Atoms & Isotopes
Describe the composition of an atomic nucleus.
What are protons and neutrons?
State what holds ions together in an ionic bond.
What is strong electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions?
Describe the arrangement of elements in the Periodic Table.
What is in order of increasing atomic/proton number, arranged in periods (rows) and groups (columns)?
State the general physical properties that distinguish metals from non-metals regarding electrical conductivity and malleability.
What is metals are good conductors of electricity and are malleable, whereas non-metals are electrical insulators and brittle?
Name the main ore of aluminium and the method used to extract aluminium from it.
What is bauxite, extracted by electrolysis?
State the relative charge and relative mass of a proton, neutron, and electron.
What is Proton: +1 charge, 1 mass | Neutron: 0 charge, 1 mass | Electron: -1 charge, 1/1840 (negligible) mass?
Explain why simple molecular compounds have low melting points, while ionic compounds have high melting points.
What is simple molecules have weak intermolecular forces requiring little energy to break, whereas ionic compounds have strong electrostatic forces in a giant lattice requiring high energy?
Describe the general trends down Group I (Alkali Metals) regarding melting point, density, and reactivity with water.
What is decreasing melting point, increasing density, and increasing reactivity?
List four characteristic physical or chemical properties of Transition Elements.
What are high density, high melting point, formation of coloured compounds, and acting as catalysts?
Describe the primary uses of Aluminium in aircraft, overhead electrical cables, and food containers based on its physical properties.
What is Aircraft: low density; Overhead cables: low density and good conductivity; Food containers: resistance to corrosion?
Define isotopes and state why isotopes of the same element have identical chemical properties.
What are atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, having identical chemical properties due to having the same electron configuration?
Describe the flame test colors for Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, and Copper(II) cations.
What is Lithium = Red, Sodium = Yellow/Orange, Potassium = Lilac, and Copper(II) = Blue-Green?
State the state and appearance of chlorine, bromine, and iodine at room temperature and pressure.
What is Chlorine: pale yellow-green gas | Bromine: red-brown liquid | Iodine: grey-black solid?
State the exact order of the reactivity series from most to least reactive (12 elements/non-metals).
What is Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Aluminium, Carbon, Zinc, Iron, Hydrogen, Copper, Silver, Gold?
State the specific chemical reaction inside the blast furnace that produces the primary reducing agent for iron(III) oxide.
What is C + CO2 -> 2CO (Carbon dioxide reduced by carbon/coke to form carbon monoxide)?
Determine the electronic configuration of an element with 13 protons, and name its Period and Group.
What is 2,8,3 (Period 3, Group III)?
Explain why ionic compounds conduct electricity when aqueous or molten, but not when solid.
What is ions are free to move and carry charge when aqueous or molten, but fixed in rigid positions in a solid lattice?
Explain why Group VIII Noble Gases are chemically unreactive.
What is they have a full outer shell of electrons (stable octet/duet)?
Explain how alloys are harder and stronger than pure metals in terms of their physical structure.
What is different sized atoms distort the regular layers of the metal lattice, preventing the layers from sliding over each other easily?
Describe the main chemical reaction and purpose of adding calcium carbonate (limestone) to the blast furnace.
What is CaCO3 thermally decomposes to CaO + CO2; CaO reacts with silica impurities to form slag (CaO + SiO2 -> CaSiO3)?
Distinguish between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.
What is fission being the splitting of a large nucleus into smaller ones, while fusion is the joining together of two light nuclei?
Explain why graphite acts as a lubricant and conducts electricity, whereas diamond is extremely hard and does not conduct.
What is graphite has layers of carbon atoms that slide over each other with delocalised electrons, whereas diamond has a rigid 3D giant tetrahedral lattice with all valence electrons bound in covalent bonds?
Explain what happens when chlorine gas is bubbled into a solution of potassium bromide, including the observed color change.
What is chlorine displaces bromine because chlorine is more reactive, forming potassium chloride and bromine, turning the solution orange/brown?
Explain how galvanising iron with zinc provides both a barrier method and sacrificial protection.
What is zinc creates a physical barrier excluding water and oxygen, and if scratched, zinc preferentially oxidises/loses electrons instead of iron because zinc is more reactive?
Write the balanced symbol equation for the main reduction reaction that converts hematite to molten iron in the blast furnace.
What is Fe2O3 + 3CO -> 2Fe + 3CO2?