This question is about potassium and zinc - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 5 - 2021 - Paper 1
Question 5
This question is about potassium and zinc.
(a) Which of the following temperatures is most likely to be the melting point of potassium?
A -63°C
B 6.3°C
C 63°C
D 63... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:This question is about potassium and zinc - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 5 - 2021 - Paper 1
Step 1
Which of the following temperatures is most likely to be the melting point of potassium?
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Answer
The correct answer is C 63°C. This is because potassium is an alkali metal, and alkali metals typically have low melting points. The other options either signify temperatures that are too low or too high.
Step 2
Explain how the electronic configuration of an atom of potassium is related to its position in the periodic table.
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Answer
Potassium has an electronic configuration of 2, 8, 8, 1. This means it has one electron in its outer shell, which places it in Group 1 of the periodic table. The number of electrons in the outer shell defines the group number. Furthermore, potassium is located in Period 4, which corresponds to the number of electron shells it possesses.
Step 3
Describe the test to show that a gas is oxygen.
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To test for oxygen, a glowing splint can be used. If oxygen is present, the splint will reignite in the gas, indicating the presence of oxygen.
Step 4
Write the electronic configurations for the ions in potassium oxide, K₂O.
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