Chapter 12 Atoms and the Periodic Table
12.1 Atoms are Ancient and Empty
1) A cat strolls across your backyard. An hour later, a dog with its nose to the ground follows the
trail of the cat. Explain what is going on from a molecular point of view.
A) The dog is following the areas of increased density of the Earth.
B) The dog is smelling atoms from the cat
C) The dog is smelling molecules from the cat.
D) The cat is leading the dog into a trap.
Answer: C
2) If all the molecules of a body remained part of that body, would the body have any odor?
A) Yes, but only if that body is sweating.
B) No, because there would be no molecules traveling to our nose.
C) Yes, because it would still release photons.
D) No, because it would no longer be what it was.
Answer: B
3) Which are older, the atoms in the body of an elderly person or those in the body of a baby?
A) A baby because this is surely a trick question.
B) An elderly person because they have been around much longer.
C) They are of the same age, which is appreciably older than the solar system.
D) It depends upon their diet.
Answer: C
4) Where did the atoms that make up a newborn baby originate?
A) In the womb of the baby's mother.
B) In the digestion of the food that the mother .
C) In the Earth through geological processes.
D) In the explosions of ancient .
Answer: D
5) In what sense can you truthfully say that you are a part of every person around you?
A) We all live on the same planet and share the same resources.
B) We are continually exchanging our atoms.
C) We all share the same genetic code.
D) There are more people alive now than have ever lived.
Answer: B
6) Considering how small atoms are, what are the chances that at least one of the atoms exhaled
in your first breath will be in your last breath?
A) not very likely because atoms are constantly dematerializing
B) not possible at all because atom don't last that long
C) very probable because of how incredibly small atoms are
D) There's not really a way that scientists are able to make such an estimate.
Answer: C
7) Does it make sense to say that a textbook is about 99.9 percent empty space?
A) No. A textbook is a solid and thus is quite dense. Therefore it is not 99.9 percent empty space.
B) No. Only gases are considered to be 99.9 percent empty space. Liquids and solids are not.
C) Yes. A textbook like all material things is made up of atoms, which are considered to be 99.9
percent empty space.
D) No. A textbook could only be considered to be 99.9 percent empty space if it were
combusted.
Answer: C
8) Since atoms are mostly empty space, why don't objects pass through one another?
A) The electrons on the atoms repel other electrons on other atoms when they get close.
B) The nucleus of one atom repels the nucleus of another atom when it gets close.
C) The nucleus of one atom attracts the nucleus of a neighboring atom to form a barrier.
D) The electrons of one attract the nucleus of a neighboring atom to form a barrier.
Answer: A
12.2 The Elements
1) How do we account for the great variety of substances in the world?
A) The Earth is 4.5 billion years old.
B) Most of these substances are organic compounds.
C) Atoms are incredibly small.
D) There are many possible combinations of atoms.
Answer: D
2) Which of the following images could describe an element at the atomic level?
A)
B)
C)
D) none of the images
E) all of the images
Answer: E
3) Which of the following statements best describes an element?
A) a material consisting of only one type of atom
B) a material that is pure
C) a material that has consistent physical properties
D) a material with more than one type of atom
E) a material that has consistent chemical properties
Answer: A
12.3 Protons and Neutrons
1) A beam of protons and a beam of neutrons of the same energy are both harmful to living
tissue. The beam of neutrons, however, is less harmful. Why?
A) Neutrons are much smaller and lighter than protons and would do less damage.
B) Neutrons travel at reduced speed compared to the speed at which protons travel.
C) Neutrons carry no electric charge and thus have a greater likelihood of passing through the
tissue.
D) All of the above are reasons why neutrons are less harmful.
Answer: C
2) The element bromine, Br (atomic number 35), has two major isotopes of similar abundance,
both around 50 percent. The atomic mass of bromine is reported in the periodic table as 79.904
atomic mass units. Choose the most likely set of mass numbers for these two bromine isotopes.
A) Br-80, Br-81
B) Br-79, Br-80
C) Br-79, Br-81
D) Br-78, Br-80
Answer: C
3) The isotope lithium-7 has a mass of 7.0160 atomic mass units, and the isotope lithium-6 has a
mass of 6.0151 atomic mass units. Given the information that 92.58 percent of all lithium atoms
found in nature are lithium-7 and 7.42 percent are lithium-6, calculate the atomic mass of
lithium, Li (atomic number 3).
A) 7.0160 amu
B) 6.942 amu
C) 6.495 amu
D) 13.031 amu
Answer: B
4) When we breathe we inhale oxygen, O2, and exhale carbon dioxide, CO2, plus water vapor,
H2O. Which likely has more mass, the air that we inhale or the same volume of air we exhale?
