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1 (a) (i) Complete Figure 1 to show the electronic structure of a boron atom - AQA - GCSE Chemistry - Question 1 - 2016 - Paper 1
Question 1
1 (a) (i) Complete Figure 1 to show the electronic structure of a boron atom. 1 (a) (ii) What does the central part labelled Z represent in Figure 1? 1 (a) (iii) N... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:1 (a) (i) Complete Figure 1 to show the electronic structure of a boron atom - AQA - GCSE Chemistry - Question 1 - 2016 - Paper 1
Step 1
Complete Figure 1 to show the electronic structure of a boron atom.
Answer
The electronic structure of a boron atom can be represented as follows:
- The first energy level (shell) can hold a maximum of 2 electrons.
- The second energy level can hold up to 8 electrons.
For boron, which has 5 electrons, we place 2 electrons in the first shell and 3 electrons in the second shell. This can be illustrated as:
•
• •
Where the dots represent the electrons.
Step 2
Step 3
Name the sub-atomic particles in part Z of a boron atom. Give the relative charges of these sub-atomic particles.
Answer
In the nucleus (part Z) of a boron atom, the sub-atomic particles are:
- Protons: These have a relative charge of +1.
- Neutrons: These have a relative charge of 0 (neutral).
Step 4
Explain what is wrong with the electronic structure shown in Figure 2.
Answer
The electronic structure of the neon atom in Figure 2 is incorrect because:
- Neon should have 10 electrons, with the first energy level holding 2 electrons and the second energy level holding 8 electrons.
- If there are more than 8 electrons in total for neon, or if there are 10 electrons incorrectly distributed, the inner shell could incorrectly have more than 2 electrons, which it cannot accommodate.
Thus, the proper arrangement is that neon should have a full outer shell with 8 electrons and a filled inner shell with 2 electrons.