IGCSE Edexcel Chemistry 2 hours 16 questions

Exam Questions

Ionic Bonding
Formation of Ions / Common Ions / Formulae for Ionic Compounds / Ionic Bonds:
Dot & Cross Diagrams / Ionic compounds: Bonds, Structure & Properties

Easy (5 questions) /21 Scan here to return to the course

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Medium (6 questions) /34

Hard (5 questions) /63

Total Marks /118

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

Substance Melting point Boiling point Conducts electricity when

/ oC / oC
solid liquid

W 3410 5930 yes yes

X 801 1413 no yes

Y 3550 4830 no no

Z -91 98 no no

Use the information in the table to identify the substance that is an ionic compound.

A. substance W
B. substance X
C. substance Y
D. substance Z
(1 mark)

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2 (a) The table shows some properties of four substances, P, Q, R and S.

Substance Melting Point / oC Boiling Point / oC Conducts electricity when

solid liquid

P 3410 5930 yes yes

Q 734 1435 no yes

R -95 69 no no

S 2507 3900 no no

Use the information in the table to answer the following questions. You may use each
letter once, more than once or not at all.

Choose a substance that is a solid at 3000 °C.

A. substance P
B. substance Q
C. substance R
D. substance S
(1 mark)

(b) Choose a substance that is a liquid at 25 °C.

A. substance P
B. substance Q
C. substance R
D. substance S
(1 mark)

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(c) Choose a substance that is an ionic compound.

A. substance P
B. substance Q
C. substance R
D. substance S
(1 mark)

(d) Choose a substance that is a metal.

A. substance P
B. substance Q
C. substance R
D. substance S
(1 mark)

3 Which of the statements describes ionic bonding?

A. Electrostatic attraction between atoms

B. Electrostatic attraction between positively charged particles and delocalized
electrons

C. Electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions

D. Electrostatic attraction between the nuclei of two atoms and a shared pair of
electrons
(1 mark)

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4 (a) This question is about lithium and chlorine.

Which group of the Periodic Table is chlorine in?

(1 mark)

(b) Lithium reacts with chlorine to produce lithium chloride.

lithium + chlorine ⎯⎯⎯ lithium chloride

The diagram shows how the reaction happens.

Only the outer electrons are shown.

Use the words in the boxes to complete the sentences:

gaining sharing positive group 1 negative

covalent losing group 0 electrostatic neutral

A lithium atom becomes an ion by ............................................... one electron.

A lithium ion has a ............................................... charge.

The lithium ion now has the electronic structure of a ............................................... element.

The ions in lithium chloride are held together by strong ...............................................

forces.

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 (4 marks)

(c) Why do lithium and chlorine react in this way?

(2 marks)

(d) Magnesium and bromine will form an ionic compound, like lithium and chlorine.

What is the formula of the ionic compound formed from magnesium and bromine?

Tick (✓) one box.

MgBr

MgBr2

Mg2Br

(1 mark)

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5 (a) Sodium chloride is an ionic compound which is soluble in water. Sodium ions and
chloride ions bond together forming an ionic lattice.

i) Explain how a sodium atom becomes a sodium ion.

(2)

ii) Explain how a chlorine atom becomes a chloride ion.

(2)

(4 marks)

(b) Which of the following explains why sodium fluoride is soluble in water.

Tick (✓) one box.

Both ionic compounds and water are polar substances

Ionic compounds have weak bonds

Water has weak bonds

(1 mark)

(c) Sodium fluoride has a melting point 993 °C. Why does sodium fluoride have a high
melting point.

Tick (✓) one box.

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 The electrons and positive ions attract strongly

The covalent bonds between the ions are strong

There are strong bonds between the positively and negatively charged ions

(1 mark)

(d) Sodium fluoride can conduct electricity when either molten or in solution. Why can
sodium fluoride only conduct electricity when molten or in solution.

Tick (✓) one box.

Electrons can move and carry a charge

Ions can move and carry a charge

Electrons can flow throughout the ionic lattice

(1 mark)

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Medium Questions
1 (a) This question is about sodium oxide, Na2O

The diagram shows the electronic configuration of atoms of sodium and oxygen.

