Atomic Structure Questions

Relative Atomic Mass, Relative Molecular Mass & Mass Spectroscopy

Deduce the relative atomic masses of the following
elements.
1.Silicon (28Si 92.21%, 29Si 4.70%, 30Si 3.09%)
2.Silver (107Ag 51.88%, 109Ag 48.12%)
3.Boron (10B 19.7%, 11B 80.7%)
4.Gallium (69Ga 60.2%, 71Ga 39.8%)
5.Zirconium (use the Fig.1 for guidance):
Figure 1

Assume in all cases the relative isotopic mass is equal to the mass number.
-------6. Bromine has two isotopes, with mass numbers 79 and 81. Its relative atomic mass is often given as
80. What does that tell you about the relative abundance of the two isotopes?
7. Most argon atoms have a mass number 40. How many neutrons does this isotope have? The
relative isotopic mass of this isotope is 39.961, but the relative atomic mass of argon is 39.948.
What can you deduce about the other isotopes of argon?
---------8. For each of the following stages in a mass spectrometer, state which part of the spectrometer is
responsible for it and how it works:
a) ionization
b) acceleration
c) deflection
d) detection
-------------------9. Deduce, giving reasons, the relative molecular mass of compound A, which has the following mass
spectrum:
100

80
relative
abundance

60

29
57

40

15
20

43
72

Ionisation energy questions

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

How do you define the ionisation energy of a certain chemical species?

Why does the first ionisation energy of atoms generally increase across a period?
Why is the first ionisation energy of boron less than that of beryllium?
Why is the first ionisation energy of oxygen less than that of nitrogen?
Why do first ionisation energies decrease down a group?
Why does helium have the highest first ionisation energy of all the elements?
Why is the second ionisation energy of an atom always greater than the first?
Why does atomic size decrease across a period?
Why does atomic size increase down a group?
Why are cations always smaller than the corresponding atoms?
Why are anions always larger than the corresponding atoms?

Electronic configuration
Write the electronic configuration of the following using the arrow and box method:
1.

2.

Cu

3.

Mg+

Write the electronic configuration of the following using the orbital method:
4.

N3-

5.

Ar

6.

Sc3+

7.

Mn2+

8.

Fe3+

9.

V3+

Write the electronic configuration of the following using the shorthand arrow and box
method: 10.Cl-,
11.Fe, 12.Br.
Write the electronic configuration of the following using the shorthand orbital method:
13.

Cr

14.

Ga3+

15. Pb2+