Non-metals and their compounds: JAMB Chemistry Past Questions and Answers

What the JAMB syllabus covers in Non-metals and their compounds

Our summary: Hydrogen, chlorine, oxygen and water, sulphur, nitrogen and carbon: preparation, properties, uses and tests.

• Hydrogen (Commercial production from water gas and cracking of petroleum fractions, laboratory preparation, properties, uses and test for hydrogen.)
• Halogens (Chlorine as a representative element of the halogens. Laboratory preparation, industrial preparation by electrolysis, properties and uses, e.g. water sterilization, bleaching, manufacture of HCl, plastics and insecticides.)
• Hydrogen chloride and hydrochloric acid (Preparation and properties. Chlorides and test for chlorides.)
• Oxygen (Laboratory preparation, properties and uses. Commercial production from liquid air. Oxides: acidic, basic, amphoteric and neutral, trioxygen (ozone) as an allotrope and the importance of ozone in the atmosphere.)
• Water (Water as a product of the combustion of hydrogen and its composition by volume. Water as solvent, atmospheric gases dissolved in water and their biological significance.)
• Hard and soft water (Temporary and permanent hardness and methods of softening hard water.)
• Treatment of water for town supply
• Water of crystallization, efflorescence, deliquescence and hygroscopy (Example of the substances exhibiting these properties and their uses.)
• Sulphur (Uses and allotropes: preparation of allotropes is not expected. Preparation, properties and uses of sulphur(IV) oxide, the reaction of SO₂ with alkalis. Trioxosulphate (IV) acid and its salts, the effect of acids on salts of trioxosulphate(IV), tetraoxosulphate(VI) acid: commercial preparation (contact process only), properties as a dilute acid, an oxidizing and a dehydrating agents and uses. Test for SO₄²⁻, SO₃²⁻, SO₂.)
• Hydrogen sulphide (Preparation and properties as a weak acid, reducing and precipitating agents. Test for S²⁻, H₂S.)
• Nitrogen: laboratory preparation
• Nitrogen: production from liquid air
• Ammonia (Laboratory and industrial preparations (Haber Process only), properties and uses, ammonium salts and their uses, oxidation of ammonia to nitrogen (IV) oxide and trioxonitrate (V) acid. Test for NH₄⁺, NO₂, NH₃.)
• Trioxonitrate (V) acid (Laboratory preparation from ammonia; properties and uses. Trioxonitrate (V) salt - action of heat and uses. Test for NO₃⁻ and other oxides of nitrogen.)
• Oxides of nitrogen (Properties.)
• The nitrogen cycle
• Carbon: allotropes (Uses and properties.)
• Carbon(IV) oxide (Laboratory preparation, properties and uses. Action of heat on trioxocarbonate(IV) salts and test for CO₃²⁻, HCO₃⁻, CO₂.)
• Carbon(II) oxide (Laboratory preparation, properties including its effect on blood, sources of carbon (II) oxide to include charcoal, fire and exhaust fumes.)
• Coal (Different types, products obtained from destructive distillation of wood and coal.)
• Coke (Gasification and uses. Manufacture of synthesis gas and uses.)

Objectives

• predict reagents for the laboratory and industrial preparation of these gases and their compounds;
• identify the properties of the gases and their compounds;
• compare the properties of these gases and their compounds;
• specify the uses of each gas and its compounds;
• determine the specific test for each gas and its compounds;
• determine specific tests for Cl⁻;
• predict the reagents for preparation, properties and uses of HCl(g) and HCl(aq);
• identify the allotropes of oxygen;
• determine the significance of ozone to our environment;
• classify the oxides of oxygen and their properties;
• identify the various uses of water;
• identify the effects of dissolved atmospheric gases in water;
• distinguish between the properties of hard and soft water;
• determine the causes of hardness;
• identify methods of removal of hardness;
• describe the processes involved in the treatment of water for town supply;
• distinguish between these phenomena;
• identify the various compounds that exhibit these phenomena;
• identify the allotropes of sulphur and their uses;
• predict the reagents for preparation, properties and uses of SO₂ and H₂S;
• specify the preparations of H₂SO₄ and H₂SO₃, their properties and uses;
• determine specific tests for S²⁻, SO₄²⁻, H₂S, SO₂, SO₃²⁻;
• specify the laboratory and industrial preparation of NH₃;
• identify the properties and uses of NH₃;
• determine specific test for NH₄⁺, NH₃;
• identify reagents for the laboratory preparation of HNO₃, its properties and uses;
• specify the properties of N₂O, NO, NO₂ gases;
• determine the specific test for N₂O, NO and NO₃⁻;
• examine the relevance of nitrogen cycle to the environment;
• identify allotropes of carbon;
• predict reagents for the laboratory preparation of CO₂;
• specify the properties of CO₂ and its uses;
• determine the reagents for the laboratory preparation of CO;
• predict the effects of CO on human;
• determine the specific tests for HCO₃⁻, CO₃²⁻, CO₂;
• identify the different forms of coal;
• determine their uses;
• specify the products of the destructive distillation of wood and coal; and
• specify the uses of coke and synthesis gas.

Syllabus content © The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (UTME).