Sodium Oxygen

Describe the changes in the electronic configuration of the atoms of sodium and oxygen
to form the ions in sodium oxide.

(3 marks)

(b) Calculate the relative formula mass (Mr) of sodium oxide, Na2O, using information from
the Periodic Table.

Mr = ..............................

(1 mark)

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(c) Explain why solid sodium oxide does not conduct electricity.

(2 marks)

(d) Give a test to show that sodium oxide contains sodium ions.

(2 marks)

(e) When sodium oxide is heated it reacts to form sodium metal and sodium peroxide,
Na2O2

Complete the equation for this reaction.

Na2O →

(1 mark)

2 What is the formula of potassium sulfate?

A. K2(SO4)2
B. K(SO4)2
C. K2SO4
D. KSO4
(1 mark)

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3 (a) The formation of ions and covalent bonds involves electrons. The table gives the
electronic configurations of atoms of hydrogen, lithium and chlorine.

Element Electronic configuration of atom

hydrogen 1

lithium 2.1

chlorine 2.8.7

Describe the different roles of electrons in the formation of

ions in lithium chloride

covalent bonds in hydrogen chloride

(3 marks)

(b) Explain why lithium chloride has a higher melting point than hydrogen chloride.

Refer to structure and bonding in your answer.

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 (5 marks)

4 Which of the following dot-and-cross diagrams shows the correct arrangement of

electrons in lithium sulfide?

A.

B.

C.

D.

(1 mark)

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5 (a) This is a question about metals and their compounds.)

State one property of metals.

(1 mark)

(b) Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature.

Describe the difference in the movement of particles in liquid mercury and in a solid
metal.

(2 marks)

(c) Magnesium is a metal that burns in air.

i) State one observation made during the combustion of magnesium metal.

(1)

ii) State one chemical property of the product of combustion that can be used to classify
magnesium as a metal.

(1)

(2 marks)

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(d) In the absence of air, magnesium reacts with sulfur to form the ionic compound
magnesium sulfide, MgS

i) Give a reason why the reaction needs to be done in the absence of air.

(1)

ii) Describe, in terms of electrons, the formation of the ions in magnesium sulfide.

Give the charges on the ions.

(3)

iii) Explain why magnesium sulfide has a very high melting point.

(3)

iv) Magnesium sulfide reacts with hydrochloric acid to form magnesium chloride and
hydrogen sulfide gas, H2S

Give the chemical equation for this reaction.

(2)

(9 marks)

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6 The diagram shows the electronic configurations of an atom of lithium and an atom of
oxygen.

Which statement is not correct about the changes in electronic configuration that occur
when lithium and oxygen react to form lithium oxide, Li2O?

A. Two lithium atoms each lose one electron

B. One oxygen atom gains 2 electrons
C. A lithium ion has an electronic configuration of 2
D. An oxide ion has an electronic configuration of 2.6
(1 mark)

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Hard Questions
1 (a) This question is about ionic compounds.

The table shows the formulae of some positive and negative ions, and the formulae of
some compounds containing these ions.

Mg2+ Al3+ NH4+

S2- MgS Al2S3

NO3- Al(NO3)3 NH4NO3

CO32- MgCO3 (NH4)2CO3

i) Complete the table by giving the three missing formulae.

(3)

ii) Give the name of the compound with the formula NH4NO3

(1)

(4 marks)

(b) Sodium oxide, Na2O, is an ionic compound. The sodium and oxide ions are held together
by ionic bonds.

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i) State the meaning of the term ionic bond.

(2)

ii) The diagram shows the arrangement of the electrons in a sodium atom and in an
oxygen atom.

Draw diagrams in the boxes to show the arrangement of the electrons in the ions of
sodium oxide. Include the charges on the ions.

(3)

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 (5 marks)

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2 (a) The diagram shows the arrangement of electrons in an atom of calcium and in an atom
of chlorine.

