atomic structure practice test

1. The major portion of an atom's mass consists of 7. An experiment in which alpha particles were used to
bombard thin sheets of gold foil led to the conclusion
A) electrons and protons
that an atom is composed mostly of
B) electrons and neutrons
C) neutrons and positrons A) empty space and has a small, negatively charged
D) neutrons and protons nucleus
B) empty space and has a small, positively
2. Which subatomic particle has no charge? charged nucleus
A) alpha particle B) beta particle C) a large, dense, positively charged nucleus
C) neutron D) electron D) a large, dense, negatively charged nucleus
3. A student constructs a model for comparing the 8. Experiments performed to reveal the structure of
masses of subatomic particles. The student selects a atoms led scientists to conclude that an atom's
small, metal sphere with a mass of gram to represent
A) positive charge is evenly distributed throughout
an electron. A sphere with which mass would be most
its volume
appropriate to represent a proton?
B) negative charge is mainly concentrated in its
A) g B) g C) D) nucleus
g
C) mass is evenly distributed throughout its volume
g
D) volume is mainly unoccupied
4. Which statement concerning elements is true?
9. Which statement describes the distribution of charge
A) Different elements must have different numbers in an atom?
of isotopes.
A) A neutral nucleus is surrounded by one or more
B) Different elements must have different numbers
negatively charged electrons.
of neutrons.
B) A neutral nucleus is surrounded by one or more
C) All atoms of a given element must have the same
positively charged electrons.
mass number.
C) A positively charged nucleus is surrounded by
D) All atoms of a given element must have the
one or more negatively charged electrons.
same atomic number.
D) A positively charged nucleus is surrounded by
5. Which two particles each have a mass approximately one or more positively charged electrons.
equal to one atomic mass unit?
10. The gold foil experiment led to the conclusion that
A) electron and neutron each atom in the foil was composed mostly of empty
B) electron and positron space because most alpha particles directed at the
C) proton and electron foil
D) proton and neutron A) passed through the foil
6. Which conclusion was a direct result of the gold foil B) remained trapped in the foil
experiment? C) were deflected by the nuclei in gold atoms
A) An atom is mostly empty space with a dense, D) were deflected by the electrons in gold atoms
positively charged nucleus.
B) An atom is composed of at least three types of
subatomic particles.
C) An electron has a positive charge and is located
inside the nucleus.
D) An electron has properties of both waves and
particles.
11. Which statement about one atom of an element 18. What is the mass number of an atom that consists of
identifies the element? 20 protons, 20 neutrons, and 18 electrons?
A) The atom has 1 proton. A) 18 B) 20 C) 38 D) 40
B) The atom has 2 neutrons. 19. An atom that contains 8 protons, 8 electrons, and 9
C) The sum of the number of protons and neutrons neutrons has
in the atom is 3.
A) an atomic number of 9
D) The difference between the number of neutrons
and protons in the atom is 1. B) an atomic number of 16
C) a mass number of 17
12. Compared to a proton, an electron has
D) a mass number of 25
A) a greater quantity of charge and the same sign 20. Compared to an atom of C-12, an atom of C-14 has a
B) a greater quantity of charge and the opposite greater
sign
C) the same quantity of charge and the same sign A) number of electrons
D) the same quantity of charge and the opposite B) number of protons
sign C) atomic number
D) mass number
13. Every chlorine atom has
21. Atoms of different isotopes of the same element
A) 7 electrons differ in their total number of
B) 17 neutrons
C) a mass number of 35 A) electrons B) neutrons
D) an atomic number of 17 C) protons D) valence electrons

14. What can be determined if only the atomic number 22. Which particle has two neutrons?
of an atom is known? A) B) C) D)
A) the total number of neutrons in the atom, only
B) the total number of protons in the atom, only
C) the total number of protons and the total
number of neutrons in the atom
D) the total number of protons and the total
number of electrons in the atom
15. Which of the following atoms has the greatest
nuclear charge?
A) B) C) D)
16. What is the total number of neutrons in the nucleus
of a neutral atom that has 19 electrons and a mass
number of 39?
A) 19 B) 20 C) 39 D) 58
17. The weighted average of the atomic masses of the
naturally occurring isotopes of an element is the
A) atomic mass of the element
B) atomic number of the element
C) mass number of each isotope
D) formula mass of each isotope
23. The table below shows the number of subatomic particles in atom X and in atom Z.

