Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

AQA A Level Chemistry > [ 1 & 2 ] 3.1.1 — Atomic structure > Flashcards

[ 1 & 2 ] 3.1.1 — Atomic structure Flashcards

1
Q

What are the three fundamental particles that make up an atom?

A

Protons, neutrons, and electrons

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Where are protons and neutrons located in an atom?

A

In the nucleus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is the charge and approximate mass of a proton?

A

+1 unit, Approx 1 unit

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the charge and approximate mass of a neutron?

A

No charge, Approx 1 unit

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the charge and approximate mass of an electron?

A

-1 unit, Approx 1/1840 units

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

How is an atomic mass unit defined?

A

1/12th of the mass of one atom of carbon-12

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What does the atomic number (Z) represent?

A

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is the mass number (A) of an atom?

A

The sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are isotopes?

A

Atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is a cation?

A

An ion with a positive charge

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is an anion?

A

An ion with a negative charge

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is relative atomic mass (RAM)?

A

The ratio of the average mass of one atom of an element to 1/12th of the mass of an atom of carbon-12

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How is the relative molecular mass of a molecule calculated?

A

The sum of the relative atomic masses of its constituent atoms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is the first stage of mass spectrometry?

A

Electrospray ionisation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What happens during the acceleration stage of mass spectrometry?

A

Positive ions are accelerated by an electric field

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What does the time of flight depend on in mass spectrometry?

A

The mass and charge of the ions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the formula for calculating relative atomic masses?

A

Σ (percentage abundance of each isotope x mass of each isotope) / 100

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the Aufbau principle?

A

Electrons always fill the lowest energy orbitals first

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is Hund’s rule?

A

Electrons never pair up in an orbital until all orbitals at that energy level have one electron

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What are the shapes of s and p orbitals?

A

Spherical for s-orbitals; figure of eight for p-orbitals

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

How many orbitals are in the first energy level?

A

1 x 1s

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

How many maximum electrons can be held in the second energy level?

A

8

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is the significance of the nucleus size in comparison to the atom?

A

The nucleus is very small compared to the entire atom

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is the relationship between the mass of protons, neutrons, and atomic mass units?

A

Mass of protons and neutrons contributes to the atomic mass unit, with carbon-12 as a standard

