Unit 2: Atomic Structure &

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Periodic Table

a
Model Answer

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a
B
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D

Dr. Basma El-wakil 11

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Q1

a
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El
a
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Q2
a
B

atomic atom
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mass protons
D

neutrons

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Q3

It contains a small central nucleus

surrounded by shells of electrons.
The nucleus contains protons & neutrons.

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Atoms are too small to see so models are used to explain their

a
structure & properties.

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El
As new evidence is found, the model is changed to
fit the new evidence.
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Q4
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a
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D

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Q5

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a
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Q6

found in period 2.
El
There are 2 electron shells, so the atom is

There are 4 electrons in the outer shell, so

the atom is found in group 4.
a
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a
B
r.

The number of electron shells indicates the period number

& the number of electrons in the outer most shell indicates the group
D

number.
4 electron shells indicate period 4 & 1 electron in the outer shell indicates
group 1.

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Strength:
1. It shows the position in the periodic table.
2. Can explain reactivity.
3. It shows that the atom contains a small central nucleus containing protons & neutrons and electrons are
found in electron shells surrounding the nucleus.
Limitation:

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1. No indication of scale
2. Electrons are in fixed positions when they are moving around.

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Q7

a
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El
a
In Rutherford's model the electrons are scattered around the nucleus whereas in
today’s model they are in shells.
In Rutherford’s model there was a small positively charged nucleus whereas in
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today’s model the nucleus is made up of protons and neutrons.

a

New evidence from scientific experiments and mathematical calculations no

longer fitted Rutherford's model so a new model was developed to explain the
B

new evidence.
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D

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Q8 You will need to use the information in the Periodic Table to answer the
following questions.
metals 1 2
atomic number
H He
non-metals hydrogen helium
1 mass number 4
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Li Be B C N O F Ne
lithium beryllium boron carbon nitrogen oxygen fluorine neon
7 9 11 12 14 16 19 20
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar
sodium magnesium aluminium silicon phosphorus sulfur chlorine argon

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23 24 27 28 31 32 35 40
19 20

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K Ca
potassium calcium
39 40

Focus

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The atoms of one element are different from the atoms of all other
elements. They have different atomic numbers and mass numbers.

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The smaller number is the atomic number and the larger number is the
mass number.
1 What is the atomic number for magnesium? 12

3
2 What is the mass number for nitrogen? El
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Which element has the atomic number 13? Aluminium
a
4 Which element has the mass number 20? Neon
Atoms of different elements have different numbers of protons, neutrons
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and electrons.
Look at this example:

Lithium
The atomic number
a

Atomic number = 3 tells you how many

Mass number = 7
3 protons there are.
Li
B

Number of protons = 3 lithium

7 The mass number tells
Number of neutrons = 7 − 3 = 4
you how many protons
Number of electrons = 3 (always the same plus neutrons there are.
r.

as the number of protons)

D

Dr. Basma El-wakil 16

5 Complete these numbers for a boron atom.
Boron

Atomic number = 5
11 5
Mass number = B
boron
Number of protons = 5 11
Number of neutrons = 6

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Number of electrons = 5

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Practice

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6 The element carbon has an atomic number of 6 and a mass number
of 12.

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a How many protons does a carbon atom have? 6
b How many electrons does a carbon atom have? 6
c How many neutrons does a carbon atom have? 6
d
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Draw and label the structure of an atom of carbon.
Electron
a
Neutron

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nucleus Proton
a

7 Complete the table.

B

Atomic Mass Electronic

Element Protons Neutrons Electrons
number number structure

beryllium 4 9 4 5 4 2,2
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phosphorus 15 31 15 16 15 2,8,5
D

calcium 20 40 20 20 20 2,8,8,2

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Challenge
8 As you move along the row in the Periodic Table from left to right,
and then along to the next row, the atomic number and the mass
number change.
Look carefully. Describes these changes.

The atomic number

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increases by one every time you move along to the

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next element in the periodic table

The mass number

a
increases in most cases (except between argon and
potassium where the mass number decreases by 1) but the

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increase is not by a fixed number each time.
9 Which two elements have the same mass number?
Calcium and argon
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10 Name an element that is a gas and has the same number of
neutrons as protons.
Helium / Nitrogen / Oxygen / Neon
a

11 Complete the table and identify the element.

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Element: Potassium
atomic number 19
a

mass number 39
B

number of protons 19
number of neutrons 20
number of electrons 19
r.

electronic structure 2,8,8,1

D

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 l
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Q9

a
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Q10
El
a
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Shade this
Shade this
a

column
column green
blue
B
r.
D

Element X

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 Element Z

Q11

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hydrogen

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below

faster

a
Q12

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Chemical properties are observed when a substance
takes part in a chemical reaction.
Physical properties are observed or measured without the substance
changing in a chemical reaction El
a
Q13
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Chemical properties:
reactivity with oxygen, reactivity with water, flammability
Physical properties:
melting point, boiling point, hardness, colour, state of matter
Q14
a
B

They have the same number of electrons in their outer shell

(orbit).
r.
D

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Q15

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7

a
7

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7

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Phosphorus atom has more neutrons and protons in its nucleus than
a
Nitrogen atom.
Phosphorus atom has electrons in three shells but Nitrogen atom has
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electrons in only two shells.

Q16
a
B

Helium
r.

Sodium

Fluorine
D

Aluminium

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Q17

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a
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Z

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a
Bubbles are formed
Fizzing
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Flames are produced

a

Y, it is lower down the group / It is below X in group 1, so it is

B

more reactive .
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They both have one / the same number of electrons in their outer shell.
D

They are in the same group.

