Multiple choice test on S2 Models of bonding & structure

(First test) with worked answers

1. What are the correct formulas for magnesium sulfate and aluminium nitride?

A. Mg(SO4)2 and Al3N2

B. MgSO4 and AlN

C. Mg(SO4)2 and AlNO3

D. MgSO4 and Al(NO3)3

Mg forms the Mg2+ ion and the formula for the sulfate ion is SO42− so magnesium sulfate has the formula
MgSO4. The ending ...ide means the ion is formed from just the element so nitride has the formula
N3−. Aluminium forms the Al3+ ion so the formula of aluminium nitride is AlN. (NO3− is the formula for
the nitrate ion so Al(NO3)3 is the formula of aluminium nitrate.)

2. What is the correct formula for an ionic compound formed between a group 2 element, A, and a
group 16 element, B?

A. A3B

B. AB3

C. A2B6

D. AB

A is in group 2 so it will form the A2+ ion and B is in group 16 so it will form the B2− ion.

3. Which best describes ionic bonding?

A. The electrostatic attraction between positive ions and negative ions

B. The electrostatic attraction between a positive ion and an electron

C. The electrostatic attraction between protons and electrons

D. The electrostatic attraction between nuclei and pairs of electrons

Ionic bonding is due to the electrostatic attraction between ions.

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4. Which row gives the correct formulas for the respective ions?

A. X

B. Y

C. Z

D. W

Nitrate is NO3−, whereas N3- is nitrite. Hydrogensulfate is formed when sulfuric acid, H2SO4 loses one
proton to become HSO4− and the ammonium ion, NH4+ is formed when ammonia, NH3 gains one proton.

5. Metal M shows only one oxidation state when it forms compounds. The formula of the oxide of M is
M2O3. Which is the correct formula for another of the compounds formed by M?

A. M2P3

B. M3P2

C. M2P

D. MP

Since oxygen forms the O2− ion, the charge on M must be 3+. Phosphide is the P3− ion so the phosphide
of M will have the formula MP.

6. Which molecule or ion contains a coordinate covalent bond?

A. CO2

B. NH4+

C. C2H4

D. OH−
When a proton bonds to ammonia the non-bonding pair of electrons on the N atom forms a coordination
bond with the proton.

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7. Which compound contains both ionic and covalent bonds?

A. HCN

B. MgO

C. HCOOH

D. NaNO3

Methanoic acid, HCOOH and hydrogen cyanide, HCN are both covalent and magnesium oxide, MgO is
ionic. Sodium nitrate is also ionic but the nitrate ion, NO3− contains covalent bonds between the nitrogen
and oxygen atoms.

8. Which is the best description of the bonding present in ice?

A. Each oxygen atom is covalently bonded to two hydrogen atoms and attracted to two other hydrogen
atoms by hydrogen bonding.

B. Each oxygen atom is covalently bonded to two hydrogen atoms and attracted to two other hydrogen
atoms by coordinate bonds.

C. Each oxygen atom is attracted to four hydrogen atoms by hydrogen bonding.

D. Each oxygen atom is covalently bonded to four hydrogen atoms.

Ice consists of polar water molecules. Each water molecule has two covalent bonds. Each water
molecule is attracted to two other water molecules by hydrogen bonds formed between the 2δ− on the
O atom and the δ+ on each H atom.

9. Which is the correct order when the molecules ethane, ethene and ethyne are arranged in order of
decreasing carbon to carbon bond length?

A. C2H2 > C2H4 > C2H6

B. C2H6 > C2H2 > C2H4

C. C2H2 > C2H6 > C2H4

D. C2H6 > C2H4 > C2H2

Ethyne has a triple bond between the two carbon atoms so is the shortest. Ethene has a double bond.
Ethane has a single bond between the two carbon atoms so is the longest.

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10. Which molecules contain a bond angle less than 109o?

