Name: - Class
Name: - Class
An atom is the smallest part of an element which has the chemical properties of that element.
Example: Hydrogen, H2. Each hydrogen molecule consists of two hydrogen atoms.
B. Atomic structure
Electrons in an atom move in orbits surrounding the nucleus of the atom, called electron shells.
The maximum number of electrons a shell can hold is 2n2, where n is the shell number.
Hydrogen H 1 1
Helium He 2 2
Lithium Li 3 2,1
Beryllium Be 4 2,2
Boron B 5 2,3
Carbon C 6 2,4
Nitrogen N 7 2,5
Oxygen O 8 2,6
Fluorine F 9 2,7
Neon Ne 10 2,8
Sodium Na 11 2,8,1
Magnesium Mg 12 2,8,2
Aluminium Al 13 2,8,3
Silicon Si 14 2,8,4
Phosphorous P 15 2,8,5
Sulphur S 16 2,8,6
Chlorine Cl 17 2,8,7
Argon Ar 18 2,8,8
Potassium K 19 2,8,8,1
Calcium Ca 20 2,8,8,2
CE 1988 Paper 2 Q2
The atomic number and mass number of a sodium atom are 11 and 23 respectively. Its nucleus
contains
A. 11 neutrons and 12 protons.
B. 12 neutrons and 11 protons.
C. 12 neutrons and 23 protons.
D. 23 neutrons and 11 protons.
Which of the following statements concerning an 131I atom and a 131Xe atom is/are correct?
(1) They have the same number of protons.
(2) They have different numbers of neutrons.
(3) They have different numbers of outermost shell electrons.
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
Different atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons
35 37
e.g. 17 Cl & 17 Cl
Isotopes 35
17 Cl
37
17 Cl
No. of p 17 17
No. of e− 17 17
No. of n 18 20
Isotopes have the same chemical properties. ∵ they have the same electronic arrangement.
HOWEVER, they have slightly different physical properties. ∵ they have different masses.
CE 1997 Paper 2 Q1
Hydrogen(H) and deuterium(D) atoms both have one protons but different number of neutrons.
(a) Name their relationship
Isotope
(b) H2O reacts with sodium to form colourless gas bubbles. What happen when
sodium is added to D2O? Why?
D2O reacts with sodium to form colourless gas bubbles too
Relative atomic mass is determined by the relative isotopic mass & relative abundance of each naturally
Relative abundance of an isotope is the proportion of that particular isotope of an element in nature.
Definition: The relative atomic mass of an element is the weighted average of the relative isotopic masses
of all the naturally occurring isotopes of that element on the 12C = 12.00 scale.
Element X has two isotopes, 39X and 41X. The table below lists the percentage abundance of
the two isotopes:
A. 39.0
B. 39.1
C. 40.0
D. 40.9
Bromine exists in two isotopic forms, 79Br and 81Br. The relative atomic mass of bromine is 79.9.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
(1) The two isotopes have different numbers of protons.
(2) The two isotopes have different numbers of neutrons.
(3) The relative abundance of each isotopic form is about the same.
A. (1) only
B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only
(★★☆) Silicon occurs naturally in three isotopes with the abundance of each isotope shown
in the table below:
Isotope Abundance / %
28Si
92.20
29Si
x
30Si
y
Calculate x. (Relative atomic mass: Si = 28.1)
x = 5.6 1
(Deduct 1 mark if the candidate can perform the calculation correctly but there are mistakes in the
presentation / treatment of “%”)
Candidates’ Performance:
In part (a), about half of the candidates were able to state the correct meaning of the term
‘isotope’. In part (b), about two thirds of the candidates were able to calculate the abundance
of 29Si correctly.
CHEM / S.4 MW I / P.8
Book 1B - Chapter 6 The Periodic Table
A. Introduction
Elements are arranged in Period (horizontal row) and Group (vertical column) of the Periodic Table.