Does breathing cause you to lose or gain weight?
A) The air we inhale has more mass; Breathing causes you to lose weight.
B) The air we exhale has more mass; Breathing causes you to lose weight.
C) The air we inhale has more mass; Breathing causes you to gain weight.
D) The air we exhale has more mass; Breathing causes you to gain weight.
Answer: B
5) What is the approximate mass of a carbon atom in atomic mass units (amu)? How about a
carbon dioxide molecule?
A) A carbon atom has a mass of about 12 amu. Carbon dioxide would then have a mass of 28
amu.
B) A carbon atom has a mass of about 6 amu. Carbon dioxide would then have a mass of 32
amu.
C) A carbon atom has a mass of about 12 amu. Carbon dioxide would then have a mass of 44
amu.
D) A carbon atom has a mass of about 6 amu. Carbon dioxide would then have a mass of 22
amu.
Answer: C
6) Which contributes more to an atom's mass: electrons or protons? Which contributes more to
an atom's size?
A) Protons contribute more to an atom's mass while electrons contribute more to its size.
B) Electrons contribute more to an atom's mass while protons contribute more to its size.
C) Protons contribute more to both the mass and size of an atom.
D) Electrons contribute more to both the mass and size of an atom.
Answer: A
7) Why are the atomic masses listed in the periodic table not whole numbers?
A) Scientists have yet to make the precise measurements.
B) That would be too much of a coincidence.
C) The atomic masses are average atomic masses.
D) Today's instruments are able to measure the atomic masses to many decimal places.
Answer: C
8) Which has more atoms: a 1-gram sample of carbon-12 or a 1-gram sample of carbon-13?
A) More information is needed.
B) a 1-gram sample of carbon-12
C) a 1-gram sample of carbon-13
D) They have the same number of atoms.
Answer: B
9) Evidence for the existence of neutrons did not come until many years after the discoveries of
the electron and the proton. Give a possible explanation.
A) The neutron is nearly massless.
B) The neutron is only slightly more massive than the proton.
C) The discovery required the use of ultrafast computers.
D) The neutron lacks an electrical charge.
Answer: D
10) The nucleus of an electrically neutral iron atom contains 26 protons. How many electrons
does this iron atom have?
A) 52
B) 26
C) 24
D) none
Answer: B
11) If an atom has 43 electrons, 56 neutrons, and 43 protons, what is its approximate atomic
mass? What is the name of this element?
A) atomic mass, 137 amu; Barium
B) atomic mass, 99 amu; Technetium
C) atomic mass, 99 amu; Radon
D) atomic mass 142 amu; Einsteinium
Answer: B
12) You could swallow a capsule of germanium, Ge (atomic number 32), without significant ill
effects. If a proton were added to each germanium nucleus, however, you would not want to
swallow the capsule because the germanium would
A) become arsenic.
B) become radioactive.
C) expand and likely lodge in your throat.
D) have a change in flavor.
Answer: A
13) If two protons and two neutrons are removed from the nucleus of an oxygen atom, a nucleus
of which element remains?
A) nitrogen-12
B) carbon-12
C) neon-18
D) carbon-14
Answer: B
14) Which of the following diagrams best represents the size of the atomic nucleus relative to the
size of the atom?
A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
Answer: D
15) An element found in another galaxy exists as two isotopes. If 80.0 percent of the atoms have
an atomic mass of 80.00 atomic mass units and the other 20.0 percent have an atomic mass of
82.00 atomic mass units, what is the atomic mass of the element?
A) 81.0 atomic mass units
B) 64.0 atomic mass units
C) 80.4 atomic mass units
D) 16.4 atomic mass units
E) 81.6 atomic mass units
Answer: C
16) Boron has primarily two isotopes, one with an atomic mass of 11 amu and another with an
atomic mass of 10 amu. If the abundance of the boron atom with a mass of 11 amu is 18.9
percent and the abundance of the other isotope is 81.1 percent, what would be the average mass
of the boron atom?
A) 10.19 amu
B) 11 amu
C) 10 amu
D) 10.81 amu
E) not enough information given
Answer: A
17) An element has two different isotopes: one that weighs 65 amu and another that weighs 67
amu. If the average atomic mass of all the isotopes is 66.5 amu, what can be said about the
relative abundance of the isotopes?
A) The isotope with the mass of 67 is more abundant than the isotope with the mass of 65.
B) The isotope with the mass of 65 is more abundant than the isotope with the mass of 67.
