Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2014

Last exams 2024

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Atomic & Electronic Structure (DP IB Chemistry: SL)

Exam Questions

2 hours43 questions
1a
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3 marks

Deduce the missing information using section 5 of the data booklet, and complete the following table.

Symbol Protons Neutrons Electrons
23Na      
32S2-      
86Sr2+      

1b
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2 marks

A sample of Rh contains the following isotopes. Calculate the relative atomic mass of Rh in the sample. Give your answer to 2 dp.

Isotope % Abundance
101Rh 85
102Rh 15

1c
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2 marks

Deduce the number of protons, neutrons and electrons in an atom of 102Rh.

1d1 mark

Give the atomic symbol of an element which has more protons than neutrons. Use its most common isotope.

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2a
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1 mark

The atomic mass of each element in the periodic table is based on the carbon-12 scale.

Describe the composition of an atom of carbon-12.

2b
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1 mark

Carbon also exists as the isotope 14C. How does the composition of this isotope differ from that of carbon-12.

2c1 mark

The relative abundance of isotopes in a sample of carbon is 94% 12C and 6% 14C.

How would this information be obtained.

2d
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1 mark

Calculate the relative atomic mass of the carbon sample in part c)

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3a1 mark

Describe what is meant by the term orbital.

3b2 marks

Draw the shapes of the s, px, py and pz orbitals.

3c
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1 mark

State the maximum number of orbitals in the n = 4 energy level.

3d2 marks

List the d, f, p and s orbitals in order of decreasing energies.

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4a2 marks

Write the full electronic configurations for the following species 

i)
K

ii)
Sr2+
4b2 marks

Write the condensed electronic configurations for the following species

i)
Na

 

ii)
Al3+
4c2 marks

Complete the orbital diagrams of phosphorus and fluorine as shown in the diagram below.

2-1-ib-sl-sq-easy-q4c

4d2 marks

Give the number of each type of orbital in the first four energy levels.

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5a3 marks

Using sections 1 and 3 of the data booklet describe how the following change in moving from the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum to the radio region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

i)
Wavelength

ii)
Frequency

iii)
Energy

5b3 marks

Describe the process occurring in an atom to produce a single line on an emission spectrum.

5c2 marks

Distinguish between a continuous spectrum and a line spectrum.

5d3 marks
Describe the emission spectrum of hydrogen. Outline how this spectrum is related to the energy levels in the hydrogen atom.

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1a3 marks

Using your knowledge of atomic structure, complete Table 1 below for the particles found in an atom. 

Table 1

Particle

Relative charge

Relative mass

Proton

   

Neutron

   

Electron

   

1b1 mark

The actual mass of protons, neutrons and electrons is given in Table 2.

Table 2

 

Proton

Neutron

Electron

Mass (kg)

1.672622 x 10-27

1.674927 x 10-27

9.109383 x 10-31

 

Calculate the mass, in g, of a nitrogen molecule.

1c2 marks

Oxygen consists of three stable isotopes, oxygen-16, oxygen-17, and oxygen-18.

State the particles present in each isotope and outline what differences would be expected in the chemical reactivity of the three isotopes.

1d1 mark

Suggest why some elements have several isotopes and others, like fluorine, have only one known isotope (known as monoisotopic elements).

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2a2 marks

Nitrous oxide is used as a sedative in dentistry and has the formula N2O.
Different sources of N2O contain different ratios of 14N and 15N.           

State the name of the instrument used to distinguish between 14N and 15N and outline two characteristic differences seen in the analysis of 14N and 15N.

2b2 marks

A sample of nitrous oxide was enriched so that it contained 4% by mass of 15N. Calculate the relative molecular mass of the resulting nitrous oxide.

2c3 marks

Predict and explain, giving two reasons, how the first ionization energy of 15N would be different to 14N.

2d2 marks

An atom has twice as many protons, and twice as many neutrons, as an atom of 15N.

Determine the chemical symbol for this atom, including the mass number, and deduce the number of electrons.

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3a2 marks

The element chromium has several naturally occurring isotopes whose abundances are shown in Table 1.

Table 1

Mass number

% abundance

50

4.345

52

83.789

53

9.501

54

2.365

 

Calculate the relative atomic mass of chromium to two decimal places.

3b1 mark

State the full electron configuration for chromium.

3c2 marks

State the meaning of [Ar] and complete the orbital diagram shown below for chromium.

Figure 1

2-1-ib-chemistry-sq-q3c-medium

3d2 marks

This question is about the chromium(III) ion, Cr presubscript 24 presuperscript 52 superscript 3 plus end superscript.

i)
State the number of protons, electrons, and neutrons in the chromium(III) ion. 

ii)
Write the full electron configuration for the chromium(III) ion. 

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4a6 marks

This question is about line emission spectra of elements.

i)
Explain the difference between a continuous spectrum and a line spectrum. 

ii)
Draw a labelled diagram that shows electron transitions in a hydrogen atom in the ultraviolet and visible regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Include three  electron transitions for each region. 
4b2 marks

The visible line emission spectrum of hydrogen is shown below in Figure 1 and the wavelengths of the first four lines are listed in Table 1.

i)
Use the information provided and Sections 1 and 2 of the IB data booklet to determine the frequency of the red line.