Atom X and atom Z are isotopes of the element

A) aluminum B) carbon C) magnesium D) nitrogen
24. The table below gives information about the nucleus 29. Which pair must represent atoms of the same
of each of four atoms. element?
A) B)
C) D)
30. Which two nuclides are isotopes of the same
element?
A) B)
C) D)

How many different elements are represented by the

nuclei in the table?
A) 1 B) 2 C) 3 D) 4
25. What is the structure of a krypton-85 atom?
A) 49 electrons, 49 protons, and 85 neutrons
B) 49 electrons, 49 protons, and 49 neutrons
C) 36 electrons, 36 protons, and 85 neutrons
D) 36 electrons, 36 protons, and 49 neutrons
26. Which correctly represents an atom of neon
containing 11 neutrons?
A) 1110Ne B) 2011 Ne
C) 2110 Ne D) 2111 Ne
27. An atom of carbon-14 contains
A) 8 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons
B) 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 8 electrons
C) 6 protons, 8 neutrons, and 8 electrons
D) 6 protons, 8 neutrons, and 6 electrons
28. What is the total number of neutrons in an atom of
?
A) 19 B) 20 C) 39 D) 58
31. The table below gives the atomic mass and the abundance of the two naturally occurring isotopes of
chlorine.

Which numerical setup can be used to calculate the atomic mass of the element chlorine?
A) (34.97 u)(75.76) + (36.97 u)(24.24) B) (34.97 u)(0.2424) + (36.97 u)(0.7576)
C) (34.97 u)(0.7576) + (36.97 u)(0.2424) D) (34.97 u)(24.24) + (36.97 u)(75.76)
32. The table below shows the atomic mass and natural abundance of the two naturally occurring
isotopes of lithium.

Which numerical setup can be used to determine the atomic mass of naturally occurring lithium?
A) (7.6)(6.015 u) + (92.4)(7.016 u) B) (0.076)(6.015 u) + (0.924)(7.016 u)
C) D)

33. Hydrogen has three isotopes with mass numbers of 35. The atomic mass of an element is the weighted
1, 2, and 3 and has an average atomic mass of average of the
1.00794 amu. This information indicates that
A) number of protons in the isotopes of that
A) equal numbers of each isotope are present element
B) more isotopes have an atomic mass of 2 or 3 B) number of neutrons in the isotopes of that
than of 1 element
C) more isotopes have an atomic mass of 1 than C) atomic numbers of the naturally occurring
of 2 or 3 isotopes of that element
D) isotopes have only an atomic mass of 1 D) atomic masses of the naturally occurring
isotopes of that element
34. Which value of an element is calculated using both
the mass and the relative abundance of each of the 36. An orbital is defined as a region of the most
naturally occurring isotopes of this element? probable location of
A) atomic number B) atomic mass A) an electron B) a neutron
C) half-life D) molar volume C) a nucleus D) a proton
37. Given the table below that shows student's examples of proposed models of the atom:

Which model correctly describes the locations of protons and electrons in the wave-mechanical
model of the atom?
A) A B) B C) C D) D
38. What is the total number of sublevels in the third
principal energy level?
A) 1 B) 2 C) 3 D) 4
39. According to the wave-mechanical model, an orbital
is defined as the
A) circular path for electrons
B) circular path for neutrons
C) most probable location of electrons
D) most probable location of neutrons
40. The region that is the most probable location of an
electron in an atom is
A) the nucleus B) an orbital
C) the excited state D) an ion
41. Which of these phrases best describes an atom?
A) a positive nucleus surrounded by a hard
negative shell
B) a positive nucleus surrounded by a cloud of
negative charges
C) a hard sphere with positive particles uniformly
embedded
D) a hard sphere with negative particles uniformly
embedded
42. In the electron cloud model of the atom, an orbital is
defined as the most probable
A) charge of an electron
B) conductivity of an electron
C) location of an electron
D) mass of an electron
 Answer Key
Atomic Structure Practice test

1. D 37. B
2. C 38. C
3. D 39. C
4. D 40. B
5. D 41. B
6. A 42. C
7. B
8. D
9. C
10. A
11. A
12. D
13. D
14. D
15. A
16. B
17. A
18. D
19. C
20. D
21. B
22. D
23. B
24. B
25. D
26. C
27. D
28. B
29. B
30. C
31. C
32. B
33. C
34. B
35. D
36. A