MChem Master of Chemistry Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield MChem Master of Chemistry facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Will the aforementioned reaction call for a separation procedure? → No
2. Which of the following antiviral medications inhibits DNA polymerase and is an adenosine analog? → Vidarabine
3. Which basis set type uses Slater-type orbitals approximated by Gaussian functions? → Pople-style split-valence basis sets (e.g., 6-31G)
4. Even the function groups can be used to categorize organic substances. Of the following, which is not a functional group? → Isocyanide
5. Feed mixtures made of non-renewable resources like coal and petroleum are needed for chemical processes. What are non-renewable sources replaced by? → Biomass
6. In QSAR (Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship) modeling, what are molecular descriptors? → Numerical representations of molecular features used to predict properties
7. Which of the following bonds contains a sizable amount of different chemical compounds? → Covalent bond
8. The relationship between a substance's concentration and the quantity of energy it absorbs is provided by → Beer’s law
9. Which of the following is a requirement for a biochemical plant to operate? → Non-pathologic state of the organism
10. Which end-group analysis method is most appropriate for determining the number-average molecular weight of a low-molecular-weight polyester (Mn < 5,000 g/mol)? → ¹H NMR end-group analysis
11. Organic molecules with the element _________ make up hydrocarbons. → Both hydrogen and carbon
12. Surface-adsorbed chemicals are known as surfactants, and surface tension is → decreased
13. With the exception of, all halogens can display various co-valences. → Fluorine
14. Pick substances that can be converted into chelating agents. → All of them
15. Which of the following types of enzyme inhibitors is irreversible? → Suicide inhibitor
16. Which of the following is NOT a separation procedure that is important? → Increases the speed of the reaction
17. Which of the following organic compound members is the most basic? → Methane
18. What is the Bragg equation used for in materials characterization? → Relating X-ray diffraction angles to interplanar spacings (d-spacings) in crystals
19. In atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), what component serves as the persistent radical? → The Cu(II) complex (oxidized metal halide)
20. In the context of soil contamination, what does the Koc value measure? → The organic carbon-normalized partition coefficient between soil and water
21. What method of separation is employed when a chemical reaction aids in separation during a separation operation? → Reactive distillation
22. Which type of enzyme inhibition increases the apparent Km without affecting Vmax? → Competitive inhibition
23. Wavenumber produces vibrations in the "H" attached to "sp2" hybrid carbon. → 3100 cm-1
24. Solvent and solute concentrations can both be stated as → all of these
25. When an unsaturated solution is overconcentrated, it transforms into → saturated solution
26. Which of the following doesn't fall within the acid or basic category? → KCl
27. Which of the following antitubercular medications is known to cause blindness while the (S,S)-(+)-enantiomer is used to treat tuberculosis? → Ethambutol
28. What does the potential energy surface (PES) represent in a chemical reaction? → Energy as a function of nuclear coordinates
29. The UV-spectral spectrophotometer's band width is in the range of → 1 nm
30. What is the primary advantage of the B3LYP hybrid functional in DFT calculations? → It combines exact Hartree-Fock exchange with DFT correlation for improved accuracy