate that is deposited from the solution, was 14.004 g. It was found to contain 13.74 mass % of sulphur.

    In another experiment, 1.1896 g of the initial substance were dissolved in water and the solution was diluted to a volume of 100 \(\mathrm{cm^3}\). One fifth of this solution required to react with 10 \(\mathrm{cm^3}\) of a 0.2-molar \(\ce{AgNO3}\) solution. The mass of the precipitate formed by the titration was 0.28664 g. (The end point of the titration was determined by the conductometric method.)

    Problems:

    2.1 Calculate the summary formula of the crystallohydrate. (Use the relative atomic mass values given in the attached Periodical Table of Elements.)

    2.2 If you know that the sample can contain a maximum of seven moles of water per one mole of the crystallohydrate, give an example of another possible hydrate that cannot come into consideration due to the given limitation.

    Official English text of the problem.

  3. Problem 3: Technical iron(II) sulphide and hydrochloric acid

    A sample of 5 g of a technical iron(II) sulphide \(\ce{FeS}\), which contains 5 % metallic iron reacted with hydrochloric acid.

    Problems:

    3.1 Calculate the volume of the gaseous products at STP conditions.

    3.2 What is the composition (in volume %) of the gaseous mixture?

    Official English text of the problem.

  4. Problem 4: Four natural nitrogen-containing substances

    Four often occurring natural substances have the following summary (empirical) formulas:

    \(\ce{C2H5O2N}\) (A) \(\ce{C3H7O2N}\) (C)
    \(\ce{C3H7O2N}\) (B) \(\ce{C9H11O2N}\) (D)

    The given substances when allowed to react with an alkali hydroxide solution yield alkali salts. However, in a neutral or acidic solution the reaction takes place on the nitrogen atom.

    Problems:

    4.1 Write structural formulas for the compounds A, B, C, and D.

    4.2 Which of the given substances are optically active and which ones are inactive?

    4.3 Write the formula of the functional group which is typical of certain natural substances and which is contained also in the product formed by the reaction of two molecules of compound A. Give the name of the natural substances to which belongs the above mentioned product.

    4.4 A cyclic organic compound being of technical importance contains also the functional group mentioned in passage 3.

    a) Write the structural formula of this cyclic compound.

    b) Write the characteristic part of the structural formula of a macromolecular substance that can be obtained from the mentioned compound.

    c) Write the characteristic part of the structural formula of an isomeric macromolecular substance that is also technically important.

    d) Give the name for the group of compounds to which belong the above mentioned macromolecular substances.

    Official English text of the problem.

  5. Problem 5: Organic compounds A-H from an ester C6H12O3

    a) Compounds B and E are formed when an organic substance A (summary formula \(\ce{C6H12O3}\)) reacts with a sodium hydroxide solution (saponification).

    b) Substance B can be oxidised in a two-step process to a substance C.

    c) Substance C when reacted with bromine yields a substitution product D which can be hydrolysed by the reaction with sodium hydroxide solution to produce a substance E.

    d) Substance E when allowed to react with a stoichiometric amount of hydrochloric acid gives a compound F (40.0 % C, 6.66 % H, the rest is oxygen).

    e) Substance F is an important product of metabolism in biological processes.

    f) Compound F when allowed to stand, splits off one mole of water from two moles of the substance that results in the formation of an unstable compound G.

    g) Substance F can also be obtained from a compound H containing nitrogen, by one-step reaction with nitrous acid. Assuming the quantitative course of the reaction, 4.5 g of substance F are formed from 4.45 g of substance H.

    Problems:

    5.1 Write all equations for the above mentioned chemical reactions.

    5.2 Give structural formulas of the organic compounds A – H.

    Official English text of the problem.

  6. Problem 6: Gas thermometer

    Temperature in a larger room should be measured by means of a gaseous thermometer. A glass tube with the internal volume of 80 cm³ was for this purpose filled with nitrogen at a temperature of 20 °C and a pressure of 101.325 kPa. The tube was then slowly and steadily moved throughout the room. Due to the thermal expansion the gas at the higher temperature escapes from the tube and is captured above the liquid whose vapour pressure is negligible. The total volume of the gas escaped from the tube was 35 cm³ at a temperature of 20 °C and a pressure of 101.325 kPa.

    Problems:

    6.1 How many moles of nitrogen were used to fill the glass tube?

    6.2 How many moles of nitrogen escaped from the tube at the higher temperature?

    6.3 Calculate the average temperature in the room under investigation if the thermal expansion of the glass tube is assumed to be negligible.

    6.4 Does anything change if instead of pure nitrogen, a mixture containing 50 volume % of nitrogen and 50 volume % of hydrogen is used?

    Official English text of the problem.

  7. Problem 7: Lead accumulator

    The density of a sulphuric acid solution in a charged lead accumulator should be equal to \(\rho = 1.28\ \mathrm{g\,cm^{-3}}\) which corresponds to the solution containing 36.87 % of \(\ce{H2SO4}\) by mass. In a discharged lead accumulator it should not decrease under the value of \(\rho = 1.10\ \mathrm{g\,cm^{-3}}\) which corresponds to the 14.35 % solution of sulphuric acid.

    (Faraday's constant \(F\) is equal to \(26.8\ \mathrm{Ah\,mol^{-1}}\).)

    Problems:

    7.1 Write the equation for a total electrochemical reaction that takes place in the lead accumulator when it is charged and discharged.

    7.2 Calculate the masses of \(\ce{H2O}\) and \(\ce{H2SO4}\) being consumed or formed according to the equation in No 1.

    7.3 Calculate the mass of \(\ce{H2SO4}\) that is required to be added to a led accumulator with a capacity of 120 Ah if the content of \(\ce{H2SO4}\) is to be in the range as given in the task.

    7.4 Calculate the difference in volumes of the sulphuric acid solutions in a charged and a discharged lead accumulator with a capacity of 120 Ah.

    Official English text of the problem.