Atomic structure and the Periodic Table: past paper questions

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• Question 4May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The table gives information about some atoms and ions. Which row describes the ion with the largest mass?

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• Question 2Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The atomic number and nucleon number of a potassium atom are shown.

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  One atom of an element contains 12 electrons, 12 protons and 13 neutrons. How many nucleons does this atom contain?

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• Question 4Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  An isotope of lithium has the symbol ${}_3^7\text{Li}$. What is the arrangement of electrons in one atom of this isotope of lithium?

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• Question 5May/June 2026, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement defines atomic number?

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Magnesium is in Group II and Period 3 of the Periodic Table. Which row shows the charge on a magnesium ion and the electronic configuration of a magnesium ion?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which information about an element is given by its atomic number?

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• Question 19Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Element X forms ions with the formula ${\text{X}}^{2-}$. Which row describes element X? | | group number | type of element | |---|---|---| | A | II | metal | | B | II | non-metal | | C | VI | metal | | D | VI | non-metal |

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• Question 2May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  What is the relative charge and the relative mass of an electron?

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• Question 4Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement about the structure of an atom is correct?

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• Question 27Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Which option describes the electronic configurations of three different elements from the same group of the Periodic Table?

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• Question 3May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which row identifies the particles present in the nucleus and in the shells of one atom of ${}_3^7\mathrm{L}\mathrm{i}$?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The diagram shows the electronic configuration of a particle with a nucleon number of 40. The table shows the suggestions that three students, 1, 2 and 3, made to identify the particle.

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• Question 4Oct/Nov 2024, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  What is the nucleon number of an atom?

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2023, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The structure of an atom of element X is shown. What is element X?

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• Question 3May/June 2026, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  Four statements about particles in an atom are listed. 1 Protons and neutrons have the same relative mass and different relative charges. 2 Protons and neutrons have different relative masses and the same relative charge.

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2025, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The electronic configuration of an ion is 2,8,8. What could this ion be?

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2024, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  An atom has three electron shells. There are three electrons in the outer shell. How many protons and how many neutrons are in this atom?

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• Question 4Oct/Nov 2023, paper 21Multiple choice1 mark

  X and Y are atoms. - X and Y have the same number of electron shells. - X and Y have the same number of outer electrons.

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• Question 4May/June 2026, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement about the atomic structure of the named element is correct?

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2024, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which diagram represents one helium atom?

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• Question 22Oct/Nov 2023, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The electronic configurations of four elements, P, Q, R and S, are shown. | element | electronic configuration | |---|---| | P | 2 | | Q | 2,2 | | R | 2,6 | | S | 2,8 | Which elements are unreactive monatomic gases?

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• Question 5May/June 2026, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  An atom of element X has 20 protons and 20 neutrons. An atom of element Y has 19 electrons and a nucleon number of 40. Which statement is correct?

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• Question 20Oct/Nov 2025, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  Elements L and M are in the same group of the Periodic Table. Why do L and M have similar chemical properties?

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• Question 25Oct/Nov 2024, paper 23Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statements describe the Periodic Table?

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• Question 3Oct/Nov 2025, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The table shows information about four different particles.

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2024, paper 31Structured11 marksHas a diagram

  This question is about metals. Metals are good electrical conductors. State three other typical physical properties of metals.

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• Question 5May/June 2026, paper 22Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The table shows the number of protons, neutrons and electrons in four different particles.

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• Question 5Oct/Nov 2025, paper 21Multiple choice1 mark

  Symbols representing four particles are shown. $${}_{20}^{40}\text{W}{}_{20}^{41}{\text{X}}^{2+}{}_{18}^{37}\text{Y}{}_{17}^{37}\text{Z}$$ The letters are not the chemical symbols. Which particles have the same number of neutrons?

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2024, paper 32Structured8 marksHas a diagram

  Fig. 1.1 shows part of the Periodic Table. Answer the following questions using only the elements in Fig. 1.1. Each symbol of the element may be used once, more than once or not at all.

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