~{rlll

"~ a 1'1
~-~
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON
(All Rights Reserved)

SECOND SEMESTER MAIN EXAMINATIONS 2014/2015

CHEM 252 INORGANIC CHEMISTRY (s-Block Elements) (2 Credits)

TIME ALLOWED: TWO (2) HOURS

Attempt ALL Questions. Section A consists of twenty (20) multiple-choice questions. For
each, Circle on the Question Paper, the alphabet (a) - (d) which best answers the question.
Answer Section B in the Answer Booklet provided.
Submit your Answer Booklet with your Section A placed inside the front cover of the
booklet.

SECTION A

1. Hydrogen is sometimes placed with the Alkali Metals in the periodic table. This is
because
(a) under favourable conditions, it can form a mono-positive cation
(b) it exists as H2 just as Lithium, in the vapour phase, exists as Lb
(c) it readily reacts with Group IA metals to form MH, containing H-
(d) like the Group IA metals, it can also exist as a white crystalline solid.

2. Hydrogen is occasionally grouped together with the halogens because

(a) at room temperature, it exists as a gas, just like fluorine or chlorine
(b) like X2 of the halogens, hydrogen exists as a diatomic molecule H2
(c) they all are one electron short of the next inert gas configuration
(d) it can form the anion H- just as the X- anions of the halogens

CHEM 252 Page 10f7 SA Dogbe & F.L. Phillips

$. I~billy thejalse statement made in respect of the isotopes of hydrogen:
(fli) deuterium compounds react more slowly than their ordinary IH analogues
~~ their chemical propelties, with a few exceptions, are essentially identical
(ic) equilibrium constants involving the isotopes are found to be different
(p~ radioactive tritium reacts much faster than ordinary hydrogen.

4;. 'fhe under-listed reactions are legitimate methods of preparing tritium except
(b)
4u 31/
61\ .
)Ll
I
+ on --» 2I1e + I (d) :Be + ~H --» 2 ;He + :H

Y. Prolonged electrolysis of dilute sodium hydroxide solution using nickel electrodes,

yields a residue of
heavy water ~O (b) ordinary hydrogen Hz

tllaces of : H (d) deuterium Dl

(; -Which oithe statements bel~w on ortho-hydrogen isfalse? Ortho-hydrogen

ea) has its two nuclei (protons) having the same direction of spin
(h) can be converted to the para-form by paramagnetic catalysts
~c) co-exists with para-hydrogen in the ratio 3: 1 at room temperature
(d) is obtained pure when ordinary hydrogen is adsorbed onto charcoal at 20"K

7. Whkh of these cornmonnames refers to a compound of an alkaline earth element?

baking powder (b) caustic potash
marble (d) washing soda

3. llle nwst acidic of the aqueous solutions listed below must be

(a) RhCJ(aq) (b) HgCh(aq) (c) BaCh(aq) (d) BeCh(aq)

9. Of the Group IlA metal hydroxides given below, the least basic is
~a) & (OBh (b) Ca(OH)2
~c) Mg(OJlh (d) Sr(OH)z

Page 2 of7 SA Oogbe & F.L Phillips

10. What inference, regarding beryllium oxide, can be drawn from these two reactions?
BeO + H 2S04 - BeS04 + H 20
BeO + 2 KOH - K 2Be02 + H 20
Beryllium oxide is acting as
(a) a neutralizing oxide (b) a base, as well as an acid
(c) a basic oxide (d) an acidic oxide

11. Identify the metal which is likely to dissolve in tetrahydrofuran or dimethyl ether to
give a light-blue coloured solution that is strongly reducing and possesses high
electrical conductivity:
(a) Caesium (b) Barium (c) Beryllium (d) Mercury

12. Down any Group of the Periodic Table, metallic character is said to increase. The
following observations are cited to support this claim, except:
(a) ionization potentials of the elements decrease
(b) the atomic radii of the elements increase
(c) the basicity of the hydroxides increases
(d) the degree of hydration of the cations decreases

13. The anhydrous chlorides CaCh, SrCh, and BaCh become wet on keeping in air.
Which of the three statements below is/are true regarding these anhydrous halides?
(i) they can be used as dehydrating agents
(ii) they are hygroscopic compounds
(iii) hydrate formation increases from Ca to Ba
(a) (i), (ii), & (iii) (b) (ii) only
(c) (i) & (iii) (d) (i) & (ii)

14. Aqueous Cd(N03h is acidic because

(a) there is always some residual HNOJ in its preparation.
(b) hydrated Cd2+ undergoes hydrolysis, producing H 3 0+ in the process
(c) the highly electronegative nitrogen polarizes water to release W
(d) N03- hydrolyses to give HN03 which is a strong acid

