Graphene and fullerenes - AQA GCSE Chemistry Exam Questions

Practise 27 exam-style questions on Graphene and fullerenes for AQA GCSE Chemistry. Write your answer as you would in the exam and get it marked in seconds against the mark scheme, point by point, with an AI tutor on hand if you get stuck.

27 questions
1–6 marks each
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20 questions, marked as you go

Sample questions with model answers

Here are 4 of the questions in this topic, each with a model answer, an explanation of why it earns the marks and the mark scheme an examiner would use.

Question 1

2 marks

Graphene is being developed for flexible touchscreens on mobile phones.

Suggest two properties of graphene that make it suitable for this use.

Model answer

Graphene conducts electricity, and it is very thin and strong, so it can bend without breaking.

Explanation

Graphene's delocalised electrons let it conduct, and its strong covalent bonds make it strong even though it is only one atom thick. These properties make it useful in electronics.

Mark scheme

1 mark
conducts electricity
max 2
1 mark
very thin / one atom thick
1 mark
very strong
allow does not break / tear easily
1 mark
flexible
1 mark
transparent / lets light through

Question 2

2 marks

A flat sheet made only of hexagonal rings of carbon atoms cannot curve into a closed shape. Buckminsterfullerene (C₆₀) contains 20 hexagonal rings and 12 rings of five carbon atoms.

Suggest why the rings of five carbon atoms are needed in C₆₀.

Model answer

The rings of five carbon atoms make the sheet of carbon atoms curve. Without them, a sheet of hexagons would stay flat like graphene, but with them it can close up into a hollow sphere.

Explanation

This is why the specification says fullerenes may contain rings of five or seven carbon atoms as well as hexagons. A football uses the same idea: pentagons among hexagons make it round.

Mark scheme

1 mark
the five-membered rings make the sheet curve / bend
1 mark
so it can close up into a hollow sphere
allow a hexagons-only sheet stays flat, like graphene

Question 3

3 marks

Scientists are developing fullerenes to deliver drugs to specific places in the body.

Suggest how the structure of fullerenes makes them suitable for this use.

Model answer

Fullerenes are hollow cages of carbon atoms, so drug molecules can be trapped inside them. Because fullerene molecules are extremely small, they can travel through the body and into cells, carrying the drug to where it is needed.

Explanation

Drug delivery is one of the uses of fullerenes named in the specification. The hollow shape is the key structural feature, together with their tiny size.

Mark scheme

1 mark
fullerenes have hollow shapes / are hollow cages
1 mark
drug molecules can be placed / trapped inside the cage
allow drug molecules can be attached to the outside
1 mark
the molecules are very small, so they can move through the body / enter cells
allow they are nanoparticles

Question 4

4 marks

The table shows some properties of steel, graphene and poly(ethene).

A company adds a small amount of graphene to poly(ethene) to make a composite material for car parts. Use the data to suggest the advantages of adding graphene to poly(ethene), and why the composite could be better than steel for car parts.

Table with columns "Material", "Strength compared with steel", "Density in g/cm³", "Conducts electricity?". Material: Steel; Strength compared with steel: 1; Density in g/cm³: 7.8; Conducts electricity?: yes | Material: Graphene; Strength compared with steel: 200; Density in g/cm³: 2.3; Conducts electricity?: yes | Material: Poly(ethene); Strength compared with steel: 0.05; Density in g/cm³: 0.95; Conducts electricity?: no.

Model answer

Graphene is about 4000 times stronger than poly(ethene) (200 compared with 0.05), so adding it makes the composite much stronger than poly(ethene) alone. Graphene's density (2.3 g/cm³) is low and only a small amount is needed, so it adds little mass. The composite would be mostly poly(ethene), with a density far below steel's 7.8 g/cm³, so car parts would be much lighter and the car would use less fuel. Graphene also conducts electricity, which could stop static charge building up on the parts.

Explanation

Composites combine the useful properties of their components. Here graphene provides strength and conductivity, while poly(ethene) keeps the material light. Always quote data to back up suggestions in an evaluation question.

Mark scheme

1 mark
graphene is much stronger than poly(ethene), so the composite is stronger than poly(ethene) alone
max 4; allow use of data (200 compared with 0.05)
1 mark
graphene has a low density / only a small amount is needed, so it adds little mass
1 mark
graphene conducts electricity, so the composite may conduct (e.g. to stop static building up)
1 mark
the composite has a much lower density than steel, so the car parts are lighter
allow use of data (0.95 and 2.3 compared with 7.8)
1 mark
lighter parts mean the car uses less fuel

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