CART Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the CART exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 CART Exam Format at a Glance
📚 CART Topics to Study (21)
✍️ Sample CART Questions & Answers
1. If the products of a reaction have higher enthalpy than the reactants, the ΔH for the reaction is:
ΔH = H(products) – H(reactants); if products have higher enthalpy, ΔH is positive, indicating an endothermic reaction.
2. A chemist dissolves 58.44 g of NaCl (1 mole) in 500 g of water. Which of the following correctly describes the concentration of this solution?
Molality (m) is defined as moles of solute per kilogram of solvent. First, convert the mass of the solvent (water) from grams to kilograms: 500 g = 0.500 kg. Then, calculate the molality: Molality = moles of solute / kg of solvent = 1 mole NaCl / 0.500 kg H₂O = 2.0 m.
3. Which of the following single displacement reactions will occur spontaneously according to the metal activity series?
A single displacement reaction occurs when a more reactive element displaces a less reactive element from a compound. According to the activity series, zinc (Zn) is more reactive than copper (Cu), so it will displace copper from copper(II) sulfate. In the other options, the elemental metals (Cu, Ag, Fe) are less reactive than the metal ions they would need to displace (Al³⁺, H⁺, Mg²⁺), so no reaction will occur.
4. Under which of the following conditions would a real gas be expected to deviate MOST from ideal gas behavior?
Real gases deviate from ideal behavior because the assumptions of the Kinetic Molecular Theory (negligible particle volume and no intermolecular forces) break down. [23] At low temperatures, gas particles move slower and intermolecular forces become more significant. At high pressures, the particles are forced closer together, making their individual volumes a more significant fraction of the total container volume. Therefore, the combination of low temperature and high pressure causes the most significant deviation from ideal behavior.
5. Which of the following processes is endothermic?
Melting requires heat input to break intermolecular forces, making it an endothermic process.
6. What particles make up an alpha particle?
An alpha particle is identical to a helium-4 nucleus, consisting of 2 protons and 2 neutrons, giving it a charge of +2.