C) The isotope with the mass of 66.5 is more abundant than the isotope with the mass of 67.
D) The isotope with the mass of 66.5 is more abundant than the isotope with the mass of 65.
E) All the isotopes have the same relative abundance.
Answer: A
18) If a neutral element has the following chemical symbol, how many electrons does it have?
U
A) 92
B) 82
C) 235
D) 143
E) none of the above
Answer: A
19) If a neutral element has the following chemical symbol, how many electrons does it have?
O
A) 6
B) 18
C) 12
D) 24
E) none of the above
Answer: A
20) If a neutral element has the following chemical notation, how many electrons does it have?
fluorine-19
A) 9
B) 10
C) 11
D) 19
E) none of the above
Answer: A
21) If a neutral element has the following chemical notation, how many electrons does it have?
carbon-13
A) 6
B) 12
C) 13
D) 7
E) none of the above
Answer: A
22) If a neutral element has 8 neutrons and 7 electrons, which expression correctly identifies the
element?
A)
B)
C)
D)
E) cannot tell from information given
Answer: A
23) If an element has 9 protons and 10 neutrons and 9 electrons, which expression correctly
identifies the element?
A)
F
B)
F
C)
K
D)
K
E)
K
Answer: A
24) If an element has 10 protons and 11 neutrons and 10 electrons, which expression correctly
identifies the element?
A) neon-21
B) neon-11
C) neon-31
D) sodium-11
E) sodium-20
Answer: A
25) If an element has 18 protons and 20 neutrons and 18 electrons, which expression correctly
identifies the element?
A) argon-38
B) argon-18
C) argon-20
D) calcium-38
E) calcium-20
Answer: A
26) If an element has 15 protons and 16 neutrons and 15 electrons, what is the atomic mass of the
element?
A) 31
B) 15
C) 16
D) 30
E) none of the above
Answer: A
27) If you remove two protons and two electrons from a sulfur atom (S), what new element is
formed?
A) Si
B) Si
+2
C) Al
+2
D) Al
E) Ar
-2
Answer: A
28) If you remove two protons and two neutrons from a gold atom (Au), what new element is
formed (if any)?
A) Ir
B) Au
C) Re
D) Au
E) Tl
-2
Answer: A
29) Using the following generic atom description, choose the correct method for determining the
number of neutrons.
X
A) subtract G from F
B) subtract F from G
C) add F and G
D) divide F by G
E) look it up on the periodic table
Answer: A
30) What does the following element description actually mean?
O
A) an oxygen atom with 6 protons and 12 neutrons
B) an oxygen atom with 6 neutrons and 12 protons
C) 6 oxygen atoms with 18 neutrons
D) 18 oxygen molecules with 6 neutrons each
E) none of the above
Answer: A
31) What does the following element description actually mean?
U
A) a uranium atom with 92 protons and 146 neutrons
B) a uranium atom with 238 neutrons and 92 protons
C) a uranium atom with 92 neutrons and 238 protons
D) a uranium atom with 92 neutrons and 146 protons
E) none of the above
Answer: A
32) What does the following element description actually mean?
hydrogen-2
A) a hydrogen with one neutron and one proton
B) a hydrogen with two neutrons
C) a hydrogen with two protons
D) a molecule of hydrogen gas
E) two hydrogen atoms
Answer: A
33) What does the following element description actually mean?
iron-57
A) iron with a mass number of 57
B) iron with an atomic number of 57
C) iron with 57 protons
D) iron with 57 neutrons
E) 57 iron atoms
Answer: A
34) The mass number of an element is ________.
A) the sum of the protons and the neutrons
B) the sum of the electrons and the protons
C) the sum of the electrons and the neutrons
D) the sum of the isotopes
E) the number of protons
Answer: A
35) Which of the following statements describes an isotope?
A) element with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons
B) element with the same number of protons but a different number of electrons
C) element with the same number of neutrons but a different number of electrons
D) element with the same number of neutrons but a different number of protons
E) none of the above
Answer: A
36) Which element has the atomic number 12?
A) Mg
B) C
C) B
D) Na
E) Be
Answer: A
37) Which element has the atomic number 9?
A) F
B) Ne
C) B
D) Na
E) Be
Answer: A
38) The following statement describes which subatomic particle best?
It does not have an electrical charge.
A) an electron
B) a proton
C) a neutron
D) A and B
E) B and C
Answer: C
39) The following statement describes which subatomic particle best?
It is a nucleon.
A) an electron
B) a proton
C) a neutron
D) A and B
E) B and C
Answer: E
40) The following statement describes which subatomic particle best?
