Describe what is meant by the term orbital.
Draw the shapes of the s, px, py and pz orbitals.
State the maximum number of orbitals in the n = 4 energy level.
List the d, f, p and s orbitals in order of decreasing energies.
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Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2023
First exams 2025
Describe what is meant by the term orbital.
Draw the shapes of the s, px, py and pz orbitals.
State the maximum number of orbitals in the n = 4 energy level.
List the d, f, p and s orbitals in order of decreasing energies.
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Write the full electronic configurations for the following species
Write the condensed electronic configurations for the following species
Complete the orbital diagrams of phosphorus and fluorine as shown in the diagram below.
Give the number of each type of orbital in the first four energy levels.
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Using sections 1 and 5 of the data booklet describe how the following change in moving from the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum to the radio region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Describe the process occurring in an atom to produce a single line on an emission spectrum.
Distinguish between a continuous spectrum and a line spectrum.
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An element Y has the following first six ionisation energies in kJ mol-1. These are shown in the table below.
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
5th |
6th |
|
Ionisation energy (kJ mol-1) |
577 |
1820 |
2740 |
11600 |
14800 |
18400 |
State what group of the Periodic Table this element belongs to.
State what can be determined from the frequency of the convergence limit in a hydrogen emission spectrum.
Hydrogen spectral data give the frequency of 3.30 x 1015 Hz for its convergence limit.
Calculate the ionisation energy, in J, for a single atom of hydrogen using Sections 1 and 2 of the Data Booklet.
Calculate the wavelength, in m, for the electron transition corresponding to the frequency in part (c) using Section 1 of the Data Booklet.
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Write an equation, including state symbols, for the third ionisation energy of beryllium.
The successive ionisation energies of an element, X, are shown below.
State how many shells element X has.
Deduce which group element X is in.
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State the general trend in first ionisation energies across Period 3.
The first ionisation energy of aluminium is lower than magnesium. Write the full electron configurations of aluminium and magnesium.
Using the electron configurations from part (b), explain why the first ionisation energy of aluminium is lower than magnesium.
Write the equation, including state symbols, for the second ionisation energy of aluminium.
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The element chromium has several naturally occurring isotopes whose abundances are shown in Table 1.
Table 1
Mass number |
% abundance |
50 |
4.345 |
52 |
83.789 |
53 |
9.501 |
54 |
2.365 |
Calculate the relative atomic mass of chromium to two decimal places.
State the full electron configuration for chromium.
State the meaning of [Ar] and complete the orbital diagram shown below for chromium.
Figure 1
This question is about the chromium(III) ion, .
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This question is about line emission spectra of elements.
The visible line emission spectrum of hydrogen is shown below in Figure 1 and the wavelengths of the first four lines are listed in Table 1.
Figure 1
The visible line emission spectrum hydrogen
Table 1
Balmer spectral line |
Wavelength in nm |
Colour |
Hα |
656 |
Red |
Hβ |
486 |
Blue(cyan) |
Hγ |
434 |
Blue |
Hδ |
410 |
Violet |
Draw the shape of a 1s atomic orbital and 2p atomic orbital.
Describe the relationship between colour, energy, frequency, and wavelength in the visible spectrum.
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Electron configurations give you a summary of where you can find an electron around the nucleus of an atom. They can also be determined for an ion after an atom loses or gains electrons.
The element rubidium has two naturally occurring isotopes of 85Rb and 87Rb. The relative atomic mass of rubidium is 85.47. Calculate the percentage abundance of each isotope.
The electrons in an atom are found in orbitals around the nucleus, which have different energy levels sometimes called shells.
Rubidium forms an ionic compound with selenium, Rb2Se.
Using boxes to represent orbitals and arrows to represent electrons, sketch the orbital diagram of the selenium atom's valence shell in Figure 1.
Figure 1
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The successive ionisation energies of an element, X, are shown below. The vertical axis plots log (ionisation energy) instead of ionisation energy to represent the data without an unreasonably long vertical axis.
Identify element X and give its full electron configuration.
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The successive ionisation energies of vanadium are shown.
State the sub-levels from which each of the first four electrons are lost
The first six ionisation energies, in kJ mol-1, of an element are shown below.
