SOLID STATE

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

Numerical of density (VERY IMPORTANT, ONE QUESTION WILL DEFINITELY COME

OF 3 MARKS IN BOARDS)

GIVEN VALUES WILL DEFINITELY BE DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE GIVEN HERE
(all examples of numerical are ncert) (see answers in ncert app, all depends on
only one formula)
1. An element has a body-centred cubic (bcc) structure with a cell edge of 288 pm. The density of the
element is 7.2 g/cm3. How many atoms are present in 208 g of the element?
2. X-ray diffraction studies show that copper crystallises in an fcc unit cell with cell edge of 3.608×10-
8 cm. In a separate experiment, copper is determined to have a density of 8.92 g/cm3, calculate the
atomic mass of copper.
3. Silver forms ccp lattice and X-ray studies of its crystals show that the edge length of its unit cell is
408.6 pm. Calculate the density of silver (Atomic mass = 107.9 u).
4. An element with molar mass 2.7×10-2 kg mol-1 forms a cubic unit cell with edge length 405 pm. If
its density is 2.7×103 kg m-3, what is the nature of the cubic unit cell?
5. Silver crystallises in fcc lattice. If edge length of the cell is 4.07 × 10–8 cm and density is 10.5 g cm–
3, calculate the atomic mass of silver.
6. Niobium crystallises in body-centred cubic structure. If density is 8.55 g cm–3, calculate atomic
radius of niobium using its atomic mass 93 u.
7. Copper crystallises into a fcc lattice with edge length 3.61 × 10–8 cm. Show that the calculated
density is in agreement with its measured value of 8.92 g cm–3.

Try all the ncert questions of tetrahedral and octahedral voids

1. A compound is formed by two elements X and Y. Atoms of the element Y (as anions) make ccp and
those of the element X (as cations) occupy all the octahedral voids. What is the formula of the
compound?
2. Atoms of element B form hcp lattice and those of the element A occupy 2/3rd of tetrahedral
voids. What is the formula of the compound formed by the elements A and B?
3. A compound is formed by two elements M and N. The element N forms ccp and atoms of M
occupy 1/3rd of tetrahedral voids. What is the formula of the compound?
4. A cubic solid is made of two elements P and Q. Atoms of Q are at the corners of the cube and P at
the body-centre. What is the formula of the compound? What are the coordination numbers of P
and Q?

and so on of this type, see from chapterwise

Numerical on relation between r and a (just learn the relation between a and r, given in table
below)

1. Gold (atomic radius = 0.144 nm) crystallises in a face-centred unit cell. What is the length of a side
of the cell?
2. Aluminium crystallises in a cubic close-packed structure. Its metallic radius is 125 pm. (i) What is
the length of the side of the unit cell? (ii) How many unit cells are there in 1.00 cm3 of aluminium?

1. Difference between amorphous and crystalline solid

S. Property Crystalline Amorphous
No.
1 Order Long range Short range
2 Isotropy/ Anisotropic (Physical properties will Isotropic (Physical properties will
have different value through any have same value through any
Anisotropy direction) direction)
3 Cleavage Cut into 2 sharp edges Cut into 2 rough edges
property
4 Heat of Fusion Higher Lower
5 Melting point Sharp Melts over range of temp

2. Classify the following as amorphous or crystalline solids:

Polyurethane, naphthalene, benzoic acid, teflon, potassium nitrate, cellophane, polyvinyl chloride,
fibre glass, copper. (HINT – If ‘poly’ is there in the name or something which stretches, then
amorphous, rock solid - Crystalline)

Crystalline Amorphous
Naphthalene, benzoic acid, potassium Polyurethane, Teflon, cellophane, polyvinyl
nitrate, copper chloride, fibre glass

3. Write the name of type of the solid which is conductor in solid as well as in molten state.
Metallic
4. Write the name of type of solid which is insulator in solid state but conductor in liquid state.
Ionic solid

5. Classify each of the following solids as ionic, metallic, molecular, network (covalent).
(i) Tetra phosphorus decoxide (P4O10) (vii) Graphite (ii) Ammonium phosphate (NH4)3PO4 (viii)
Brass (iii) SiC (ix) Rb (iv) I2 (x) LiBr (v) P4 (xi) Si
Ionic (cation/anion)) Metallic Molecular Covalent
(metals, alloys)
Ammonium phosphate Brass, Rb, Tetra phosphorus decoxide Graphite, SiC, Si
(NH4)3PO4, LiBr, (P4O10), I2, P4,
ionic forces metallic forces a) Polar molecules - dipole Covalent,
dipole network of them
b) Non polar - Vanderwaals’
c) Hydrogen bond in FON
type
6. What is the coordination number in rock salt type ionic solid?
6

7. Supercooled liquids/Why ancient glasses of windows are crystalline white at the bottom?
OR
Some of the glass objects recovered from ancient monuments look milky instead of transparent.
Why?
Those solids which have a tendency to flow however slowly, are called supercooled liquids, like Old
glass of windows are thick at the bottom.

Primitive - Particles only at the corners

bcc - Particles at each corner and one at the centre
fcc - Particles at each corner and one at each centre of face of cuboid
8. Which of the following lattices has the highest packing efficiency (i) simple cubic (ii) body-centred
cubic and (iii) hexagonal close-packed lattice?
OR
8. What is the total number of atoms present in a unit cell?
OR
What is the packing efficiency in each type of unit cell?

Type Primitive unit Body centred Face centred End centred

cell (pcc) unit cell (bcc) unit cell (fcc) unit cell (ecc)
Total No. of atoms 1 2 4 2
present per unit cell
% efficiency 52.4% 68% 74% 37%
Relation between ‘a’ r = a/2 r =a/4 3 r = a/22 -
and ‘r’

9. Derive the percentage efficiency of in case of

a) bcc
b) fcc
DO YOURSELF
10. Table regarding unit cell parameters like a, b, c, α, β, γ.
Differentiate between monoclinic and triclinic type unit cell
Monoclinic Triclinic
a ≠ b ≠ c; α = γ = 90°, β ≠ 90 a ≠ b ≠ c, α ≠ β ≠ γ ≠ 90°

Questions on DEFECTS

1. What is F-centre?
When an ionic compound is heated, an anion moves out of the crystal and an electron takes its
position and is responsible for the colour called F - centre, (Ferbenzenter, in German means colour
producing centre).
2. Why does NaCl acquire yellow colour on heating?/Why does LiCl acquire pink and KCl acquire
violet colour?
OR
Ionic solids, which have anionic vacancies due to metal excess defect, develop colour. Explain with
the help of a suitable example.
When NaCl is heated, Cl- ion goes out of the crystal after taking energy. To maintain the neutrality,
electron lost by Cl- takes the vacancy., this is called anion vacancy. Because of this electron ionic
crystal shows colour.
3. Explain
a) In frenkel defect (dislocation defect)
b) In schottky defect,
also write the reason and consequences of these defects

a) When a particle leaves its place in a crystal and takes one of the interstitial sites, is called a frenkel
defect.
b) When equal numbers of anion and cation leave the ionic compound, schottky defect occur.
REASON - a) Anions are bigger than cations
b) When cations and anions are of similar sizes
CONSEQUENCES
a) No density change, but conductivity increases.
b) Density changes, conductivity too.

4. Write one example of an ionic compound which shows both schottky and frenkel defects.
AgBr

5. What type of defect can arise when a solid is heated? Which physical property is affected by it
and in what way?
Electronic defect, Conductivity, increases.
6. ZnO on heating becomes yellow. Why?
It loses electrons, whose frequency lies in the visible region.