It is located outside of the nucleus.
A) an electron
B) a proton
C) a neutron
D) A and B
E) B and C
Answer: A
41) The following statement describes which subatomic particle best?
It is electrically charged.
A) an electron
B) a proton
C) a neutron
D) A and B
E) B and C
Answer: D
42) The following statement describes which subatomic particle best?
It has a relatively large mass.
A) an electron
B) a proton
C) a neutron
D) A and B
E) B and C
Answer: E
43) Which of the following does not describe a neutron?
A) It has a positive charge equivalent but opposite of an electron's.
B) It is much more massive than an electron.
C) It is a nucleon.
D) It is often associated with protons.
E) It is more difficult to detect than a proton or an electron.
Answer: A
44) Which of the following statements does not describe a proton?
A) It orbits around the nucleus of an atom.
B) It has a positive charge equivalent but opposite of an electron's.
C) It is much more massive than an electron.
D) It is a nucleon.
E) It is attracted to negatively charged electrical plates.
Answer: A
12.4 The Periodic Table
1) Should the periodic table be memorized? Why or why not?
A) Yes. Like the alphabet, we need to memorize the periodic table in order to easily write the
language of chemistry.
B) Yes. Without memorizing the periodic table, one would not have any real understanding of
how and why chemical compounds are put together.
C) No. The periodic table changes every year. Memorizing it would be a waste of time.
D) No. The periodic table is a reference to be used, not memorized.
Answer: D
2) Why isn't dirt listed in the periodic table?
A) The periodic table lists only elements made of one kind of material. Dirt is a mixture of
elements and compounds.
B) Elements like dirt and air are so common that there is no need to list them in the periodic
table.
C) Dirt IS listed in the periodic table but is not easily recognized because it is listed as one of the
rare earths with its old scientific name, dysprosium, symbol Dy.
D) None of the above is true.
Answer: A
3) Strontium, Sr (number 38), is especially dangerous to humans because it tends to accumulate
in calcium-dependent bone marrow tissues (calcium, Ca, number 20). This fact relates to the
organization of the periodic table in that strontium and calcium are both
A) metals.
B) in group 2 of the periodic table.
C) made of relatively large atoms.
D) soluble in water.
Answer: B
4) About how many elements do you have access to as a consumer of market goods.
A) none
B) one
C) ten
D) one hundred
Answer: C
5) Helium, He, is a nonmetallic gas and the second element in the periodic table. Rather than
being placed adjacent to hydrogen, H, however, helium is placed on the far right of the table
because
A) hydrogen and helium repel one another.
B) the sizes of their atoms are vastly different.
C) they come from different sources.
D) helium is most similar to other group 18 elements.
Answer: D
6) Germanium, Ge (number 32), computer chips operate faster than silicon, Si (number 14),
computer chips. So how might a gallium, Ga (number 31), chip compare with a germanium chip?
A) A gallium chip would be even faster because the gallium is more metallic.
B) A gallium chip would be slower because its electrons are more loosely held.
C) Gallium is located just below aluminum, which is widely known to be an electrical insulator.
D) Gallium is more nonmetallic and so it does not conduct electrons very well.
Answer: A
7) The oldest known elements in the periodic table are the ones with
A) the lowest atomic numbers.
B) the highest atomic numbers.
C) odd looking atomic symbols.
D) atomic symbols that match their modern names.
Answer: C
8) What happens to the properties of elements across any period of the periodic table?
A) The elements tend to become more metallic in nature since they are increasing in atomic
number.
B) The elements get much larger in size because of the addition of more protons and electrons.
C) The properties of the elements gradually change across any period of the periodic table.
D) All of the above are true.
Answer: C
9) Which of the following physical properties would you expect for krypton (Kr)?
A) a gas at room temperature
B) hard
C) brittle
D) shiny
E) conducts electricity
Answer: A
10) Which of the following elements will most likely be shiny and flexible?
A) rhodium (Rh)
B) hydrogen (H)
C) helenium (Se)
D) iodine (I)
E) silicon (Si)
Answer: A
11) Which of the following elements is in the fourth period?
A) chromium (Cr)
B) hydrogen (H)
C) beryllium(Be)
D) carbon (C)
E) zirconium (Zr)
Answer: A
12) Which of the following elements is a transition metal?
A) xenon (Xe)
B) lead (Pb)
C) chlorine (Cl)
D) silver (Ag)
E) lithium (Li)
Answer: D
13) Which of the following elements is an alkali metal?
