IBPhysicsDPSLExam QuestionsNuclear & Quantum PhysicsStructure of the Atom

Structure of the Atom (DP IB Physics: SL): Exam Questions

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Structure of the Atom

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11 mark

Excitation is

  • when an electron is removed from or added to an atom.

  • when an electron moves down an energy level emitting a photon.

  • when an electron is given enough energy to move up an energy level, but not enough to leave the atom.

  • when an electron is given enough energy to move up an energy level, and sometimes leave the atom.

Choose your answer

2
Sme Calculator1 mark

The diagram below shows the energy levels of a mercury atom.

Which transition produces a photon with the longest wavelength?

7-1-discrete-energy--radioactivity-sl-mcqs-easy-q2-question-diagram-2

    Choose your answer

    31 mark

    The diagram shows an energy–level diagram for a hydrogen atom.

    7-1-discrete-energy--radioactivity-sl-mcqs-easy-q3-question-diagram

    How many discrete photon energies could be produced from these energy levels?

    • 3

    • 5

    • 6

    • 7

    Choose your answer

    41 mark

    Which of the following is not a feature of an emission spectrum?

    • When an electron transitions from a higher energy level to a lower energy level, this results in the emission of a photon

    • An emission spectrum contains a set of discrete wavelengths, represented by coloured lines on a black background

    • An emission spectrum is evidence to show that electrons in atoms can only transition between discrete energy levels

    • An emission spectrum consists of a continuous spectrum containing all the colours with dark lines at certain wavelengths

    Choose your answer

    51 mark

    Which of the following was not an observation made in Rutherford's scattering experiment?

    • Most of the α-particles went straight through the foil

    • Some α-particles deflected through small angles of less than 10°

    • Only a small number of α-particles deflected straight back at angles greater than 90°

    • The gold foil emits alpha particles

    Choose your answer

    11 mark

    In the Geiger-Marsden-Rutherford experiment, alpha particles are fired at a thin gold foil. Two key observations of the experiment are 

    I. most alpha particles pass through the foil undeflected

    II. a few alpha particles are deflected by large angles

    Which of the following rows correctly explains these observations?

     

    I.

    II.

    A.

    most α-particles miss the gold atoms

    gold atoms are mostly empty space

    B.

    the atom is mostly empty space so most α-particles do not interact with the nucleus

    the nucleus is small, dense and positively charged

    C.

    the charge on the nucleus is insufficient to cause deflection

    gold nuclei are small compared to the atom

    D.

    most α-particles have enough energy to pass through the atom without interacting with it

    the charge on the nucleus is insufficient to cause large angle deflection

      Choose your answer

      21 mark

      The energy levels of an atom are shown in the diagram below.

      q15_discrete-energy-_-radioactivity_ib-sl-physics-mcq

      Which transition will emit the photon with the shortest wavelength?

      • n = 4 to n = 1

      • n = 2 to n = 1

      • n = 2 to n = 1

      • n = 4 to n = 3 

      Choose your answer

      3
      Sme Calculator      1 mark

      Hydrogen atoms feature energy levels as shown below.

      q19_discrete-energy-_-radioactivity_ib-sl-physics-mcq

      Which photon energy will not cause an electron to be excited or ionised in a ground state hydrogen atom?

      • 10.2 eV

      • 12.29 eV

      • 12.75 eV

      • 15.0 eV

      Choose your answer

      41 mark

      The following is an energy level diagram for an atom. Electron transitions give rise to emission of spectrum wavelengths λ1, λ2, λ3, λ4, λ5.

      q14_energy-levels-_-photon-emission_aqa-as-physics-mcq

      With reference to the diagram, which of the following statements is correct?

      • E subscript 3 space greater than space E subscript 2 space greater than space E subscript 5 space greater than space E subscript 1 space greater than space E subscript 4

      • f subscript 4 space greater than space space f subscript 5 space greater than space f subscript 1 space greater than space f subscript 2 space greater than space f subscript 3

      • lambda subscript 3 space greater than space lambda subscript 2 space greater than space lambda subscript 1 space greater than space lambda subscript 5 space greater than space lambda subscript 4

      • lambda subscript 4 space greater than space lambda subscript 5 space greater than space lambda subscript 1 space greater than space lambda subscript 2 space greater than space lambda subscript 3

      Choose your answer

      11 mark

      The energy level diagram below shows six possible transitions between the energy levels of an atom. Each transition between levels creates a photon of definite energy and frequency.

      7-1-sl-mcq-hard-q1-phy

      The increase in frequency is from left to right.

      Which of the following spectrum corresponds most closely to the transitions?

      7-1-sl-mcq-hard-q1_2-phy

        Choose your answer

        21 mark

        Transitions between three energy levels in a particular atom give rise to the three spectral lines of frequencies, in decreasing magnitude f subscript 1, f subscript 2 and f subscript 3 with wavelengths lambda subscript 1, lambda subscript 2 and lambda subscript 3.

        Which of the following correctly relates f subscript 1, f subscript 2 and f subscript 3 and lambda subscript 1, lambda subscript 2 and lambda subscript 3. 

         

        Frequency

        Wavelength

        A.

        f subscript 3 equals f subscript 1 plus f subscript 2

        1 over lambda subscript 1 equals 1 over lambda subscript 2 plus 1 over lambda subscript 3

        B.

        f subscript 3 equals f subscript 1 minus f subscript 2

        1 over lambda subscript 1 equals 1 over lambda subscript 2 plus 1 over lambda subscript 3

        C.

        1 over f subscript 1 equals 1 over f subscript 2 minus 1 over f subscript 3

        lambda subscript 1 equals lambda subscript 2 plus lambda subscript 3

        D.

        1 over f subscript 1 equals 1 over f subscript 2 plus 1 over f subscript 3

        1 over lambda subscript 3 equals 1 over lambda subscript 1 minus 1 over lambda subscript 2

          Choose your answer

          31 mark

          In an α–particle scattering experiment, a student set up the apparatus, as shown in the diagram below, to determine the number n of α–particles incident per unit time on a detector held at various angles θ.

          q12-1-8-1-mcq-alpha-beta-gamma-radiation

          Which of the following graphs best represents the variation of n with θ?

          q12-2-8-1-mcq-alpha-beta-gamma-radiation

            Choose your answer

            41 mark

            A particular emission is indicated by the arrow on the line spectrum below.

            q25_energy-levels-_-photon-emission_aqa-as-physics-mcq

            The frequency increases from left to right. The associated energy level transitions for the these emission lines are shown below.

            ib-physics-structure-of-the-atom-h-mcq-q10

            Which transition is the line in the emission spectrum indicating?

            • E subscript 3 space rightwards arrow space E subscript 0

            • E subscript 2 space rightwards arrow space E subscript 1

            • E subscript 2 space rightwards arrow space E subscript 0

            • E subscript 4 space rightwards arrow space E subscript 1

            Choose your answer