Period 1 to Period 7
Li Be B C N O F Ne
electronic
2,1 2,2 2,3 2,4 2,5 2,6 2,7 2,8
arrangement
electronic arrangement
Li 2,1
Na 2,8,1
K 2,8,8,1
Rb 2,8,18,8,1
Cs 2,8,18,18,8,1
Fr 2,8,18,32,18,8,1
Transition elements: the elements lie between Group II and III in the Periodic Table.
Across Period
The elements changes from metals through semi-metals (metalloid) to non-metal.
Size of atom decreases : number of electrons increases, effective nucleus charge increases
Down group
Similar chemical properties : same number of outermost electrons
Reactivity of metal increases down a group
(related to formation of ionic bond : With larger size, metal can lose the outermost electrons more readily)
Reactivity of non-metal decreases down a group
(related to formation of covalent bond : With larger size, non-metal cannot hold the shared electrons tightly)
Size of atom increases : number of occupied electron shell increases
They are soft metals. They can be cut with a knife easily.
They are reactive metal. The react with air readily and must be stored under paraffin oil.
They have low densities, but are denser than Group I metals.
They are very unreactive/ stable because they have duplet of electrons (He) and octet of electrons.
Octet rule = an atom of low atomic number (<20) tends to combine in such a way that
they each have eight outermost electrons, giving them a stable electronic configuration
Helium atom has 2 electrons in the only one occupied shell - duplet of electrons
Which of the following pairs of atomic numbers represents elements with similar
chemical properties?
A. 3 and 12
B. 9 and 16
C. 6 and 17
D. 12 and 20
CE 2003 Paper 2 Q1
Which of the following pairs of elements in Groups I and VII of the Periodic Table would react
with each other most vigorously?
Group I Group VII
A. lithium fluorine
B. lithium iodine
C. potassium fluorine
D. potassium iodine
A chemical bond refers to the electrostatic attraction (attraction between opposite charges) that holds
particles together.
Metallic bonds between metal cation and delocalized electrons : found in all metals.
Ionic bonds between cation and anion : mainly found in compounds made up of metals & non-metals.
A. Metallic bonding
The outermost shell electrons in metal can escape easily to leave a positive metal ion (cation).
The outermost shell electrons of the metal atoms are delocalized electrons.
Metallic bond is the strong non-directional electrostatic attraction between (a ‘sea’ of) delocalized
Metals are good conductors of electricity because there are delocalized electrons.
CE 1991 Paper 2 Q1
Element W X Y Z
Atomic number 4 8 14 20
In a chemical reaction, atoms can attain the electronic arrangement of 8 outermost electrons by losing or
gaining electrons.
Formation of cations: if metal atom loses its outermost shell electrons, a cation is formed.
e.g. Na atom Na+ ion Na+ ion (showing only outermost electrons)
(metal cation)
Group I Group II Group III
Name : Lithium ion Name : Beryllium ion
Chemical formula : Li+ Chemical formula : Be2+
Electron diagram : Electron diagram :
(non-metal cation)
Name : Hydrogen ion
Chemical formula : H+
Electron diagram :
(Polyatomic cation)
Name : ammonium ion
Chemical formula : NH4+
Electron diagram : (related to dative covalent bond, will be covered in latter part at Note p.29)
Pb is an element in Group IV of the Periodic Table and can form Pb2+ ion. Which of the
following statements are correct?
(1) The change from Pb2+ ion to Pb atom is by gaining electrons.
(2) Both Pb atom and Pb2+ ion have the same number of protons.
(3) Both Pb atom and Pb2+ ion have the same number of occupied electron shells.
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)
Performance: Nearly half of the candidates wrongly chose option A. It indicates that they did
not know that both Pb atom and Pb2+ ion have the same number of occupied electron shells.
Pb has 14 electrons in its outermost shell. After losing 2 electrons to become Pb2+ ion, it still
has 12 electrons in the original outermost shell. It is why both Pb atom and Pb2+ ion have the
same number of occupied electron shells.
+1 +2 +3
Name : Hydroxide ion
Chemical formula : OH-
Electron diagram :
CE 1991 Paper 2 Q4
Which of the following pairs of ions/atoms have the same numbers of electrons?
