FRQ — Matter - Its Nature and Behaviour

Case study·Hard exam skill (4/5)·No calculator

Difficulty guide

The label describes the problem, not your ability.

1/5 - Foundational

Warm-up setup; checks one basic idea.

2/5 - Routine exam skill

Normal syllabus skill; usually one main rule or interpretation.

3/5 - Standard multi-step

Exam-style problem with multiple steps or a common trap.

4/5 - Hard exam skill

High-end exam problem; combines methods carefully.

5/5 - Challenge

Stretch problem beyond normal exam pressure.

Question

A black ink sample is separated by paper chromatography. The solvent front moves

8.0\,\text{cm}

from the baseline. Three colour spots move

6.0\,\text{cm}

3.6\,\text{cm}

and

2.4\,\text{cm}

Total: 4 marks

(a) What does the experiment show about black ink? (1 mark)

(b) Which spot has moved the farthest relative to the solvent front? (1 mark)

(c) Calculate the ratio $\frac{\text{distance moved by farthest spot}}{\text{distance moved by solvent front}}$ . (2 marks)

Your response (optional — you can also work on paper)

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