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MCAT - Chemistry > Class 1 > Flashcards

Class 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What determines the atomic number?

A

The number of protons

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2
Q

What determines atomic mass?

A

Protons + neutrons

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3
Q

What determines the element?

A

Atomic number (protons)

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4
Q

What is the effective charge of an electron?

A

ZERO!

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5
Q

The distance between orbits decreases as distance from the nucleus ________.

A

increases

Thus, the energy “gap” between the lower steps is higher because they are farther apart

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6
Q

Energy increases with _______ distance from the nucleus.

A

increasing

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7
Q

What happens when an electron drops from a higher orbit to a lower one?

Is this an endothermic or exothermic process?

A

Energy is released as a photon.

Exothermic

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8
Q

How can you remember the order of the electromagnetic spectrum?

A 
G randmas
X rated
U nderpants
Are Visible
I n
M y
Room
Gamma
X ray
UV
Visible light (ROYGBIV backwards)
Infrared
Microwave
Radio

Gamma rays = high energy and high frequency, short wavelengths

Radio waves = low energy, low frequency, long wavelengths

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9
Q

What is the equation for the energy of a photon?

A

E = hf = hc/lambda

where h = plancks constant
f= frequency
c = speed of light (3x10^8)
and lamba = wavelength

Note that energy and frequency are directly related but energy and wavelength are INVERSELY related.

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10
Q

How are energy and frequency related?

A

Directly

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11
Q

How are energy and wavelength related?

A

Inversely

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12
Q

Energy _____ with complexity of orbital shape.

So what is the hierarchy?

A

increases

s

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13
Q

The first d block acts like what row?

A

3

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14
Q

The first f block acts like what row?

A

4

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15
Q

What does the Pauli principle say?

A

No two electrons can be identical.

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16
Q

What does the Aufbau principle say?

A

Energy levels will get filled (with electrons) starting with the lowest energy levels (n=1)

Similarly, the highest energy electrons will get removed first.

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17
Q

What is a tricky thing about electron configuration of 4s3d elements?

A

Even though 3d is higher in energy, 4s electrons will be removed first because they are the VALENCE electrons.

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18
Q

What does Hund’s rule say?

A

Electrons will fill up all orbitals singly before pairing

19
Q

What does diamagnetic mean?

A

All electrons are paired up

20
Q

What does paramagnetic mean?

A

Some or all electrons are unpaired.

21
Q

What is the electron configuration of Chromium? Why is this anomalous? What is another example?

A

{Ar}4s1 3d5

3d5 is a half-filled subshell which is particularly stable. Because of this it pulls off an electron from 4s2 to reach this stage. If it hadn’t done this it’d be 4s2 3d4 which is less stable.

The other example is copper! it will be 4s1 3d10 to reach a completely full subshell.

22
Q

What is the most stable group and why?

A

The noble gases which are very non-reactive because they have full octets.

23
Q

What is the first group of the periodic table called?

A

Alkali metals

24
Q

What is the second group of the periodic table called?

A

Alkali earth metals

25
Q

What is a mnemonic for the diatomic atoms?

A

Br I N Cl H O F

B2 (bromine)
I2 (iodine)
N2 (nitrogen)
Cl2 (chlorine)
H2 (hydrogen)
O2 (oxygen)
F2 (fluorine)
26
Q

What group are the halogens?

A

Second farthest right (next to noble gases)

27
Q

What do core electrons do to valence electrons? What can calculate based on this?

A

Shield them from the full nuclear charge. Z effective is equal to core charge - electrons in inner shell.

28
Q

As you move left to right on the periodic table, Z effective ______.

A

Increases

29
Q

As you move left to right on the periodic table, Fe ________. Why?

A

Increases. Because no core electrons are added but Z effective increases

30
Q

What does Z effective do as you move down the periodic table?

A

Virtually nothing because protons and core electrons are being added in equal number.

31
Q

What does Fe do as you move down the periodic table?

A

Fe decreases because Z effective isn’t really changing, but orbital size is getting bigger.

32
Q

Overall, the force on valence electrons does what across the periodic table?

A

Increases up and to the right

33
Q

Atomic radius _______ moving left to right across the periodic table

A

decreases (because Fe is increasing and thus pulling the electrons in tighter)

34
Q

Atomic radius _______ moving top to bottom down the periodic table

A

increases (because Fe is decreasing and thus electrons aren’t pulled in as tightly).

35
Q

Overall, the ionization energy does what across the periodic table?

A

Increases up and right

just like Fe, duh! If they’re pulled in more tightly, it’s hard to snatch em!

36
Q

Electron affinity does what across the periodic table?

A

Increases (more negative) up and to the right

37
Q

What is electronegativity?

A

The ability to attract electrons

38
Q

Electronegativity does what across the periodic table?

A

Increases up and right

39
Q

What mnemonic helps you remember the relative electronegativity of the top right corner?

A

F > O > N > Cl > Br > I > S > C > H

40
Q

Higher electronegativity = ________ acidity

A

higher

41
Q

Overall, acidity does what across the periodic table?

A

increases down and to the right

42
Q

What type of shells are extra stable?

A

Closed shell.

i.e. things that end in s2, p6, d10.

43
Q

What is the concentration of I- ions in a 0.20 M solution of magnesium iodide?

A

The concentration of I- ions in a 0.20 M solution of magnesium iodide is 0.40 M.

Since the empirical formula for magnesium iodide is MgI2, two moles of dissolved I- result from each mole of dissolved MgI2. Therefore, if [MgI2] = 0.20 M, then [I-] = 2(0.20 M) = 0.40 M.

44
Q

What is beta decay?

A

Beta decay (β–) results in the conversion of a proton to a neutron and an emitted beta particle.

MCAT - Chemistry (7 decks)

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