# A pharmacist is checking whether a batch of a medicine is a formulation or a pure substance. She is told that the medicine contains a painkiller, a binding agent and a coating material, each added in carefully measured quantities. Explain what is meant by the term 'formulation' and describe one difference in behaviour that would be observed if the melting point of this medicine were compared with that of the pure painkiller alone.

> WJEC GCSE Chemistry (Wales) — 1.1 The nature of substances and chemical reactions · Explain · 4 marks

> A pharmacist is checking a batch of medicine before it is approved for sale. The medicine is made up of several components, each included in exact quantities to ensure the product has the required properties.

## Mark scheme (4 marks)

1. A formulation is a mixture designed for a particular use
2. A formulation is made up of exact/carefully measured quantities of pure substances
3. The pure painkiller would have a sharp/specific melting point
4. The medicine (formulation/mixture) would melt over a range of temperatures

## Key terms

- [formulation](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/formulation)
- [pure substance](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/pure-substance)
- [melting point](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/melting-point)

## Related

- [Revision notes for WJEC GCSE Chemistry (Wales)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/a-pharmacist-is-checking-whether-a-d62d1502) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.