Metallic Bonding (Edexcel IGCSE Chemistry): Exam Questions

The table below shows the properties of four substances, W, X, Y and Z.

Use the information in the table to identify the substance that is a metal.

The diagram shows the arrangement of ions in copper metal.

Which statement explains a physical property of copper?

Zinc is a typical metal.

Describe the structure and bonding in zinc.

Explain how zinc is able to conduct electricity.

The surface of some metals, such as iron and copper, corrode when exposed to the air which reduces their electrical conductivity. 

Suggest why their conductivity is reduced.

Magnesium ribbon is used in many school laboratories for carrying out reactions involving metals and acids. It can be cut and folded easily. 

Explain why metals can be bent and shaped.

This question is about potassium. 

Potassium is located in Group 1 of the Periodic Table.

i) State the electronic configuration for a potassium atom.

(1)

ii) State the formula of a potassium ion.

(1)

One physical property of potassium is that it is soft. 

i) Give two other physical properties of potassium. 

    (2)

ii) Give one chemical property of potassium.

(1)

Potassium can react with chlorine to form potassium chloride. 

Compare the structure and bonding of potassium with potassium chloride. 

Explain the conditions in which potassium oxide can conduct electricity.

Gallium is a metallic element in Group 3. It has similar properties to aluminium.

i) Describe the structure and bonding in a metallic element. You should include a labelled diagram in your answer.

(3)

ii) Explain why metallic elements such as gallium are good conductors of electricity.

(2)

Gallium exists as two stable isotopes, gallium-69 and gallium-71.

Complete the following table to show the number of protons, electrons and neutrons in each particle.

Give the formulae of

Gallium(III) chloride ......................................

Gallium(III) sulfate ........................................

Alloys of gallium and other elements are often more useful than the metallic element itself.

Suggest two reasons why alloys of gallium are more useful than the metallic element.

Which statement describes metallic bonding?

This question is about metals.

Which statement describes metallic bonding?

Aluminium is malleable and can be easily shaped to make saucepans used for cooking food.

State two other properties of aluminium that make it suitable for saucepans used for cooking food.

1.......................................................................

2.......................................................................

Magnalium is an alloy of aluminium and magnesium.

i) State what is meant by the term alloy.

(1)

ii) Explain why magnalium is harder than aluminium.

(3)

Copper is a typical metal. 

Explain how the particles in copper are held together and why the metal is malleable.

 You may use a diagram in your answer. 

Metals are good conductors of electricity. 

Electrical conductivity increases across Period 3, from sodium to aluminium.

Explain why. 

Copper can react with oxygen to form copper (II) oxide. Explain the charge on the oxide ion. 

Write a half equation for the process that copper undergoes when it reacts with oxygen. 

Stainless steel is an alloy of iron, chromium and nickel. 

Iron is a typical metal. 

Explain why it has a high melting point.

Explain why stainless steel is harder than the iron it is made from. 

Early hip replacement joints were made from stainless steel.  Apart from being harder, suggest one other property of stainless steel that made them useful as hip replacement joints.

Explain why nickel and chromium are both good thermal conductors. 

Both lithium and lithium chloride contain ions of lithium. However, the structure bonding and properties of these substances are very different.

State how the ions are held together in solid lithium and in solid lithium chloride.

Table 4.1 below shows the melting and boiling points of lithium and lithium chloride.

Table 4.1

Explain what can be deduced from the information in Table 4.1.

Two students, A and B, are comparing the properties of lithium and lithium chloride. Student A states that both lithium and lithium chloride will conduct electricity, but Student B states that only lithium will conduct electricity. 

State whether Student A, Student B, or neither student is correct. Explain your answer.

Student A and B then went on to discuss the bonding in another substance, CaF₂.

Explain, in terms of electrons, how CaF₂ is formed from its atoms.