Improvements for paper 1

Question 1

Give properties of transition metals which make them different from other metals?

Answer 1

Catalytic properties, usually coloured, more dense.

Question 2

Compare the reactivity of Sodium and Potassium

Answer 2

Potassium is the more reactive metal as reactivity increases down the group. This is due to the attraction between the nucleus and electrons decreasing the further down you go.

Question 3

Why are transition metals good heat conductors?

Answer 3

Delocalised electrons transfer energy across the metal.

Question 4

Why does the structure of a transition metal mean that it can be bent and shaped?

Answer 4

Layers of ions within silver are able to slide over each other.

Question 5

Give uses of fullerenes?

Answer 5

Drug delivery in medicine, lubricants or in electronics.

Question 6

Why is graphite soft and slippery?

Answer 6

Because it has layers of carbon atoms with weak intermolecular forces between them so they easily slide over each other.

Question 7

What is the structure and bonding of diamond like?

Answer 7

Each carbon atom forms 4 covalent bonds. Diamond doesn’t have any delocalised electrons. The structure of diamond is a tetrahedral lattice.

Question 8

What is the structure and bonding to graphite like?

Answer 8

Each carbon atoms forms 3 covalent bonds, graphite has delocalised electrons and the structure is made up of sheets of carbon atoms arranged in hexagons.

Question 9

How do you workout the relative atomic mass from abundance?

Answer 9

Atomic mass=
sum of (isotope abundance x isotope mass number) /
sum of abundance of all isotopes.

Question 10

how is a salt made?

Answer 10

neutralisation of an acid with a base

Question 11

Why do alloys make metals harder?

Answer 11

As they consist of a mixture of metals, and the different sizes of the atoms distorts the layers, making it more difficult to slide over each other