Chemistry MDCAT MCQs

Organic, inorganic & physical chemistry MCQs

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Showing 305 MCQs in Chemistry
Chemistry
A. Meta-nitrotoluene
B. Ortho and para-nitrotoluene
C. Para-nitrotoluene only
D. Meta and para-nitrotoluene
Answer: The methyl group is an ortho/para director (activating group) due to hyperconjugation and inductive effects, so nitration gives a mixture of ortho and para products.
Chemistry
A. Cyclohexylamine
B. Caprolactam (7-membered ring lactam)
C. Cyclohexanone
D. Cyclohexanol
Answer: The Beckmann rearrangement converts ketoximes to amides/lactams via alkyl migration. Cyclohexanone oxime rearranges to caprolactam, the monomer for Nylon-6.
Chemistry
A. Gives (E)-stilbene
B. Gives (Z)-stilbene
C. Gives a mixture of E and Z
D. No elimination occurs
Answer: E2 requires anti-periplanar geometry. In the meso compound, the two bromines are anti to each other, and anti-elimination gives (E)-stilbene (trans product).
Chemistry
A. -0.4 Delta_o
B. -1.6 Delta_o + 2P
C. -2.4 Delta_o + 3P
D. -0.8 Delta_o
Answer: Low-spin d6: t2g6 eg0. CFSE = 6(-0.4 Delta_o) + 0(+0.6 Delta_o) = -2.4 Delta_o, with 3 pairing energies (P) required for pairing all six electrons in t2g.
Chemistry
A. Zn | Zn2+ || Cu2+ | Cu
B. Cu | Cu2+ || Zn2+ | Zn
C. Zn | Cu || Zn2+ | Cu2+
D. Cu | Zn2+ || Cu2+ | Zn
Answer: In cell notation: anode (oxidation) | anode solution || cathode solution | cathode (reduction). Zn is oxidized (anode) and Cu2+ is reduced (cathode).
Chemistry
A. Na
B. Mg
C. Al
D. Si
Answer: Mg+ has configuration [Ne]3s1. Removing the second electron from the stable 3s1 is very difficult. Na+ already has a noble gas config [Ne], making its second IE very high too, but Mg2+ removing from [Ne]3s1 to [Ne] is harder than Na+ removing from [Ne] to [He]2s2 2p5.
Chemistry
A. Reducing agent
B. Lewis acid catalyst generating the acylium ion
C. Oxidizing agent
D. Base catalyst
Answer: AlCl3 is a Lewis acid that coordinates with the acyl chloride, generating the electrophilic acylium ion (R-C≡O+) that attacks the aromatic ring.
Chemistry
A. Green
B. Deep blue
C. Red
D. Colorless
Answer: The tetraamminecopper(II) complex [Cu(NH3)4]2+ has a deep blue (royal blue) color due to d-d transitions in the square planar complex with NH3 as ligand.
Chemistry
A. Free radical substitution using Cu(I) salts
B. Nucleophilic aromatic substitution
C. Electrophilic aromatic substitution
D. Addition-elimination
Answer: The Sandmeyer reaction converts aryl diazonium salts to aryl halides (Ar-Cl, Ar-Br, Ar-CN) using copper(I) salts via a free radical mechanism.
Chemistry
A. Pentanedial
B. Glutaraldehyde (pentanedial)
C. Cyclopentanone
D. Pentanoic acid
Answer: Ozonolysis cleaves the C=C double bond. Reductive workup (Zn/H2O or DMS) of cyclopentene gives pentanedial (glutaraldehyde), a dialdehyde with 5 carbons.
Chemistry
A. 2
B. 3
C. 4
D. 5
Answer: DU = (2C + 2 - H)/2 = (12 + 2 - 6)/2 = 4. This corresponds to benzene\'s three double bonds and one ring.
Chemistry
A. Efficiency = (actual voltage / theoretical voltage) x 100%
B. Efficiency = (E0 cathode - E0 anode) / 100
C. Efficiency = nF / Delta G
D. Efficiency = Delta G / RT
Answer: Cell efficiency is the ratio of actual (measured) voltage to the theoretical (standard) voltage expressed as a percentage, accounting for internal resistance and overpotential.
Chemistry
A. sp3
B. dsp2
C. sp3d
D. d2sp3
Answer: Ni2+ is d8. With the strong field CN- ligand, all electrons pair up (low spin), and dsp2 hybridization gives a square planar, diamagnetic complex.
Chemistry
A. C-C < C=C < C≡C
B. C-C > C=C > C≡C
C. C=C < C-C < C≡C
D. All equal
Answer: Bond dissociation energy increases with bond order: C-C single (~347 kJ/mol) < C=C double (~614 kJ/mol) < C≡C triple (~839 kJ/mol).
Chemistry
A. sp
B. sp2
C. sp3
D. sp3d
Answer: Oxygen in ether has two bonding pairs (two C-O bonds) and two lone pairs, giving 4 electron domains and sp3 hybridization with a bent geometry.
Chemistry
A. Monobromophenol
B. 2,4,6-Tribromophenol (white precipitate)
C. Bromobenzene
D. No reaction
Answer: Phenol is highly activated toward electrophilic substitution. Bromine water (no catalyst needed) brominates all three ortho/para positions, forming 2,4,6-tribromophenol as a white precipitate.
Chemistry
A. Nucleophilic addition to carbonyl
B. Disproportionation of an aldehyde without alpha-hydrogens
C. Radical chain reaction
D. Electrophilic aromatic substitution
Answer: In the Cannizzaro reaction, an aldehyde lacking alpha-hydrogens (like benzaldehyde) undergoes base-induced disproportionation to form an alcohol and a carboxylate salt.
Chemistry
A. Iodoform (CHI3) and sodium acetate
B. Acetone iodide
C. Isopropanol
D. Acetic acid
Answer: The haloform reaction converts methyl ketones (CH3-CO-) to iodoform (yellow precipitate CHI3) and a carboxylate salt (sodium acetate) using I2 and NaOH.
Chemistry
A. 2-Hydroxypropanoic acid
B. 3-Hydroxypropanoic acid
C. 2-Hydroxyethanoic acid
D. Lactic acid
Answer: The parent chain has 3 carbons with COOH at C1 and OH at C2, giving the IUPAC name 2-hydroxypropanoic acid (lactic acid is the common name).
Chemistry
A. Protonation of the carbonyl oxygen
B. Nucleophilic attack of the alcohol on the protonated carbonyl
C. Deprotonation to form the ester
D. Loss of water from the tetrahedral intermediate
Answer: After proton activation of the carbonyl, the slowest step is the nucleophilic addition of the alcohol to form the tetrahedral intermediate.