Chemistry HESI A2 Practice Test

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Amalgam. An amalgam is an alloy where mercury (Hg) is the solvent and another metal is dissolved in it. This is a common dental material. Electrum (A) is a natural alloy of gold and silver. Solder (C) is a metal alloy used to join other metals. Bronze (D) is an alloy of copper and tin.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Anion. When an atom gains one or more electrons, it becomes negatively charged, forming an anion. This process is known as gaining electron(s) to achieve a stable electron configuration. A cation (A) is formed when an atom loses electron(s) and becomes positively charged. Isotope (C) refers to atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons. Electron (D) is a fundamental subatomic particle, not a term for an atom gaining electrons.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Number of neutrons. Isotopes have the same number of protons (same atomic number), but different numbers of neutrons (different mass numbers). Carbon-12 and carbon-14 both have 6 protons (atomic number for carbon), but carbon-12 has 6 neutrons while carbon-14 has 8 neutrons. Therefore, the common trait between isotopes is the number of neutrons. Explanation for why other choices are incorrect: A: Number of nuclear particles - Isotopes have different numbers of neutrons, so they do not have the same number of nuclear particles. B: Number of protons - Isotopes have the same number of protons, but different numbers of neutrons. D: Mass number - Isotopes have different mass numbers due to differing numbers of neutrons, so this is not the common trait between isotopes.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: < 7. Acids have a pH below 7 because they release hydrogen ions when dissolved in water, making the solution acidic. A pH of 7 is neutral, not acidic. Choices A (7.5) and C (> 7) are incorrect because they indicate values above 7, which would be alkaline/basic. Choice D (7) is incorrect because it represents a neutral pH, not acidic. Thus, the correct answer is B as it accurately represents the pH range of acids.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct name of AgNO₃ is Silver nitrate (D) because it follows the naming conventions for ionic compounds. "Silver" is the cation (Ag⁺) and "nitrate" is the anion (NO₃⁻), so the compound is named as "Silver nitrate." A: Argent nitrous - Incorrect, "argent" refers to silver but "nitrous" is incorrect for the nitrate ion. B: Argent oxide - Incorrect, "oxide" refers to O²⁻ ion, not NO₃⁻. C: Silver nitrite - Incorrect, "nitrite" is different from "nitrate," so the name is incorrect.