CHM 678

PAST YEAR QUESTION

CHAPTER 1
(ATOMIC STRUCTURE AND BONDING)

Name : Nur Nadira Hazani

ID : 2013417876
Group : AS2026A1
Lecturer’s name : Tuan Sheikh Ahmad Izaddin Sheikh
Mohd Ghazali
April 2010

- NO question on atomic structure and bonding

October 2010

QUESTION 4

a) Use Appendix 1 to determine the coordination number and the coordination geometry of UO 2.

[Ionic radius (A) : U4+=0.97and O2-=1.32]

Answer:

The radius ratio for UO2 is

= r ¿¿

0.97
=
1.32

= 0.7348

= According to Appendix 1, the cation-anion radius ratio is between 0.732-1.0, so the UO2
should show coordination number = 8, and show cubic geometry.

(7marks)

b) Determine whether UO2 is a suitable material for super conductor or not.

Answers:

- UO2 is suitable material for super conductor because it has larger coordination number
means that it have larger cation.

- As the atom size increases, it becomes possible to pack more and more atom around it.

- Large cation can carry large electrical charge.

(3marks)
April 2011

Question 3

a) Silica (SiO2) exhibits both ionic and covalent bonding characteristics.

Electronegativity of Si=1.8, O=3.5

i) What fraction of the bonding is covalent?

Answers:

−¿¿ ¿¿
% ionic character = 1 - e
2
−(1.8 −3.5 )
X 100 %
=1- 4
e
= 0.5145 x 100%
= 51.45 %
% covalent character = 100 – 51.45
= 48.55 %
(3 marks)
ii) Give one application in which silica is used
Answer:
- Silica is used in making glass and ceramic.
(2 marks)
January 2012
QUESTION 2
Graphite and diamond are both made from carbon atoms.
a) List some of the physical characteristics of each.
Answers :
Graphite
Has soft, slippery feel and brittle. Because
weak intermolecular forces between layer
cannot prevent them sliding over each
other
Can conduct electricity. Because each
carbon atom has one electron that is not
used in bonding. This free electron are free
to move throughout the layer, so able to
conduct electricity
b) Give one application for graphite and one for diamond.
Answers :
Graphite
Used as pencil lead and also lubricant
c) If both materials are made of carbon, why does such a difference in properties exists?
(4marks)
Diamond
Very hard and strong. Because a lot of
energy required to break the strong carbon-
carbon covalent bond
Do not conduct electricity. No ion or free
electron to move to conduct electricity
because outer electron are held tightly
between atoms (held in covalent bond)
(4marks)
Diamond
Used in cutting other hard solid. Example
diamond used to cut rock
 Answers:

The properties are difference for both of material that made up from carbon due to the
arrangement of carbon are different.

For diamond, the arrangement of carbon in 3D giant covalent network of carbon atom. Each
carbon is joined to four other carbon atoms by strong covalent bond.

For graphite, the arrangement of carbon in 2D parallel layer of carbon atom. Each carbon
atoms is joined to 3 other carbon atom by strong covalent bond

(2marks)

d) Sketch the structure of graphite and diamond. Label all types of bonding present.

Answers: (4marks)

Diamond Graphite

Strong covalent
bond

Weak
intermolecular
forces

Strong covalent bond

June 2012

Question 1
b) A copper sample is in a cylindrical shape. The diameter of the cylinder is 0.5 cm and the height is 2
cm. (Atomic weight of Cu = 63.5 g/mol, atomic number = 29, density of Cu = 8.93 g/cm 3, NA = 6.023
x1023)

i) Calculate the number of copper atoms in the sample. (5 marks)

Answers :
Volume of copper cylinder = πr2h
= π(0.25)2(2)
= 0.3927 cm3
Mass of sample = density x volume
= 8.93 g/cm3 x 0.3927 cm3
= 3.5068 g

6.023 x 1023 atoms/mol

The number of copper atom present = 3.5068 g x
63.5 g/mol

= 3.326 x 1022 atoms

ii) Explain with the aid of a sketch the formation of bonding in copper. (3 marks)

Ion core of copper

Sea electrons

iii) Write the electronic configuration of the ion core of copper. (1 mark)
Answers:
Cu2+ = 1s2 , 2s2 , 2p6, 3s2, 3p6, 3d9

iv) Is the bonding in copper directional or non-directional? Justify your answer

Answers : (2 marks)
 Bonding in copper is non-directional. Because it form metallic bond which valence electron
are not bound to any particular atom and free to move throughout the entire metal forming
sea of electron.

v) Copper sulphate (CuSO4) is widely used as an additive in book binding pastes and glues, for
insecticidal purposes. Explain why this material is unable to conduct electricity based on the type(s)
of bonding presence.
Answers:
- CuSO4 cannot conduct electricity because bonding in CuSO 4 is directional. CuSO4 form
covalent bond. There no free moving ion. The interaction may exist only in the direction
between one atom and another.
(2marks)

January 2013

Question 1 (10 marks)

a) Pure aluminum is a ductile metal with low tensile strength and hardness. Its oxide Al 203 (alumina)
is extremely strong, hard and brittle. Explain this difference from an atomic bonding point of view.

