Chapter 4 Structure

4.1Which one of the following substances does not consist of a giant structure?
A) ice B) copper C) sodium chloride D) graphite
4.2From the descriptions, which one of the following substances consists of a giant structure?
A) A white solid with a melting point of 801°C and a boiling point of 1413°C.
B) A colourless poisonous gas.
C) A white solid which melts at 80°C and boils at 218°C.
D) A colourless liquid which boils at 78°C.
4.3Potassium bromide has a giant ionic structure. Which one of the following is not likely to be true of
potassium bromide?
A) It is soluble in water. B) Solid potassium bromide conducts electricity
C) It has a high melting point and boiling point. D) It is likely to have brittle crystals.
4.4Nickel is a metal. Which one of the following is most unlikely to be a property of pure nickel?
A) It conducts electricity. B) It has a high melting point
C) It shatters if you hit a small piece with a hammer. D) It is a good conductor of heat
.4.4*Which one of the following statements correctly describes the relationship between graphite and diamond
A) Both diamond and graphite conduct electricity because they are both made from carbon atoms, and
carbon conducts electricity.
B) Diamond is denser than graphite because the diamond structure is more efficiently packed than the
graphite structure.
C) In diamond, each carbon atom is joined to three others to give sheets of hexagons which can slide over
each other. In graphite, each carbon atom is joined to four others, giving a very strong structure in 3-
dimensions.
D) The formation of colourless crystals by diamond shows that it is pure carbon. Graphite is dark grey
because it is impure carbon.
4.5Octane, a component of petrol (gasoline), has a simple molecular structure. Which one of the following is
not likely to be a property of octane?
A) It is a liquid with a boiling point of 126°C. B) It is insoluble in water.
C) The attractions between its molecules are not very strong. D) It conducts electricity
4.6A white crystalline solid melted at 681°C. It didn’t conduct electricity when it was solid, but did conduct
when it was molten, when it showed signs of chemical change. The solid was soluble in water, but
wouldn’t dissolve in alcohol. Which one of the following is the most likely structure for the solid?
A) metallic structure B) bsimple molecular structure
C) giant covalent structure D) giant ionic structure
4.7Silicon dioxide is a giant covalent structure consisting of strong silicon-oxygen bonds arranged in a 3-
dimensional lattice. Which one of the following properties would you not expect silicon dioxide to have?
A) Soluble in water B) Hard C) High melting point D) Insoluble in alcohol
4.8

The diagram represents

A) a compound
B) a mixture of compounds
C) a mixture of compounds and elements
D) a mixture of elements
4.8*Air is a mixture of gases. All of the following statements are true, and all apart from one are evidence that
air is a mixture rather than a compound. Which statement doesn’t add to this evidence?
A) Air can be separated into nitrogen, oxygen, etc, by physical means.
B) If nitrogen, oxygen, etc are mixed together, there is no heat evolved or absorbed.
C) Magnesium burns in air to give a mixture of magnesium oxide and magnesium nitride.
D) The proportions of gases in the air (for example, the amounts of carbon dioxide and water vapour) vary
over time.
11) Diamond and graphite are both forms of carbon. They both have giant
covalent structures.
*Both diamond and graphite have high sublimation points.
 Chapter 4 Structure
*Diamond can be used for cutting.
*Graphite can be used as a lubricant.
(a) Describe, without drawing a diagram, the structure of diamond. Include the
number of atoms to which each carbon atom is bonded and how the atoms are
arranged. Explain how this structure relates to the use of diamond in cutting.
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(b) Describe, without drawing a diagram, the structure of graphite. Include
thenumber of atoms to which each carbon atom is bonded and how the atoms
arearranged. Explain how this structure relates to the use of graphite as a
lubricant.
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12)(a) Magnesium and fluorine react to form the ionic compound magnesium fluoride. (i) The diagrams
show the electron arrangement in an atom of magnesium and in an atom of fluorine.

