DEDAN KIMATHI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS 2018/2019

YEAR ONE SPECIAL/SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN GEOLOGY, GEOMATICS, GIS AND REMOTE
SENSING, CIVIL ENGINEERING, MECHATRONICS ENGINEERING, ELECTRICAL
& ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING & BED CIVIL, MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERING

SCH 2101/2109: CHEMISTRY I

Date: February 2019 Time: 2 Hours.

INSTRUCTIONS: Answer ALL questions

USEFUL DATA:
h = 6.6262 x 10-34 Js; c = 2.998 x 108 m/s ; N A = 6.022 x 1023 mole -1 ;
R H = 1.097x 107 m −1

QUESTION ONE (25 MARKS)

a) State the following
i) State HeiSenberg's Uncertainty Principle [1 Marks]
ii) Pauli's exclusion principle. According to this principle [1 Marks]
b) Which orbitals are not possible and why? lp, 2s, 2p, 2d and 3f. [4 Marks]
c) What are the quantum numbers of highest energy electron of sodium. [2 Marks]
d) Write the electronic configuration of elements with atomic numbers 24, 29, 47 and 58.
[4 Marks]
e) Differentiate between the following
Covalent and Van der Waals radius [2 Marks]
f) Explain why the values of first ionization potential of Be and N in the second period and Mg
and P in the third period have higher values than expected. [2 Marks]
h) State the properties of electromagnetic radiations [3 Marks]
i) (i) Describe cathode rays [1 Mark]
(ii) State three distinctive properties of cathode rays [3 Marks]
(ii) Calculate the energy change (in Joules) that occurs when an electron falls from fifth
energy level to the third energy level in a hydrogen atom (R = 2.179 x 10-18 J) [2 Marks]

QUESTION TWO [15 MARKS]

a) 50.0 cm3 of 1.25 M hydrochloric acid and 50.0 cm3 of 1.25 M potassium hydroxide
solution at the same temperature are put into a polystyrene cup. The temperature of the
resulting solution rises by 8.4ºC. Calculate the standard enthalpy change of neutralization
 (specific heat capacity is 4.18 kJ/K/kg, assume no heat lost to the cup and surroundings
and the density of the resulting solution = 1.0 g/cm3). [7 marks]

b) Calculate the energy required to excite the hydrogen electron from n=1 to level n=2. Also
calculate the wavelength of the light that must be absorbed by a hydrogen atom in its
ground state to reach this excited state. [8 marks ]

QUESTION THREE [15 MARKS]

(a) (i) Define ionization energy [2 Marks]

(ii) Describe ionization energy trends of elements moving across the period and down the
group [2 Marks]
(iii) Explain why the first ionization energy of aluminium is less than its second ionization
energy [2 Marks]
(b) (i) Differentiate between an ionic bond and a covalent bond [2 Marks]
(ii) Use Lewis symbols to show the formation of bonds between magnesium and Nitrogen
[2 Marks]
(c) (i) Differentiate between an open system and a closed system [2 Marks]
(ii) Define the rate of a reaction [1 Mark]
(iv) State any TWO factors that affect the rate of a chemical reaction. [2 Marks]

QUESTION FOUR [15 MARKS]

a) (i) Define the solubility of a solute in a given solvent [1 Mark]

(ii) The solubility of AgCl in water at 19oC is 1.51 x 10-3 g L-1. Calculate its Ksp [3 Marks]
(iii) Solutions of K3PO4 and Ca(NO3)2 are mixed and a white precipitate is formed.
Write the net ionic equation for the reaction [2 Marks]
b) Explain the term nitrification [2 Marks]
d) List the FOUR quantum numbers that describe an electron in an atom and explain the
significance of each [4 Mark]
(e) (i) Draw the shapes of the geometrical regions described by
(I) 2py (II) 3dxz (III) dx2 – y2 [3 Marks]