Topic 2 Microscopic World I Mastering Chemistry

Suggested answers to Topic Exercise

Topic 2

1 C Relative atomic mass of the gallium sample = 69× 60+71 ×40

100
= 69.8
2 C

3 A
Ion Number of electrons
NH4+ 10
P 3
18
Ca2+ 18
Cl 
18

4 B

In the ion of 45
21 Sc ,

number of electrons = 21 – 3 = 18
number of neutrons = mass number – atomic number
= 45 – 21
= 24

5 D Option A — Neon does not form anions.

Option B — Neon contains monatomic molecules.

6 D

7 C Element C is silicon. It has a giant covalent structure. Thus, it has a high melting point
and boiling point.

8 A Element D is neon. Its atom has a very stable electronic structure (2,8).

9 C The reactivity of Group I elements increases going down the group. Thus, Y is more
reactive than X.
The reactivity of Group VII elements decreases going down the group. Thus, W is more
reactive than Z.

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Topic 2 Microscopic World I Mastering Chemistry

10 C

11 B

12 C

13 A

14 A The blue positive ions moved towards the negative terminal.

15 C

16 D

17 C (1) The melting points of Group I elements decrease going down the group. Thus, the
melting point of rubidium is lower than that of potassium.

18 A (2) The reactivity of halogens decreases going down the group. Thus, astatine is less
reactive than fluorine.
(3) Hydrogen and astatine form a covalent compound with a simple molecular structure,
i.e. a compound with a lower boiling point.

19 A

20 C (1) Aluminium conducts electricity when in solid and molten states.

(2) Sulphur does not conduct electricity.
(3) Magnesium chloride does not conduct electricity in the solid state. However, it
conducts electricity when molten.

21 D

22 C The electronic arrangement of a sulphide ion is 2,8,8 while that of a sulphur atom is 2,8,6.
A sulphide ion and a sulphur atom have the same number of occupied electron shells.

23 B

24 C

25 C

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Topic 2 Microscopic World I Mastering Chemistry

26 Answers for the HKDSE question are not provided.

27 Answers for the HKDSE question are not provided.

28 A pink colour appears near electrode X (1)

as positive cobalt(II) ions are attracted towards the negative electrode / electrode X. (1)
A yellow colour appears near electrode Y (1)
as negative chromate ions are attracted towards the positive electrode / electrode Y. (1)

29 a) 1 (1)
b) Any one of the following:
• Conductor of electricity / heat (1)
• Malleable (1)
• Ductile (1)
• Shiny (1)
c) Any two of the following:
• Low melting point / boiling point (1)
• Soft / rubidium can be cut easily (1)
• Low density (1)
d) To stop them from reacting with air / water vapour / moisture. (1)
e) i) Lithium / sodium (1)
ii) lithium + water  lithium hydroxide + hydrogen (1)
or
sodium + water  sodium hydroxide + hydrogen (1)

30 a) B and C (1)
Their atoms have the same number of / two occupied electron shells. (1)
b) C and D (1)
Their atoms have the same number of / six outermost shell electrons. (1)
c) i)

or (1)
ii) Carbon disulphide (1)

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Topic 2 Microscopic World I Mastering Chemistry

d) i)

or (1)

ii) Potassium sulphide (1)

31 a)

(1)

b) So that the charges balance / number of positive charges = number of negative charges
(1)
c) i) Ca(OH)2 (1)
ii) Ammonia has a simple molecular structure. (1)
Weak attractive forces exist among ammonia molecules. Very little heat is needed to
overcome the attractive forces among the molecules and separate the molecules in
boiling. Thus, ammonia has a low boiling point. (1)

32 a)

(1)
b) NaH (1)
c)
(1)

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Topic 2 Microscopic World I Mastering Chemistry

33 a) A magnesium atom needs to lose two electrons (1)

while an oxygen atom needs to gain two electrons so as to obtain stable outermost shells
of 8 electrons. (1)
When magnesium atoms combine with oxygen atoms, two electrons from each
magnesium atom are transferred to each oxygen atom. (1)
b) MgO (1)
c) High melting point (1)
Strong attractive forces between oppositely charged ions / strong ionic bonding (1)

34 a) Ionic bonding (1)

There are strong ionic bonds between the ions with opposite charges in sodium azide.
Lots of the strong ionic bonds between the ions have to be overcome in melting. This
takes a lot of heat, so sodium azide has a high melting point. (1)
b) i)
(1)

ii) CO2 / N2O / BeF2 / HN3 (1)

iii) MgN6 (1)