Answers :

 Pure aluminium is a metal with mostly metallic bonds. Alumina (Al 2O3) is
a ceramic mostly ionic bonds.
 The strength of the ionic bond is significantly higher than the metallic
bonds. Thus, more energy is required to break the bonds between Al and O
compare between Al and Al.
 Alumina are strong, hard and brittle due to strong electrostatic forces that
hold ions together.
Pure aluminium (metallic bond)

Ion core
Sea of electron

Alumina (ionic bond)

Electronic configuration of aluminium = 1s2 , 2s2 , 2p6, 3s2, 3p1
Electronic configuration of oxygen = 1s2 , 2s2 , 2p4

b) Explain, why many polymers and some ceramic glasses have an amorphous or semi

crystalline structure.
 Answers :

 Material have an amorphous or semi-crystalline structure because they lack long-range

order in their atomic structure. Atoms in amorphous materials are bonded in a
disordered manner because of factors that inhibit the formation of a periodic
arrangement.

 In polymers, the secondary bonds among molecules do not allow for the formation of
parallel and tightly packed chains during solidification.

 In ceramic glass, the modest cooling rate suppresses the formation of crystal structure
and tetrahedral join corner to corner to form a network lacking in long-range order

(4marks)

c) Name two carbon allotropes and discuss their crystal structure.

Answers:

- Diamond and graphite are two carbon allotropes.

- For diamond, the arrangement of carbon in 3D giant covalent network of carbon atom.
Each carbon is joined to four other carbon atoms by strong covalent bond.

- For graphite, the arrangement of carbon in 2D parallel layer of carbon atom. Each
carbon atoms is joined to 3 other carbon atom by strong covalent bond

Diamond Graphite

Strong covalent
bond

Weak
intermolecular
forces

- Strong covalent bond

(6marks)

June 2013

Question 1 (10 marks)

a) Pure aluminum is malleable metal with moderately high melting temperature. Its oxide Al 203
(alumina) is extremely strong, hard and brittle with high melting point. Discuss these differences
from an atomic bonding point of view.

Answers :

 Pure aluminium is a metal with mostly metallic bonds. Alumina (Al 2O3) is
a ceramic mostly ionic bonds.
 The strength of the ionic bond is significantly higher than the metallic
bonds. Thus, more energy is required to break the bonds between Al and O
compare between Al and Al.
 Alumina are strong, hard and brittle due to strong electrostatic forces that
hold ions together.
Pure aluminium (metallic bond)

Ion core
Sea of electron

Alumina (ionic bond)

Electronic configuration of aluminium = 1s2 , 2s2 , 2p6, 3s2, 3p1
Electronic configuration of oxygen = 1s2 , 2s2 , 2p4

b) Explain why covalently bonded materials are generally less dense than ionically or metallically
bonded ones.

Answers : (3marks)
Covalently bonded materials are less dense than metallic or ionically bonded ones
because covalent bonds are directional in nature whereas metallic and ionic are non-
directional. When bonds are directional, the atoms cannot pack together in as dense a
manner, yielding a lower mass density.
December 2013

Question 1
a) Diamond and graphite are allotropes of carbon.
i) Sketch the structure of graphite and diamond. Label all types of bonding present.

Diamond Graphite

Strong covalent
bond

Weak
intermolecular
forces

Strong covalent bond

(4marks)

ii) Explain why diamond is harder than graphite

Answers :
- Diamond is harder than graphite because diamond has the arrangement of carbon in 3D
giant covalent network of carbon atom. So, a lot of energy required to break the strong
carbon-carbon covalent bond
- But graphite is soft because of the arrangement of carbon in 2D parallel layer of carbon
atom. So, weak intermolecular forces between layer cannot prevent them sliding over
each other
(4marks)

iii) Give one application for each graphite and diamond

Answers:

Graphite Diamond

Used as pencil lead and also lubricant Used in cutting other hard solid. Example
diamond used to cut rock

(2marks)

c) Explain, why ultra-rapid cooling of some metal alloys produces metallic glass?