A) argon (Ar)
B) lead (Pb)
C) cerium (Cr)
D) indium (In)
E) lithium (Li)
Answer: E
14) Which of the following elements is a halogen?
A) argon (Ar)
B) lead (Pb)
C) chlorine (Cl)
D) indium (In)
E) lithium (Li)
Answer: C
15) Which of the following elements is a gas at room temperature?
A) argon (Ar)
B) lead (Pb)
C) cesium (Cs)
D) indium (In)
E) lithium (Li)
Answer: A
16) The repeating trends that take place when examining the elements are called ________.
A) periodicity
B) the family cycle
C) the metal shift
D) a group conscience
E) none of the above
Answer: A
17) Which element would have chemical properties the most similar to chlorine (Cl)?
A) Br
B) O
C) Ar
D) S
E) Na
Answer: A
18) Which chemical family is composed almost entirely of man-made elements?
A) the actinides
B) the lanthanides
C) the halogens
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Answer: A
19) Which of the following is not the name of a chemical family?
A) heavy metals
B) transition metals
C) alkali metals
D) alkaline-earth metals
E) noble gases
Answer: A
20) Elements that are in the same ________ have a tendency to have very similar chemical
properties due to periodic trends.
A) group
B) period
C) textbook
D) compound
E) row
Answer: A
21) Which of the following elements are in the same group as silicon (Si)?
A) C
B) P
C) As
D) B
E) none of the above
Answer: A
22) Which of the following elements are in the same period as magnesium (Mg)?
A) Cl
B) Ca
C) Mn
D) Sr
E) none of the above
Answer: A
23) Which atom is smallest?
A) Be
B) Mg
C) Ca
D) Sr
E) All are the same size.
Answer: A
24) Which atom is largest?
A) Rb
B) K
C) Na
D) Li
E) H
Answer: A
25) Which of the following is a metalloid?
A) antimony (atomic no. = 51)
B) zinc (atomic no. = 30)
C) iodine (atomic no. = 53)
D) uranium (atomic no. = 92)
E) sulfur (atomic no. = 16)
Answer: A
26) What are metalloids?
A) elements that have some properties like metals and some like nonmetals
B) elements that are smaller than metals
C) elements found in asteroids
D) elements that are larger than nonmetals
E) elements that have properties different than either the metals or the nonmetals
Answer: A
27) Which of the following is not a nonmetal?
A) titanium (atomic no. = 22)
B) sulfur (atomic no. = 16)
C) selenium (atomic no. = 34)
D) xenon (atomic no. = 54)
E) helium (atomic no. = 2)
Answer: A
28) Which of the following describes a nonmetal?
A) poor conductor of electricity
B) shiny
C) malleable
D) ductile
E) good conductor of heat
Answer: A
29) Which of these properties describes a metal?
A) conducts heat very well
B) brittle
C) fragile
D) transparent
E) doesn't conduct electricity very well
Answer: A
30) Which of these is not a metal?
A) selenium (atomic no. = 34)
B) gallium (atomic no. = 31)
C) lithium (atomic no. = 3)
D) potassium (atomic no. = 19)
E) vanadium (atomic no. = 23)
Answer: A
31) Which of these does not describe a metal at room temperature?
A) gas
B) solid
C) liquid
D) shiny
E) bendable
Answer: A
12.5 Physical and Conceptual Models
1) Would you use a physical model or a conceptual model to describe the following: a gold coin,
dollar bill, car engine, air pollution, virus, spread of sexually transmitted disease?
A) conceptual model-gold coin, car engine, virus; physical model-air pollution, spread of
sexually transmitted disease, dollar bill
B) physical model-gold coin, car engine, virus; conceptual model-air pollution, spread of
sexually transmitted disease; dollar bill, which could represent wealth, may well be described by
either model.
C) You could adequately describe all of the topics by either model. The choice depends only on
the characteristics requiring description.
D) physical model-gold coin, dollar bill, car engine; conceptual model-virus, air pollution, spread
of sexually transmitted disease
Answer: B
2) Would you use a physical model or a conceptual model to describe the following: the brain;
the mind; the solar system; the beginning of the universe?
A) conceptual; physical; conceptual physical
B) conceptual; conceptual; conceptual; conceptual
C) physical; conceptual; physical; conceptual
D) physical; physical; physical; physical
Answer: C
3) What do the components of a conceptual model have in common?
A) All components interact with each other.
B) All components are mutually independent of each other.
C) The components have nothing in common. This is what differentiates a conceptual model
from a physical model.
D) Each component must correlate with a corresponding component of a physical model.
