Atomic Structure Exam Quiz
Electrons are the smallest of the three particles that make up atoms. Electrons are found in shells or orbitals that surround the nucleus of an atom. Protons and neutrons are found in the nucleus. Test out how much you know about atomic structure by taking the quiz below. All the best!
Questions and Answers
- 1.
Which answer is the electron configuration of Vanadium, which has an atomic number of 23?
- A.
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s1 3p6 4s1 3d6
- B.
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d7
- C.
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s6 3p6 4s2 3d6
- D.
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d3
- E.
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 4p3
Correct Answer
D. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d3Explanation
The electron configuration of an atom represents the arrangement of electrons in its energy levels or shells. In this case, Vanadium has an atomic number of 23, which means it has 23 electrons. The electron configuration is determined by filling up the energy levels in a specific order. The given answer, 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d3, follows this order and accounts for all 23 electrons. The numbers and letters represent the different energy levels and sublevels, with the superscripts indicating the number of electrons in each sublevel.Rate this question:
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- 2.
Isotopes have different amounts of...
- A.
Electrons
- B.
Protons
- C.
Neutrons
- D.
Both A & B.
- E.
Both B & C
Correct Answer
C. NeutronsExplanation
Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons in their nucleus. This means that isotopes have the same number of protons and electrons, which determines the element they belong to, but they differ in the number of neutrons. Therefore, the correct answer is "neutrons."Rate this question:
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- 3.
Ions contain different amounts of ...
- A.
Electrons
- B.
Protons
- C.
Neutrons
- D.
Both A & B
- E.
Both A & C
Correct Answer
A. ElectronsExplanation
Ions contain different amounts of electrons. Ions are formed when atoms gain or lose electrons, resulting in a net positive or negative charge. The number of protons and neutrons in an ion remains the same as in the original atom, but the number of electrons changes. A positive ion, or cation, has fewer electrons than protons, while a negative ion, or anion, has more electrons than protons. Therefore, the correct answer is electrons.Rate this question:
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- 4.
Which element is four times the mass of carbon?
- A.
Cr
- B.
Ti
- C.
Cd
- D.
Cl
- E.
Mn
Correct Answer
B. TiExplanation
Titanium (Ti) is the correct answer because it has a mass that is four times the mass of carbon. The atomic mass of carbon is approximately 12 atomic mass units (amu), while the atomic mass of titanium is approximately 48 amu. Therefore, titanium is four times heavier than carbon.Rate this question:
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- 5.
Which element has 14 neutrons?
- A.
N
- B.
Br
- C.
Si
- D.
Al
- E.
Both C & D
Correct Answer
E. Both C & DExplanation
Both carbon (C) and silicon (Si) have 14 neutrons. Carbon has 6 protons and 6 neutrons, while silicon has 14 protons and 14 neutrons. Therefore, the correct answer is both C and D.Rate this question:
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- 6.
Atomic mass =
- A.
Number of protons
- B.
Number of protons + electrons
- C.
Number of neutrons + electrons
- D.
Number of neutrons + protons
- E.
Number of protons, electrons, & neutrons.
Correct Answer
D. Number of neutrons + protonsExplanation
The atomic mass of an atom is determined by the number of protons and neutrons in its nucleus. This is because protons and neutrons have approximately the same mass, while electrons are much lighter. Therefore, the correct answer is the sum of the number of neutrons and protons, as they contribute to the overall mass of the atom.Rate this question:
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- 7.
Raiderium (Cv) has three naturally occurring isotopes. Raiderium is 74.655% 44Cv, which has an atomic mass of 43.064 amu, 24.958% 46Cv, which has a mass of 46.125 amu, and 0.387% 48Cv, which has an atomic mass of 47.982 amu. Please calculate the average atomic mass of Raiderium.
Correct Answer
43.679
43.68
43.6799Explanation
The average atomic mass of Raiderium can be calculated using the weighted average formula. First, we multiply the percent abundance of each isotope by its atomic mass. Then, we add up these values to get the average atomic mass. In this case, the calculation would be: (0.74655 * 43.064) + (0.24958 * 46.125) + (0.00387 * 47.982) = 43.679. Therefore, the average atomic mass of Raiderium is 43.679 amu.Rate this question:
- 8.
