Periodicity of Chemical Properties of the Elements in Period 3 (Cambridge (CIE) A Level Chemistry): Exam Questions

Exam code: 9701

2 hours26 questions
1
1 mark

What happens to the pH of water when magnesium oxide is dissolved into it?

  • pH increases, because MgO is acidic.

  • pH decreases, because MgO is basic.

  • pH increases, because MgO is basic.

  • Nothing happens because MgO is neutral.

2
1 mark

Which observations are made when a sample of phosphorus(V) chloride, PCl5, is added to a beaker of water?

  • No visible changes are observed.

  • Steamy fumes is the only observation.

  • A white precipitate is the only observation.

  • Steamy fumes and a white precipitate are both observed.

3
1 mark

Silicon reacts with chlorine to produce silicon tetrachloride. 

How many moles of chlorine are needed to react with 1 mole of silicon?

  • 2

  • 3

  • 4

  • 5

4
1 mark

During the manufacture of steel, the impurity P4O10 is removed by reacting it with calcium oxide. The only product of this reaction is a salt, calcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2).

In this reaction, how many moles of P4O10 will react with three moles of calcium oxide?

  • 0.5

  • 1.5

  • 3

  • 6

5
1 mark

Chlorides of Period 3 elements are dissolved in water. Which statement is correct?

  • MgCl2 forms an acidic solution because Mg2+ reacts with water.

  • Both MgCl2 and NaCl form neutral solutions.

  • SiCl4 forms a neutral solution as it does not react with water.

  • NaCl forms an alkaline solution because Na+ reacts with water.

6
1 mark

Which graph shows the electronegativity of the elements Na, Mg, Al and Si, from Period 3, plotted against their first ionisation energies?

  • Graph plotting electronegativity against first ionisation energy for Na, Mg, Al and Si, showing both values increasing from sodium to silicon
  • Scatter graph of electronegativity versus first ionisation energy for Na, Mg, Al and Si, showing both properties increasing from sodium to silicon
  • Scatter graph of electronegativity versus first ionisation energy, showing points for Na, Al, Mg and Si at increasing ionisation energy along the x-axis
  • Scatter graph of elements Na, Mg, Al and Si plotted by increasing first ionisation energy on the x-axis and increasing electronegativity on the y-axis
1
1 mark

The labels had become detached from four bottles in the laboratory. A student realised that the contents of one of them could easily be identified because in the addition of water it would not give fumes of hydrogen chloride.

Which did not give the HCl fumes?

  • AlCl3

  • SiCl4

  • PCl5

  • MgCl2

2
1 mark

What is the correct order of the decreasing melting points of the four chlorides shown?

 

Highest melting point    rightwards arrow  Lowest melting point

A

HCl

S2Cl2

CCl4 

MgCl2

B

HCl

CCl4

S2Cl2

MgCl2

C

MgCl2

CCl4

S2Cl2

HCl

D

CCl4

S2Cl2

HCl

MgCl2

    3
    1 mark

    Which graph correctly shows the relative melting points of period 3 elements plotted against their relative electronegativities?

    • Graph option A showing one possible relationship between relative melting points and relative electronegativities for Period 3 elements
    • Graph option B showing one possible relationship between relative melting points and relative electronegativities for Period 3 elements
    • Graph option C showing one possible relationship between relative melting points and relative electronegativities for Period 3 elements
    • Graph option D showing one possible relationship between relative melting points and relative electronegativities for Period 3 elements
    4
    1 mark

    Non-metallic elements and their atoms can have the two following properties.

    Property 1: Has no paired 3p electrons

    Property 2: Has an oxide that can form a strong acid in water

    Which properties do phosphorus and sulfur have?

    Sulfur

    Phosphorus

    A

    2 only

    1 and 2

    B

    1 and 2

    2 only

    C

    1 and 2

    1 and 2

    D

    2 only

    1 only

      5
      1 mark

      Which properties do compounds of silicon and aluminium have in common?

