NDA Examination Chemistry (General Ability Test - General Knowledge) Syllabus

Chemistry (General Ability Test - General Knowledge) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Chemistry (General Ability Test - General Knowledge) in NDA Examination, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Matter and Its Composition

   3 topics

   • Physical and Chemical Changes
     • Distinguishing changes with examples
   • Elements, Mixtures and Compounds
     • Properties and differences
     • Symbols, formulae and equations
   • Laws of Chemical Combination
     • Law of conservation of mass
     • Law of constant proportions
2. 2

   Atomic Structure and Periodic Classification

   3 topics

   • Structure of the Atom
     • Electrons, protons and neutrons
     • Atomic number and mass number
     • Isotopes and isobars
   • Chemical Bonding
     • Valency
     • Ionic and covalent bonds
   • Periodic Table
     • Groups and periods
     • Metals, non-metals and metalloids
3. 3

   Chemical Reactions and Solutions

   4 topics

   • Acids, Bases and Salts
     • Properties and indicators
     • pH scale and neutralization
   • Oxidation and Reduction
     • Redox reactions
   • Common Industrial Processes
     • Preparation of oxygen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide
     • Rusting, combustion and rancidity
   • Carbon and Its Compounds
     • Allotropes of carbon
     • Fuels and combustion
4. 4

   Applied and Everyday Chemistry

   3 topics

   • Fertilizers
     • Natural and artificial fertilizers
   • Materials and Products
     • Glass, soap and paper
     • Cement, paints and plastics
   • Explosives and Safety Materials
     • Gun powder and common explosives

Chemistry (General Ability Test - General Knowledge) flashcards for NDA Examination

24 of 50 cards from the Chemistry (General Ability Test - General Knowledge) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the key difference between a physical change and a chemical change?

   A physical change alters only physical properties (shape, state, size) with no new substance formed and is usually reversible, e.g. melting ice. A chemical change forms one or more new substances with different properties, is usually irreversible, and involves energy change, e.g. rusting of iron.

2. Give two examples each of a physical change and a chemical change.

   Physical changes: melting of ice, dissolving sugar in water, boiling water, magnetising iron. Chemical changes: burning of paper, rusting of iron, curdling of milk, digestion of food.

3. What is the difference between an element, a compound, and a mixture?

   An element is a pure substance made of only one kind of atom (e.g. oxygen, gold). A compound is a pure substance made of two or more elements chemically combined in a fixed ratio (e.g. water, H2O). A mixture is two or more substances physically combined in any ratio, retaining their properties (e.g. air, salt solution).

4. What is the difference between a homogeneous and a heterogeneous mixture?

   A homogeneous mixture has a uniform composition throughout with no visible boundaries between components (e.g. salt solution, air). A heterogeneous mixture has a non-uniform composition with distinguishable parts (e.g. sand and iron filings, oil and water).

5. State the Law of Conservation of Mass and who proposed it.

   Proposed by Antoine Lavoisier, it states that in a chemical reaction matter is neither created nor destroyed; the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products.

6. State the Law of Constant (Definite) Proportions.

   Proposed by Joseph Proust, it states that a given chemical compound always contains its constituent elements in a fixed ratio by mass, regardless of its source or method of preparation. E.g. water always has H and O in a 1:8 mass ratio.

7. State the Law of Multiple Proportions.

   Proposed by John Dalton, it states that when two elements combine to form more than one compound, the masses of one element that combine with a fixed mass of the other are in a simple whole-number ratio. E.g. in CO and CO2 the oxygen ratio is 1:2.

8. State Gay-Lussac's Law of Gaseous Volumes and Avogadro's Law.

   Gay-Lussac's Law: when gases react, they do so in volumes that bear a simple whole-number ratio to each other and to the products, measured at the same temperature and pressure. Avogadro's Law: equal volumes of all gases at the same temperature and pressure contain equal numbers of molecules.