How many electrons are in 23Na?
Correct Answer
11Explanation
Sodium (Na) has an atomic number of 11, which indicates the number of protons in its nucleus. Since atoms are electrically neutral, the number of electrons in an atom is also equal to its atomic number. Therefore, there are 11 electrons in 23Na.Rate this question:
- 9.
If you have an element with 46 protons and 44 electrons, the net charge of the element is ...
Correct Answer
+2
+ 2Explanation
The element has 46 protons and 44 electrons. Since protons have a positive charge and electrons have a negative charge, the element has an overall positive charge. The difference between the number of protons and electrons is 2, so the net charge of the element is +2.Rate this question:
- 10.
If you have an element with 86 electrons, 125 neutrons, 82 protons, what is the ionic charge of the atom.
Correct Answer
-4
- 4Explanation
The ionic charge of an atom is determined by the difference between the number of protons and the number of electrons. In this case, the atom has 82 protons and 86 electrons. Since electrons have a negative charge, the atom has an overall negative charge. The difference between the number of protons and electrons is 4, so the ionic charge is -4. The repetition of "-4" in the answer is likely a typo or an error.Rate this question:
- 11.
What type of particles did Rutherford use in his experiment?
Correct Answer
alpha
alfaExplanation
Rutherford used alpha particles in his experiment.Rate this question:
- 12.
Which subatomic particle has no charge?
Correct Answer
Neutron
nutronExplanation
The subatomic particle that has no charge is the neutron. Unlike protons, which have a positive charge, and electrons, which have a negative charge, neutrons are neutral and do not carry any charge. They are found in the nucleus of an atom along with protons and contribute to the mass of the atom. Neutrons play a crucial role in stabilizing the nucleus and determining the isotope of an element.Rate this question:
- 13.
Which electron orbital holds 14 electrons.
Correct Answer
fExplanation
The f orbital can hold 14 electrons. Each orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, and since the f orbital has 7 suborbitals, it can accommodate a total of 14 electrons.Rate this question:
- 14.
How many electrons does Mg+2 have?
Correct Answer
10Explanation
Mg+2 is a magnesium ion with a positive charge of 2. This means that it has lost 2 electrons from its neutral state. Since a neutral magnesium atom has 12 electrons, Mg+2 will have 10 electrons remaining after losing 2.Rate this question:
- 15.
What electron orbital do all the noble gases fill up to be so stable.
Correct Answer
pExplanation
The noble gases fill up the p orbital to be stable because the p orbital can hold a maximum of 6 electrons. The noble gases have a full valence shell, which means that their outermost energy level is completely filled with electrons. This configuration gives them a stable electron arrangement and makes them less likely to react with other elements.Rate this question:
- 16.
The atomic number = the number of
Correct Answer
protonsExplanation
The atomic number of an element refers to the number of protons in the nucleus of its atom. Protons are positively charged particles that determine the element's identity. Each element has a unique atomic number, and it helps to classify and differentiate elements on the periodic table. Therefore, the statement "The atomic number = the number of protons" is correct as it accurately describes the relationship between the atomic number and the number of protons in an atom.Rate this question:
- 17.
What units are used to weigh atoms?
- A.
Amu
- B.
G
- C.
Mg
- D.
Kg
- E.
Gelliards
Correct Answer
A. AmuExplanation
Atoms are extremely small particles, so their weight is measured using a unit called atomic mass unit (amu). This unit is defined as one-twelfth the mass of a carbon-12 atom. Other units like grams (g), milligrams (mg), and kilograms (kg) are used to measure larger objects, while "gelliards" is not a recognized unit of measurement. Therefore, the correct unit to weigh atoms is amu.Rate this question:
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- 18.
A single proton has what electrical charge?
- A.
No charge
- B.
positive charge
- C.
Both positive and negative
- D.
Negative charge
- E.
Either a positive or negative charge
Correct Answer
B. positive chargeExplanation
A single proton has a positive charge because it contains one unit of positive electrical charge.Rate this question:
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- 19.
Which particles have approximately the same size and mass as each other?
- A.
Neutrons and electrons
- B.
Electrons and protons
- C.
Protons and neutrons
- D.
None - they are all very different in size and mass
- E.
