BMST Atomic Structure and Bonding 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the charge of a neutron?
- +1
- -1
- 0 (Correct answer)
- +2
Correct answer: 0
Neutrons carry no electrical charge; they are electrically neutral particles in the nucleus.
Question 2: Which element has the electron configuration 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s¹?
- Magnesium
- Sodium (Correct answer)
- Aluminum
- Neon
Correct answer: Sodium
Sodium (Na) has atomic number 11, and its electron configuration ends with one electron in the 3s subshell.
Question 3: What does the octet rule state?
- Atoms always have 8 neutrons
- Atoms are most stable with 8 valence electrons (Correct answer)
- Atoms can only form 8 bonds
- The nucleus holds 8 protons
Correct answer: Atoms are most stable with 8 valence electrons
The octet rule states that atoms tend to bond in ways that give them 8 valence electrons, achieving noble gas stability.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes a nonpolar covalent bond?
- Electrons are completely transferred
- Electrons are equally shared between atoms (Correct answer)
- One atom donates both electrons
- Electrons orbit only one nucleus
Correct answer: Electrons are equally shared between atoms
Nonpolar covalent bonds form when two atoms of equal electronegativity share electrons equally.
Question 5: Rutherford's gold foil experiment proved that atoms have a:
- Uniform distribution of mass
- Small, dense, positively charged nucleus (Correct answer)
- Negatively charged core surrounded by protons
- Flat disc-like structure
Correct answer: Small, dense, positively charged nucleus
When alpha particles deflected at large angles, Rutherford concluded the atom has a small, dense, positive nucleus.
Question 6: How many valence electrons does oxygen have?
- 2
- 4
- 6 (Correct answer)
- 8
Correct answer: 6
Oxygen (atomic number 8) has the configuration 1s² 2s² 2p⁴, giving it 6 valence electrons in the second shell.
Question 7: Which type of intermolecular force is responsible for the high boiling point of water?
- London dispersion forces
- Dipole-dipole forces
- Hydrogen bonding (Correct answer)
- Ionic attraction
Correct answer: Hydrogen bonding
Water's unusually high boiling point results from strong hydrogen bonds between its polar O–H groups.
BMST Atomic Structure and Bonding 4
What is the charge of a neutron?