Atomic Structure
What are the subatomic particles in an atom?
Protons, Neutrons and Electrons
By atomic number
What is the difference between groups and periods on the periodic table?
Groups - vertical columns
Periods - horizontal rows
What is lustre?
How shiny a solid element is
What are isotopes?
A variation of the same element with a different number of neutrons
What is a valence electron?
The electrons in the outer shell
What are group 18 elements called?
Noble gases
What happens to atomic size as you down a group?
It increases
Do metals or non-metals have a high boiling point?
Metals
What is the difference between isotopes and radioisotopes?
Isotopes are stable whilst radioisotopes are unstable/emit harmful radiation
If an atom has 17 protons, 18 neutrons and 17 electrons, what is its mass number?
35
Which element is a metalloid and contains 5 electrons?
Boron
Which group is most reactive and which group is least reactive?
Most reactive - Group 1 (Alkali Metals)
Least reactive - Group 18 (Noble Gases)
Describe the difference between malleability of metals and non-metals
Metals are highly malleable under pressure whilst non-metals are brittle under pressure
How can radioisotopes become more stable?
They can undergo radioactive decay.
Explain the difference between a cation and an anion. Use chlorine and sodium as examples.
A cation is an atom that has lost an electron - Sodium is likely to lose an electron and become a cation as it only has 1 electron in its outer shell.
An anion is an atom that has gained an electron - Chlorine is likely to gain an electron as it has 7 electrons in its outer shell, it only needs 1 more to make a full shell.
Which element is in group 17 and has 3 electron shells?
Chlorine
What occurs to the number of valence electrons as you move across (left to right) a period?
Number of valence electrons increases
Describe the difference between metals and non-metals in terms of their ductility, density and melting points.
Metals
- High ductility (can be stretched easily)
- High density (are heavy)
- High melting temperature
Non-metals
- Low ductility (cannot be stretched easily)
- Low density (are light)
- Low melting temperature
Describe one real-life application of radioactivity
Answers vary
Ex: Use for radiotherapy, used in X-rays etc.
What is the cause of coloured light in fireworks?
Electrons absorb heat energy from fire, they become "excited" and jump to a higher electron shell. The atom will release the absorbed energy as coloured light as it goes back to its original electron shell.
Which noble gas has the least amount of electron shells?
Helium
Describe how reactivity of metals changes as you move across periods (left to right) AND as you move down groups?
Reactivity of metals decreases as you move across the period.
Reactivity of metals increases as you move down the group.
Why are metals good conductors of electricity and non-metals are not?
Metals are likely to lose electrons, electrons moving is what creates electricity. Non-metals are unlikely to lose electrons and therefore are not good conductors (they are insulators)
Explain what occurs to a radioisotope during the 3 types of radioactive decay.
Alpha decay - an alpha particle is released (which contains 2 protons and 2 neutrons)
Beta decay - an excess neutron becomes 1 proton and 1 electron (which is released)
Gamma decay - the atom release energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation