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General Chemistry 2 Practice Test

Kinetics, equilibrium, acids and bases, free energy and electrochemistry: the second semester of college chemistry, every answer worked.

Which straight-chain alkane has the highest boiling point?

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with any school, college or exam body. Bank checked October 11, 2026.

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All 82 questions

Liquids, solids and intermolecular forces 12

  • A liquid has a vapor pressure of 100 mmHg at 300 K and an enthalpy of vaporization of 30.0 kJ/mol. What is its vapor pressure at 320 K? (R = 8.314 J/mol·K) Wikipedia, "Clausius–Clapeyron relation"; course outcome 1; gas constant from NIST CODATA; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • At 10,000 feet the atmospheric pressure is about 526 mmHg. Why does water boil near 90 °C there and not at 100 °C? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Melting Point, Freezing Point, Boiling Point"; course outcome 1
  • The critical temperature of carbon dioxide is 31.0 °C. What does that mean? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Properties of Liquids"; course outcome 1
  • Dry ice turns to gas at −78 °C, and diamond does not melt below about 3550 °C. Which pair of labels fits? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Categories of Solids"; course outcome 1
  • Helium atoms have no dipole moment, yet helium becomes a liquid below 4.2 K. Which force holds the atoms together? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Intermolecular Forces"; course outcome 2
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Liquids, solids and intermolecular forces, continued

  • On the phase diagram of water the solid-liquid line has a slightly negative slope. What follows from that? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Phase Diagrams"; course outcome 1
  • Pentane, isopentane and neopentane all have the formula C₅H₁₂. Which one boils at the lowest temperature? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Liquids"; course outcome 2
  • Water boils almost 200 °C higher than the trend of H₂S, H₂Se and H₂Te predicts. What explains the gap? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Properties of Liquids"; course outcome 2
  • What is the triple point on a phase diagram? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Phase Diagrams"; course outcome 1
  • When liquid water boils, which bonds are broken? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Intermolecular Forces"; course outcome 2
  • Which straight-chain alkane has the highest boiling point? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Liquids"; course outcome 2
  • Why are metals good conductors of electricity? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Categories of Solids"; course outcome 1

Kinetics 12

  • A catalyst is added to a reaction mixture that has reached equilibrium. What happens to the equilibrium constant? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Activation Energy"; course outcome 5
  • A first-order reaction has a half-life of 20 minutes. What fraction of the reactant is left after 60 minutes? Wikipedia, "Half-life"; course outcome 5; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • A first-order reaction has k = 0.0200 s⁻¹ and starts at [A] = 0.500 M. What is [A] after 50.0 s? Wikipedia, "Half-life"; course outcome 5; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • A first-order reaction has k = 0.0462 min⁻¹. What is its half-life? Wikipedia, "Rate equation"; course outcome 5; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • A plot of 1/[A] against time is a straight line. What is the order of the reaction in A? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Chemical Reactions and Kinetics"; course outcome 5
  • A rate constant doubles when the temperature rises from 300 K to 310 K. What is the activation energy? (R = 8.314 J/mol·K) Wikipedia, "Arrhenius equation"; course outcome 5; gas constant from NIST CODATA; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • A reaction is second order overall and its rate is measured in M/s. What are the units of its rate constant? Wikipedia, "Rate equation"; course outcome 5
  • A reaction obeys rate = k[A]²[B]. When [A] = 0.20 M and [B] = 0.10 M, the rate is 3.2 × 10⁻³ M/s. What is k? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Chemical Kinetics"; course outcome 5; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • The balanced equation is 2 N₂O₅ → 4 NO₂ + O₂, yet the measured rate law is rate = k[N₂O₅]. What does this show? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Chemical Kinetics"; course outcome 5
  • For 2 N₂O₅ → 4 NO₂ + O₂, oxygen forms at 0.012 M/s. How fast is N₂O₅ used up? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Chemical Kinetics"; course outcome 5; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • For A + B → products, doubling [A] alone makes the initial rate four times as large, and doubling [B] alone doubles it. What is the rate law? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Chemical Reactions and Kinetics"; course outcome 5
  • In a reaction, [A] falls from 0.800 M to 0.560 M in 40.0 s. What is the average rate at which A disappears? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Chemical Kinetics"; course outcome 5; answer worked from the numbers in the question