They all have the same mass
Correct Answer
C. Protons and neutronsExplanation
Protons and neutrons have approximately the same size and mass as each other. They are both subatomic particles found in the nucleus of an atom. Protons have a positive charge and neutrons have no charge, but they both have similar masses. Electrons, on the other hand, are much smaller and lighter than protons and neutrons. They orbit around the nucleus and have a negative charge. Therefore, the correct answer is protons and neutrons.Rate this question:
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- 20.
If an oxygen atom was expanded to the size of a sugar cube, how much would it weigh?
Correct Answer
27 billion tons
27,000,000,000 tons
26 billion tons
26,000,000,000 tonsExplanation
The weight of an oxygen atom is very small, so when it is expanded to the size of a sugar cube, it would still weigh a very small amount. The answer options provided are all in the billions of tons, indicating that the weight would be extremely large.Rate this question:
- 21.
According to atomic theory, electrons are usually found:
- A.
In the atomic nucleus.
- B.
outside the nucleus, yet very near it because they are attracted to the protons.
- C.
Everywhere, there is no place it cannot be.
- D.
Either in the nucleus or around it - electrons are readily found anywhere in an atom
- E.
Outside the nucleus and often far from it - most of an atom's volume is its electron cloud.
Correct Answer
E. Outside the nucleus and often far from it - most of an atom's volume is its electron cloud.Explanation
According to atomic theory, electrons are found outside the nucleus and often far from it. This is because most of an atom's volume is its electron cloud. The electron cloud is the region surrounding the nucleus where electrons are most likely to be found. This explanation is consistent with the understanding that electrons are negatively charged particles and are attracted to the positively charged protons in the nucleus, but they are not confined to the nucleus itself.Rate this question:
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- 22.
The element 3216S2- contains:
- A.
18 protons and 16 neutrons
- B.
16 protons and 16 electrons
- C.
16 protons and 18 neutrons
- D.
16 protons and 18 electrons
- E.
18 electrons and 32 neutrons
Correct Answer
D. 16 protons and 18 electronsExplanation
The given element, 3216S2-, has a charge of -2, indicating that it has gained 2 electrons. Since the atomic number of sulfur (S) is 16, it means that the element has 16 protons. The number of neutrons can be calculated by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number, which is 32 in this case. Therefore, the element contains 16 protons and 18 electrons.Rate this question:
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- 23.
Alpha particles have a charge of ...
Correct Answer
+2
+ 2Explanation
The correct answer is +2. Alpha particles are made up of two protons and two neutrons, giving them a charge of +2. The repetition of +2 in the given answer may be a typographical error or redundancy, as it is unnecessary to state the charge twice.Rate this question:
- 24.
Beta particles have a charge of ...
Correct Answer
-1
- 1Explanation
The correct answer is -1. Beta particles are high-energy electrons or positrons that are emitted during certain types of radioactive decay. These particles have a negative charge of -1, which means they carry one unit of negative electric charge. The repetition of -1 in the answer may be a typographical error or a formatting issue.Rate this question:
- 25.
Which radioactive particle is most dangerous to humans?
Correct Answer
gammaExplanation
Gamma radiation is the most dangerous radioactive particle to humans because it is highly penetrating and can easily pass through the body, causing damage to cells and DNA. Unlike alpha and beta particles, which can be stopped by a sheet of paper or a few millimeters of skin, gamma radiation requires thicker shielding, such as lead or concrete, to protect against its harmful effects. Exposure to gamma radiation can lead to various health issues, including radiation sickness, cancer, and even death.Rate this question:
- 26.
Which radioactive particle has the largest mass?
Correct Answer
alpha
alfaExplanation
The alpha particle has the largest mass among the given options. Alpha particles are made up of two protons and two neutrons, which gives them a mass of approximately four atomic mass units (AMU). In comparison, beta particles (not mentioned in the options) are high-energy electrons or positrons with a much smaller mass. Therefore, the alpha particle has the largest mass.Rate this question:
- 27.
Explain how Aristotle did more to harm the development of the the atomic theory than help it.
- 28.
Describe Rutherford's famous experiment and three things he figured out from it.
- 29.
What are the four parts of Dalton's Atomic Theory?
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Mar 20, 2023Quiz Edited by
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Oct 26, 2008Quiz Created by
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