Multiple-Choice Questions

How to Use This Section | What You Need to Know | Survival Tips | Old Exams
Multiple-Choice Questions | Reference Tables | High School Hub: Chemistry

Use of Topical Archive Multiple-Choice Questions

Teachers:

Feel free to copy and paste any of the multiple-choice questions below for
use in creating your own Regents-style assessments.
Graphics are easily downloaded by right-clicking on the desired image
and selecting either Save Picture As... (Internet Explorer) or Save
Image As... (Netscape).

Organic Chemistry: Question 1 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
Which element is present in all organic compounds?
1.
2.
3.
4.

carbon
nitrogen
oxygen
phosphorous

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation: In general, organic molecules contain carbon and organic chemistry is
the study of carbon compounds.
More Information

Organic Chemistry: Question 2 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.

Which property is generally characteristic of an organic compound?

1.
2.
3.
4.

low melting point

high melting point
soluble in polar solvents
insoluble in nonpolar solvents

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation: High melting points (450 degrees and higher) are characteristic of
ionic compounds but organic compounds generally have low melting points. Wax
and street tar melt in the summer heat; sugar melts and can burn on the kitchen stove.
Wax, tar, and sugar are examples of organic compounds.

Organic Chemistry: Question 3 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
Compared to the rate of inorganic reactions, the rate of organic reactions generally is
1.
2.
3.
4.

slower because organic particles are ions

slower because organic particles contain covalent bonds
faster because organic particles are ions
faster because organic particles contain covalent bonds

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: Most organic compounds have covalent bonds so eliminate choices 1
and 3. Covalent or shared bonds are hard to break so many organic reactions proceed
slowly.

Organic Chemistry: Question 4 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
Which compounds are isomers?
1. 1-propanol and 2-propanol
2. methanoic acid and ethanoic acid
3. methanol and methanal

4. ethane and ethanol

Correct Answer Number: 1
Explanation: By definition isomers have the same molecular formula but different
structural formulas. Choice 1 compounds have the same molecular formula but the OH group is located on the first or second carbon atoms. The other choices do not
have the same molecular formulas.

Organic Chemistry: Question 5 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
Which statement explains why the element carbon forms so many compounds?
1.
2.
3.
4.

Carbon atoms combine readily with oxygen.

Carbon atoms have very high electronegativity.
Carbon readily forms ionic bonds with other carbon atoms.
Carbon readily forms covalent bonds with other carbon atoms.

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: Carbon forms four covalent or shared bonds with other carbon atoms
as well as many other kinds of atoms. It has an almost limitless ability to bond with
other carbon atoms making possible a very large number of compounds.

Organic Chemistry: Question 6 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
Which polymers occur naturally?
1.
2.
3.
4.

starch and nylon

starch and cellulose
protein and nylon
protein and plastic

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: Plastic and nylon are synthetic (made in a laboratory). Starch and

cellulose are natural polymers (large molecules composed of chain(s) of smaller

molecules.

Organic Chemistry: Question 7 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
What is the name of the compound that has the molecular formula C6H6?
1.
2.
3.
4.

butane
butene
benzene
butyne

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation: Benzene has the formula C6H6 and is ring-shaped or shaped like a
closed chain.
C4H10is butane and has one single carbon bond; C4H8 is butene and has one double
carbon bond. C4H6 is butyne and has one triple carbon bond. Hint: there are 2 e-s in
butene--double bond; one e in butane--single bond; ty can be though of as ti or short
for triple bond, so butyne--triple bond. See also Table Q.

Organic Chemistry: Question 8 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
In a molecule of CH4, the hydrogen atoms are spatially oriented toward the centers of
a regular
1.
2.
3.
4.

pyramid
tetrahedron
square
rectangle

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: Organic compounds are three dimensional and CH4 has 4 equivalent
single bonds. Tetra means 4.

Organic Chemistry: Question 9 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
In which pair of hydrocarbons does each compound contain only one double bond
per molecule?
1.
2.
3.
4.

C2H2 and C2H6

C2H2 and C3H6
C4H8 and C2H4
C6H6 andC7H8

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation: Hydrocarbons with one double bond are alkenes, general formula
CnH2n or twice as many hydrogen atoms as carbon atoms. Choice 3 is the only pair
with both hydrocarbons having twice as many hydrogen atoms as carbon atoms. See
Table Q.