Equilibrium and solubility 12

  • 2 NO₂(g) ⇌ N₂O₄(g) gives off heat. The equilibrium mixture is cooled. What happens? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Le Chatelier's Principle"; course outcome 6
  • A salt MX₂ dissolves as MX₂(s) ⇌ M²⁺(aq) + 2 X⁻(aq) with K_sp = 3.2 × 10⁻¹¹. What is its solubility in pure water? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Solubility Product"; course outcome 6; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • At one temperature K_c = 25 for A ⇌ B. What is K_c for B ⇌ A at that temperature? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Equilibrium Expressions"; course outcome 6; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • A₂(g) + B₂(g) ⇌ 2 AB(g) has K_c = 49. A flask starts with 1.00 M A₂, 1.00 M B₂ and no AB. What is [AB] at equilibrium? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Equilibrium Expressions"; course outcome 6; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • Equal volumes of 2.0 × 10⁻⁵ M AgNO₃ and 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ M NaCl are mixed. K_sp of AgCl is 1.8 × 10⁻¹⁰. Does AgCl precipitate? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Solubility Product"; course outcome 6; K_sp of AgCl from the same review, "Common Ions and Complex Ions"; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • For A + B ⇌ 2 C, K_c = 4.0. A mixture holds [A] = 0.50 M, [B] = 0.20 M and [C] = 0.30 M. What happens next? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Equilibrium Expressions"; course outcome 6; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • For A + B ⇌ 2 C, the equilibrium concentrations are [A] = 0.20 M, [B] = 0.10 M and [C] = 0.40 M. What is K_c? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Equilibrium Expressions"; course outcome 6; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • More N₂ is added to N₂(g) + 3 H₂(g) ⇌ 2 NH₃(g) at equilibrium, with temperature and volume held constant. What is true once equilibrium returns? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Le Chatelier's Principle"; course outcome 6
  • N₂O₄(g) ⇌ 2 NO₂(g) is at equilibrium. The container is squeezed to half its volume at constant temperature. Which way does the reaction shift? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Le Chatelier's Principle"; course outcome 6
  • Silver bromide (K_sp = 5.0 × 10⁻¹³) dissolves to 7.1 × 10⁻⁷ M in pure water. What is its solubility in 0.050 M KBr? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Common Ions and Complex Ions"; course outcome 6; K_sp of AgBr from the same review, "Solubility Product"; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • What is true of a reaction mixture that has reached equilibrium? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Equilibrium Expressions"; course outcome 6
  • Which expression is K_c for A(g) + 3 B(g) ⇌ 2 C(g)? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Equilibrium Expressions"; course outcome 6

Acids, bases and buffers 12

  • A buffer is 0.15 M in acetic acid (pK_a = 4.74) and 0.30 M in sodium acetate. What is its pH? Wikipedia, "Henderson–Hasselbalch equation"; course outcome 3; K_a of acetic acid from the Purdue review, "Weak Acids and Equilibrium"; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • A solution has [H₃O⁺] = 3.2 × 10⁻⁶ M. What is its pH? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "pH, pOH, and Ka"; course outcome 3; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • A strong base is used to titrate a weak acid. What is true at the point where half the acid is neutralized? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Mixtures and Buffers"; course outcome 3
  • A strong base M(OH)₂ releases two OH⁻ ions per formula unit. What is the pH of a 0.020 M solution of it at 25 °C? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "pH, pOH, and Ka"; course outcome 3; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • A weak acid HA has K_a = 2.0 × 10⁻⁶. What is the pH of 0.20 M HA? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Weak Acids and Equilibrium"; course outcome 3; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • Acetic acid is titrated with NaOH. Where does the pH sit at the equivalence point? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Mixtures and Buffers"; course outcome 3
  • At 25 °C a solution has [OH⁻] = 5.0 × 10⁻⁴ M. What is [H₃O⁺]? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Water, Acids, and Bases"; course outcome 3; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • How many milliliters of 0.100 M NaOH are needed to neutralize 25.0 mL of 0.120 M HCl? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Mixtures and Buffers"; course outcome 3; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • K_b for NH₃ is 1.8 × 10⁻⁵ at 25 °C. What is K_a for its conjugate acid, NH₄⁺? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Equilibrium Problems Involving Bases"; course outcome 3; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • One buffer is made from NH₃ and NH₄Cl, another from acetic acid and sodium acetate. Which statement is true? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Mixtures and Buffers"; course outcome 3
  • Sodium benzoate is the sodium salt of benzoic acid, a weak acid. What happens when it dissolves in water? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Equilibrium Problems Involving Bases"; course outcome 3
  • What is the conjugate base of H₂PO₄⁻? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Acid-Base Pairs, Strength of Acids and Bases, and pH"; course outcome 3