Describe what happens, in terms of electrons, when magnesium reacts with fluorine.
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(ii) Give the formula of each of the ions in magnesium fluoride
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(iii) Rubidium is a metal. Explain, in terms of its bonding and structure, why rubidium is:
(a) a good conductor of electricity
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(b) malleable.
 Chapter 4 Structure
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(c) ductile.
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 IGCSE Chemistry Multiple Choice Questions & Answers:
Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Structure
4.1
Which one of the following substances does not consist of a giant structure?
A ice
B copper
C sodium chloride
D graphite
Answer: A
Comment
This is something you simply have to know, although you could work it out from the fact
that water (ice) is a molecule, H2O, and so can’t be a giant structure. Copper is a
giant metallic structure, sodium chloride is giant ionic, and graphite is giant
covalent.
 IGCSE Chemistry Multiple Choice Questions & Answers:
Chapter 4

4.2
From the descriptions, which one of the following substances consists of a giant
structure?
A A white solid with a melting point of 801°C and a boiling point of 1413°C.
B A colourless poisonous gas.
C A white solid which melts at 80°C and boils at 218°C.
D A colourless liquid which boils at 78°C.
Answer: A
Comment
To break up giant structures needs a lot of heat energy, and so they tend to have high
melting and boiling points. They certainly can’t be gases or liquids, and that
eliminates B and D. Of the solids, A has high melting and boiling points, whereas
those of C are much lower. The answer is therefore A. It is actually the data for
sodium chloride, which is a giant ionic structure – although you obviously wouldn’t
be expected to know that.
 IGCSE Chemistry Multiple Choice Questions & Answers:
Chapter 4

4.3
Potassium bromide has a giant ionic structure. Which one of the following is not likely to
be true of potassium bromide?
A It is soluble in water.
B Solid potassium bromide conducts electricity.
C It has a high melting point and boiling point.
D It is likely to have brittle crystals.
Answer: B
Comment
A, C and D are all typical of giant ionic compounds. The untrue answer is B. In order to
conduct electricity, the compound either has to have mobile electrons or mobile
ions. In solid sodium bromide, the ions are locked into the giant lattice, and can’t
move, and there aren’t any delocalised electrons.
 IGCSE Chemistry Multiple Choice Questions & Answers:
Chapter 4

4.4
Nickel is a metal. Which one of the following is most unlikely to be a property of pure
nickel?
A It conducts electricity.
B It has a high melting point.
C It shatters if you hit a small piece with a hammer.
D It is a good conductor of heat.
Answer: C
Comment
Most metals are easily worked (malleable and ductile) and have a high melting point. All
metals are conductors of heat and electricity. It would be very unusual for a pure
metal to be brittle, and so C is the most unlikely property of nickel.
 IGCSE Chemistry Multiple Choice Questions & Answers:
Chapter 4

4.4*
Which one of the following statements correctly describes the relationship between
graphite and diamond?
A Both diamond and graphite conduct electricity because they are both made from
carbon atoms, and carbon conducts electricity.
B Diamond is denser than graphite because the diamond structure is more efficiently
packed than the graphite structure.
C In diamond, each carbon atom is joined to three others to give sheets of hexagons
which can slide over each other. In graphite, each carbon atom is joined to four
others, giving a very strong structure in 3-dimensions.
D The formation of colourless crystals by diamond shows that it is pure carbon.
Graphite is dark grey because it is impure carbon.
Answer: B
Comment
The correct answer is B. The relatively large distances between the sheets of carbon
atoms in graphite mean that fewer carbon atoms fit into any given volume of solid,
and so the graphite is less dense than diamond.
A is simply wrong! Of the two, only graphite conducts electricity, and that is because of
the particular way the carbon atoms are joined together – NOT because it is made
of carbon atoms.
C is wrong because it reverses the structures of diamond and graphite.
D is wrong because both diamond and graphite are pure forms of carbon.
 IGCSE Chemistry Multiple Choice Questions & Answers:
Chapter 4

