WAEC Chemistry Past Questions & Answers - Page 13

61.

Which of the following statements about atoms of a metal is correct? They

A.

readily accept electrons

B.

are soft

C.

are held together by covalent bond

D.

are held together by a sea of electron cloud

Correct answer is D

Metals are effectively lots of positively charged ions with a cloud/sea of delocalised electrons. This means the electrons are free to move throughout the metal, and is also why metals can conduct electricity as the electrons can move. The more delocalised electrons a metal has, the stronger it will be held together.

62.

An oxide has the following properties. It


I. is a white powder
II. reacts with HCI.
III. reacts with NaOH
IV. is insoluble in water
The oxide is

A.

alkaline

B.

amphoteric

C.

acidic

D.

neutral

Correct answer is B

An amphoteric oxide is an oxide that can act as either an acid or base in a reaction to produce a salt and water.

63.

The electron configuration of carbon atom in its excited state is

A.

1s\(^{2}\)2s\(^{2}\)2px\(^{2}\)2py\(^{0}\)

B.

1s\(^{2}\)2s\(^{2}\)2px\(^{1}\)2py\(^{1}\)

C.

1s\(^{2}\)2s\(^{1}\)2px\(^{1}\)2py\(^{1}\)2pz\(^{1}\)

D.

1s\(^{1}\)2s\(^{2}\)2px\(^{1}\)2py\(^{1}\)

Correct answer is C

- So any electron configuration in which the last electron (again, the valence electron) is in a higher energy orbital, this element is said to be in an excited state.

- When a carbon atom becomes excited by absorbing energy, one of its 2s electrons is promoted into the 2p sublevel.

64.

Which of the following properties indicate that an element is a metal. It


I. reacts with oxygen to form an acidic oxide
II. forms ionic chlorides
III. has variable oxidation states
IV. displaces hydrogen from dilute HCl

A.

I and III only

B.

I and II only

C.

II and IV only

D.

I, II, III and IV

Correct answer is C

- Ionization behaviour; The atoms of non-metals usually have four to seven valence electrons. They have a great tendency to ionize by accepting electrons to form negative ions.

- Reaction with acids; A metal which is more electro positive than hydrogen readily displaces the hydrogen ion, H+, from an acid.

65.

Ionization energy increases across the period in the periodic table because

A.

atomic number increases

B.

effective nuclear charge increases

C.

mass number decreases

D.

screening effect decreases

Correct answer is B

As the nuclear charge increases, its attraction for the outermost electron increases and so more energy is required to remove the outermost electron. Hence, the ionization energy increases.