GCSEScienceAQACombined Science: SynergyLife & Environmental SciencesExam QuestionsBuilding BlocksAtomic Structure

Atomic Structure (AQA GCSE Combined Science: Synergy: Life & Environmental Sciences): Exam Questions

Exam code: 8465

1 hour9 questions
1a
2 marks

This question is about atomic structure.

An atom contains three types of particles.

Table 1 shows some information about the particles.

Table 1

Name of particle

Charge

Electron

-1

Neutron

Proton

Complete Table 1.

How did you do?

1b
1 mark

Models of the atom have changed over time.

Figure 10 shows an early model of the atom.

Diagram of an atom as a circle with scattered plus signs and small circles marked minus, illustrating Thomson’s plum pudding model of positive charge and electrons

What is the name of the model of the atom in Figure 10?

  • Dalton's model

  • Nuclear model

  • Plum pudding model

Choose your answer

1c
Sme Calculator
2 marks

Alpha particles from a source were directed at thin gold foil.

Figure 11 shows some of the paths the alpha particles followed.

Diagram of paths A, B and C of alpha particles near a gold nucleus, showing straight, slightly deflected and strongly deflected trajectories.

Table 2 shows the number of alpha particles that followed paths A, B and C.

Path

Number of alpha particles

A

8 289 864

B

7 920

C

198

The number of alpha particles on path A was greater than the number of alpha particles on path B.

Calculate how many times greater.

How did you do?

1d
1 mark

The ratio of alpha particles on path B to alpha particles on path C can be shown as:

7920 : 198

What is 7920 : 198 written as its simplest ratio?

  • 40 : 1

  • 500 : 1

  • 8000 : 1

Choose your answer

1e
1 mark

How does Figure 11 provide evidence for a nucleus in a gold atom?

  • Alpha particles following path C are bounced back.

  • Most alpha particles follow path A.

  • The alpha particles from the source travel in straight lines.

Choose your answer

1f
1 mark

Figure 12 represents four atoms.

Figure of four Bohr-style atomic models labelled W, X, Y, Z, showing nuclei with different proton–neutron numbers and one or two electron shells.

On the periodic table, helium is shown as:

Periodic table element box for helium: mass number 4 at top, symbol He in bold, name helium, and atomic number 2 at the bottom.

Which atom in Figure 12 represents an atom of helium?

  • W

  • X

  • Y

  • Z

Choose your answer

1g
1 mark

Which two atoms in Figure 12 represent isotopes of the same element?

  • W and X

  • W and Z

  • X and Y

  • Y and Z

Choose your answer

1h
Sme Calculator
1 mark

An atom has a radius of 0 . 182 nm.

Calculate the radius of the atom in metres.

1 \textrm{ }\text{m} = 1 000 000 000 \textrm{ }\text{nm}

How did you do?

2a
1 mark

The atomic model has changed over time.

Alpha particles have been used to investigate the atomic model.

Describe the structure of an alpha particle.

How did you do?

2b
1 mark

An atom has a radius of 0.182 nm.

1 m = 1 000 000 000 nm

What is the radius of the atom in metres?

  • 1.82 × 10^{9} m

  • 1.82 × 10^{10} m

  • 1.82 × 10^{-9} m

  • 1.82 × 10^{-10} m

Choose your answer

2c
Sme Calculator
2 marks

Alpha particles from a source were directed at thin gold foil.

Figure 6 shows some of the paths the alpha particles followed.

Diagram of alpha particle paths A, B and C near a gold nucleus, showing straight, slightly deflected and strongly deflected trajectories.

During one experiment the number of alpha particles following different paths was recorded.

Table 2 shows the number of alpha particles that followed paths A, B and C.

Path

Number of alpha particles

A

8 289 864

B

7 920

C

198

Determine the simplest ratio of alpha particles following paths A, B and C.

How did you do?

2d
4 marks

Explain how the results provide evidence for the nuclear model of the atom.

Use Figure 6 and Table 2.

How did you do?

2e
2 marks

An atom of boron can be represented as {}^{11}_{5}\mathrm{B}

An atom of carbon can be represented as {}^{12}_{6}\mathrm{C}

Compare the number of sub-atomic particles in the atom of boron and in the atom of carbon.

How did you do?

2f
1 mark

Boron and carbon both have isotopes.

What does 'isotope' mean?

How did you do?

3
1 mark

Carbon-12 ({}^{12}_{6}\text{C}) and carbon-14 ({}^{14}_{6}\text{C}) are isotopes of carbon.

Carbon-14 is radioactive.

How are the numbers and type of sub-atomic particles in carbon-14 different from the sub-atomic particles in carbon-12?

How did you do?

4
1 mark

When a carbon-14 nucleus emits a beta particle, the atomic number changes from 6 to 7

Which element has the atomic number of 7?

Use the periodic table.

Tick (✓) one box.

  • Helium

  • Lithium

  • Nitrogen

Choose your answer

5
1 mark

Meteorites are rocks that fall to Earth from space.

A meteorite landed in the UK.

