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PRAXIS II Chemistry: Content Knowledge 0241 Exam

The PRAXIS II Chemistry: Content Knowledge exam uses subject matter usually learned in beginning college chemistry courses to assess the knowledge of individuals who plan to teach high school chemistry. Most examinees who take this exam have earned bachelor's degrees in chemistry and have also completed course work required for teaching. The exam is composed of 50 multiple choice questions that are divided into four categories as follows:

14 questions covering Chemical Reactions/Biochemistry
13 questions covering Solutions and Solubility
12 questions covering Atomic Structure/Chemical Periodicity/Thermodynamics of Chemical Reactions
11 questions covering Nomenclature/The Mole, Bonding, and Geometry

The questions in the category of Chemical Reactions/Biochemistry will focus on topics such as stoichiometry, the equilibrium of chemicals, chemical reactions, and kinetics. The subjects of electrochemistry and redox chemistry will also be addressed. This category will additionally test the knowledge of relevant reactions and compounds in biology.

The Solutions and Solubility questions will cover the vocabulary for solutions and concentrations, kinds of solutions, and formulas for calculating concentrations. Examinees must also be familiar with ionic equilibrium, Ksp calculations, and colligative properties.

The category of Atomic Structure/Chemical Periodicity/Thermodynamics contains questions about the make-up and arrangement of atoms and electrons and the characteristics of electron structures, along with questions regarding periodicity of chemicals and the of reactions and bonds that are associated with periodicity and thermodynamics.

The Nomenclature area of the exam pertains to the naming system of chemicals, compounds, and acids. Questions covering the section on the mole, bonding, and geometry will examine molecular biology, the characteristics of bonds, the relationship of chemical reactions and bonds, and intermolecular forces. Examinees may also be required to use formulas on the exam.

It should be noted that some of the questions on the exam will be taken from subject matter of higher level chemistry courses for the purpose of evaluating the examinees knowledge of the subject beyond what he or she will be teaching in a high school course. Although examinees may be required use formulas on the exam, the use of calculators is prohibited. All necessary information such as periodic tables, SI unit conversions, and physical constants will be available in the test book.

It should be noted that calculators are not permitted during the Chemistry: Content Knowledge (0241) exam.

PRAXIS II Chemistry: Content Knowledge (0241) Practice Questions

1. Scientific method is a set of procedures that:

A. poses questions
B. analyzes data
C. reaches conclusions
D. All of the above

2. Which of these disciplines is not considered part of chemistry?

A. Organic
B. Geometry
C. Physical
D. Analytical

3. Energy is associated with movement at which levels?

A. Molecular
B. Atomic
C. Subatomic
D. All of the above

4. What do these items have in common: rust, film, and brown fruit?

A. Caused by chemical reactions
B. Can be used in experiments
C. All require oxygen.
D. Are found in laboratories.

5. Which of the following is not a chemical reaction?

A. Combustion
B. Synthesis
C. Biodiversity
D. Double displacement

Answer Key For Chemistry Content Knowledge (0241)

1. Answer: D

SCIENTIFIC METHOD is a set of procedures used to study natural phenomena. It provides guidelines with which to pose questions, analyze data, and reach conclusions. It is used to investigate an event, gain knowledge, correct earlier conclusions, and integrate the new information with previously learned data. Researchers pose hypotheses and design experiments and studies to test them. The process must be objective, documented, and shared with other researchers so the results can be verified by replicating the study in similar situations under the same conditions.

SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY is used to explore theories and develop explanations for natural phenomena. It provides a description of how something happens and explains why the process succeeds or fails.

DEDUCTIVE REASONING is a process in which a specific conclusion logically follows from a general premise. If the premise is true, the conclusion is true. It is used in mathematics.

INDUCTIVE REASONING is a process in which a universal conclusion is formed from considering an individual example. It is the methodology of the natural and social sciences.

2. Answer: B

Chemistry grew out of the practice known as alchemy, a philosophical and spiritual discipline that investigated the possibility of transforming base metals into gold. Modern chemistry is the physical science that studies the composition, structure, properties and reactions of atoms, molecules, crystals, and other aggregate matter by themselves or in relationship to each other. It is sometimes called the "central science" because it connects the other natural sciences. Chemistry studies matter in relation to energy (the capacity to do work), entropy (the measurement of energy unable to do work), and the spontaneity of chemical reactions (the changing of matter into one or more substances).

Chemistry is divided into several disciplines based on the type of matter being studied:

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY studies compounds that contain carbon. Note: Some carbon compounds are considered inorganic compounds.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY studies mineral compounds.
BIOCHEMISTRY studies organisms capable of responding to stimuli, reproduction, and growth.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY studies energy systems at the macro, molecular, and submolecular levels.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY studies matter and its chemical composition and structure.

3. Answer: D

Energy is the capacity to do work or cause change. It is always associated with movement, whether at the molecular, atomic, or subatomic level. Its companion is entropy, which is the measurement of a system's disorder or the energy unable to do work. Energy can change forms, but it cannot be created or destroyed. It is a closed system that remains constant. This Principle of Physics is known as the Conservation of Energy.

There are many forms of energy: light (electromagnetic radiation within a specific wavelength), heat (movement of atoms or molecules), electric (attraction and repulsion of electrons and protons), mechanical (related, produced, or dominated by physical force), and nuclear (the charged center of an atom) to name the most common. There are two types of energy: potential, which is energy that is stored and waiting to be used, and kinetic, which is energy that is currently being used.

There is another type called dark energy, but scientists are not sure exactly what dark energy is. It appears to be some sort of antigravity that is pushing the galaxies apart. More study is needed to explain this force and its function in the universe.

4. Answer: A

A chemical reaction is a process that changes one substance into another substance, i.e., the product, with an altogether different structure and composition. There is a rearrangement of the bonds (strong electrical force) that hold the atoms together; however, the total mass and number of atoms equals the sum of all the reactants, i.e., the original materials. Energy is always either consumed or liberated.

The chemical reaction rate measures the amount of product produced or consumed. It depends on the reactants involved, surface area available for contact, the type of chemical change, the temperature and pressure applied, and if and what kind of catalyst is used.

Some common chemical reactions and their components:

RUST: iron in steel and oxygen in the atmosphere
PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM: Light hits a cellulose derivative coated with photosensitive emulsion.
HOMEMADE VOLCANO: Baking soda and vinegar mix and carbon dioxide is released.
BROWN FRUIT: Meat of the fruit reacts to the oxygen in the air.

5. Answer: C

All chemical reactions fall into one of the following categories:

COMBUSTION: Oxygen combines with another compound to form water and carbon dioxide. It is an exothermic process because heat and light are produced.

SYNTHESIS: Two or more simple compounds combine and form a more complicated, totally different substance.

DECOMPOSITION: A complex compound breaks down into simpler substances, which sometimes disintegrate. This process is the opposite of synthesis.

SINGLE DISPLACEMENT: One element trades places with another in the same compound.

DOUBLE DISPLACEMENT: The anions (ion with a negative electrical charge) and cations (ion or atom with a positive electrical charge) of different molecules switch places and form two totally different compounds.

ACID-BASE: A double displacement occurs when an acid and a base (alkaline substance) react and produce water.