SPM 2010 Chemistry Common Mistakes in

Paper 2 Section A
November 19, 2010
What is the difference between a A+ student and a A student? Or the difference between passing and faiing
in !"# e$aminations? %sua& it is 'ust ver& simpe mista(es which are so common that a our Berry
Readers shoud not be doing an&more) !o the Berry Berry Teacher,Miss Isabelle on! woud i(e to
share wi a readers common mista(es made in Paper 2 Section A SPM Chemistry for &ear 2010) *+t is
aso vaid for future references, but more pertinent& for !"# 2010,
-or this part, .err& /eacher wi discuss on the specific item of some 0hemistr& topics using the "ohor state
trial SPM 2010 paper 2 as the ma'or discussion paper) */o get a fu set of 1uestion paper, .err& 2eader
can downoad it from http://edu.joshuatly.com, !o do chec( out the 13 common& made mista(es4pointers
for &ou to ta(e note of)
Common Mistakes #or SPM 2010 Chemistry Paper 2 Section A $based on "ohor State Trial SPM 2010
Paper%
& 'esalahan (a)im*Biasa SPM 2010 'imia 'ertas 2 Baha!ian A
+,ample 1
Write the chemical #orm-la of suphur trio$ide *Tuliskan formula kimia untuk sulfur dioxide, 51 *a, *iii,
!tudents must write chemica formua and not chemical name)
Correct answer6 !O7
+,ample 2
!uphuric acid produced is mi$ed with water in a bea(er) !tate the obser.ation if a piece of marbe is
dropped into the bea(er) *Asid sulfurik yang terhasil dilarutkan ke dalam bikar berisi air. Nyatakan
pemerhatian jika sebutir marmar dimasukkan ke dalam bikar itu., 51 *a, *vi,
Wrong answer6 0arbon dio$ide 4 O$&gen 4 Nitrogen gas is reeased)
!tudents are re1uired to write the observation *through &our na(ed e&es, not the type o# !as or the name
of the soutions) !tudents cannot see the gas moecue *uness students have !uperman8s e&e,
Correct answer6 .ubbes of gas are reeased 44 9as bubbes are reeased 44 :ffervescence occurs in the
bea(er
*Aso accept6 .ea(er becomes warm 44 mass of marbe decrease,
+,ample /
!tate one -se of ammonium suphate in dai& ife) *Nyatakan satu kegunaan ammonium sulfat dalam
kehidupan seharian), 51 *c, *ii,
Wrong answer6 fertii;er 4 fertiiser
!tudents answer is not compete and did not state the use)
Correct answer6 As fertiisers 4 0sed as a fertiiser 4 Ammonium suphate is -sed as fertiiser in dai& ife)
+,ample 1
!tate the meltin! point of substance ") *Nyatakan takat lebur bahan P), 52 *a, *ii,
Wrong answer6 <7 4 <7=
Without measuring unit, the answer is considering wrong response) /he meas-rin! -nit m-st incl-de in
the answer and the measuring unit must be correct)
Correct answer6 <7=0
+,ample 2
!tate the physical state of " from time t1 to t2) *Nyatakan keadaan fizikal P dari masa t to t!, 52 *a, *iii,
Wrong answer6 soid
/here are two ph&sica states present from t1 to t2)
Correct answer6 soid and i1uid
+,ample 3
:$pain wh& the temperat-re remains constant from t1 to t2) *Terangkan kenapa suhu tidak berubah dari
masa t to t!., 52 *a, *iv,
Wrong answer6 /o overcome the force of attraction between atoms)
-rom the prediction *aso one of the ":>A e$periment in -orm 3,, soid " is naphthaene so it shoud be
moecues not atoms)
Correct answer6 is used to overcomes the forces of attraction between the molec-les 4particles " 44 +t is
because the heat energ& absorbed is used to overcomes the force of attraction between partice so that
soid " can met into i1uid state) 44 /he heat absorbed b& partices of substance " is used to overcome the
forces hoding the partices in fi$ed positions)
+,ample 4
Write the #orm-lae for a anions that are present in sodium choride soution) *Tuliskan formula bagi semua
anion yang hadir dalam larutan natrium klorida), 57 *a, *ii,
Wrong answer6 h&dro$ide ions, choride ion
/he 1uestion is as(ed for the formuae not chemica name, so students are re1uired to read the 1uestion
carefu&)
Correct answer6 0
?