The water in the meteorite was analysed.

The water in the meteorite and water in the oceans contain similar ratios of hydrogen isotopes.

Complete the sentence.

Choose the answer from the box.

electrons

neutrons

protons

Isotopes of hydrogen are atoms of hydrogen with different numbers of ---------------------

How did you do?

6a
4 marks

This question is about atoms.

Figure 9 represents an atom.

Diagram of an atom showing a central nucleus with protons and neutrons, surrounded by two electron shells each containing orbiting electrons, with label lines.

Label Figure 9.

Choose answers from the box.

electron

ion

molecule

neutron

nucleus

proton

How did you do?

6b
1 mark

Name the element represented by Figure 9.

Use the periodic table.

How did you do?

6c
1 mark

Why does an atom have an overall electrical charge of zero?

How did you do?

6d
2 marks

Draw one line from each description of structure size to the correct structure.

Diagram asking to order structures by size, from largest to smallest: human skin cell, gold atom, protein molecule, nucleus of a helium atom

How did you do?

6e
1 mark

An atom of one element has a radius of 0.000 000 348 mm.

How should 0.000 000 348 mm be written in standard form?

  • 0.348 cross times 10 to the power of negative 6 end exponent space mm

  • 0.348 cross times 10 to the power of negative 7 end exponent mm

  • 3.48 cross times 10 to the power of negative 6 end exponent mm

  • 3.48 cross times 10 to the power of negative 7 end exponent mm

Choose your answer

6f
1 mark

Scientists have developed different models of the atom over time.

Figure 10 shows the Dalton model of the atom and a more recent model of the atom.

Diagram comparing Dalton’s solid sphere atom model with a later model showing a positive sphere containing scattered negative electrons.

Name the more recent model in Figure 10.

How did you do?

6g
1 mark

Give one difference between the models of the atom shown in Figure 10.

How did you do?

7a
3 marks

This question is about atoms.

An atom of lithium can be represented as Li presubscript 3 presuperscript 7.

Complete Figure 9 to represent this atom of lithium.

You should draw and label the sub-atomic particles.

Figure 9: simple black outline diagram showing two concentric circles forming a ring shape on a plain white background

How did you do?

7b
4 marks

Scientific models of the atom have included:

  • the Dalton atom

  • the plum pudding model

  • the nuclear atom.

Explain why the model of the atom has changed over time.

You should refer to these three models.

How did you do?

7c
Sme Calculator
2 marks

An atom has a radius of 0.348 nm.

Calculate the radius of the atom in metres.

Give your answer in standard form.

Radius (in standard form) = m

How did you do?

8a
4 marks

Figure 6 shows the plum pudding model of the atom .

Diagram of the plum-pudding model showing a grey sphere of positive charge containing several small crosses labelled as electrons distributed inside

In 1911 the scientists Geiger and Marsden investigated the effect of firing alpha particles at very thin sheets of gold foil.

Their experiment is shown in Figure 7. The arrows show the paths taken by alpha particles in the experiment

Diagram of Rutherford experiment showing alpha particles from a source striking a thin gold sheet, mostly passing through with some deflected.

Explain why scientists replaced the plum pudding model of the atom with the nuclear model of the atom as a result of the experiment.

How did you do?

8b
Sme Calculator
2 marks

According to modern measurements:

  • the radius of an atom is about 1 cross times 10 to the power of 10 straight m

  • the radius of an atomic nucleus is about 1 cross times 10 to the power of 14 straight m

Show that these values fit with the nuclear model of the atom.

How did you do?

8c
3 marks

In 1931 a scientist discovered that there are hydrogen atoms with mass number 2 as well as hydrogen atoms with mass number 1.

A year later, another scientist discovered neutrons.

Explain why the discovery of neutrons could explain the presence of hydrogen atoms with different mass numbers.

How did you do?

8d
2 marks

How would the results of the experiment shown in Figure 7 change if neutrons were used instead of alpha particles to bombard a thin sheet of gold?

How did you do?

9a
1 mark

Figure 3 shows an atom of boron.

Diagram of an atom with a labelled central nucleus and two electron shells, each shell shown as a circle with electrons marked by small crosses

When the mass of the boron atom is calculated, the mass of the electrons is ignored.

Why is the mass of the electrons ignored?

How did you do?

9b
1 mark

How many electrons are there in the boron atom?

(Use Figure 3 to help you.)

How did you do?

9c
1 mark

What is the electrical charge on the nucleus of the boron atom?

Tick one box.

  • +1

  • +5

  • +6

  • +11

Choose your answer

9d
Sme Calculator
3 marks

The mass number of boron is 11.

Use Figure 3 to calculate the number of neutrons in the nucleus of the boron atom.

Explain how you worked out the answer.

Number of neutrons = _________________________________________

Explanation: ________________________________________________

How did you do?

9e
Sme Calculator
2 marks

Phosphorus has a mass number of 31 and has 16 neutrons.

What percentage of the mass number of phosphorus is the number of neutrons?

Give your answer to two significant figures.

Percentage = ______________________

How did you do?