9. Name the three fundamental subatomic particles, their charges, and their discoverers.

   Electron (negative charge, discovered by J.J. Thomson), Proton (positive charge, discovered by Goldstein/Rutherford), and Neutron (no charge/neutral, discovered by James Chadwick).

10. What did Rutherford's alpha-particle scattering experiment conclude about atomic structure?

    It showed that an atom is mostly empty space, with a tiny, dense, positively charged nucleus at the centre containing nearly all the mass, and electrons revolving around it. Most alpha particles passed straight through; a few were deflected by the nucleus.

11. Define atomic number and mass number.

    Atomic number (Z) is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom (equal to electrons in a neutral atom). Mass number (A) is the total number of protons plus neutrons in the nucleus.

12. What are isotopes, isobars, and isotones?

    Isotopes: atoms of the same element with the same atomic number but different mass numbers (different neutrons), e.g. C-12 and C-14. Isobars: atoms of different elements with the same mass number but different atomic numbers, e.g. Ar-40 and Ca-40. Isotones: atoms with the same number of neutrons.

13. What is the maximum number of electrons in a shell, and what is the formula?

    The maximum number of electrons in a shell is given by 2n^2, where n is the shell number. Thus K shell (n=1) holds 2, L shell (n=2) holds 8, M shell (n=3) holds 18, and N shell (n=4) holds 32 electrons.

14. State the octet rule and the duplet rule.

    The octet rule states that atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve a stable configuration of 8 electrons in their outermost shell (like noble gases). The duplet rule applies to light atoms (H, He, Li) which become stable with 2 electrons in the outer shell.

15. What is an ionic (electrovalent) bond? Give an example.

    An ionic bond is formed by the complete transfer of one or more electrons from a metal atom to a non-metal atom, producing oppositely charged ions held together by electrostatic attraction. Example: NaCl, where Na loses an electron to Cl.

16. What is a covalent bond and what are its types?

    A covalent bond is formed by the mutual sharing of electron pairs between atoms (usually non-metals). Types: single bond (one shared pair, e.g. H2), double bond (two shared pairs, e.g. O2), and triple bond (three shared pairs, e.g. N2).

17. Compare the general properties of ionic and covalent compounds.

    Ionic compounds: high melting/boiling points, usually solid, soluble in water, conduct electricity when molten or in solution. Covalent compounds: low melting/boiling points, often liquids or gases, generally insoluble in water, poor conductors of electricity.

18. Who proposed the modern periodic law and what does it state?

    Henry Moseley proposed the modern periodic law, which states that the physical and chemical properties of elements are a periodic function of their atomic numbers. (Mendeleev's earlier law was based on atomic mass.)

19. How many periods and groups are there in the modern periodic table?

    The modern periodic table has 7 horizontal periods (rows) and 18 vertical groups (columns). Elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number.

20. How do atomic size and metallic character vary across a period and down a group?

    Across a period (left to right): atomic size decreases and metallic character decreases (non-metallic character increases). Down a group (top to bottom): atomic size increases and metallic character increases.

21. What are the common names for Group 1, Group 2, Group 17, and Group 18 elements?

    Group 1: alkali metals; Group 2: alkaline earth metals; Group 17: halogens; Group 18: noble (inert) gases.

22. How do acids and bases taste, and how do they affect litmus paper?

    Acids taste sour and turn blue litmus red. Bases taste bitter, feel soapy/slippery, and turn red litmus blue. Neutral substances do not change litmus colour.

23. What is the pH scale and what do its values indicate?

    The pH scale runs from 0 to 14 and measures the acidity or basicity of a solution. pH 7 is neutral, pH less than 7 is acidic, and pH greater than 7 is basic (alkaline). Lower pH means stronger acid; higher pH means stronger base.

24. What is a neutralization reaction? Give the general equation.

    Neutralization is the reaction between an acid and a base to form a salt and water. General equation: Acid + Base -> Salt + Water. Example: HCl + NaOH -> NaCl + H2O. It is an exothermic reaction.

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