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S4 Chemistry: Periodic Table and Trends Paper 1 (Position, Electron Arrangement and Metallic Character)
S4 Chemistry: Periodic Table and Trends Paper 1 (Position, Electron Arrangement and Metallic Character)
This paper works from atomic number to electron arrangement, period and group, then compares metallic character across a period and down a group, ending on the classic slip of reading the atomic number as the outer electron count.
Quick answer 1. 2, 8, 1; period 3 group I | 2. 2, 8, 7; seven | 3. 2, 8 | 4. 2, 8 | 5. Na > Mg > Al | 6. Li < Na < K | 7. a full shell | 8. 2, 8, 14, 2; transition metal | 9. atomic number | 10. 2, 8, 6, group VI
01 Paper details (check answers afterwards)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 10 questions |
| Suggested time | 25 minutes |
| Difficulty mix | Foundation 4 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 2 · Error redo 1 |
| Chapter | Chapter: S4 Chemistry – Periodic Table and Trends |
| Level | Foundation |
02 Questions (10 items)
- FoundationSodium has atomic number 11. Give its electron arrangement and state its period and group.
- FoundationChlorine has atomic number 17. Give the electron arrangement and the number of outer electrons.
- FoundationMagnesium (Z = 12) loses two electrons. What is the electron arrangement of the ion?
- FoundationOxygen (Z = 8) forms an ion with a 2- charge. What is its electron arrangement?
- IntermediateAcross a period from left to right, how does metallic character change for sodium, magnesium and aluminium?
- IntermediateDown group I, how does metallic character change from lithium to sodium to potassium?
- IntermediateWhy are the group 0 noble gases so unreactive?
- ChallengeIron has atomic number 26. Give its electron arrangement and say what kind of element it is.
- ChallengeWhich number fixes an element position in the periodic table?
- Error redoSulfur has atomic number 16. A student answered “group 16 with 16 outer electrons”. What is correct?
03 Answers and one-line notes
| # | Answer | One-line note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2, 8, 1; period 3, group I | The number of shells gives the period and the outer electrons give the group. |
| 2 | 2, 8, 7; 7 outer electrons | 17 = 2 + 8 + 7, so two full shells plus seven in the third. |
| 3 | 2, 8 (10 electrons) | A metal loses its outer electrons; protons stay, electrons drop by two. |
| 4 | 2, 8 (10 electrons) | A non-metal gains electrons: 8 + 2 = 10, the same arrangement as neon. |
| 5 | Metallic character decreases: sodium > magnesium > aluminium | Nuclear charge rises and radius falls across a period, so losing electrons gets harder. |
| 6 | Metallic character increases: lithium < sodium < potassium | Each extra shell puts the outer electron further from the nucleus, so it leaves more easily. |
| 7 | Their outer shell is full (2 for helium, 8 for the rest), so they neither gain nor lose electrons readily | A full shell is stable, so they rarely react or conduct. |
| 8 | 2, 8, 14, 2; a transition metal | Transition metals sit between groups 2 and 13, filling an inner d subshell. |
| 9 | Its atomic number (number of protons) | The table is ordered by atomic number, not by relative atomic mass. |
| 10 | 2, 8, 6; six outer electrons, group VI | The group comes from outer electrons (roman numerals for main groups), not the atomic number. |
04 What to do after marking
- After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
- Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
- Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.
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