Answer: A
4) If an atom were the size of a baseball, its nucleus would be about the size of a(n)
A) walnut.
B) raisin.
C) flea.
D) atom.
Answer: C
5) Which of the following best describes a conceptual model of an atom?
A) a model that illustrates the tendency of an atom to undergo radioactive decay and the products
it produces
B) a model that illustrates the physical structure of the atom
C) a model that represents the shape of the nucleus and the location of the electrons
D) a description of the location of the neutrons and protons in an atom
E) none of the above
Answer: A
6) What is the main difference between a conceptual model and a physical model?
A) A physical model represents the shape and form while a conceptual model describes how a
system behaves.
B) A conceptual model represents the shape and form while a physical model describes how a
system behaves.
C) Physical models can only be used to represent the real world.
D) Conceptual models can only be used to describe concepts.
E) Physical models and conceptual models can be used to describe the same things.
Answer: A
7) Which of the following could NOT be represented by a conceptual model?
A) the energy of a nucleus
B) the floor plan of a house
C) the weather
D) the behavior of schoolchildren
E) both A and B
Answer: B
8) Which of the following could be represented by a physical model?
A) a cell
B) an atom
C) rationality
D) ecosystem
E) both A and B
Answer: A
9) Why can't we see atoms?
A) We see with light energy and the wavelength is larger than the object and so it is not
reflected.
B) Atoms are invisible.
C) We cannot see things that are microscopic.
D) We see with light energy but the atoms absorb all the light and therefore there are no
reflections.
E) Atoms do not interact with light energy and therefore we are unable to observe them with
light.
Answer: A
12.6 Identifying Atoms Using the Spectroscope
1) Which of the following statements is false?
A) The atomic spectrum of helium is different from the atomic spectrum of neon.
B) Electromagnetic radiation often behaves like a wave.
C) An atomic spectrum is an element's fingerprint.
D) An atom emits electromagnetic radiation when an electron moves from a lower energy level
to a higher energy level.
E) Light that is high in energy has a high frequency.
Answer: D
2) The ________ represents the complete range of frequencies of light energy from radio waves
to cosmic rays.
A) electromagnetic spectrum
B) electron configuration
C) probability cloud
D) frequency dependence
E) spectroscopic model
Answer: A
3) How would you describe light generated by heating pure elements if it was observed through a
prism or spectroscope?
A) You would see a series of very sharp lines of emitted light.
B) You would see a rainbow of colors.
C) Light is absorbed by heated elements so you would not see anything.
D) You would see one line of emitted light, but it would be different for each element.
E) none of the above
Answer: A
4) How might you distinguish a sodium-vapor street lamp from a mercury-vapor street lamp?
A) use binoculars to look for printing adjacent to the bulb
B) look at the street lamps through a spectroscope and match their spectral patterns to their
respective atomic spectra
C) ask your local utility company to identify these lamps for you
D) The shadows cast from a sodium-vapor street lamp tend to be more diffuse around the edges.
Answer: B
12.7 The Quantum Hypothesis
1) Which of the following is said to be quantized?
A) the number of eggs in an egg carton
B) the amount of water in a glass
C) the volume of air in a balloon
D) the amount of time in an hour
E) none of the above
Answer: A
2) What is the main tenet of Plank's quantum hypothesis?
A) Energy comes in discrete packets of a certain minimum size.
B) Energy is composed of subatomic particles called quanta.
C) Energy is a continuum, but light is quantized.
D) Energy can be converted into matter through nuclear quanta.
E) Light is composed of waves that exist only at certain quantum fundamental frequencies.
Answer: A
3) How is the term photon related to the term quantum?
A) A quantum of light is actually one photon.
B) A quantum of photons is equal to the wavelength.
C) A quantum is a particle of light while a photon is a wave of light.
D) A quantum is a particle of light exactly one photon long.
E) A quantum is a wave of light while a packet of quanta equals one photon.
Answer: A
4) What was Niels Bohr's explanation for the observation of atomic spectra?
A) Electrons could only move in discrete energy steps within an atom.
B) Electrons could not move in an atom.
C) Any photon could excite an electron.
D) Only certain photons with the correct energy could excite the quanta in the nucleus.
E) Nucleons could be excited by different electron energies.
Answer: A
5) What is the relationship between the light emitted by an atom and the energies of the electrons
in the atom?
A) The larger the atom, the greater the number of electrons and therefore the greater the
frequency of a light.
B) The energies of the electrons of an atom are directly proportional to the wavelength of light
emitted and therefore inversely proportional to the frequency of the light emitted.
C) The greater the frequency of a photon of light, the greater the energy packed into that photon.
