Photo AI

This question is about sodium and chlorine - AQA - GCSE Chemistry Combined Science - Question 2 - 2018 - Paper 1

Question icon

Question 2

This-question-is-about-sodium-and-chlorine-AQA-GCSE Chemistry Combined Science-Question 2-2018-Paper 1.png

This question is about sodium and chlorine. Figure 2 shows the positions of sodium and chlorine in the periodic table. State one difference and one similarity in t... show full transcript

Worked Solution & Example Answer:This question is about sodium and chlorine - AQA - GCSE Chemistry Combined Science - Question 2 - 2018 - Paper 1

Step 1

State one difference and one similarity in the electronic structure of sodium and chlorine.

96%

114 rated

Answer

Difference: Sodium has one electron in its outer shell, while chlorine has seven electrons in its outer shell.

Similarity: Both sodium and chlorine have two electrons in their inner shell.

Step 2

Describe what happens when a sodium atom reacts with a chlorine atom.

99%

104 rated

Answer

When a sodium atom reacts with a chlorine atom, the sodium atom loses one electron from its outer shell. This electron is transferred to the chlorine atom, which gains an electron. As a result, sodium becomes a positively charged ion (Na extsuperscript{+}) and chlorine becomes a negatively charged ion (Cl extsuperscript{-}). This transfer of electrons leads to the formation of the ionic compound sodium chloride (NaCl).

Step 3

Complete the reaction profile for the reaction between sodium and chlorine.

96%

101 rated

Answer

Relative energy
      |
      |               
      |              
      |             *
      |           .   
      |         .       
      |       .         
      |     .           
      |   .             
      | .               
      |__________________ 
         Reactants         Products
       Progress of reaction

In the reaction profile, the energy of the reactants is higher than the products, indicating that the reaction is exothermic. The curve represents the energy change throughout the reaction.

Join the GCSE students using SimpleStudy...

97% of Students

Report Improved Results

98% of Students

Recommend to friends

100,000+

Students Supported

1 Million+

Questions answered

;