Sample First Midterm Exam

CHEM 101/103, Section Z9 Date of exam, 12:00 – 12:45

A.N. Instructor
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SOLUTIONS
Last Name (please print) First Name (please print)

Signature ID Number

Instructions:
1. This exam has 4 questions. You should have a total of 6 pages (this page, 4 question pages, one
overflow page) plus a data sheet. Make sure you have a complete exam.
2. This is a closed-book exam. Approved calculators only (only standard scientific calculators may
be used). Electronic devices with alphanumeric capabilities such as laptops, pocket PCs, Palm
Pilots, phones, etc. are NOT permitted.
3. Place your answers on the FRONT SIDE of each page and CLEARLY NOTE any work on the
backside of a page.
4. Appeals, re-grading, etc. will be considered only if you write the exam using blue or black pen.
Usage of a red pen and or whiteout is NOT permitted and will result in a mark of zero!
5. Show all work. On calculations, no marks are given for an answer without supporting work.
Carry units throughout all calculations. Answers without explanations or full work will be given a
mark of zero.
6. Please take out your ONE card.

charge 1× charge 2 ⎛ Z2 ⎞
Energy ∝ c = νλ E = hν E n = −2.178 ×10−18 J⎜ 2 ⎟
distance ⎝n ⎠
⎛1 ⎞
ΔE = −2.178 ×10−18 J ( Z 2 )⎜⎜ 2 − 2 ⎟⎟
1
⎝ n f ni ⎠
Electromagnetic spectrum:
γ rays X rays Ultraviolet Visible Infrared Microwaves Radio

Avogadro's number=6.022 × 1023 mol-1

c = 2.998 × 108 m/s
1 amu = 1.66054 × 10-24 g

Problem Maximum mark Mark received

1 9
2 8
3 8
4 9
Total 34
1.

(a) Take the number at the bottom right corner of this page and add 100 to it (Comment: each
exam will have a unique number; assume that the number equals 00023). Ignore leading
zeros. This is your magic number.

Write this magic number 123

All other numbers come from measurements. Express the result to the correct number of
significant figures.

1.7 + 21.954 + 210.77

(1 mark) = 0.3025
6.3002 * your magic number

(2 marks) Briefly explain your answer.

Numerator's numerical result: 234.424. Round off to 234.4 (least decimal places in 1.7)
4 sig fig
⇒ 4 significant figures
5 sig fig*exact

234.424
= 0.3025
6.3002 *123

(b) (3 marks) Briefly state the main observations and conclusions of Rutherford's experiment.

Rutherford bombarded a thin gold foil with alpha particles (positively charged particles). Most
of the particles passed through the foil with little or no deflection, however, in occasional
cases, there were minor deflections of the alpha particles and, in rare cases, major
deflections of the alpha particles.

Rutherford concluded that the atom must have a small, heavy area of positive charge (the
nucleus). The alpha particles were deflected when they either collided with the nucleus
(major deflections) or came near the nucleus (minor deflections).

(c) (3 marks) Draw the probability density (ψ2) versus radius plot for a 2s atomic orbital. Be
sure to label axes and all features of the plot. [we have not discussed this in class yet]

ψ2 = 0, node
2.
(a) (3 marks) Calculate the ionization energy of the ground state hydrogen atom. Express the
ionization energy in units of kJ/mol. Show all work and reasoning.

Ionization from the ground state involves going from n = 1 to n = ∞

⎛ 1 1⎞
( )
ΔE = −2.178 × 10 −18 J 12 ⎜ 2 − 2 ⎟ = +2.178 × 10 −18 J
⎝∞ 1 ⎠

⎛ 1kJ ⎞ ⎛ 6.022 × 10 atoms ⎞

23
−18 kJ
2.178 × 10 J⎜ 3 ⎟⎜ ⎟ = 1.312 × 10 3
⎝ 10 J ⎠ ⎝ mol ⎠ mol

(b) (3 marks) What is the maximum wavelength of light (in nm) that will cause ionization of
the ground state hydrogen atom?