D) The light emitted by an atom is a function of its nuclear density and its ability to absorb and
reflect various wavelengths of light from the electromagnetic spectrum.
Answer: C
6) Which of the following statements is true about Bohr's planetary model of the atom?
A) The electrons orbit around the nucleus.
B) It is a physical model.
C) The energy difference between the orbits is continuous.
D) The electrons smoothly move from one orbit to the next.
E) none of the above
Answer: E
7) Which of the following best explains what is happening when an atom emits light?
A) An electron is dropping from a higher to a lower energy level with the difference in energy
between the two being emitted as light.
B) A proton is undergoing a nuclear change in the nucleus and is emitting a high energy light
wave in the process.
C) An electron is jumping from a low energy state to a high energy state with the difference in
energy being converted to light.
D) Heat energy is speeding up the orbit of the electrons and the resulting Doppler shift causes
light to be emitted from the electrons.
E) Heat energy is converting a neutron into a proton and an electron, which is ejected into the
orbit of the nucleus, releasing light energy.
Answer: A
8) How can a hydrogen atom, which has only one electron, have so many spectral lines?
A) The electron is able to move at various speeds.
B) The protons in the nucleus are also giving off various light frequencies.
C) One electron can be boosted to many different energy levels.
D) The atomic radius of the hydrogen atom is relatively large.
Answer: C
9) Suppose that a certain atom possesses only four distinct energy levels. Assuming that all
transitions between levels are possible, how many spectral lines will this atom exhibit?
A) three
B) four
C) six
D) unlimited
Answer: C
10) An electron de-excites from the fourth quantum level to the third and then directly to the
first. Two frequencies of light are emitted. How do their combined energies compare to the
energy of the single frequency that would be emitted by de-excitation from the fourth level
directly to the first level? Answer: The combined energies of the two frequencies emitted by the
one electrons is
A) greater than the energy of the single frequency.
B) less than the energy of the single frequency.
C) equal to the energy of the single frequency.
D) not predictable because other factors, such as the temperature of the surroundings must also
be considered.
Answer: C
11) Consider the various frequencies of the three photons emitted from the following three
individual electron transitions in the figure below: n=3 to n=2; n=2 to n=1; n=3 to n=1. These
transitions would produce three spectral lines in a spectroscope. If the energy spacing between
the levels were equal, would this affect the number of spectral lines?
A) Yes, two otherwise separate lines would converge into a single more intense line.
B) No, but the spacing between the spectral lines would change.
C) Yes, two otherwise separate lines would converge into a single less intense line.
D) No, but some would then require a prism in order to be seen.
Answer: A
12) Which color of light comes from the higher energy transition, red or blue?
A) Blue is a higher frequency and therefore corresponds to a lower energy level transition.
B) Blue is a higher frequency and therefore corresponds to a higher energy level transition.
C) Red is a higher frequency and therefore corresponds to a lower energy level transition.
D) Red is a higher frequency and therefore corresponds to a higher energy level transition.
Answer: B
13) How might the spectrum of an atom appear if its electrons were not restricted to particular
energy levels?
A) It would appear nearly the same as it does with the energy level restrictions.
B) There would be no frequencies within the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
C) A broad spectrum of all colors would be observed.
D) The frequency of the spectral lines would change with temperature.
Answer: C
14) Light is emitted as an electron transition from a higher energy state to a lower energy state.
How long does it take for the actual transition to take place?
A) several seconds
B) several microseconds
C) several nanoseconds
D) no time at all
Answer: D
12.8 Electron Waves
1) Which of the following is a property of light?
A) It is a wave.
B) It is a particle.
C) Its energy comes in packets of uniform size.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Answer: D
2) Which of the following statements about electrons is true?
A) Electrons have a negative charge.
B) Electrons are particles.
C) Electrons behave like waves.
D) Electrons in atoms can be excited by light energy.
E) all of the above
Answer: E
3) What property of an electron makes it possible to use electron microscopes?
A) They can be focused using smaller lenses.
B) They have shorter wavelengths than visible light.
C) They are electrically charged.
D) They can be generated with electricity.
E) none of the above
Answer: B
4) Which of the following might best explain the reason why electrons are restricted to certain
energy levels in an atom?
A) They behave like restricted waves and are self-reinforcing.
B) They are travelling at very high speeds.
C) They are interacting with the light around the atom.
D) They are out of phase and self-destruct when outside of distinct energy regions.
E) They behave like chaotic waves of alternating frequency.
Answer: A
5) How does the wave model of electrons orbiting the nucleus account for the fact that the
electrons can have only discrete energy values?