Organic Chemistry: Question 10 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
The reaction CH2CH2 + H2 -> CH3CH3 is an example of
1.
2.
3.
4.

substitution
addition
esterification
fermentation

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: Addition usually involves adding one or more atoms at a double or
triple bond. Here H2 combines with CH2CH2 changing ethene (double bond) into
ethane (single bond). See also #14, this topic.

Organic Chemistry: Question 11 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.

The products of the fermentation of sugar are ethanol and

1.
2.
3.
4.

water
oxygen
carbon dioxide
sulfur dioxide

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation: By definition fermentation is the conversion of sugar by yeast enzymes
(without oxygen) into ethanol and carbon dioxide. This happens in wine and when
cider turns "hard."

Organic Chemistry: Question 12 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
Which compound is a saturated hydrocarbon?
1.
2.
3.
4.

ethane
ethene
ethyne
ethanol

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation: By definition saturated hydrocarbons share a single pair of electrons
(single bond). The hydrocarbon series -ane has a single bond. (-ene has a double
bond; -yne has a triple bond; and alcohols have one -OH group at the end of a
hydrocarbon). See Table Q.

Organic Chemistry: Question 13 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
What type of reaction is CH3CH3 + Cl2 -> CH3CH2Cl + HCl?
1. an addition reaction
2. a substitution reaction

3. a saponification reaction
4. an esterification reaction
Correct Answer Number: 2
Explanation: In the above reaction, notice how a Cl atom has been substituted for
one H atom. This is similar to a baseball or basketball player taking the place or
substituting for another player.
See #10, this topic for an example of addition.

Organic Chemistry: Question 14 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
What is the maximum number of covalent bonds than an atom of carbon can form?
1.
2.
3.
4.

1
2
3
4

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: Because carbon has 4 valence electrons, it can form 4 shared
(covalent) bonds. Refer to the Periodic Table for the number of valence electrons in
the element carbon.

Organic Chemistry: Question 15 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
Which class of organic compounds can be represented as R -- OH?
1.
2.
3.
4.

acids
alcohols
esters
ethers

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: Alcohols by definition have the --OH group covalently bonded to the
end of a hydrocarbon (R ). See Table R: organic acids have the formula R --COOH;
esters have the formula R1--COOH--R2; ethers have the formula R1--O--R2.

Organic Chemistry: Question 16 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
Which molecule contains a total of three carbon atoms?
1.
2.
3.
4.

2-methylpropane
2-methylbutane
propane
butane

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation: Propane has 3 carbon atoms (prop- is a prefix for 3 carbon atoms).
Butane has 3 + 1 or 4 carbon atoms. Methylpropane is propane with a methyl group
(CH3) in place of one of the hydrogen atoms. Therefore it also has 4 carbon atoms.
See Table P.

Organic Chemistry: Question 17 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
What substance is made up of monomers joined together in long chains?
1.
2.
3.
4.

ketone
protein
ester
acid

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: Proteins are composed of amino acids (monomers) joined into long
chains. See Table R.

Organic Chemistry: Question 18 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
During fractional distillation, hydrocarbons are separated according to their
1.
2.
3.
4.

boiling points
melting points
triple points
saturation points

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation: Because hydrocarbons differ in boiling points, fractional distillation
separates the parts (fractions) of the mixture by heating the hydrocarbons in long
columns until they form gases (vaporization). At various points in the tower the
fractions (hydrocarbons) condense and are removed. This is possible because the
hydrocarbons have different boiling points.

Organic Chemistry: Question 19 of 19

This question may require the use of the Chemistry Reference Tables or the Periodic
Table of Elements.
Which compound is an organic acid?
1.
2.
3.
4.

CH3OH
CH3OCH3
CH3COOH
CH3COOCH3

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation: See Ref. Table R if you forget the formula for an organic acid.
CH3COOH is found almost in the center of the table. It does help to remember that
organic acids end in COOH and alcohols have OH near the end of the word. See also
Ref. Table K for an example of an organic acid.