I. NH3
II. CCl4
III. H2S

A. I and III only

B. I, II and III

C. I and II only

D. II and III only

Both ammonia and hydrogen sulfide contain non-bonding pairs of electrons which repel the bonding
pairs. Tetrachloromethane contains four bonding pairs of electrons around the central carbon atom to
form a regular tetrahedron with bond angles of 109.5o.

11. Which molecule has a linear shape?

A. HCN

B. SO2

C. H2S

D. SiO2

HCN has two domains around the central carbon atom, a triple bond and a single bond so is linear. SO2
and H2S are both bent molecules and SiO2 is a network covalent solid.

12. What intermolecular forces are present in fluorine gas?

A. Hydrogen bonds

B. Dipole-dipole attractions

C. London (dispersion) forces

D. Covalent bonds

A fluorine molecule is non-polar as the bonding pair of electrons is shared equally between the two
fluorine atoms so the attractive forces are weak London dispersion forces.

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13. Which is a non-polar molecule?

A. HCN

B. CCl4

C. H2S

D. SO2

Although the C−Cl bond is polar, in tetrachloromethane the four C−Cl bonds are arranged in a regular
tetrahedral shape around the central carbon atom so the resultant polarity is zero.

14. What is the high electrical conductivity of metals due to?

A. Delocalised negative ions

B. Delocalised positive ions

C. Delocalized atoms

D. Delocalized outer electrons

The outer (valence) electrons on metal atoms are delocalised so that electrons can flow though the
array of positive metal ions.

15. Why is the boiling point of HCl lower than the boiling point of HF?

A. Van der Waals’ forces are weaker in HCl than in HF.

B. HF contains appreciable hydrogen bonding whereas HCl does not.

C. HF is polar whereas HCl is non-polar.

D. The H-Cl bond is weaker than the H-F bond.

Fluorine is much more electronegative than chlorine so the F−H bond is very polar and hydrogen bonds
can form between the δ− on the fluorine atom and the δ+ on the hydrogen atom. Chlorine is a bigger
atom and less electronegative than fluorine so there will only be very weak hydrogen bonding between
hydrogen chloride molecules.

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16. What name is given to the ratio of the distance moved by the component compared to the distance
moved by the solvent from the original spot of the sample in paper chromatography?

A. chromatographic factor

B. polarity difference

C. retardation factor

D. retention ratio

The correct name is retardation factor which is often shortened to RF.

17. Which are correct statements about buckminsterfullerene?

I. It is an allotrope of carbon.
II. It contains five and six membered rings.
III. It is a poor conductor of electricity.

A. I and II only

B. I and II only

C. II and III only

D. I , II and III

Buckminsterfullerene has the molecular formula C60, so is an allotrope of carbon, and is composed of
twenty hexagons and twelve pentagons. Although there are delocalized electrons each molecule only
contains 60 carbon atoms so unlike long sheets of fullerenes it is a poor conductor of electricity.

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18. Which is a correct statement about alloys?

A. The bonding in alloys is more directional than in their component metals.

B. They are a heterogeneous mixture of two or more metals.

C. Alloys are generally more ductile than their component metals.

D. Alloys are generally harder than their component metals.

The addition of another metal (or element such as carbon) to a metal to form a homogeneous mixture
of an alloy disturbs the crystal lattice due to the difference in radius and change (if any) in the charge of
the metal cations. This makes the alloy less ductile and malleable as the layers are less able to slide over
each other. It also makes the alloy harder than its component metals.

19. If caesium and fluorine are placed at two of the corners of a triangular bonding diagram, what
occurs at the third corner?

A. caesium fluoride

B. hydrogen

C. helium

D. carbon

Cs and F appears as the two extremes of the electronegativity value at the bottom of the diagram. The
other axis is the difference in electronegativity between the two elements, this difference is greatest for
CsF.

20. Which can form an addition polymer?

A. CH3CH2CH3

B. CH3CHCH2

C. HOCH2CH2OH

D. NH2CH(CH3)COOH

Addition polymers are formed by alkene monomers, i.e. compounds containing a double bond between
two carbon atoms.

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