, O@
?
+,ample 5
Aescribe a test to indentif& the gas coected at the cathode) *"uraikan satu ujian untuk mengenalpasti gas
yang terkumpul di katod, 57 *b, *iii,
Wrong answer6 A burning 4 gowing wooden spinter is inserted into the test tube)
/o test h&drogen gas B a ighted wooden spinter is used)
/o test o$&gen gas B a gowing wooden spinter is used)
/o test chorine gas B a damp bue itmus paper is used and itmus paper wi be decoourised)
Another mista(e is Cinserted8) !tudents shoud use place or p-t into the test tube)
Correct answer6
1, Place a li!hted 6ooden splinter into the test tube 44 A li!hted 6ooden splint is placed into the test
tube of the cathode
2, A 7pop8 so-nd is produce 4 can be heard 44 /he presence of the gas wi cause the ighted wooden spinter
to burn with a Cpop8 sound)
+,ample 9
9ive a reason for &our answer in *c, *i,) *#eri alas an bagi jawapan anda di $c% $i%), 57 *c, *ii,
Wrong answer6 .ecause h&dro$ide ion is more reactive)
!tudents shoud give e$panation b& discussing the position in eectrochemistr& series)
Correct answer6 .ecause h&dro$ide ion is located lo6er than choride ion in electrochemistry series)
+,ample 10
:ame a substance that can repace bromine water) *Namakan satu bahan lain yang boleh menggantikan air
bromine), 53 *a, *iv,
Wrong answer6 >#nO3 4 +odine water
!tudents m-st name the s-bstance not give chemica formua) .esides that, the soution must be present)
Correct answer6 Acidified potassium manganate*D++, sol-tion 44 Acidified potassium dichromate*D+, soution
44 0horine 6ater)
+,ample 11
What is the #-nction of diute suphuric acid? *Apakah fungsi asid sulfurik cair&, 5E *a,
Wrong answer6 to separate the two soutions)
/his is not the main function of diute suphuric acid and ;ero mar( wi be given)
Correct answer6 /o complete the electric circ-it 44 /o compete the fow of eectric current throughout the
circuit 44 /o aow movement of ions)
+,ample 12
!tate the obser.ation at carbon eectrode F) *Nyatakan pemerhatian di elektrod karbon '), 5E *b, *i,
Wrong answer6 soution turns &eow)
-or a the observation *coour changes,, students must state the coour of the soution be#orereaction
and a#ter the reaction or Cthe $$$ coour of the soution turns 4 changes &&& coour8) +n simpe words, it must
have before changes and after changes)
Correct answer6 ;reen coour sol-tion turns to brown 4 yello6)
+,ample 1/
!tate the obser.ation at carbon eectrode G) *Nyatakan pemerhatian di elektrod karbon (), 5E *c, *i,
Wrong answer6 +t decoourise 4 +t turns coouress)
!imiar to e$ampe 12, students must describe the coour before changes)
Correct answer6 P-rple coour sol-tion is decolo-rised 4 turns colo-rless 44 /he purpe acidified
potassium manganate*D++, soution turns coouress)
+,ample 11
hat is a(ai F?
Wrong answer6 "otassium h&dro$ide, >O@
-or this 1uestion, chemica formua and4or chemica name are accepted) On& concentrated sodium
h&dro$ide wi be use in the production of soaps and g&cero)
Correct answer6 Concentrated sodium h&dro$ide 4 Concentrated NaO@)