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Playbook

Chemistry in Everyday Life

10 q · 0% HARD. Common chemicals + their uses (deep-sea diver's gas, freezing mixtures, fire-extinguisher CO₂, household acids), and medicines (antacids, analgesics, antibiotics). Pure recall — every q is a 'which substance does X' match.

questions in the bank
10
tagged HARD
0%
subtopic(s)
2
worked examples
2

When you’ll see it

A common-chemical-use match (deep-sea diver's gas, freezing mixture, fire-extinguisher, soft drink), or a medicine-type identification (antacid / analgesic / antibiotic / antiseptic).

How this chapter is tested

10 q in 10 years · ZERO HARD. Pure recall — every q is a 'which substance does X' match. Common Chemicals (7 q): deep-sea diver's gas = He + O₂ (helium is non-narcotic at high pressure, unlike N₂); freezing mixture = ice + salt (NaCl lowers melting point to −21 °C); fire extinguisher = CO₂ (heavier than air, smothers flame, doesn't conduct electricity); soft drinks = CO₂ in water (carbonic acid); washing soda = Na₂CO₃·10H₂O; baking soda = NaHCO₃; bleach = NaOCl (chlorine bleach) or Ca(OCl)Cl (bleaching powder).

Medicines (3 q): antacid = NaHCO₃, Mg(OH)₂, Al(OH)₃ (neutralise stomach acid for indigestion); analgesic = aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), paracetamol, ibuprofen (pain relief); antibiotic = penicillin, amoxicillin (kill bacteria); antiseptic = Dettol, iodine tincture (skin disinfection); disinfectant = bleach, phenol (surface cleaning, NOT for skin); antipyretic = paracetamol (fever reducer).

The sub-skills

The rules and habits that decide whether you get a question right.

  • Common-chemical identification

    Deep-sea breathing: He + O₂. Freezing mixture: ice + NaCl. Fire extinguisher: CO₂ (also dry powder for some). Soft drink fizz: dissolved CO₂. Washing soda: Na₂CO₃·10H₂O. Baking soda: NaHCO₃. Bleaching powder: Ca(OCl)Cl. Plaster of Paris: CaSO₄·½H₂O.

  • Medicine-class assignment

    Antacid: neutralises stomach HCl (Mg(OH)₂, NaHCO₃). Analgesic: pain relief (aspirin, paracetamol). Antibiotic: kills bacteria (penicillin). Antiseptic: external skin disinfection (Dettol, iodine). Disinfectant: surface cleaning, NOT skin (phenol). Antipyretic: fever reduction (paracetamol). Antimalarial: chloroquine, artemisinin.

2 worked examples from the bank

Real past-year questions illustrating the playbook. Click to reveal options + solution.

Example 1Chemistry in Everyday LifeMODERATE
To help deep-sea divers breathe, they carry cylinders of oxygen mixed with

[Q71 · Sep · 2022]

Example 2Chemistry in Everyday LifeEASY
Which one of the following type of medicines is used for treating indigestion ?

[Q98 · Sep · 2025]

Traps to expect

Distractor shapes specific to this chapter. The page-wide Traps section covers the bank-level patterns.

  • Antiseptic vs disinfectant

    Antiseptic = SAFE for living tissue (skin, wounds). Disinfectant = TOO STRONG for skin (used on surfaces only — phenol, bleach). Same active mechanism but different concentrations. Wrong option swaps the two.

  • N₂ for deep-sea breathing

    Deep-sea divers breathe HELIUM + O₂, NOT nitrogen + O₂. At high pressure, N₂ becomes narcotic ('nitrogen narcosis') and dissolves in blood → bends on resurfacing. He doesn't dissolve as much and isn't narcotic.

Drill every chemistry in everyday life question

10 questions from the bank, scoped to 2 bundled subtopics.

Drill the 10 questions

Related playbooks

Often paired with this one — drill these next if you found the worked examples above tractable.