Enthalpy, entropy and free energy 10

  • A reaction has a negative ΔH° and a positive ΔS°. At which temperatures is ΔG° negative? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Gibbs Free Energy"; course outcome 7
  • A reaction has ΔH° = +178 kJ and ΔS° = +161 J/K. Above about what temperature is ΔG° negative? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Gibbs Free Energy"; course outcome 7; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • A reaction has ΔH° = −92.0 kJ and ΔS° = −199 J/K. What is ΔG° at 298 K? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Gibbs Free Energy"; course outcome 7; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • A reaction mixture has reached equilibrium at constant temperature and pressure. What is ΔG for the reaction in that mixture? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Gibbs Free Energy"; course outcome 7
  • According to the second law of thermodynamics, what is true of a spontaneous process in an isolated system? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Entropy and the 2nd & 3rd Laws of Thermodynamics"; course outcome 7
  • According to the third law of thermodynamics, what has an entropy of zero? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Entropy and the 2nd & 3rd Laws of Thermodynamics"; course outcome 7
  • At 298 K a reaction has K = 1.0 × 10⁵. What is ΔG°? (R = 8.314 J/mol·K) Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Gibbs Free Energy"; course outcome 7; gas constant from NIST CODATA; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • For which change is ΔS of the system positive? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Entropy and the 2nd & 3rd Laws of Thermodynamics"; course outcome 7
  • ΔG° for a reaction is positive at 25 °C. What does that say about K at that temperature? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Gibbs Free Energy"; course outcome 7
  • Standard enthalpies of formation: CH₄(g) −74.9, CO₂(g) −393.5 and H₂O(l) −285.8 kJ/mol. What is ΔH° for CH₄(g) + 2 O₂(g) → CO₂(g) + 2 H₂O(l)? NIST Chemistry WebBook, gas phase and condensed phase thermochemistry data for methane, carbon dioxide and water; course outcome 7; answer worked from the numbers in the question

Redox and electrochemistry 12

  • A 25.00 mL sample of Fe²⁺ solution needs 18.40 mL of 0.0200 M KMnO₄ to reach the endpoint in acid, where 5 Fe²⁺ react per MnO₄⁻. What is [Fe²⁺]? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Oxidation-Reduction Equations"; course outcome 4; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • A current of 2.50 A runs through a Cu²⁺ solution for 30.0 minutes. What mass of copper plates out? (F = 96,485 C/mol; Cu = 63.55 g/mol) Wikipedia, "Faraday's laws of electrolysis"; course outcome 8; Faraday constant from NIST CODATA; atomic weight from the PubChem periodic table; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • For Zn(s) + Cu²⁺(aq) → Zn²⁺(aq) + Cu(s), E° = 1.10 V. What is E at 25 °C when [Zn²⁺] = 0.010 M and [Cu²⁺] = 1.0 M? Use E = E° − (0.0592 V ÷ n) log Q. Wikipedia, "Nernst equation"; course outcome 8; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • How does an electrolytic cell differ from a galvanic cell? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Electrolytic Cells"; course outcome 8
  • In a galvanic (voltaic) cell, what happens at the anode? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Electrochemical Reactions"; course outcome 8
  • In Zn(s) + Cu²⁺(aq) → Zn²⁺(aq) + Cu(s), which species is the oxidizing agent? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Electrochemical Reactions"; course outcome 4
  • MnO₄⁻ + Fe²⁺ → Mn²⁺ + Fe³⁺ is balanced in acidic solution with the smallest whole numbers. What is the coefficient of Fe²⁺? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Oxidation-Reduction Equations"; course outcome 4; permanganate half-reaction from the same review, "Electrochemical Reactions"; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • Molten NaCl is electrolyzed with inert electrodes. What forms at each electrode? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Electrolytic Cells"; course outcome 8
  • Standard reduction potentials: Ag⁺ + e⁻ → Ag, +0.80 V; Ni²⁺ + 2 e⁻ → Ni, −0.23 V. What is E° for the cell in which nickel metal reduces Ag⁺? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Electrochemical Reactions"; course outcome 8; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • What does the salt bridge do in a galvanic cell? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Electrochemical Reactions"; course outcome 8
  • What is the oxidation number of sulfur in K₂SO₃? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Oxidation-Reduction Reactions"; course outcome 4; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • The zinc-copper cell has E° = 1.10 V and moves two moles of electrons per mole of reaction. What is ΔG°? (F = 96,485 C/mol) Wikipedia, "Gibbs free energy"; course outcome 8; Faraday constant from NIST CODATA; cell potential from the Purdue review, "Electrochemical Reactions"; answer worked from the numbers in the question