A) Electrons are only able to vibrate at particular frequencies.
B) When an electron wave is confined, it is reinforced only at particular frequencies.
C) The energy values of an electron only occur where its wave properties and probability clouds
are mutually reinforcing.
D) The wave model accounts for the types of orbitals an electron may occupy, not it's energy
levels.
Answer: B
6) In some instances electromagnetic radiation behaves like a wave. In other instances
electromagnetic radiation behaves more like a particle. Which behavior more accurately
describes the true nature of electromagnetic radiation?
A) Particle behavior more accurately describes the true nature of electromagnetic radiation.
B) Electromagnetic radiation behaves both as a wave or as a particle depending on the
circumstance.
C) Wave behavior more accurately describes the true nature of electromagnetic radiation.
D) There is no circumstance in which electromagnetic radiation can be described as either
portraying particle or wave behavior.
Answer: B
7) An atom absorbs or emits only particular frequencies of light. White light bends into a glass
prism and separates into a rainbow of colors. In which of these two scenarios does the
electromagnetic radiation behave as a wave? As a particle?
A) Absorption of light shows wave behavior while bending of light shows particle behavior.
B) Absorption of light shows particle behavior while bending of light shows wave behavior.
C) Both absorption and bending of light show particle behavior.
D) Both absorption and bending of light show wave behavior.
Answer: B
8) Some older cars vibrate loudly when driving at particular speeds. For example, at 65 mph the
car may be most quiet, but at 60 mph the car rattles uncomfortably. How is this analogous to the
quantized energy levels of an electron in an atom?
A) A car is designed for maximum performance at particular speeds under given road conditions.
Likewise, electron energy level transitions are smooth if they occur while the atom is in a low
energy state. Changing the speed of the car for the road conditions is similar to subjecting the
atom to unusual energy conditions.
B) New cars and small atoms don't share this behavior because modern technology produces
better cars and small atoms don't have enough electrons to move among quantized energy levels
to cause vibration.
C) The vibrating car is analogous to one of the energy levels of the electron, which is the point at
which the electron experiences resonance.
D) There can be no analogy between a vibrating car and the quantized energy level of an electron
in an atom since electrons don't vibrate. Doing so would cause the atom to break apart.
Answer: C
12.9 The Shell Model
1) The shell model presented in this book is not very accurate. Why then is it presented?
A) It reminds us that the study of matter relates to the solar system.
B) Most instructors are not good enough artists to duplicate the complicated artwork of true
model on the chalk board for explanation purposes.
C) The shell model is derived from classical physics, which is still the most widely accepted
approach to understanding atomic theory.
D) The shell model is simpler and easy to understand.
Answer: D
2) How is it possible to deduce the identity of an element from its electron configuration?
A) The number of occupied shells corresponds to the atom's atomic number.
B) If the atom is electrically neutral, the number of electrons corresponds to the atom's atomic
number.
C) Using the periodic table, the outermost occupied shell indicates the group while the number of
occupied shells indicates the period.
D) An electron configuration is unique to each element, much like its atomic spectrum.
Answer: B
3) How many electrons are there in the third shell of sodium, Na (atomic number 11)?
A) none
B) one
C) two
D) three
Answer: B
4) What do the electron configurations for all the group 18 noble gases have in common?
A) They have the same number of electrons.
B) They occupy the same number of shells.
C) Their outermost occupied shells are filled to capacity.
D) all of the above
Answer: C
5) Oxygen, O, (number 8), sulfur, S, (number 16), and selenium, Se, (number 34) have such
similar chemical properties because
A) their outermost shells contain the same number of electrons.
B) because they are all located close to one another in the periodic table.
C) they all have the same number of occupied shells.
D) These elements can't have similar chemical properties because they are in different periods of
the periodic table.
Answer: A
6) Does a shell have to contain electrons in order to exist?
A) A shell is a form of energy that requires electrons in order to exist.
B) A shell is just a region of space which may or may not contain electrons.
C) A shell is just a conceptual model, hence, it doesn't really exist with or without the electron.
D) Two of the above are reasonable answers.
Answer: D
7) What is the valence shell?
A) It is the outermost shell of electrons in an atom.
B) It is the shell of electrons in an atom that is the least reactive.
C) It is the last partially filled orbital in an atom.
D) It is the shell of electrons in element V (atomic no. = 23)
E) It is the same as the orbital configuration.
Answer: A
Test Bank for Conceptual Physical Science
Paul Hewitt, John Suchocki, Leslie Hewitt
9780321752932, 9780134060491