Figure 12-1-ib-chemistry-sq-q4b-medium

The visible line emission spectrum hydrogen

 Table 1

Balmer spectral line

Wavelength in nm

Colour

656

Red

486

Blue(cyan)

434

Blue

410

Violet

 

ii)
Which spectral line carries more energy, Hα or Hδ?
4c1 mark

Draw the shape of a 1s atomic orbital and 2p atomic orbital.    

4d2 marks

Describe the relationship between colour, energy, frequency, and wavelength in the visible spectrum.

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5a3 marks

Electron configurations give you a summary of where you can find an electron around the nucleus of an atom. They can also be determined for an ion after an atom loses or gains electrons.

i)
State the full electron configuration of the rubidium ion, Rb presubscript 37 presuperscript 85 superscript plus. 

ii)
State and explain the relative size of a rubidium ion compared to a krypton atom. 

5b2 marks

The element rubidium has two naturally occurring isotopes of 85Rb and 87Rb. The relative atomic mass of rubidium is 85.47. Calculate the percentage abundance of each isotope.

5c2 marks

The electrons in an atom are found in orbitals around the nucleus, which have different energy levels sometimes called shells.

i)
The fourth shell consists of the atomic orbitals 4d, 4f, 4p and 4s. List these orbitals in order of increasing energy. 

ii)
State the number of atomic orbitals present in 4d, 4f, 4p and 4s. 

 

5d1 mark

Rubidium forms an ionic compound with selenium, Rb2 Using boxes to represent orbitals and arrows to represent electrons, sketch the orbital diagram of the valence shell of selenium on the axis provided.

Figure 1

2-1-ib-chemistry-sq-q5d-medium

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1a2 marks

Give the full electron configuration of the following atoms and ions.

ii)        Zinc (II) ion, Zn2+

[1]

iii)       Copper (II) ion, Cu2+

[1]

1b
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3 marks

Chlorine has two naturally occurring isotopes, 35Cl with a mass of 34.969 and 37Cl with a mass of 36.966. The relative atomic mass of Cl is 35.5. Calculate the percentage abundance of each isotope.

1c2 marks

Predict whether the atomic radius of 35Cl or 37Cl would be the greater and give a reason for your answer. 

1d
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4 marks

A sample of cerium, Ce, was analysed in a  mass spectrometer. The relative abundances of three of the four main isotopes that were identified are shown in the table below.

A sample of cerium, Ce, has four isotopes that have a known relative abundance. This sample has an Ar of 140.12.

Isotope

136Ce

138Ce

140Ce

mCe

Abundance (%)

0.19

0.25

88.45

To be calculated 

Use the data from the table to calculate m, the mass number and the percentage abundance of isotope mCe.

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2a
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3 marks

A sample of element Z was extracted from a meteorite. The table shows the relative abundance of each isotope in a mass spectrum of this sample of Z. Calculate the relative atomic mass of Z and suggest an identity of Z. Give your answer to 1 d.p. 

m/z value

64

66

67

68

Relative abundance (%)

38.9

27.8

14.7

18.6

[3]

2b
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3 marks

A naturally occurring sample of the element boron, B, has two isotopes of mass 10 and 11, and a relative atomic mass of 10.8.

Calculate the relative abundances of both isotopes in the sample of boron, B.

2c1 mark

Give the full electron configuration of the Cu+ ion. 

2d
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3 marks

Calculate the percentage abundance of 63Cu with a mass of 62.9296 and 65Cu with a mass of 64.9278, when the average mass of the Cu isotope is 63.546. Give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures.

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3a1 mark

The diagram below shows electron transitions in a hydrogen atom in two regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.

hydrogen-emission-spectrum

Using section 3 of the Data booklet, predict which electron transition is most likely to correspond to the emission of red light.

3b1 mark

Using sections 1 and 3 of the data booklet, predict which electron transition will correspond to the greatest frequency of light emitted.

3c
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1 mark

The wavelengths of the first four lines for the Balmer series are shown below.

Balmer spectral line Wavelength in nm Colour
Hα 656 red
Hβ 486 cyan(blue)
Hγ 434 blue
Hδ 410 violet

Using section 1 of the Data booklet, determine the ratio of the frequencies Hα to Hγ to 2 decimal places.

3d1 mark

2-chloro-2-methylbutane contains some molecules with a molar mass of approximately 106 g mol-1  and some with a molar mass of approximately 108 g mol-1.

Outline why there are molecules with different molar masses.

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4a2 marks

Outline why the chlorine atom has a smaller atomic radius than the sulfur atom.

4b1 mark

The mass spectrum of chlorine gas is shown.

chlorine-mass-spectrum

 Outline the reason for the two peaks at m/z=35 and 37.

4c2 marks

Explain the presence and relative abundance of the peak at m/z=74.

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