A. K+ and Ca2+
B. Cl– and S
C. H+ and He
D. O2– and Ar
CE 1994 Paper 2 Q1
During the reaction, metal & non-metal atoms attain noble gas electronic arrangement (duplet or octet)
Ionic bond is the strong non-directional electrostatic attraction between (oppositely charged) ions.
Elements X and Y form an ionic compound with chemical formula X2Y. If the ion of X and
the ion of Y have the same electronic arrangement, which of the following may this compound
be?
A. lithium oxide
B. aluminium oxide
C. potassium sulphide
D. magnesium chloride
Element Q belongs to Group II of the Periodic Table. It combines with element R to give an
ionic compound with chemical formula Q3R2. Which group of the Periodic Table does R belong
to?
A. Group III
B. Group V
C. Group VI
D. Group VII
Scandium (Sc) is a metal. Scandium, in its compounds, exhibits only one simple cation. The
chemical formula of scandium nitrate is Sc(NO3)3. Which of the following is most likely to be
the chemical formula of scandium phosphate?
A. Sc2(PO4)3
B. ScPO4
C. Sc(PO4)2
D. Sc(PO4)3
CE 2009 Paper 2 Q1
W: 2, 1 X2+: 2, 8 Y–: 2, 8, 7
Which of the elements W, X and Y are in the same period of the Periodic Table?
A. W and X only
B. W and Y only
C. X and Y only
D. W, X and Y
CHEM / S.4 MW I / P.21
The presence of coloured ions
Observation:
Purple spot (MnO4-) moves towards
the positive electrode.
A small crystal of potassium permanganate is placed in the middle of a piece of filter paper.
The filter paper has been moistened with sodium sulphate (salt solution) solution
in order to increase electrical conductivity (mobile ions to help carry the charge)
After the circuit is closed, a purple spot moves slowly towards the positive electrode
- Permanganate ions (MnO4 – ) are purple in colour and negatively charged.
They are attracted towards the positive electrode.
6. After the circuit has been closed for some time, a patch is formed between X and Y. What is
the colour of the patch?
A. brown
B. purple
C. white
D. black
A molecule is the smallest part of an element or compound which can exist on its own under room conditions.
During reaction, non-metal atoms attain stable electron arrangement (duplet or octet) by the sharing of
Covalent bond is the strong directional electrostatic attraction between (the shared electrons and the two
Refer to TB p, 117-118
noble gases (very stable) = monoatomic molecule (He, Ne, Ar) = Atomicity : 1
other non-metals = usually in diatomic molecular form = Atomicity : 2
─────────────────────────────────
e.g. Halogen (e.g. Chlorine)
Step 1 : Cl is group VII
Step 2 : based on octet rule, Cl tends to have 1 more outermost electron
Step 3 : each Cl atom shares 1 electron
─────────────────────────────────
e.g. Oxygen
Step 1 : O is group VI
Step 2 : based on octet rule, O tends to have 2 more outermost electrons
Step 3 : each O atom shares 2 electrons
molecular formula : O2
since the bond pairs are 2 , this bonding is double bond
structural formular : O=O
Atomicity : 2
molecular formula : N2
since the bond pairs are 3 , this bonding is triple bond
structural formular : NN
Atomicity : 2
─────────────────────────────────
e.g. Hydrochloric acid
Step 1 : H has only 1 electron while Cl is group VII
Step 2 : based on octet rule, H tends to have 1 more outermost electron while Cl tends to have 1 more
outermost electrons too
Step 3 : H and Cl atoms share 1 electron each
─────────────────────────────────
e.g. Ammonia
Step 1 : H has only 1 electron while N is group V
Step 2 : based on octet rule, H tends to have 1 more outermost electron while N tends to have 3 more
outermost electrons
Step 3 : 3 H atoms each share ONE electron while N share each of them 1 electron
to form 3 single covalent bonds
Which of the following combinations shows a correct matching of a molecule and its
structural formula
Molecule Structural formula
A. nitrogen N=N
B. helium He–He
C. carbon dioxide O–C–O
D. hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) H–O–O–H
A dative covalent bond is a covalent bond formed by one atom donating its lone pair electrons to another atom
It should be noticed that dative and normal covalent bonds differ only in the way they form.