Answers :

- At ultra-rapid cooling, the atoms do not have enough time to form crystalline structure,
so the atoms form a metal with amorphous structure, that is highly disordered.
 - In theory, any crystalline material can form a non-crystalline structure (metallic glass) if
solidified rapidly enough from a molten state.

(4marks)

June 2014

Question 1

a) Use the electronegative value of each element to explain the type of bonding(s) that occur in the
materials below. (Electronegativity : Ga=1.8, As=2.2, Mg=1.3, O=3.5)

i) GaAs

Answers:
−¿¿ ¿¿
% ionic character = 1 - e
2
−(1.8 −2.2 )
X 100%
= 1- 4
e
= 0.0392 x 100%
= 3.92%
% covalent character = 100 – 3.92
= 96.08 %
So, the type of bonding that occur in the GaAs is covalent bond.
e−¿¿ ¿¿e−¿¿ ¿¿e−¿¿ ¿¿

ii) MgO

Answers :
−¿¿ ¿¿
% ionic character = 1 - e
2
−(1.3 −3.5 )
X 100 %
= 1- e 4

= 0.7018 x 100%
= 70.18 %
% covalent character = 100 – 70.18
= 29.82 % , So, the type of bonding that occur in the MgO is ionic bond

December 2014

Question 1

b) The hardness of sodium metal is lower than the hardness of magnesium. Discuss this difference
from an atomic bonding point of view.

Answers :
 - Metallic bonding in magnesium is stronger than in sodium because in magnesium, each
atom has donated two electron to the cloud.
- The greater the electron density held the ions together more stronger
- Magnesium has the outer electronic structure 3s 2. Both of these electrons become
delocalised, so the "sea" has twice the electron density as it does in sodium.
- Each magnesium atom has 12 protons in the nucleus compared with sodium's 11.
- That means that there will be a net pull from the magnesium nucleus of 2+, but only 1+
from the sodium nucleus.
- So not only will there be a greater number of delocalised electrons in magnesium, but
there will also be a greater attraction for them from the magnesium nuclei.
- Magnesium atoms also have a slightly smaller radius than sodium atoms, and so the
delocalised electrons are closer to the nuclei. Each magnesium atom also has 12 near
neighbours rather than sodium has 8 neighbour. Both of these factors increase the
strength of the bond still further.

Sodium Magnesium
(10 marks)

c) Alumina (Al2O3) exhibits both ionic and covalent bonding characteristic. Calculate the percentage
ionic character for the compound. (Electronegativity of Al = 1.5, O= 3.5)

Answers :
−¿¿ ¿¿
% ionic character = 1 - e
2
−(1.5 −3.5 )
X 100 %
= 1- e 4
 = 0.3679 x 100%
= 36.79 %
% covalent character = 100 – 36.79
= 63.21%

(3marks)

June 2015

Question 1

a) Give two properties of materials that are exclusively made up of ionic and covalent bonds. Name a
material for each type.

Ionic Covalent

Properties: Properties:
 - Can conduct electricity - Cannot conduct electricity
- Have high melting and boiling point - Have low melting and boiling point
- Hard, strong, stiff and brittle - Hard, strong, stiff and brittle

Example : Example :
- MgO - Quartz
- CsCl - Diamond
(6marks)

b) Both K and Ca are metals. Explain the higher melting temperature of Ca to melting point of K?
Answers :
- Metal Ca melts at higher temperature than metal K which precedes it in the periodic
table.
- Metals tend to have high melting points suggest the strong bond between the atoms.
(2marks)

c) Silica (SiO2) exhibits both ionic and covalent bonding characteristics.

(Electronegativity Si= 1.8, O=3.5)
i) Calculate the fraction of bonding that is covalent (4marks)
Answers :

−¿¿ ¿¿
% ionic character = 1 – e
2
−(1.8 −3.5 )
X 100 %
= 1- e 4

= 0.5144 x 100%
= 51.45 %

% covalent character = 100 – 51.45

= 48.55 %
ii) Assuming that silica has 100% covalent bonding, explain with a sketch how oxygen and silicon
atoms in silica are bonded
Answers :
- Silicon has a valence of four and shares electrons with four oxygen atoms, thus giving a
total of eight electrons for each silicon atom. However, oxygen has a valence of six and
shares electrons with two silicon atoms, giving oxygen a total of eight electrons
 -
(6marks)

iii) Give the application of silica

Answer:
- Silica is use to made glass and ceramic
(2marks)