      • Their oxides are amphoteric.

      • Their oxides are insoluble in water.

      • Aqueous solutions of their chlorides contain aluminium or silicon cations.

      • Their chlorides have co-ordinate bonding.

      6
      1 mark

      Period 3 elements can react with chlorine to produce the following chlorides:

      MgCl2       AlCl3      SiCl4      PCl3      SCl2

      Period 3 elements also react with oxygen to produce oxides.

      When the oxides are produced is when the period 3 element is in its highest possible oxidation state. Which of the elements have a higher oxidation number than in the above chlorides?

      • Mg, Al, Si, P and S

      • Al, P and S

      • Mg and Si

      • P and S

      7
      1 mark

      The oxides of Period 3 elements (sodium to phosphorus) show a transition from ionic to covalent character. This affects both their acid–base nature and their behaviour in water.

      Which row correctly identifies the properties of the given oxides?

      Oxide

      Type of structure

      Acid–base nature

      Result of adding to water

      A

      MgO

      Giant ionic

      Basic

      Forms a solution with pH ≈ 9

      B

      Al2O3

      Giant ionic

      Amphoteric

      Forms a solution with pH ≈ 7

      C

      SiO2

      Giant covalent

      Acidic

      Forms a solution with pH ≈ 2

      D

      P4O10

      Simple molecular

      Acidic

      Forms a solution with pH ≈ 13

        1
        1 mark

        An element X reacts according to the following sequence.

        X rightwards arrow with burns space in space straight O subscript 2 on top white solid rightwards arrow with HCl space open parentheses aq close parentheses on top solution rightwards arrow with NaOH thin space open parentheses aq close parentheses on top white precipitate rightwards arrow with excess space NaOH thin space open parentheses aq close parentheses on top solution

        What could be element X?

        • Mg

        • Si

        • Al

        • P

        2
        1 mark

        When solution X is titrated against hydrochloric acid, a neutralisation reaction occurs.

        Which of the following hydroxides is not solution X?

        • Magnesium

        • Aluminium

        • Sodium

        • Phosphorus

        3
        1 mark

        G and J are oxides of different Period 3 elements.

        If one mole of J is added to water, the solution formed is neutralised by exactly one mole of G.

        What could be the identities of G and J?

        G

        J

        A

        Na2O

        SO3

        B

        Na2O

        P4O10

        C

        Al2O3

        SO3

        D

        Al2O3

        P4O10

          4
          1 mark

          Mohr's salt is a pale green crystalline solid which is soluble in water. It contains two cations, of which one is Fe2+ and one anion which is SO42-.

          The second cation was determined by heating solid Mohr's salt with solid sodium hydroxide, and a colourless gas was evolved. The gas readily dissolved in water giving an alkaline solution.

          A grey-green solid residue was also formed, which was insoluble in water.

          Which row correctly identifies the grey-green residue and the colourless gas?

          Residue

          Gas

          A

          Fe(OH)2

          NH3

          B

          Fe(OH)2

          SO2

          C

          Na2SO4

          NH3

          D

          Na2SO4

          SO2

            5
            1 mark

            Bacteria in swimming pools are killed by adding aqueous sodium chlorate (I), NaOCl. This reacts with water to produce HOCl molecules which can breach the bacteria cell wall and kill the bacteria. The reaction below shows the reaction with water:

            OCl (aq) + H2begin mathsize 16px style rightwards harpoon over leftwards harpoon with blank below end style  OH (aq) + HOCl (aq)

            Under the sun’s UV rays, the OCl ion is broken down by ultra-violet light:

                OCl (aq) + uv light rightwards arrow Cl (aq) + ½O2 (g) 

            Which method would maintain the highest concentration of HOCl (aq)?

            • Add a solution containing chloride ions.

            • Acidify the pool water.

            • Bubble air through the water.

            • Add a solution of hydroxide ion.