Exam practice
Exam questions
Write your answer. Then open the mark scheme and tick each point you made.
- Question 1 of 102 marks
State two properties of a typical metal.
Mark scheme
- Any one of: shiny; good conductor of electricity; good conductor of heat; malleable; ductile (accept: solid at room temperature, high melting point, sonorous)
- A second, different property from that list
- Question 2 of 102 marks
Copper is used to make electrical wires. Give two properties of copper that make it suitable for this.
Mark scheme
- It is a good conductor of electricity
- It is ductile (accept: it can be pulled into a wire; it is malleable; it bends without breaking)
- Question 3 of 102 marks
In the periodic table, state what is meant by (a) a group and (b) a period.
Mark scheme
- (a) A column of the periodic table (accept: elements with similar properties)
- (b) A row of the periodic table
- Question 4 of 102 marks
Describe two things that Mendeleev did when he made his periodic table.
Mark scheme
- Any one of: he put the elements in order of the mass of their atoms (accept: atomic weight); he put elements with similar properties in the same column; he left gaps for elements that had not been discovered; he predicted the properties of the missing elements
- A second, different point from that list
- Question 5 of 102 marks
Element X is in Group 2, on the left-hand side of the periodic table. Predict whether X is a metal or a non-metal. Give a reason.
Mark scheme
- A metal
- Metals are on the left of the periodic table (accept: the elements in Group 2 are all metals)
- Question 6 of 103 marks
A small piece of sodium is added to a trough of water.
(a) Describe two things you would see.
(b) Name the gas that is made.Mark scheme
- (a) Any one of: it floats; it fizzes (accept: bubbles); it melts into a ball; it moves around on the surface; it gets smaller until it has gone
- (a) A second, different observation from that list
- (b) Hydrogen
- Question 7 of 102 marks
Complete the word equation: potassium + water → __________ + __________
Mark scheme
- Potassium hydroxide
- Hydrogen
- Question 8 of 102 marks
Lithium, sodium and potassium are in Group 1. Rubidium is below potassium.
(a) State how the reactivity of the metals changes going down Group 1.
(b) Predict how the reaction of rubidium with water compares with that of potassium.Mark scheme
- (a) It increases
- (b) Rubidium reacts more violently (accept: faster; it explodes)
- Question 9 of 102 marks
Argon is in Group 0. It is used to fill light bulbs that have a hot metal filament.
(a) Give the name of the elements in Group 0.
(b) Explain why argon is used and not air.Mark scheme
- (a) The noble gases
- (b) Argon is unreactive (accept: inert), so the hot filament does not react with it (accept: the filament would react with the oxygen in air; it would burn away in air)
- Question 10 of 102 marks
Chlorine melts at −101 °C, bromine at −7 °C and iodine at 114 °C. They are in Group 7, in that order going down.
(a) Describe the trend in melting point going down Group 7.
(b) Astatine is below iodine. Predict whether it melts above or below 114 °C.Mark scheme
- (a) The melting point increases going down the group
- (b) Above 114 °C (accept: any temperature higher than 114 °C)