Edexcel Combined Science: Chemistry Paper 1
1. What are the terms of the Atomic Theory?: •All matter is made up of tiny particles
called atoms
•Atoms are tiny, hard spheres that cannot be broken down into smaller parts
•Atoms cannot be created or destroyed
•The atoms in an element are all identical (but each element has its own type of atom).
2. Name the subatomic particles.: electrons, protons, and neutrons
3. What is the relative charge and mass of a proton?: +1, 1
4. What is the relative charge and mass of an electron?: -1, 0.0005 (zero)
5. What is the relative charge and mass of a neutron?: 0, 1
6. Why do atoms in elements have no overall charge?: They always have an equal number
of protons and electrons so the charges cancel out.
7. Name a pro and con for models of atoms.: •They help us to understand their structure.
•But most don't give us a correct impression of the scale. The overall diameter of an atom
can be 100,000 times the diameter of its nucleus.
8. Recall Ernest Rutherford's experiment on the structure of atoms.: Positive particles
were fired at a thin gold foil. Most of the particle's passed straight through the gold foil,
with a few being deflected and a very small number bouncing back.
9. What was Ernest Rutherford's conclusion?: He suggested that atoms are mostly empty
space, with a small positive central nucleus that contains most of the mass.
10. How were elements in the periodic table originally organised?: In order of the
masses of their atoms.
11. What was wrong with this order?: It caused some elements to be grouped with
others that had very different properties.
12. How did they try to resolve this?: A few elements were swapped round to make sure
that those with similar properties were grouped together, even if it meant that they
were no longer in the correct order of mass.
13. How did Henry Mosley contribute to the periodic table?: He confirmed that the
rearranged order of elements in the table was actually correct- he showed that they were
in the order of the amount of positive charge in the nucleus.
14. How does the modern periodic table place the elements?: In order of the number
of protons in their atoms.
, 15. What is atomic number?: The number of protons in an atom. All of the atoms of a
particular element have the same unique atomic number.
16. What is mass number?: The total number of protons and neutrons in a nucleus.
17 Why doesn't the number of electrons affect the mass of an atom?: The mass of an
atom is described as "negligible"- it is so small that it can be ignored.
18. What are isotopes?: Atoms containing the same amount of protons and electrons
but different amounts of neutrons. Therefore, such atoms have the same atomic
number but different mass numbers.
19. How can we refer to a specific isotope?: By adding its mass number to the element's
name.
20. What is relative atomic mass?: The mean mass of an atom relative to (compared to)
the mass of an atom of carbon-12, which has a mass of exactly 12. Carbon-12 is used as
a standard.
The RAM of an element is the mean relative mass of the isotopes in the element.
21. What is the relative mass of an isotope?: Its mass number.
22. How to find the relative atomic mass?: •Mass number of each isotope multiplied by
its abundance. Calculate the total mass of its atoms.
•Divide the total by 100.
•Round to 1 decimal point.
23. What is an ionic bond?: A strong electrostatic force of attraction between oppositely-
charged ions.
24. What are bonds?: Forces of attraction that hold atoms together.
25. How do atoms become stable?: By losing or gaining electrons. This can happen by
the transfer of electrons between atoms.
26. What are the most stable atoms?: Noble gases. Because they have full outer electron
shells.
27. What are ions?: An atom or group of atoms that has an electric charge. Due to the
loss or gain of electrons.
28. What are cations?: Metal atoms that have lost electrons and formed positive ions.
They have more protons than electrons.
29. What are anions?: Non-metal atoms that have gained electrons and formed negative
ions. They have more electrons than protons.
1. What are the terms of the Atomic Theory?: •All matter is made up of tiny particles
called atoms
•Atoms are tiny, hard spheres that cannot be broken down into smaller parts
•Atoms cannot be created or destroyed
•The atoms in an element are all identical (but each element has its own type of atom).
2. Name the subatomic particles.: electrons, protons, and neutrons
3. What is the relative charge and mass of a proton?: +1, 1
4. What is the relative charge and mass of an electron?: -1, 0.0005 (zero)
5. What is the relative charge and mass of a neutron?: 0, 1
6. Why do atoms in elements have no overall charge?: They always have an equal number
of protons and electrons so the charges cancel out.
7. Name a pro and con for models of atoms.: •They help us to understand their structure.
•But most don't give us a correct impression of the scale. The overall diameter of an atom
can be 100,000 times the diameter of its nucleus.
8. Recall Ernest Rutherford's experiment on the structure of atoms.: Positive particles
were fired at a thin gold foil. Most of the particle's passed straight through the gold foil,
with a few being deflected and a very small number bouncing back.
9. What was Ernest Rutherford's conclusion?: He suggested that atoms are mostly empty
space, with a small positive central nucleus that contains most of the mass.
10. How were elements in the periodic table originally organised?: In order of the
masses of their atoms.
11. What was wrong with this order?: It caused some elements to be grouped with
others that had very different properties.
12. How did they try to resolve this?: A few elements were swapped round to make sure
that those with similar properties were grouped together, even if it meant that they
were no longer in the correct order of mass.
13. How did Henry Mosley contribute to the periodic table?: He confirmed that the
rearranged order of elements in the table was actually correct- he showed that they were
in the order of the amount of positive charge in the nucleus.
14. How does the modern periodic table place the elements?: In order of the number
of protons in their atoms.
, 15. What is atomic number?: The number of protons in an atom. All of the atoms of a
particular element have the same unique atomic number.
16. What is mass number?: The total number of protons and neutrons in a nucleus.
17 Why doesn't the number of electrons affect the mass of an atom?: The mass of an
atom is described as "negligible"- it is so small that it can be ignored.
18. What are isotopes?: Atoms containing the same amount of protons and electrons
but different amounts of neutrons. Therefore, such atoms have the same atomic
number but different mass numbers.
19. How can we refer to a specific isotope?: By adding its mass number to the element's
name.
20. What is relative atomic mass?: The mean mass of an atom relative to (compared to)
the mass of an atom of carbon-12, which has a mass of exactly 12. Carbon-12 is used as
a standard.
The RAM of an element is the mean relative mass of the isotopes in the element.
21. What is the relative mass of an isotope?: Its mass number.
22. How to find the relative atomic mass?: •Mass number of each isotope multiplied by
its abundance. Calculate the total mass of its atoms.
•Divide the total by 100.
•Round to 1 decimal point.
23. What is an ionic bond?: A strong electrostatic force of attraction between oppositely-
charged ions.
24. What are bonds?: Forces of attraction that hold atoms together.
25. How do atoms become stable?: By losing or gaining electrons. This can happen by
the transfer of electrons between atoms.
26. What are the most stable atoms?: Noble gases. Because they have full outer electron
shells.
27. What are ions?: An atom or group of atoms that has an electric charge. Due to the
loss or gain of electrons.
28. What are cations?: Metal atoms that have lost electrons and formed positive ions.
They have more protons than electrons.
29. What are anions?: Non-metal atoms that have gained electrons and formed negative
ions. They have more electrons than protons.