CHEM 252 Page 3 of7 SA Dogbe & F.L. Phillips

15. The <Group IiIB eletl!l.en11S are not oonsidered as tJansition. metals ~c;ause
(a:} their c@JUtiYi)\lnds tend to be white or colourless, not coloured.
(b) th'ey do n0t exhibit a stable oxidation state that has pa:rtiaHy fiFfed d-orbitals
Cc} likie their alkaline earth analogues, their ions do not fonn complexes,readily
(d): tfiey do not possess empty d-orbitals oflow energy

'6. Hy.drated beryllium ions have the formula [Be(H20)4]2+ while that of magnesium is
[:Mg(H20)6)Z+. This, is be.cause
2
{i} the smaller sized Be + ion can only accommodate four water molecues
in its primary coordination sphere
(iii) Be,. in Period 2, has one 2s- and three 2p-orbitals, limiting the valence
electrons. to a maximum of 8 only.
Ciii) Mg in Period 3, has 3s-, 3p- and 3d-orbitals, enabling more than 8
valence electrons to be accommodated.
(tv.) 'Mig. has to bind to more water molecules in order to make up fOf its
smaUer charge density.
{a) (i) & (ii) only (b) (i) & (iv) only
(c) (i), (ii), & (iii) Cd) (i), (ii), (iii) & (iv)

17. The statenlcnts below. are true of mercury, with the exception of
(a) Hg reacts with non-oxidizing acids like He} to give H 2(g)
(1)) Difect heating of mercury with oxygen yields mercury(TI) oxide
(c) Above a temperature of 430°C, HgO(s) decomposes to H&l) and 02(g)
(dJ) mercury does NOT combine directly with nitrogen or carbon.

18. Inorganic compolli1ds of mercury are dangerous when released into the environment,
because
ea) mercuFic ions are extremely toxic when ingested even in minute quantities
~) some bacteria produce the lethal compound methyl mercury from them.
(c) mercury vapour can cause giddiness, lung, and brain damage when inhaled
(d) mercury amalgamates metals such as sodium which are useful to living things

CH E ~~ 252 SA Dogbe& F.L. Pl'lillips

Page 4 of7
19. Two aqueous solutions, A and B, each give white precipitates with aqueous ammonia.
These precipitates dissolve when excess NH3(aq) is added to them. With 2M NaOH
solution, both solutions A and B again give white precipitates, but that of A does not
dissolve in excess NaOH, while that from B does dissolve. Solution B must contain
the ion
(a) (c) (d)

20. The Lanthanide Contraction refers to the

(a) shrinkage in size of an atom when electrons are promoted into empty d-
orbitals
(b) Group of elements in the Periodic Table which have partially filled f-orbitals
(c) shrinkage in size across the 4f-elements that leads to the addition of Zn, Cd
and Hg to the main group elements
(d) reduction in atomic size across the 4f-elements, resulting in pairs of atoms in
the 5th and 6th periods having almost identical sizes.

CHEM 252 Page 5 of7 SA Dogbe & F.L. Phillips

 SECTION B
(Answer this section in the given Answer Booklet)

L hldicate the product(s) of the thennal decomposition of the following solid

compounds:
(i)
(ii)
KN0 3
Mg(NOJ)z
--
(,~ii:)

~jv)
MgS 0 4
LhC03
---
(b) Taking the ratio of reagents as indicated, complete these typical reactions of
Grignard reagents:
¢.i) 2 CH3 CHtMgBr + SiCl4 ..
~ii) CH3MgCI + (CJIs)JSiCI - -......

~iv) - -.. . . ?

2. Wilh regard to the Periodic Table, what is known as a "diagonal relationship", and
what brings it about?
Give three (3) specific and distinct examples (NB two different examples both of
wmch relate to solubility, will be counted as just one example) that illustrate the
similarities between lithium and magnesium.

}., Explain why

€i) there are more covalent binary compounds of hydrogen than ionic binary
compounds of hydrogen.
(ii) the salts of alkalrne earth metals with mono-negative ions tend to be soluble,
while those with di-negative ions tend to be insoluble.

CHEM' 252 Page 60f7 SA Oogbe & E l.. Phillips

4. (a) What do you understand by the tenn "disproportion at ion"?
(b) Attempts to establish an emf diagram for zinc have yielded the following
tentative potentials:
Zn 2+ 2
- - - - - - [Zn21 + - 0.82

- 0.76

Use this diagram to determine whether the (+1) oxidation state of zinc
disproportionates spontaneously in aqueous medium .

. . · 0 0 0 · ••

CHEM 252 Page 7 of7 SA Dogbe & F.L. Phillips