UPSC Civil Services (Mains)
Chemistry optional
- 2 papers
- 250 marks each
- 3 h per paper
- 5 of 8 questions, Q1 and Q5 compulsory
Paper I covers physical and inorganic chemistry.
All years

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Paper I, physical and inorganic chemistry
Solution, 2019
UPSC Civil Services (Mains), Chemistry optional. 40 pages. All eight questions are answered.
Every question of 2019, one page each33 parts in 8 questions, with the question as text and its full model answer
Question 1 50 marks
- 1(a)(i)Covalent character of NaBr and MgBr₂5 marks
- 1(a)(ii)Order of lattice energies: LiCl, KCl, KBr, MgBr₂5 marks
- 1(b)Naming the conformations of chelate rings10 marks
- 1(c)Internal pressure (∂ U/∂ V)_T of a van der Waals gas10 marks
- 1(d)Uncertainty in the position of a honeybee10 marks
- 1(e)Maxwell distribution of molecular speeds and the effect of temperature10 marks
Question 2 50 marks
Question 3 50 marks
Question 4 50 marks
Question 5 50 marks
- 5(a)Octafluoroxenate(VI): preparation, structure and bonding10 marks
- 5(b)d-orbital splitting in square-pyramidal and trigonal-bipyramidal fields10 marks
- 5(c)Equivalent conductance of NaCl from ionic mobilities10 marks
- 5(d)Linear fall of [A] with time: zero order10 marks
- 5(e)Surface reactions: first order at low pressure, zero order at high10 marks
Question 6 50 marks
Question 7 50 marks







































