Atomic Structure & Bonding

Question 1

What is an atom?

Answer 1

The smallest particle of an element that can exist.

Question 2

What is an element?

Answer 2

A substance that is made up of one type of atom only.

Question 3

What is a compound?

Answer 3

A substance made from atoms of different elements chemically bonded together, in fixed proportion.

Question 4

What is a mixture?

Answer 4

Two or more substances combined together but not held together by a chemical bond.

Question 5

What is an isotope?

Answer 5

Form of an element with atoms that have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons

Question 6

What is relative atomic mass?

Answer 6

The average mass of the atoms in an element.

Question 7

What is the radius of an atom?

Answer 7

About 1x10⁻¹⁰ metres

Question 8

How large is the nucleus compared to the atom?

Answer 8

Less than 1/10,000 of the atom’s radius

Question 9

What is the overall charge of an atom? Why?

Answer 9

0 because the number of protons and electrons is always equal.

Question 10

What is the relative charge and relative mass of a proton?

Answer 10

Charge: +1
Mass: 1

Question 11

What is the relative charge and relative mass of a neutron?

Answer 11

Charge: 0
Mass: 1

Question 12

What is the relative charge and relative mass of a electron?

Answer 12

Charge: -1
Mass: almost 0 (1/1836)

Question 13

What is ionic bonding?

Answer 13

Bonding between oppositely charged particles, held together by electrostatic forces of attraction.

The positive ions are often metals and the negative ions are often non-metals.

Question 14

What is covalent bonding?

Answer 14

Bonding between 2 non-metals, that share a pair of electrons.

Question 15

What is metallic bonding? And what does it consist of?

Answer 15

Bonding between metallic elements and alloys.

Consists of giant structures of atoms arranged in a regular pattern.

Question 16

What are simple molecules?

Answer 16

They contain only a few atoms, which are held together by covalent bonds.

Question 17

What are the 2 forms of covalent bonding structures?

Answer 17

. Simple molecular
. Giant lattice

Question 18

Describe how an ionic bond forms between a metal atom and a non-metal atom, in terms of electron transfer.

Answer 18

The metal atom loses electrons to form a positively charged ion.
The non-metal atom gains these electrons to form a negatively charged ion.

These oppositely charged ions form an ionic bond, due to the electrostatic forces of attraction between them.

Question 19

What is an ion?

Answer 19

An atom that has gained or lost electrons.

If it has gained electrons it will be negatively charged because electrons are negative.
If it has lost electrons it will be positively charged.

Question 20

Do ionic compounds have high or low melting points? Why?

Answer 20

Ionic compounds have high melting points,

Because of the strong electrostatic forces of attraction between the ions.

Question 21

Explain why ionic compounds conduct electricity when molten, but not when solid.

Answer 21

The ions in a solid ionic compound are held in place in a giant lattice structure, so they cannot move around.

When an ionic compound melts, the ionic bonds break and the ions become free to move and can carry an electric charge.