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What does the relative isotopic mass represent?
The ratio of the mass of one atom of that isotope to 1/12th of the mass of one atom of carbon-12
26
What type of ions are formed when an atom loses electrons?
Cations
27
What type of ions are formed when an atom gains electrons?
Anions
28
What is the maximum number of electrons in the fourth energy level?
18
29
What is the general trend for the energy of orbitals within a given energy level?
s < p < d < f
30
What does the Aufbau principle state?
Electrons always fill the lowest energy orbitals first.
31
State Hund's rule.
Electrons never pair up in the same orbital until all orbitals of the same energy are singly occupied, and all unpaired electrons have parallel spin.
32
What is the Pauli exclusion principle?
Only two electrons may occupy the same orbital, and they must do so with opposite spin.
33
What is electronic configuration?
The arrangement of electrons in an atom.
34
How can electronic configuration be represented?
Using the arrow and box method or the orbital method.
35
Fill in the blank: The electronic configuration of hydrogen (H) is _______.
1s1
36
What is the shorthand notation for full electron shells?
Represented by the symbol of the element in square brackets.
37
What is the electronic configuration of Neon (Ne)?
1s22s22p6
38
What is the electronic configuration of Sodium (Na)?
1s22s22p63s1
39
What happens to the electronic configuration of ions?
Electrons are added or removed according to specific rules.
40
List the rules for removing electrons from ions.
* Remove outer shell electrons first * Remove p-electrons first, then s-electrons and then d-electrons * Remove paired electrons before unpaired electrons in the same sub-level
41
What factors influence the chemical properties of an atom?
* Number of protons * Electronic configuration
42
True or False: Neutrons affect the chemical properties of an atom.
False
43
What is the definition of the periodic table?
A list of all known elements arranged in order of increasing atomic number.
44
What is a period in the periodic table?
A row of elements arranged by increasing atomic number.
45
Define a group in the periodic table.
A column of elements with similar outer-shell electronic configurations.
46
What are the four main blocks in the periodic table?
* s-block * p-block * d-block * f-block
47
What is the first ionisation energy?
The energy required to remove one electron from each of a mole of free gaseous atoms.
48
What does the effective nuclear charge refer to?
The residual positive charge felt by outermost electrons after shielding.
49
List the four factors to consider when discussing ionisation energies.
* Nuclear charge * Shielding * Effective nuclear charge * Electron repulsion
50
What explains the higher ionisation energy of helium compared to hydrogen?
Helium has two protons, leading to a stronger attraction of electrons.
51
Compare the first ionisation energy of lithium and beryllium.
Beryllium has a higher first ionisation energy due to a higher effective nuclear charge.
52
What is the significance of periodic trends?
They show how properties change gradually across periods and groups in the periodic table.
53
Fill in the blank: The electronic configuration of copper (Cu) is _______.
[Ar] 4s1 3d10
54
What is unique about the electronic configurations of chromium and copper?
They have unusual structures due to energy differences between 3d and 4s orbitals.
55
What is the first ionisation energy of Li compared to He?
The first ionisation energy of Li is lower than that of He. ## Footnote This is because Li has an effective nuclear charge of +1 on its 2s electrons, while He has a +2 effective nuclear charge on its 1s electrons.
56
Why is the first ionisation energy of Be higher than that of Li?
Be has a higher effective nuclear charge than Li, which means its electrons are more strongly attracted to the nucleus. ## Footnote Be has one more proton and no extra inner-shell electrons compared to Li.
57
What is the general trend of first ionisation energy across a period?
The first ionisation energy increases across a period. ## Footnote This is due to the increasing nuclear charge while shielding remains the same.
58
How does the first ionisation energy change from Be to B?
The first ionisation energy of B is lower than that of Be. ## Footnote This is because B has an effective nuclear charge of +1 due to shielding from extra inner-shell electrons.
59
What is the reason for the decrease in first ionisation energy from group II to group III?
In group III, electrons are removed from a p-orbital, which is shielded by s-electrons, leading to a decrease in effective nuclear charge. ## Footnote This makes it easier to remove the outer electron.
60
What happens to the first ionisation energy from B to N?
The first ionisation energy increases from B to N. ## Footnote This is due to an increasing effective nuclear charge while the number of shielding electrons remains the same.
61
Why does the first ionisation energy drop from N to O?
The first ionisation energy of O is lower than that of N because the electron is removed from a paired orbital where electrons repel each other. ## Footnote This repulsion makes the paired electrons less stable and easier to remove.
62
What is the trend in first ionisation energies down a group?
First ionisation energies decrease down a group. ## Footnote This occurs because the number of inner shells increases, leading to greater shielding and decreased stability of outer electrons.
63
What is the second ionisation energy?
The second ionisation energy is the energy required to remove one electron from each of a mole of free gaseous unipositive ions. ## Footnote It can be represented as M+(g) 🡪 M2+(g) + e.
64
How does the first ionisation energy of aluminium change with successive ionisation?
The first ionisation energy is low, the second and third are significantly higher, and there is a huge jump to the fourth ionisation energy. ## Footnote This is due to changes in effective nuclear charge and electron shielding.
65
What is the atomic size trend across a period?
The size of atoms decreases across a period. ## Footnote This is because the nuclear charge increases while shielding remains the same, pulling outer electrons closer.
66
What happens to atomic size when moving down a group?
Atomic size increases down a group. ## Footnote This occurs because the number of shells increases, and the increase in shielding outweighs the nuclear charge.
67
How does ionic size compare to atomic size for cations?
Cations are always smaller than the corresponding atoms. ## Footnote This is because removing an electron decreases repulsion among the remaining electrons, allowing them to move closer to the nucleus.
68
How does ionic size compare to atomic size for anions?
Anions are always larger than the corresponding atoms. ## Footnote This is because adding an electron increases repulsion among electrons, pushing them further from the nucleus.

AQA A Level Chemistry (34 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions