Sec 4 Combined Science (Chemistry) Periodic Table & Reactivity topical questions

On the Periodic Table, name what the vertical columns and the horizontal rows are called, and state what all the elements in one vertical column share.

Name the gas released when potassium reacts with cold water, and state the test for it.

State the colours of chlorine, bromine and iodine at room temperature.

State the two substances that must be present for iron to rust, and name one way of preventing rusting.

An element has electronic configuration 2.8.8.2. (a) State its period and group. (b) State one physical property the element should show, typical of its group.

A gas jar is suspected to hold chlorine. Describe a test that would confirm this and state the result expected.

Chlorine water is added to aqueous potassium bromide. (a) State what you would observe. (b) Write the balanced equation for the reaction. (c) Explain, in terms of the Group 17 trend, why the reaction happens.

Explain why sodium is more reactive than lithium, and why both are stored under oil.

Metals X, Y and Z are tested. X fizzes vigorously with dilute hydrochloric acid. Y reacts with steam but fizzes only very slowly with cold dilute acid. Z shows no reaction with dilute hydrochloric acid at all. (a) Place X, Y and Z relative to hydrogen in the reactivity series. (b) Suggest possible identities for each metal from: magnesium, copper, iron.

Magnesium ribbon is heated strongly in steam. (a) Name the products. (b) Write the balanced equation. (c) State where magnesium sits in the reactivity series relative to calcium and zinc, and justify your placement using the observations.

Metal X reacts slowly with cold water; metal Y does not react with cold water but fizzes steadily in dilute hydrochloric acid. (a) Place both metals relative to hydrogen in the reactivity series. (b) State one further observation that would confirm X is more reactive than Y, and name the conditions you would keep the same to make the comparison fair.

Bromine water is added to aqueous potassium chloride. In a second experiment, chlorine water is added to aqueous potassium iodide. (a) Predict and explain the observation in each experiment. (b) Write the balanced equation for the reaction that occurs and name the reaction type.

An element E has electronic configuration 2.8.8.1. (a) State its period and group, and explain how you decided. (b) Predict two physical properties of E. (c) Write the balanced equation for the reaction of E with cold water, using E as its symbol. (d) Compare the reactivity of E with that of sodium, the alkali metal directly above it, with a reason.

A student sets up three test tubes, each containing an iron nail. Tube 1: nail in dry air with a drying agent, stoppered. Tube 2: nail in boiled water with a layer of oil on top. Tube 3: nail in tap water, open to the air. After a week only the nail in tube 3 has rusted. (a) Explain what each tube shows about the conditions needed for rusting. (b) Rust is hydrated iron(III) oxide. State why rusting is described as a redox process, naming the substance oxidised. (c) A gate is protected by paint. Explain how the paint works, and what happens if the paint chips.

Solutions of potassium chloride, potassium bromide and potassium iodide are set out in three wells of a spotting tile. Halogen water (chlorine) is added to wells 2 and 3; bromine water is added to well 3. (a) State and explain the colour change in each well that reacts. (b) Halogen water is also added to well 1. Predict the observation and justify it. (c) Use the results to write an order of reactivity for chlorine, bromine and iodine.

The reactivity series is built from experiments, not given. (a) Describe how reactions with cold water separate the top group of metals from the rest, naming the metals concerned and the products of one such reaction. (b) Describe how reactions with dilute hydrochloric acid separate copper and silver from zinc, iron and lead. (c) Metal M fizzes more slowly than zinc but more quickly than iron in dilute HCl, and it displaces hydrogen from steam. Place M between two named metals from the syllabus list and justify your placement.

Plan an experiment to compare the reactivities of magnesium, zinc and copper using dilute hydrochloric acid. (a) State three variables you would control and the quantity you would measure. (b) Describe how the results order the three metals. (c) State the expected order and explain copper's position.

The table shows tests on four metals. (a) Arrange W, X, Y and Z in order of decreasing reactivity. (b) Identify which metal could be potassium and which could be iron. (c) Explain why all three reaction types are needed to place all four metals. (d) Y is found native (uncombined) in the Earth. Explain why this fits its results.