Nuclear decay 6

  • A nucleus decays by electron (β⁻) emission. How do its atomic number and mass number change? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Radioactive Decay"; course outcome 9
  • A nuclide has too many neutrons to be stable. By which mode is it most likely to decay? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Radioactive Decay"; course outcome 9
  • Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,730 years. A wood sample holds 6.25% of the carbon-14 found in living wood. About how old is it? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Chemical Reactions and Kinetics"; course outcome 9; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • If radium-226 (atomic number 88) emits an alpha particle, what nuclide forms? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Radioactive Decay"; course outcome 9; atomic numbers from the PubChem periodic table; answer worked from the numbers in the question
  • What changes in a nucleus when it emits a gamma ray? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Radioactive Decay"; course outcome 9
  • Which two decay modes lower the atomic number by one and leave the mass number unchanged? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Radioactive Decay"; course outcome 9

Organic and inorganic basics 6

  • Acetone is CH₃COCH₃. Which functional group does it contain? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Functional Groups"; course outcome 10
  • CH₃CH₂OH and CH₃OCH₃ share the formula C₂H₆O. What are they? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Functional Groups"; course outcome 10; isomers defined in the same review, "Liquids"
  • Sodium and potassium metal are stored under mineral oil. Why? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Activity of Metals"; course outcome 10
  • What sets an alkene apart from an alkane? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Organic Chemistry: Structure and Nomenclature of Hydrocarbons"; course outcome 10
  • Which formula fits an open-chain alkane, with no rings and no multiple bonds? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Organic Chemistry: Structure and Nomenclature of Hydrocarbons"; course outcome 10; general formula of the alkanes from the same review, "Liquids"
  • Which statement is true of most transition metals? Purdue University, General Chemistry Topic Review, "Transition Metals"; course outcome 10

How this list was compiled: Our own questions. The topic list is the ten learning outcomes of CHEM 1312, General Chemistry II (lecture), in the Lower-Division Academic Course Guide Manual of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Spring 2021 edition, https://reportcenter.highered.texas.gov/training-materials/lower-division-academic-course-guide-spring-21/, read 2026-10-09. Each fact was read on 2026-10-09 in the public page named under its question: the General Chemistry Topic Review of Purdue University, https://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/, Wikipedia, the NIST Chemistry WebBook, https://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/, the NIST CODATA values, https://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Constants/, and the PubChem periodic table, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/periodic-table/. Every calculated answer was worked out a second time from the numbers in the question. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

How it works

This unofficial general chemistry 2 practice test with answers has 82 original questions on the second semester, from intermolecular forces and kinetics to electrochemistry and nuclear decay. Tied to no college or exam, it sets no pass mark.

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The outline it follows

The eight topics follow the ten learning outcomes Texas publishes for General Chemistry II (CHEM 1312) in the Spring 2021 edition of its Lower-Division Academic Course Guide Manual, read October 9, 2026. The outline gives no weights, so the spread is ours, and spectrometry, which it also names, has no question here.

How the answers are checked

Each concept was read in Purdue University's General Chemistry Topic Review or the Wikipedia article named under its question, constants in the NIST values, formation enthalpies in the NIST Chemistry WebBook and atomic weights in the PubChem periodic table. Every calculated answer was worked a second time from the numbers in the question.

  • A standard potential is never multiplied by the coefficient that balances the electrons. Only ΔG° grows with n.
  • For a salt MX₂ the solubility s gives [X⁻] = 2s, so K_sp is 4s³ and not s².
  • Halfway to the equivalence point of a weak acid titration, pH equals pK_a. No ICE table is needed.

Questions and answers

What topics are covered in general chemistry 2?

Each college sets its own list. The Texas outline this page follows names liquids and solids, intermolecular forces, acids and bases, redox, kinetics, equilibrium, thermodynamics, electrochemistry, nuclear decay and a first look at organic chemistry. It does not name solutions or colligative properties.

Can I print this general chemistry 2 practice test?

Yes. The set you just played prints as a question sheet, with or without its answer key and working. Save as PDF in the print window keeps it as a file.

What formulas do I need for general chemistry 2?

This bank leans on t½ = 0.693/k, ln(k₂/k₁) = (Eₐ/R)(1/T₁ − 1/T₂), pH = pK_a + log([A⁻]/[HA]), ΔG° = ΔH° − TΔS° = −RT ln K = −nFE°, and E = E° − (0.0592/n) log Q at 25 °C.

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