Once a dative covalent bond has formed, it cannot be distinguished from a normal covalent bond.
Take ammonium ion as an example, all the four N–H bonds in ammonium ion are identical.
BF3 reacts with NH3 to give F3BNH3. Describe the bond formation between BF3 and NH3.
In BF3, there are three (bond) electron pairs / there is a vacant site / 6 electrons only / electron
deficient in the outermost shell of the B atom. 1
By accepting the lone pair of electrons from the nitrogen atom of NH3 / forming dative bond with
N, boron attains the stable electronic configuration of neon (a noble gas) / diagram below 1
DSEPP Paper 1A Q3
Draw the electron diagram (showing ONLY outermost electrons) and Write the structural formula
Formation
Electron
diagram
Particles
Directional /
Non-directional
Giant structures – (i) Giant ionic structures, (ii) Giant covalent structures & (iii) Giant metallic structures
Giant metallic structure Giant ionic structure Giant covalent structure Simple molecular structure
Example All metals All ionic compound Diamond, graphite(C) Iodine (I2)
Quartz (SiO2)
Bond Metallic bond: Ionic bond: Covalent bond: between Covalent bond inside
between metal ions and between ions atoms (in a network) molecules &
delocalized electrons van der Waals’ forces
between (discrete) molecules
Structures
e-
+ + + + +
e- e- e-
+ e- + + + e-
+ e- + + e- + +
(packed closely together in a regular pattern and surrounded by a ‘sea’ of delocalized electrons)
that they are held by strong metallic bond between metal cations and delocalized electrons
Properties of metals
The delocalized electrons get more energy. Heat is transferred by collision of electrons.
(3) Most metals are solids with high melting points and boiling point,
A lot of energy is required to break the strong metallic bond between delocalized e- and metal cation.
When metal is melting, non-directional metallic bonds still exist; while during boiling,
Thus, the energy required to boil is much higher than that of melting.
When force is applied to the metal, the layers of ions slide over one another.
Metal ions settle into new positions and the non-directional metallic bonds still exists.
Na+ and Cl− are packed regularly so that each ion is surrounded by the opposite-charged ion.
Drawing :
Structure of Caesium chloride (CsCl)
Each Cs+ is surrounded by 8 Cl−. And each Cl− is surrounded by 8 Cs+ as well.
drawing :
When force is applied on the crystal, the relative movement of the ions brings ions of the same
A lot of energy is required to break the strong ionic bonds between ions.
(3) Most of them are soluble in water, but insoluble in organic solvents
There are attractions between ions and water molecules. (will learn it in MW II)
e.g. Carbon (diamond & graphite – allotrope : the property of element to exist in two or more different forms
in same physical state), Silicon dioxide (quartz) that they are held by strong covalent bond between atoms.
A lot of energy is required to break the strong covalent bond between C atoms.
drawing :
A lot of energy is required to break the strong covalent bonds between atoms.
glass and sand are also formed by SiO2, but in less regular structure
A lot of heat is required to break the strong covalent bond between atoms.
Diamond and Quartz are held by break the strong covalent bond between atoms.
Graphite is only held by weak van der Waal’s force between layers.
All reminding non-metal elements and covalent compounds are composed of discrete molecules.
Atoms within the molecules are held by strong covalent bonds. Separate molecules are held together by
− +
Harder to break the force, Higher melting point and boiling point
Little energy is needed to overcome the weak van der Waals’ forces between molecules.
Molecules are held by weak van der Waals’ forces between molecules.
(3) They are usually insoluble in water but soluble in non-aqueous solvent (solvents other than water)
The aqueous solutions of a few molecular substances conduct electricity due to the presence
(Chemical A) has giant _____ structure, which is held by strong ______ bond between ________.
(Chemical B) has simple molecular structure, which is held by weak van der Waals’ force
between molecules.
More energy is required to break the strong _____ bond than weak van der Waals’ force
Therefore, (Chemical A) has higher melting / boiling point than (Chemical B)
Comparison of electrical conductivity
Brittle