Matrix Blog
Chemistry VCE

10 Must-Have VCE Chemistry Unit 1 & 2 Practice Questions

These VCE Chemistry Units 1 and 2 practice questions will help you sharpen your skills and feel ready for exam day.

Written by:
Matrix Education
matrix education A chemical reaction in a beaker with pink foam overflowing with artistic vapor effects

The VCE Chemistry exams are designed to challenge more than just your memory of chemical concepts—they test your ability to apply what you know to different situations. To help you study, we’ve put together 10 essential VCE Chemistry unit 1 and unit 2 practice questions that cover the most important topics and calculations. 

These questions will sharpen your understanding and help you explain your reasoning more clearly. By practising them, you’ll build stronger problem-solving skills and feel ready to tackle your exams when it matters most.

Before you download the full 10 VCE Chemistry units 1 and 2 practice questions, take a look at the two sample questions below. It includes expert tips from the Matrix Chemistry team on how to answer these types of questions. 

email banner for may 2025 vce success secrets

This VCE Chemistry Unit 1 and Unit 2 study guide covers:

Free VCE Chemistry Units 1 & 2 Worksheet Download

Test your knowledge with essential practice questions for VCE Chemistry Units 1 & 2.

Download now

Advice for answering VCE Chemistry exam questions

Before we take a look at sample questions from our free VCE Chemistry units 1 and 2 practice worksheet, here are some strategies to boost your VCE Chemistry study.

1. Understand the basics:

  • Practise balancing chemical equations regularly.
  • Memorise key periodic table trends, like electronegativity and atomic radius, as they often appear in questions.
  • Focus on mole calculations and learn to use formulas like with confidence.

2. Use visuals to learn faster:

  • Draw Lewis dot structures to see how atoms bond.
  • Use models or diagrams to predict molecular shapes (e.g., VSEPR theory) and determine polarity. For instance, compare H₂O (bent shape) with CO₂ (linear shape) to understand why one is polar and the other isn’t.

3. Break down problems:

  • Solve problems step by step: list what you know, write the relevant formula, and substitute values.
  • For stoichiometry, always start by writing a balanced chemical equation before calculating reactant or product amounts.

4. Link bonding to properties:

  • Learn how different types of bonding (covalent, ionic, metallic) affect properties like melting points or conductivity.
  • Test your knowledge with simple experiments, like dissolving salt (ionic) versus sugar (covalent) in water.

5. Connect to real-world chemistry:

  • Relate topics to everyday examples. For instance, explore how antacids neutralise stomach acid or how polymers are used in packaging.
  • Think about sustainability: research how recycling metals or developing biodegradable plastics links to green chemistry.

matrix education Test tubes filled with plastic granules—black, red, blue, and white—arranged in a laboratory rack

Sample questions (+ tips!)

Question 1

  • Draw the Lewis dot structure of H2O and CO2. 2
  • Explain why H2O is polar while CO2 is non-polar. Refer to electronegativity and valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory. 3

Tips: 

  • Recall the steps used to work out the Lewis dot diagram for a covalent molecule. 
  1. Draw the Lewis diagram for each atom and find total number of valence electrons.
  2. Determine the central atom and connect the unpaired electrons to show the shared pairs (bonds).
  3. Check:
    •   There are no unpaired electrons in the final structure 
    •   Total number of valence electrons have not changed
    •   Each atom has an octet (except for hydrogen).
  • To determine the polarity of a molecule, first determine if the molecule contains polar covalent bonds. If it does not, it must be non-polar. If it does, then determine the shape of each molecule using VSEPR theory. From the shape, work out whether the dipoles can be cancelled out (to give a non-polar molecule) or not (to give a polar molecule).

 

Question 2

  • Justify the use of polylactic acid (PLA) in short-term prosthetics (replacement body parts) with reference to its structure and properties.

Tips:

  • Consider what functional group linkage is present in this polymer.
  • Consider the physical and chemical properties imparted by its structure that are relevant to its use in short-term prosthetics. 

matrix education Close-up of a labeled vial of lactic acid held by a gloved hand, in a lab

Want more challenging VCE Chemistry questions?

Our free worksheet includes:

  • 10 comprehensive practice questions covering core concepts like stoichiometry, bonding, and chemical properties.
  • Step-by-step solutions to enhance your problem-solving skills.
  • Pro tips to tackle challenging exam scenarios confidently.

This resource is perfect for students looking to reinforce their knowledge and ace their exams.

Get your free VCE Chemistry Unit 1 and Unit 2 practice worksheet

Ready to take your preparation to the next level? Download our free VCE Chemistry Unit 1 and Unit 2 Practice Questions guide now! Simply fill out the form below, and we’ll send it straight to your inbox.

Free VCE Chemistry Units 1 & 2 Worksheet Download

Test your knowledge with essential practice questions for VCE Chemistry Units 1 & 2.

Download now

Written by Matrix Education

Matrix is Sydney's No.1 High School Tuition provider. Come read our blog regularly for study hacks, subject breakdowns, and all the other academic insights you need.

© Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au, 2023. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Related courses

Related articles

Loading