IE1 |
IE2 |
IE3 |
IE4 |
IE5 |
IE6 |
578 |
1816 |
2744 |
11576 |
14829 |
18375 |
Explain the large increase in ionisation energy from IE3 to IE4
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Emission spectra provide experimental evidence for the existence of atomic energy levels.
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The first ionisation energies of the elements in period 3 are shown below.
Explain the general trend seen in ionisation energy across period 3.
On the diagram below, sketch the line for the first ionisation energies of period 2 elements
Sketch a graph of ionisation energy versus the number of electrons removed for five ionisations of silicon. Explain the shape of the trend you have drawn.
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The first ionisation energies of the elements in period 3 are shown.
Draw a graph on the diagram to show the second ionisation energies of the period 3 elements
Hydrogen spectral data give the frequency of 3.28 x 1015 s-1 for its convergence limit.
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The diagram below shows electron transitions in a hydrogen atom in two regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Using section 5 of the Data booklet, predict which electron transition is most likely to correspond to the emission of red light.
Using sections 1 and 5 of the data booklet, predict which electron transition will correspond to the greatest frequency of light emitted.
The wavelengths of the first four lines for the Balmer series are shown below.
Balmer spectral line | Wavelength in nm | Colour |
Hα | 656 | red |
Hβ | 486 | cyan(blue) |
Hγ | 434 | blue |
Hδ | 410 | violet |
Using section 1 of the Data booklet, determine the ratio of the frequencies Hα to Hγ to 2 decimal places.
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Successive ionisation energies provide evidence for the arrangement of electrons in atoms. In the table below the successive ionisation energies of oxygen are given.
Ionisation number |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
Ionisation energy (kJ mol-1) |
1314 |
3388 |
5301 |
7469 |
10989 |
13327 |
71337 |
84080 |
[2]
[2]
Amorphous(unorganized solid form) boron is used as a rocket fuel igniter and in pyrotechnic flares.
[1]
[2]
Using the table in part (a) and sections 1 and 2 of the data booklet, calculate the wavelength, in nm, of the convergence limit in the spectral lines of an oxygen atom.
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Aluminium has 13 successive ionisation energies.
On the figure below, add crosses to show the 13 successive ionisation energies of aluminium. The value for the first ionisation energy is already completed.
You do not have to join the crosses.
This question is about ionisation energies of an element, X.
The figure below represents the log of the first ten successive ionisation energies of X plotted against the number of electrons removed.
State the group of the periodic table where element X is found.
Element A has the following first six ionisation energies in kJ mol-1.
577, 1820, 2740, 11 600, 14 800, 18 400
[1]
[1]
[2]
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The first ionisation energies of the elements H to K are shown below in the figure below
State and explain the trend in first ionisation energies shown by the elements with the atomic numbers 2, 10 and 18
Compound J reacts with chlorine. The first five successive ionisation energies for an element J, are shown in the table below.
Energy number |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
5th |
Ionisation energy value / kJ mol−1 |
738 |
1450 |
7733 |
10543 |
13630 |
State the formula of the compound when element J reacts with chlorine.
The figure below shows the successive ionisation energies for a period 2 element.
With reference to electronic structures, state the identity of this element and explain your answer.
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Electrons in atoms occupy orbitals. The figure below shows the first ionisation energies for six consecutive elements labelled A–F in kJ mol-1.
[2]
The sequence of the first three elements in the Periodic Table is hydrogen, helium and then lithium.
Explain why the first ionisation energy of hydrogen is less than that of helium but greater than that of lithium.
Using the figure in part (a) and sections 1, 2 and 3 of the data booklet, calculate the frequency, in THz, of the convergence limit of a single atom of element C.
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The table below shows the successive ionisation energies of an unknown element, X.
Ionisation number |
Ionisation energy / kJ mol-1 |
1st |
578 |
2nd |
1817 |
3rd |
2745 |
4th |
11577 |
5th |
14842 |
6th |
18379 |
Deduce the group number and identity of element X and explain your answer with reference to its electron configuration.
First ionisation energies decrease down groups in the Periodic Table.
Explain this trend and the effect on the reactivity of groups containing metals.
The ionisation energy values show a general increase across period 4 from gallium to krypton.
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