4.5
Octane, a component of petrol (gasoline), has a simple molecular structure. Which one
of the following is not likely to be a property of octane?
A It is a liquid with a boiling point of 126°C.
B It is insoluble in water.
C The attractions between its molecules are not very strong.
D It conducts electricity.
Answer: D
Comment
There are two ways you can work this out – either from the fact that octane is a
component of petrol (gasoline), or from the fact that it is a simple molecular
structure.
From knowing that it is a component of petrol:
The boiling point is reasonable, and petrol isn’t soluble in water. Petrol is also volatile
(molecules escape from it to form a vapour fairly easily). That means that the
attractions between its molecules can’t be very strong, otherwise they wouldn’t
break away from each other. That leaves D, which you have got at by a process of
elimination.
From knowing that it has a simple molecular structure:
Substances with molecular structures (in other words, consisting of a collection of
molecules) tend to be gases, liquids or low melting point solids, because the
attractions between the molecules aren’t very strong. Mostly, they are insoluble in
water. That means that A, B and C are all likely to be right. Again you are left with
D, but this time you can be more sure about it. In order to conduct electricity, a
substance has to have either mobile electrons or mobile ions. If it consists of
simple molecules, it won’t have either of these, and so won’t conduct electricity.
 IGCSE Chemistry Multiple Choice Questions & Answers:
Chapter 4

4.6
A white crystalline solid melted at 681°C. It didn’t conduct electricity when it was solid,
but did conduct when it was molten, when it showed signs of chemical change.
The solid was soluble in water, but wouldn’t dissolve in alcohol.
Which one of the following is the most likely structure for the solid?
A metallic structure
B simple molecular structure
C giant covalent structure
D giant ionic structure
Answer: D
Comment
The melting point is quite high and suggests a giant structure. Conduction of electricity
when it is molten but not when it is solid is typical of ionic compounds, and the
solubility pattern is also consistent with an ionic compound. The answer is D.
 IGCSE Chemistry Multiple Choice Questions & Answers:
Chapter 4

4.7
Silicon dioxide is a giant covalent structure consisting of strong silicon-oxygen bonds
arranged in a 3-dimensional lattice. Which one of the following properties would
you not expect silicon dioxide to have?
A Soluble in water
B Hard
C High melting point
D Insoluble in alcohol
Answer: A
Comment
A giant covalent structure is unlikely to be soluble in anything (unless it reacts) – it is
held together by strong covalent bonds, and water molecules aren’t likely to be
able to break these. The property you wouldn’t expect silicon dioxide to have is A.
 IGCSE Chemistry Multiple Choice Questions & Answers:
Chapter 4

4.8

The diagram represents

A a compound
B a mixture of compounds
C a mixture of compounds and elements
D a mixture of elements
Answer: C
Comment
A is wrong because you have a variety of different substances, unattached to each
other. It is definitely a mixture rather than a pure compound.
There are four different sorts of molecules present. Two of these contain different atoms,
and so are compounds; two consist of only one sort of atom, and so are elements.
This is a mixture of compounds and elements.
 IGCSE Chemistry Multiple Choice Questions & Answers:
Chapter 4

4.8*
Air is a mixture of gases. All of the following statements are true, and all apart from one
are evidence that air is a mixture rather than a compound. Which statement
doesn’t add to this evidence?
A Air can be separated into nitrogen, oxygen, etc, by physical means.
B If nitrogen, oxygen, etc are mixed together, there is no heat evolved or absorbed.
C Magnesium burns in air to give a mixture of magnesium oxide and magnesium
nitride.
D The proportions of gases in the air (for example, the amounts of carbon dioxide
and water vapour) vary over time.
Answer: C
Comment
A, B and D are all typical of mixtures. What is the problem with C? This would happen
even if the air was a compound of nitrogen and oxygen – NO or NO2 for example.
Magnesium could also react with compounds like these to produce a mixture of
magnesium oxide and magnesium nitride, just as it does with the mixture of
nitrogen and oxygen in the air.
This isn’t an easy question.