BECE - Basic Education Certificate Examination Matter, Elements, and Compounds Questions and Answers

Question 1

Which of the following substances is a compound?

Accepted Answer

Water

Answer

Water is a compound because it is formed from the chemical combination of two elements, hydrogen and oxygen, in a fixed ratio (H₂O). Air is a mixture of gases, while nitrogen and gold are elements.

Question 2

A student observes that a substance is made up of only one type of atom and cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means. How should the student classify this substance?

Accepted Answer

An element

Answer

An element is a pure substance consisting of only one type of atom, which cannot be broken down into a simpler type of matter by either physical or chemical means.

Question 3

In a science experiment, two clear liquids are physically mixed together. The resulting liquid is also clear, but its components can be separated by distillation. The original properties of the liquids are retained. This new substance is best described as a...

Accepted Answer

Mixture

Answer

The scenario describes a mixture. Key indicators are that the substances are physically mixed, not chemically combined; they can be separated by a physical means (distillation); and they retain their original properties.

Question 4

Which of the following correctly describes a key difference between a compound and a mixture?

Accepted Answer

A compound has properties different from its constituents, while a mixture retains the properties of its components.

Answer

A defining characteristic of a compound is that it has new, unique properties that are different from the elements that formed it. In a mixture, the individual substances keep their own properties. For example, salt (a compound) is very different from its constituent elements, sodium and chlorine.

Question 5

Table salt has the chemical formula NaCl. This indicates that it is a compound made up of which two elements?

Accepted Answer

Sodium and Chlorine

Answer

The chemical formula NaCl represents Sodium Chloride. 'Na' is the chemical symbol for the element Sodium, and 'Cl' is the chemical symbol for the element Chlorine.

(BECE) Basic Education Certificate Examination Practice Test

(BECE) Basic Education Certificate Examination Practice Test

BECE - Basic Education Certificate Examination Matter, Elements, and Compounds Questions and Answers