HKCEE PAST PAPER 87-94/SECTION 1/LQ/PAGE 1

Section 1 Fundamentals of Matter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1987 Q.4(b)

The table below lists some physical data for sodium chloride and tetrachloromethane:

Sodium chloride Tetrachloromethane

Melting point (°C) 808 -23
Solubility in water at 25 °C (g/100 cm3) 32 insoluble

(i) Explain the difference in melting point between sodium chloride and tetrachloromethane in
terms of the nature of forces between particles.

(ii) Draw the electronic structures of sodium chloride and tetrachloromethane, indicating the
arrangement of electrons in the outermost shells only.

(iii) Draw a three-dimensional diagram of

(1) the lattice structure of solid sodium chloride.
(2) The shape of a tetrachloromethane molecule. [out of syllabus]

(iv) 32 g of sodium chloride, 32 g of tetrachloromethane and 50 cm3 of water are shaken together
in a stoppered bottle and then allowed to settle. After a few minutes, what would be
observed.
(7/8 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1988 Q.1(a)

X, Y and Z are three elements with atomic numbers less than twenty. The following table provides
some information about these elements:

Element X Element Y Element Z

No. of outermost shell electrons 2 4 6
Appearance at room temperature Grey solid Black solid with a Yellow solid
bright lustre
Conduction of electricity Good Good Poor
Nature of oxide The oxide (XO) The oxide (YO2) The oxide (ZO2)
is basic. is acidic. is acidic.

(i) In which group of the Periodic Table should Z be placed?

(ii) Classify X, Y and Z as metal or non-metal, and explain your classification.

(iii) X and Z can form a compound A, while Y and Z can form a compound B.
(1) Draw the electronic structures of A and B, showing the outermost electrons only.
(2) Explain whether A or B would have the higher melting point.
(3) Explain whether X acts as an oxidizing or a reducing agent in the formation of A.

(iv) Under what condition would X react with the oxide YO2? Write an equation for this reaction.
(12 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1989 Q.1(c)
P, Q, R and S represent four elements of atomic numbers 10, 14, 17 and 19 respectively.

(i) Which TWO of these elements would form

(1) an ionic compound?
(2) a covalent compound?

(ii) For the compounds in (i) above,

(1) Draw their electronic structures, showing electrons in the outermost shell only.
(2) Explain which compound is more volatile in terms of the forces between particles.
 HKCEE PAST PAPER 87-94/SECTION 1/LQ/PAGE 2

(5 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1990 Q.1(b)

The TWO diagrams above represent part of the structures of an allotrope of carbon, and sodium
chloride at room temperature.

(i) What type of bonding exists in each of the substances shown above?

(ii) State a condition under which each substance can conduct electricity. Explain your answers.

(iii) Name an allotrope of carbon other than that shown above. [out of syllabus]

(iv) Which allotrope of carbon is used to

(1) make pencil lead? [out of syllabus]
(2) cut glass?
Explain your answers with reference to the different arrangements of atoms in these two
allotropes.

(v) Do you agree with the statement “sodium chloride cannot easily be changed into sodium and
chlorine”? Explain your answer.
(9/12 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1991 Q.1(a)

The following is a part of the Periodic Table:

Group
III IV VI VII
Second period
Third period

Referring to the letters indicated in the above table, answer the following questions:

(i) (1) What is the name for the family of elements of which b and f are members?
(2) In what way are the electronic arrangements of the atoms of element b and f
(I) similar to each other?
(II) different from each other?

(ii) Element d has a higher melting point than element c. Explain.

(iii) The oxide of element d is insoluble in water and amphoteric (this term is out of syllabus
now).
(1) Give the formula for this oxide.
(2) Suggest suitable chemical tests to show that the oxide is amphoteric. [out of syllabus]

(iv) Two elements in the above table have allotropes.

(1) Explain the meaning of ‘allotropes’. [out of syllabus]
(2) Suggest what the two elements are. [out of syllabus]

(v) Element e can form compound with element a and c separately.

 HKCEE PAST PAPER 87-94/SECTION 1/LQ/PAGE 3

(1) Draw the electronic structures of these compounds, showing the outermost electrons
ONLY.
(2) Which of these two compounds has a higher melting point? Explain your answer.
(9/13 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1992 Q.3(b)

Neon, a monatomic gas, occurs naturally as a mixture of three isotopes. The relative abundance of
these isotopes is tabulated below:

Isotope 20
10Ne 21
10Ne 22
Ne
10
Abundance (%) 90.52 0.31 9.17

(i) State the number of electrons in the outermost shell of a neon atom.

(ii) Explain why neon gas is monatomic.

(iii) What is meant by the term 'isotope’?

(iv) Calculate
(1) the relative atomic mass of neon.
(2) the density (in g dm-3) of neon gas at room temperature and pressure.

(Molar volume of gas at room temperature and pressure = 24.0 dm3)

(7 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1993 Q.2(b)

Physical properties of substances depend mainly on the types of binding force between their
constituent particles.

(i) The melting points of diamond and tetrachloromethane are 3750 °C and -23 °C respectively.
Draw 3-dimensional diagrams for the structure of diamond and for a tetrachloromethane
molecule [out of syllabus]. Hence explain the difference in their melting points.

(ii) In their solid states, sodium conducts electricity but sodium chloride does not. Explain.

(iii) Explain why tetrachloromethane does not conduct electricity in liquid state.
(6/7 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1993 Q.4(a)

The following table given some information about W, X, Y and Z which represent particles of
some elements. These particles are either atoms or ions.

Mass number Atomic number No. of protons No. of electrons No. of neutrons
W 12 12 12
12 10 12
35 17 17
17 17 20

(i) In which group of the Periodic Table should W be placed? Explain your answer.

(ii) (1) What is the relationship between W and X?

(2) Suggest a chemical reaction which can change W into X.

(iii) Molecules of Y and of Z are both diatomic.

(1) Draw the electronic structure of a molecule of Y, showing electrons in the outermost
shells only.
(2) Do molecules of Y and of Z have the same chemical properties? Explain your answer.
 HKCEE PAST PAPER 87-94/SECTION 1/LQ/PAGE 4

(iv) W can form a compound with Z. Calculate the formula mass of the compound formed.
(7 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1994 Q.7(b)

The table below lists some physical properties of lead, bromine and lead(II) bromide.

Lead Bromine Lead(II) bromide

Melting point 328 °C -7 °C 370 °C
Electrical conductivity in the solid state conducting non-conducting non-conducting
Electricity conductivity in the liquid state conducting non-conducting ---

(i) Explain the difference in melting points between bromine and lead(II) bromide.

(ii) Explain the difference in electrical conductivity between lead and lead(II) bromide in the solid
state.

(iii) Will lead(II) bromide conduct electricity in the liquid state? Explain your answer.
(5 marks)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

<END OF SECTION 1>