MDCAT Chemistry MCQs by Chapter: Periodic Table, Thermochemistry & Electrochemistry

Beyond Atomic Structure, Bonding and Organic Chemistry, three more MDCAT Chemistry chapters show up on the paper every year: the Periodic Table, Thermochemistry, and Electrochemistry. Here's a chapter-by-chapter sample so you can see exactly where each concept sits.

Preparing for MDCAT? Practise explanation-backed MCQs in the MDCAT QBank. Your first 20 questions are free.

Chapter: Periodic Table

1. Moving from left to right across a period, atomic radius generally:

• A) Increases
• B) Decreases ✅
• C) Stays the same
• D) Becomes negative

2. Elements placed in the same group of the periodic table have similar chemical properties mainly because they have the same:

• A) Atomic mass
• B) Number of neutrons
• C) Number of valence electrons ✅
• D) Number of energy shells

3. Ionisation energy generally increases across a period from left to right mainly due to:

• A) Decreasing nuclear charge
• B) Increasing nuclear charge pulling electrons in more tightly ✅
• C) Increasing atomic radius
• D) Decreasing number of protons

Chapter: Thermochemistry

4. A reaction that absorbs heat from its surroundings is described as:

• A) Exothermic
• B) Endothermic ✅
• C) Isothermal
• D) Adiabatic

5. If the forward reaction of a chemical equation has an enthalpy change of −92 kJ, the reverse reaction has an enthalpy change of:

• A) −92 kJ
• B) +92 kJ ✅
• C) 0 kJ
• D) −46 kJ

6. The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1°C is called its:

• A) Latent heat
• B) Specific heat capacity ✅
• C) Enthalpy of formation
• D) Bond energy

Chapter: Electrochemistry

7. In an electrochemical (galvanic) cell, oxidation takes place at the:

• A) Cathode
• B) Anode ✅
• C) Salt bridge
• D) External circuit only

8. During electrolysis, the electrode connected to the positive terminal of the battery is the:

• A) Cathode
• B) Anode ✅
• C) Neutral electrode
• D) Reference electrode

9. According to Faraday's First Law of Electrolysis, the mass of a substance deposited at an electrode is directly proportional to:

• A) The temperature of the solution
• B) The quantity of electric charge passed ✅
• C) The size of the electrode
• D) The colour of the solution

Why Chapter-by-Chapter Beats a Flat Question List

The Periodic Table, Thermochemistry and Electrochemistry test very different skills — the Periodic Table rewards recognising trends, Thermochemistry rewards careful sign conventions, and Electrochemistry rewards knowing exactly which electrode does what. Practising them as separate chapters, each with an explanation, makes it easier to see which one actually needs more of your revision time.

HighYield's MDCAT question bank is organised by subject and topic across all four MDCAT subjects, every question explained. For Atomic Structure, Bonding and Chemical Equilibrium, see our first Chemistry chapter set, or for a deep dive into organic reactions, see MDCAT Organic Chemistry: Master Every Reaction in 3 Weeks. Try the first 20 questions of the full bank free, no sign-in required, from the MDCAT question bank page.