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Q18
Focus
In this exercise you compare the structure of atoms in Group 1.
3
Li
lithium
7
11
Elements in the same group are similar.
Na
sodium Lithium, sodium and potassium are elements in Group 1.
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19 They are all metals.
K

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potassium
39

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1 What can you say about the number of protons in these three
metals, as you look down the group?

a
The number of protons increases.
2 What can you say about the mass number of these three metals as

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you look down the group?

The mass number increases.

•
•
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Lithium has electrons arranged in two shells.
It has two electrons in the first (inner) shell,
3p 4n
and one in the second, outer shell.
a
• This is shown as 2,1.
It is called the electronic structure.
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lithium

3 This diagram shows the structure of the sodium atom.

Complete these numbers for sodium:

Atomic number = 11
a

Mass number = 23
B

Number of protons = 11
11p 12n
Number of neutrons = 12
r.

Number of electrons = 11
sodium
D

4 Write the electronic structure of sodium. 2,8,1

5 What is similar about the structures of an atom of lithium and an
atom of sodium?

They have the same number of electrons (one) in the outer shell
and both have 2 electrons in the inner shell .

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6 This diagram shows the structure of the potassium atom. Complete these
numbers for potassium:

Atomic number = 19

Mass number = 39
Number of protons = 19
19p 20n

Number of neutrons = 20

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Number of electrons = 19

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potassium

7 Write the electronic structure of potassium 2,8,8,1

a
8 Compare the structure of the atoms of these three metals in Group1.
What is similar about their structure?

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All have the same number of electrons (One) in the outer
shell.

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What is different about the three atoms? Try to state two differences.

The atoms get bigger (There are more electron shells) as you go
down the group.
a
The atoms have a larger mass (More protons & neutrons) as you
go down the group.
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a
B
r.
D

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Q19 Practice
This exercise will help you to identify trends in groups of the Periodic Table.

1 Explain what is meant by a ‘group’ in the Periodic Table.

A group is a vertical column that contain elements having similar properties.

2 This table contains some data about the elements in Group 7 of the
Periodic Table. The elements are given in descending order.

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Atomic Mass Melting Boiling
Element Reactivity
number number point in °C point in °C

fluorine 9 19 −220 −188 most reactive

a
chlorine 17 35 −101 −34

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bromine 35 80 −7 59 less reactive

iodine 53

astatine 85
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a What trends can you see in this group of the Periodic Table?
a
The melting point increases as you go down the group.
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The boiling point increases as you go down the group.

The reactivity decreases as you go down the group.

b Iodine is the fourth element in this group. Would you expect

a

the melting point of iodine to be higher or lower than that of

bromine?
B

The melting point of iodine will be higher than that of bromine.

C. Iodine is a solid at room
c Would you expect iodine to be a solid, a liquid or a gas at
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temperature. This is because the

room temperature? Give a reason for your answer.
melting point of iodine is likely to
be greater than room temperature
D

(around 22°C). The table shows

d Would you expect iodine to have a higher or lower boiling very large changes in melting
point than astatine? Give a reason for your answer. points between the elements in the
Iodine would have a much lower boiling point than astatine. group. The melting point of
(The trend in the group is: As you go down the group, the boiling point bromine is -7°C so the melting
increases.) point of iodine would be expected
e Would you expect astatine to be more or less reactive than iodine? to be much higher than that.

Astatine is less reactive than iodine as it is below iodine in Group 7.

Dr. Basma El-wakil 25
Q20
Challenge
In this challenge exercise you will use information to compare elements
in the same group.
Group 1

Element Atomic number Mass number Melting point in °C Boiling point in °C

lithium 3 7 180 1360
sodium 11 23 98 900

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potassium 19 39 63 777

Group 7

a
Element Atomic number Mass number Melting point in °C Boiling point in °C
fluorine 9 19 −220 −188

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chlorine 17 35 −101 −34
bromine 35 80 −7 59
Use the information to answer the questions.
1
El
As the atomic numbers in Group 1 increase, what happens to the
melting point?
a
The melting point decreases.

2 As the atomic numbers in Group 7 increase, what happens to the

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melting point?
The melting point increases.
NB: This is the opposite of what happens in Group 1.
(Watch out for any confusion in understanding that -7°C is a higher temperature than -220°C.)
a

3 Compare the trends in boiling points in Group 1 and Group 7.

B

In Group 1, the boiling point decreases as the atomic number increases,

whereas in Group 7, the boiling point increases as the atomic number increases.
OR
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In Group 1, the boiling point decreases down the group.

In Group 7, the boiling point increases down the group.
D

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In Group 1 the least reactive shown in the table is lithium; the most
reactive is potassium.
In Group 7 the least reactive shown in the table is bromine; the most
reactive is fluorine.

4 Describe how reactivity relates to the size of the atoms in each group.
In Group 1:
In Group 1, the least reactive element is the one with the smallest atom; the most reactive is the
one with the largest atom.

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OR

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The reactivity increases as the size of the atom increases.
In Group 7:
In Group 7, the least reactive element is the one with the largest atom; the most reactive is the
one with the smallest atom.

a
OR
The reactivity decreases as the size of the atom increases.

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5 The elements that come next in each group, in order of atomic
number, are:
• rubidium in Group 1
• iodine in Group 7.
El
Make predictions about the reactivity, melting point and boiling
point of rubidium and iodine, compared with the other elements in
their group.
a
Rubidium, Group 1

Reactivity: It will be more reactive than the other elements shown (as it has a larger atom)
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Melting point: It will have a lower melting point

Boiling point: It will have a lower boiling point

a

Iodine, Group 7

Reactivity: It will be less reactive than the other elements shown (as it has a larger atom)
B

Melting point: It will have a higher melting point

r.

Boiling point: It will have a higher boiling point.

D

Dr. Basma El-wakil 27