⎛ m⎞
−18 hc
( 6.626 × 10 −34
)
J ⋅ s ⎜ 2.998 × 10 8 ⎟
⎝ s⎠
2.178 × 10 J= =
λ λ

λ = 9.121 × 10 −8 m = 91.21nm

(c) (2 marks) Will the ionization energy for a hydrogen atom with its electron in an excited
state be greater or less than the ionization energy for the atom with its electron in the
ground state? Briefly justify your answer.

n=∞
Based on energy diagram, the
ΔE for ionization from the
n=3 excited state would be less than
the ΔE for ionization from the
n=2 ground state. Ionization energy
Ionization from the for the excited state hydrogen
excited states. atom is less than that for the
ground state hydrogen atom.

n=1 Ionization from the

ground state.
Rough sketch of an energy diagram.
(Energy differences not to scale)
3. Calcium nitrite is one of the products of the reaction between potassium nitrite and calcium
chloride.

(a) (2 marks) Write out the full and balanced chemical equation for this reaction.

2 KNO2 + CaCl2 → Ca(NO2)2 + 2 KCl

(b) (6 marks) If 150.0 mL of a 0.500 M potassium nitrite solution is reacted with 8.00 g of
calcium chloride, how many grams of calcium nitrite are obtained?

mol KNO2 = (0.1500 L)(0.500 mol/L) = 0.0750 mol 1

mol MgCl2 = (8.00 g)/(110.984 g/mol) = 0.07208 mol 1

mol Ca(NO2)2 using all KNO2

= (0.0750 mol KNO2)(1 mol Ca(NO2)2) = 0.03750 mol
(2 mol KNO2)

mol Ca(NO2)2 using all CaCl2

= (0.07208 mol CaCl2)(1 mol Ca(NO2)2) = 0.07208 mol 2
(1 mol CaCl2)

KNO2 is the limiting reagent 1

grams of Ca(NO2)2 produced = (0.03750 mol)(132.088 g/mol) = 4.95 g 1

-2 for wrong mole ratios or wrong limiting reagents

-3 for no limiting reagent or one reactant
 4.
3+
(a) (6 marks) Determine the kinetic energy of the electron ionized from a Li ion in its ground
16 –1
state, using a photon of frequency 5.000×10 s .

−34 16 −1 −17
εphoton = hν = (6.626×10 Js) (5.000×10 s ) = 3.313×10 J

Ionization energy IE:

⎛ 1 1⎞
IE = − (1.278 × 10 −18 J ) ( Z 2 ) ⎜ 2 − 2 ⎟
⎝ n f ni ⎠
⎛ 1 1⎞
= − (1.278 × 10 −18 J ) ( 32 ) ⎜ − 2 ⎟
⎝∞ 1 ⎠
= 1.960 × 10 −17 J

Kinetic Energy KE = ε photon − IE

−17 −17 −17
= 3.313 × 10 J − 1.960 × 10 J = 1.353 × 10 J
2 –31
Notice that the KE=(1/2) mu ; if we use the mass of electron me = 9.109×10 kg, and recall
2 2
that 1 J = 1 kg × m / s , then we can calculate the speed of the ionized electron.

(b) (3 marks) The frequency of the n = 3 to n = 2 transition for an unknown hydrogen-like ion
occurs at a frequency 16 times that of the hydrogen atom. What is the identity of the ion?

The frequency of the (3 → 2) transition for an atom with atomic number Z equals

⎛ 1 1⎞ 1
ν (3 → 2) = − (1.278 × 10 −18 J ) ( Z 2 ) ⎜ 2 − 2 ⎟ ×
⎝3 2 ⎠ h

for the H atom we have:

⎛ 1 1⎞ 1
ν (3 → 2)H = − (1.278 × 10 −18 J ) (12 ) ⎜ 2 − 2 ⎟ ×
⎝3 2 ⎠ h

The ratio of the two is:

ν (3 → 2)Z
= Z 2 = 16
ν (3 → 2)H

the atom is Be.

3+
However, because we are dealing with a H-like system, we really have the ion Be .