Atoms, Bonds and Groups

Electron Structure
84 Marks

1. Modern plasma television screens emit light when mixtures of noble gases, such as
neon and xenon, are ionised.

The first ionisation energies of neon and xenon are shown in the table below.

1st ionisation energy

element
/ kJ mol–1

neon +2081

xenon +1170

Explain why xenon has a lower first ionisation energy than neon.

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[Total 3 marks]

2. The electron configuration of bromine contains outermost electrons in the 4th shell.

Using your knowledge of Group 7 elements, complete the electron configuration of

bromine.

1s22s22p63s23p6 ........................................................................................................
[Total 1 mark]

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3. Ammonia reacts with hydrogen chloride, HCl, to form ammonium chloride, NH4Cl.

NH4Cl is an ionic compound containing NH4+ and Cl– ions.

(i) Complete the electron configuration of the Cl– ion.

1s2 ...................................................................................................................
[1]

(ii) Draw a ‘dot-and-cross’ diagram to show the bonding in NH4+.

Show outer electrons only.

[1]

(iii) State the shape of, and bond angle in, an NH4+ ion.

shape: ............................................................................................................

bond angle: ....................................................................................................

[2]

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 (iv) A student investigated the conductivity of ammonium chloride.

She noticed that when the ammonium chloride was solid it did not conduct
electricity. However, when ammonium chloride was dissolved in water, the
resulting solution did conduct electricity.

Explain these observations.

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[2]
[Total 6 marks]

4. Ionisation energies have been used to develop the model of the atom.

The first ionisation energies of the elements Li to Na are shown in the figure below.

2500
2081
2000
1681
1500 1402
1314
1st ionisation
energy / KJ mol–1 1086
1000 900
801
520 496
500

0
Li Be B C N O F Ne Na

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 Define the term first ionisation energy.

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[Total 3 marks]

5. The first ionisation energy of oxygen is 1314 kJ mol–1 and the second ionisation energy
of oxygen is 3388 kJ mol–1.

(i) Write an equation to represent the second ionisation energy of oxygen.

Include state symbols.

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[1]

(ii) Suggest why the second ionisation energy of oxygen has a greater value than
the first ionisation energy of oxygen.

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[1]
[Total 2 marks]

6. The Periodic Table is a table of elements arranged in order of atomic number. The
elements are classified into blocks.

(i) State what is meant by the term atomic number.

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[1]

(ii) Complete the full electron configuration for a titanium atom.

1s2 ...................................................................................................................
[1]

(iii) Identify the seventh element in the fourth period.

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 State which block this element is in.

element ................................................ block .................................................

[1]
[Total 3 marks]

7. The Group 7 element bromine was discovered by Balard in 1826. Bromine gets its
name from the Greek bromos meaning stench.

Bromine consists of a mixture of two isotopes, 79Br and 81Br.

(i) What is meant by the term isotopes?

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[1]

(ii) Complete the table below to show the atomic structures of the bromine isotopes.

protons neutrons electrons

79
Br

81
Br

[2]

(iii) Write the full electronic configuration of a bromine atom.

1s2 .................................................................
[1]
[Total 4 marks]

8. Electrons are arranged in energy levels.

(a) An orbital is a region in which an electron may be found.

Draw diagrams to show the shape of an s orbital and of a p orbital.

s orbital p orbital

[2]

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 (b) Complete the table below to show how many electrons completely fill each of
the following.

number of electrons

a d orbital

a p sub-shell

the third shell (n = 3)

[3]

(c) The energy diagram below is for the eight electrons in an oxygen atom. The
diagram is incomplete as it only shows the two electrons in the 1s level.

energy

1s

Complete the diagram for the oxygen atom by:

(i) adding labels for the other sub-shell levels,

[1]

(ii) adding arrows to show how the other electrons are arranged.
[1]
[Total 7 marks]

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9. Successive ionisation energies provide evidence for the arrangement of electrons in atoms.
The table below shows the eight successive ionisation energies of oxygen.

ionisation number 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th

ionisation 71
1 314 3 388 5 301 7 469 10 989 13 327 84 080
energy / kJ mol–1 337

(i) Define the term first ionisation energy.

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[3]

(ii) Write an equation, with state symbols, to represent the third ionisation energy of
oxygen.

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[2]

(iii) Explain how the information in the table above provides evidence for two electron
shells in oxygen.

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[2]
[Total 7 marks]

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10. Magnesium exists naturally as a mixture of its isotopes, 24Mg, 25Mg and 26Mg.

