Chemistry HESI A2 Practice Test

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Xe. Xenon (Xe) is a noble gas, meaning it has a full outer electron shell, making it highly stable and least likely to react with other elements. Li (A) is a highly reactive alkali metal, Cr (B) is a transition metal with varying reactivities, and Nd (C) is a rare-earth metal that can exhibit reactivity. In summary, Xe is the least reactive as noble gases tend to be chemically inert due to their stable electron configuration.

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.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A (pH 3) for lemon juice. Lemon juice is acidic due to citric acid content, resulting in a low pH value. The pH scale ranges from 0-14, with 7 being neutral. Lemon juice with a pH of 3 is considered highly acidic. Choice B (pH 5) is less acidic than choice A. Choice C (pH 7) is neutral, which is not characteristic of lemon juice. Choice D (pH 9) is alkaline, opposite to the acidity of lemon juice. Lemon juice's low pH value contributes to its sour taste and preservation properties.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: -1. In HCl, hydrogen is always assigned an oxidation state of +1. Since the overall charge of HCl is 0, the oxidation state of chlorine must be -1 to balance the charge. Chlorine is more electronegative than hydrogen and tends to gain an electron in this compound. Therefore, the oxidation state of the chlorine atom in HCl is -1. Choice A: +1 - Hydrogen is always assigned an oxidation state of +1 in compounds. Choice C: +2 - Chlorine does not have an oxidation state of +2 in HCl. Choice D: -2 - Chlorine's oxidation state is not -2 in HCl.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct formula for silver hydroxide is AgOH. Silver is a transition metal with a +1 charge, and hydroxide is OH⁻. To balance the charges, one silver ion combines with one hydroxide ion to form AgOH. Choice A (AgO) is incorrect because it does not include the hydroxide ion. Choice C (AgH) is incorrect as it suggests silver bonding with hydrogen, which is not the case. Choice D (AgH₂O) is incorrect as it implies silver bonding with water molecules, which is not the formula for silver hydroxide.