35 a) E (1)
It has a high melting point / a high boiling point. It does not conduct electricity. (1)
b) B (1)
It is a good conductor of electricity when in solid and liquid states. (1)
c) A (1)
Its melting point is below room temperature. Its boiling point is above room temperature.
(1)
d) C (1)
It has a high melting point / a high boiling point. It does not conduct electricity when
solid and conducts electricity when liquid. (1)

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Topic 2 Microscopic World I Mastering Chemistry

36 a)
Chlorine-35 Chlorine-37
Number of protons
Number of neutrons
17
18 }
(1)
17
20 }
(1)
Number of electrons 17 17

(1)

c) Diamond is used in cutting tools because it is very hard. (1)

In diamond, each carbon atom bonded to four other carbon atoms. Strong covalent
bonding extends throughout the structure. Relative motion of the atom is restricted. (1)
Any one use of graphite and explanation
• To make electrodes. (1)
In graphite, each carbon atom is bonded to three other carbon atoms, and an
unbonded outermost shell electron is present on each atom. These unbonded
electrons become delocalised along the layers of carbon atoms.
These mobile delocalised electrons allow graphite to conduct electricity. (1)
• To make lubricant. (1)
In graphite, weak van der Waals’ forces exist between the layers of carbon atoms.
The layers of carbon atoms can slide past each other easily. (1)
• To make pencil ‘leads’. (1)
In graphite, weak van der Waals’ forces exist between the layers of carbon atoms.
When a pencil is moved across a piece of paper, layers of carbon atoms flake off
graphite easily, so pencil marks appear on the paper. (1)
Communication mark (1)

37 a) A fluoride ion has a complete outermost electron shell. (1)

b) (1)

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Topic 2 Microscopic World I Mastering Chemistry

c) i) Solid (1)

ii) I) (1)

II) Sodium astatide (1)

38 a) Similarities:
• Atoms in both of them are covalently bonded. (1)
• Both have giant structures. (1)
One difference from:
• Silicon dioxide contains two elements but diamond only contains one (carbon). (1)
• All carbon atoms form four bonds in diamond but only silicon atoms form four
bonds in silicon dioxide. (1)
b) Diamond has NO mobile electrons or ions. (1)
c) Silicon dioxide has a giant covalent structure. (1)
Lots of strong covalent bonds between atoms have to be broken in melting. A lot of heat
is needed. Thus, silicon dioxide has a high melting point. (1)

39 a) 2,8,5 (1)
b) Phosphorus exists as isotopes. (1)

c) i) (1)

ii) Phosphorus trifluoride (1)

PF3 (1)
iii) 31.0 + 3  19.0 = 88.0 (1)

40 a) i) Potassium contains a regular three-dimensional arrangement of positive potassium

ions surrounded by a ‘sea’ of delocalised electrons. (1)
The strong electrostatic forces of attraction between positive potassium ions and
delocalised electrons make up the metallic bond. (1)
Diagram showing a regular arrangement of potassium ions in a ‘sea’ of delocalised
electrons (1)
ii) Due to the mobile delocalised electrons in potassium. (1)

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Topic 2 Microscopic World I Mastering Chemistry

b) i) (1)

ii) Covalent bond exists within a molecule. (1)

Van der Waals’ forces exist among molecules. (1)
c) i) A potassium atom needs to lose one electron (1)
while a fluorine atom needs to gain one electron so as to obtain stable outermost
shells of 8 electrons. (1)
When potassium atoms combine with fluorine atoms, one electron from each
potassium atom is transferred to each fluorine atom. (1)
ii) Potassium fluoride in solid state does not conduct electricity as the ions are in fixed
positions and are not free to move around. (1)
Potassium fluoride in molten state can conduct electricity because the ions are free to
move around in the liquid. (1)

41 a) Both diamond and graphite have a giant covalent structure. (1)

Lots of strong covalent bonds between atoms have to be broken in melting. A lot of heat
is needed. (1)
b) Graphite contains mobile delocalised electrons along the layers of carbon atoms. (1)
c) In diamond, strong covalent bonding extends throughout the structure. Relative motion of
the atoms is restricted. (1)
d) In graphite, weak van der Waals’ forces exist between the layers of carbon atoms. (1)
When a pencil is moved across a piece of paper, layers of carbon atoms flake off graphite
easily, so pencil marks appear on the paper. (1)