The isotopes in magnesium can be separated by mass spectrometry. The diagram

below shows a mass spectrometer.

(i) Complete the table below to show the composition of the 25Mg and 26Mg
isotopes.

protons neutrons electrons

25
Mg

26
Mg

[2]

(ii) Complete the electronic configuration of an atom of 24Mg.

1s2 ....................................................................................................................
[1]

(iii) Results from the mass spectrum of a sample of magnesium are shown below.

isotope 24 25 26
Mg Mg Mg

relative isotopic mass 24.00 25.00 26.00

% abundance 78.60 10.11 11.29

Calculate the relative atomic mass of the sample of magnesium.

Give your answer to two decimal places.

answer ...............................
[2]
[Total 5 marks]

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11. In this question, you are provided with information about ionisation energies of
elements. You are also provided with some additional information that will help you
answer part (b).

(a) Define the term first ionisation energy.

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[3]

(b) In this question, one mark is available for the quality of use and organisation of
scientific terms.

Table 1 provides data on elements in Period 2 of the Periodic Table.

Table 2 shows the first 6 successive ionisation energies of an element X, which is

in Period 3 of the Periodic Table.

• Using Table 1, describe and explain the trend in first ionisation energies
shown by the Period 2 elements, Li–N.
• Using Table 2, identify element X. Explain how you decided on your
answer.

[10]

element Li Be B C N

number of protons 3 4 5 6 7

electron 1s2 2s2 1s2 2s2 1s2 2s2

1s2 2s1 1s2 2s2
configuration 2p1 2p2 2p3

1st ionisation
energy 520 900 801 1086 1402
/ kJ mol–1

Table 1

element ionisation energy / kJ mol–1

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th

X 578 1817 2745 11 578 14 831 18 378

Table 2
[Total 13 marks]

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12. In their reactions, calcium and strontium each lose electrons to form ions with a 2+
charge. The first and second ionisation energies of calcium and strontium are shown
below.

1st ionisation energy 2nd ionisation energy

/ kJ mol–1 / kJ mol–1

calcium 590 1145

strontium 550 1064

(i) Write an equation, with state symbols, to represent the second ionisation energy
of calcium.

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[2]

(ii) Why are the second ionisation energies of calcium and strontium greater than
their first ionisation energies?

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[1]

(iii) Explain why the first and second ionisation energies of strontium are less than
those of calcium.

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[3]
[Total 6 marks]

13. Complete the electronic configuration of carbon.

1s2 ............................................................................................................................
[Total 1 mark]

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14. The diagram below shows the variation in the first ionisation energies of elements
across Period 2 of the Periodic Table.

2500
Ne
2000
F
first ionisation N
1500
energy
/ kJ mol–1 Be C O
1000
Li B
500

0
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
atomic number

(i) Define the term first ionisation energy.

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[3]

(ii) Explain why the first ionisation energies show a general increase across
Period 2.

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[2]

(iii) Explain why the first ionisation energy of B is less than that of Be.

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[2]
[Total 7 marks]

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15. Complete the electronic configuration of a titanium atom.

1s22s22p6 ...................................................................................................................
[Total 1 mark]

16. Reactions of the Group 2 metals involve removal of electrons. The electrons are
removed more easily as the group is descended and this helps to explain the
increasing trend in reactivity.

(i) The removal of one electron from each atom in 1 mole of gaseous radium atoms

is called the .....................................................................................................

[2]

The equation for this process in radium is:

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[2]

(ii) Atoms of radium have a greater nuclear charge than atoms of calcium.

Explain why, despite this, less energy is needed to remove an electron from a
radium atom than from a calcium atom.

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[3]
[Total 7 marks]

17. The electronic configuration of a bromine atom can be written in terms of sub-shells.

(i) Complete the electronic configuration of a bromine atom.

1s22s22p63s23p6 ................................................................................................
[2]

(ii) Why is bromine classified as a p-block element?

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[1]
[Total 3 marks]

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18. The first ionisation energies of the elements H to K are shown below. Use this diagram
to help with your answers to this question.

2500
He Ne
1st ionisation energy

2000

F Ar
/ kJ mol–1

1500 N

H O P
1000 Be C
Mg S
B Si
500 Al
Li Na K
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
atomic number

(a) Define the term first ionisation energy.

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[3]

(b) Explain why the first ionisation energies show a general increase across Period 2
(Li to Ne).

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[2]
[Total 5 marks]

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