Describe, in terms of electrons, what happens when calcium reacts with chlorine to form
the ionic compound calcium chloride, CaCl2

(3 marks)

(b) Describe tests to show that an aqueous solution of calcium chloride contains calcium
ions and chloride ions.

calcium ions: ...................................................................... chloride ions:

......................................................................

(4 marks)

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(c) Solid calcium chloride does not conduct electricity. Aqueous solutions of calcium chloride
do conduct electricity. A student uses this method to investigate how the conductivity of
a solution changes when calcium chloride is dissolved in pure water.

Step 1 add 100 cm3 of pure water to a beaker

Step 2 add one spatula of solid calcium chloride to the beaker

Step 3 stir the solution

Step 4 measure the conductivity of the solution

Step 5 repeat until nine spatulas of solid calcium chloride have been added

The table shows the student’s results.

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Number of spatulas of calcium Conductivity of solution in arbitrary
chloride units

0 0

1 6

2 12

3 12

4 24

5 30

6 36

7 36

8 36

9 36

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i) Plot the results on the grid and draw two straight lines of best fit. Ignore the
anomalous result.

(3)

ii) State the trend shown on the graph for the first six spatulas of calcium chloride.

(1)

iii) Suggest an error the student could have made to cause the anomalous result.

(1)

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 (5 marks)

(d) Describe another way to make solid calcium chloride conduct electricity.

(2 marks)

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3 (a) This question is about the halogens and their compounds.

The table gives the colour and physical state at room temperature of the halogens.

Complete the table by predicting the colour of astatine and the physical state of fluorine
at room temperature.

Halogen Colour Physical state at room temperature

fluorine pale yellow

chlorine pale green gas

bromine red-brown liquid

iodine dark grey solid

astatine solid

(2 marks)

(b) Chlorine gas is bubbled into a colourless solution of potassium bromide.

Explain why the solution turns orange.

(2 marks)

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(c) Potassium bromide is an ionic compound.

Draw diagrams to show the outer electrons in a potassium ion and in a bromide ion.

Include the charges on the ions.

(3 marks)

(d) A student sets up a circuit to test the electrical conductivity of water, solid sodium
chloride and aqueous sodium chloride.

The table shows the student’s results.

Substance Conducts electricity?

water no

solid sodium chloride no

aqueous sodium chloride yes

Explain these results, with reference to the structure and bonding of the substances.

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 (5 marks)

(e) A concentrated aqueous solution of sodium chloride is electrolysed using graphite

electrodes.

Chlorine is formed at the positive electrode (anode).

i) Give an ionic half-equation for the formation of chlorine at the positive electrode.

(1)

ii) State why this ionic half-equation represents an oxidation reaction.

(1)

iii) Which substance is formed at the negative electrode (cathode)?

☐ A hydrogen

☐ B oxygen

☐ C sodium

☐ D water

(1)

(3 marks)

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4 (a) The diagram shows how the electrons are arranged in an atom of sulfur. Sulfur can form
both covalent and ionic compounds.

The electronic configuration of a sodium atom is 2.8.1 Sodium sulfide, Na2S, is an ionic
compound formed when sodium reacts with sulfur.

Describe, in terms of electrons, what happens when sodium sulfide is formed in this
reaction.

(3 marks)

(b) Draw a dot-and-cross diagram to show the bonding in sodium sulfide.

(4 marks)

(c) Sodium sulfide is a water-soluble compound. When hydrogen sulfide gas is bubbled
through sodium hydroxide it will form sodium sulfide and water.

Explain why the melting point of hydrogen sulfide is lower than the melting point of
sodium sulfide.

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 (2 marks)

(d) Write a balanced symbol equation including state symbols for the reaction occurring in
part c).

(3 marks)

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5 (a) This question is about chemical bonds.

Aluminium and chlorine react to form aluminium chloride.

Write the balanced symbol equation for the reaction.

Include state symbols.

(3 marks)

(b) Describe, in terms of electron arrangement, the type of bonding in a molecule of

chlorine.

(3 marks)

(c) Describe, in terms of electron arrangement, the type of bonding in the compound
aluminium chloride.

(5 marks)

(d) Explain why molten aluminium chloride can conduct electricity.

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 (2 marks)

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