42 a) Nickel contains a regular three-dimensional arrangement of positive nickel ions

surrounded by a ‘sea’ of delocalised electrons. (1)
A lot of heat is needed to overcome the strong attractive forces between the positive
nickel ions and the ‘sea’ of delocalised electrons in melting. (1)
b) Diagram showing a regular arrangement of nickel ions in a ‘sea’ of delocalised electrons
(1)
c) When a force is applied to a piece of nickel, the layers of nickel ions slide over each other
to new positions. The delocalised electrons are free to move in the structure, but the ions
are still held together in their new positions by the ‘sea’ of electrons. The metal has a
different shape. (1)

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Topic 2 Microscopic World I Mastering Chemistry

43 a) Al2O3 (1)
b) Aluminium contains a regular three-dimensional arrangement of positive aluminium ions
surrounded by a ‘sea’ of delocalised electrons. (1)
Diagram showing a regular arrangement of aluminium ions in a ‘sea’ of delocalised
electrons (1)
When a force is applied to a piece of aluminium, the layers of aluminium ions slide over
each other to new positions. The delocalised electrons are free to move in the structure,
but the ions are still held together in their new positions by the ‘sea’ of electrons. The
metal has a different shape. (1)
Communication mark (1)
c) i) (1)

ii) Oxygen has a simple molecular structure. (1)

Weak attractive forces exist among oxygen molecules. Very little heat is needed to
overcome the attractive forces among the molecules and separate the molecules in
boiling. Thus, oxygen has a low boiling point. (1)
d) Molten aluminium oxide contains ions that are free to move around. (1)

44 a) Sodium iodide is soluble in water while iodine is only slightly soluble.

The δ– ends of the water molecules attract the positive sodium ions sufficiently to remove
them from the lattice. The sodium ions then become surrounded by water molecules. (1)
On the other hand, the δ+ ends of the water molecules attract the negative iodide ions
sufficiently to remove them from the lattice. The iodide ions then become surrounded by
water molecules as well. (1)
When iodine is added to water, there is little interaction between molecules of iodine and
water. (1)
The attractive forces among water molecules are strong. The attractive forces between
iodine molecules and water molecules are weaker in comparison. (1)
Thus, water molecules tend to stick together, rather than allowing iodine molecules to
come between them. As a result, iodine molecules and water molecules do not mix easily.
(1)
b) Molten sodium iodide contains ions that are free to move around. (1)
Molten iodine does not contain mobile ions or delocalised electrons. (1)
c) Sodium iodide has a giant ionic structure while iodine has a simple molecular structure.
(1)
The ionic bonds between sodium ions and iodide ions in sodium iodide are much stronger
than the attractive forces among iodine molecules. Thus, sodium iodide has a much higher
melting point than iodine. (1)

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Topic 2 Microscopic World I Mastering Chemistry

45 • The atom contains 15 protons. (1)

• The atom contains 16 neutrons. (1)
• The atom contains 15 electrons. (1)
• The electronic arrangement of the atom is 2,8,5. (1)
• The atom has three occupied electron shells. (1)
• The atom has 5 outermost shell electrons. (1)
• The element is in Period 3 of the Periodic Table. (1)
• The element is in Group V of the Periodic Table. (1)
Communication mark (1)

46 In silicon dioxide, each silicon atom is bonded to four oxygen atoms while each oxygen atom
is bonded to only two silicon atoms. Silicon atoms and oxygen atoms in the whole structure are
held together by strong covalent bonds. (1)
Silicon dioxide has a high melting point.
In order to melt silicon dioxide, lots of strong covalent bonds between atoms have to be
broken. A lot of heat is needed. Thus, silicon dioxide has a high melting point. (1)
Silicon dioxide has a hard structure.
In silicon dioxide, strong covalent bonding extends throughout the structure. Relative motion
of the atoms is restricted. This makes silicon dioxide very hard. (1)
Communication mark (1)

47 Oxygen has the lowest melting point as it has a simple molecular structure. (1)
Very little heat is needed to overcome the weak attractive forces among the molecules and
separate the molecules in melting. (1)
Lithium has a giant metallic structure. (1)
The attractive forces between the positive lithium ions and the ‘sea’ of delocalised electrons
are stronger than the attractive forces among oxygen molecules. Thus, the melting point of
lithium is higher than that of oxygen. (1)
Graphite has the highest melting point as it has a giant covalent structure. (1)
Lots of strong covalent bonds between atoms have to be broken in melting. A lot of heat is
needed. (1)
Communication mark (1)

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