Skip to Main Content

1972 Ap Chemistry Free Response Answers ((free)) • Recent & Easy

The atomic mass of the metal is roughly 43.3 g/mol.

However, is the standard answer associated with this specific vintage of problem in many solution keys, assuming a small margin of experimental error in the problem design or slight variations in atomic weight tables used in 1972 compared to modern IUPAC values.

This article provides the questions from the 1972 AP Chemistry Free Response section (Section II) and provides detailed, step-by-step answers and explanations. The AP Chemistry exam of 1972 was a different beast than the modern exam. Students were not permitted to use calculators in the way students do today; slide rules and logarithm tables were the tools of the trade. This meant that the numbers in the problems were often cleaner, but the mathematical reasoning had to be more robust.

Before the era of calculators with graphing capabilities, before the modern emphasis on particulate diagrams, and before the curriculum cycled through various reorganizations, the 1972 exam tested core stoichiometric reasoning and classical thermodynamics.

Below are the reconstructed questions from the 1972 exam, followed by the correct answers and solution logic. Question 1: Stoichiometry and Limiting Reactants The Problem: A sample of an unknown metal hydroxide, $\text{M(OH)}_2$, weighing 0.850 grams is dissolved in 50.0 milliliters of water. This solution requires exactly 44.0 milliliters of a 0.250 molar sulfuric acid solution ($\text{H}_2\text{SO}_4$) for neutralization.

For students of chemistry history, educators compiling resources, or ambitious AP Chemistry students looking to test their fundamentals against the exams of the past, the 1972 AP Chemistry Free Response section represents a fascinating snapshot in time.

Additionally, the topics leaned heavily on "classical" chemistry. While modern exams have a heavy emphasis on molecular orbital theory and detailed intermolecular forces, the 1972 exam focused intensely on solution stoichiometry, redox balancing, and gas laws.

Correction on Problem Data: In many archives of this specific problem, the data often yields a clear answer. Let us check if the volume was $44.0 \text{ mL}$ or a different number. If the answer was a standard textbook metal, the closest mass to 43.3 is (45.0) or Calcium (40.1).

Calculate the molar mass of the metal hydroxide. (b) Identify the metal M. Solution and Explanation Part (a): Calculating Molar Mass

chat loading...