School / Cambridge IGCSE / 0620 / Atomic structure and bonding Question practice
Atomic structure and bonding About this practice Isotopes, electronic structure and bonding models.
Chemistry Atomic structure and bonding
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1 Chlorine contains 75% chlorine-35 and 25% chlorine-37. Calculate its relative atomic mass. Medium 4 marks Calculator + 2 Explain why sodium chloride conducts electricity when molten but not when solid. Medium 4 marks No calculator + 3 An atom of aluminium has atomic number 13 and mass number 27. State the number of protons, neutrons and electrons it contains. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 4 Draw (in words) and describe the electronic structure of a chlorine atom (atomic number 17), stating the number of electrons in each shell. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 5 Explain, in terms of electron transfer, how an ionic bond forms between a sodium atom and a chlorine atom to form sodium chloride. Medium 4 marks No calculator + 6 Explain, in terms of shared electron pairs, how a covalent bond forms between two chlorine atoms in a Cl₂ molecule. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 7 Explain why giant covalent structures, such as diamond, have very high melting points. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 8 Explain why simple molecular substances, such as iodine, have low melting and boiling points compared to giant ionic or covalent structures. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 9 Explain why metals are good conductors of electricity, in terms of their bonding and structure. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 10 An atom loses two electrons to form a 2+ ion. State how the number of protons, neutrons and electrons changes, if at all, when this happens. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 11 An atom of oxygen has atomic number 8. State its electronic structure, and state which group of the periodic table it belongs to, explaining your reasoning. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 12 Explain, in terms of electron transfer, how an ionic bond forms between a magnesium atom and an oxygen atom to form magnesium oxide. Medium 4 marks No calculator + 13 Explain, in terms of electron transfer, how calcium chloride, CaCl₂, forms from calcium and chlorine atoms, accounting for the 1:2 ratio of calcium to chlorine in the formula. Medium 4 marks No calculator + 14 Describe, using shared electron pairs, the covalent bonding in a molecule of water, H₂O, stating the number of shared pairs and the number of lone (non-bonding) pairs on the oxygen atom. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 15 Sodium chloride forms a giant ionic lattice structure. Describe this structure, and explain why ionic compounds generally have high melting points. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 16 Explain why ionic compounds are typically hard but brittle, in terms of their lattice structure. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 17 Describe the structure of graphite, and explain why it is used as a lubricant and as an electrode, despite being an allotrope of carbon like diamond. Medium 4 marks No calculator + 18 Describe the structure of diamond, and explain why it is extremely hard and does not conduct electricity. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 19 Explain how the position of an element in the periodic table relates to its electronic structure, using magnesium (Period 3, Group 2) as an example. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 20 State the difference between mass number and relative atomic mass, and explain why the relative atomic mass of chlorine (35.5) is not a whole number. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 21 Copper consists of 69% copper-63 and 31% copper-65. Calculate the relative atomic mass of copper. Easy 3 marks Calculator + 22 State three general physical properties of ionic compounds. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 23 State three general physical properties of simple molecular (covalent) compounds. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 24 Explain, in terms of structure and bonding, why metals are malleable (can be hammered into shape) without shattering. Easy 3 marks No calculator + 25 Explain why alloys, such as brass (a mixture of copper and zinc), are generally harder than the pure metals from which they are made. Easy 3 marks No calculator + Self-assessed Not marked yet
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