AQA GCSE Chemistry Topic 1- Atomic Structure Complete Answers

AQA GCSE Chemistry Topic 1- Atomic Structure Complete Answers atom the smallest unit of matter Here are the rewritten questions in a different structure and with some paraphrasing: 1. What is the fundamental building block of an element, and what does it consist of? Answer: An element is composed of only one type of atom, which is the smallest unit of matter. 2. What is the difference between a molecule and a compound? Answer: A molecule is a group of two or more atoms joined together by a bond, whereas a compound is a substance made up of at least two different types of atoms chemically bonded together. 3. What is the term for two or more substances that are mixed together but are not joined by chemical bonds? Answer: A mixture is a combination of two or more substances that are not chemically bonded together. 4. What do chemical symbols represent on the periodic table, and what do they tell us about each element? Answer: Chemical symbols are letters that represent each element on the periodic table, providing information about its identity and properties. 5. What does a chemical formula reveal about a molecule or compound? Answer: A chemical formula shows the collection of chemical symbols and the number of each element present in a molecule or compound. 6. What makes up the center part of an atom, and what are its properties? Answer: The nucleus is the central part of an atom, composed of protons and neutrons, which have mass and charge. 7. What are protons, neutrons, and electrons in terms of their properties and roles in an atom? Answer: Protons have a mass of 1 and a charge of +1, neutrons have a mass of 1 and a charge of 0, while electrons have almost no mass and a charge of -1. 8. What happens to an atom when it gains or loses electrons, and what is the resulting particle called? Answer: When an atom gains or loses electrons, it becomes an ion - positively charged if it loses electrons or negatively charged if it gains them. 9. What is the rule that states that matter cannot be created or destroyed during a chemical reaction? Answer: The conservation of mass states that the total amount of matter remains constant before and after a chemical reaction. 10. How do chemical equations represent chemical reactions, and what makes an equation balanced? Answer: Chemical equations use chemical symbols and formulae to show what happens in a reaction, with balanced equations ensuring that the same number of each type of atom appears on both sides. 11. What does the atomic number represent in an element's symbol, and what does it relate to? Answer: The atomic number is the smaller number next to the symbol, indicating the number of protons in the nucleus and defining the element's identity. 12. What does the mass number represent in an element's symbol, and how does it relate to protons and neutrons? Answer: The mass number is the larger number next to the symbol, indicating the total number of protons plus neutrons in the nucleus. 13. What is an electron shell, and how many electrons can it hold? Answer: An electron shell is one of several regions outside the nucleus where electrons can be found; shells can hold up to 8 electrons. 14. What does an electronic structure diagram show about an atom's arrangement of electrons? Answer: An electronic structure diagram illustrates how electrons are arranged in electron shells, revealing their distribution within an atom. 15. What technique is used to separate insoluble solids from liquids or other mixtures? Answer: Filtration is a method used to separate insoluble solids from liquids or mixtures by passing them through a filter medium.a technique used to separate an insoluble substance from a solvent (one that does not dissolve) crystallisation a technique used to separate a soluble solid (or salt) from a solution distillation a technique used to obtain the solvent (or liquid) from a solution fractional distillation a technique used to separate two miscible liquids (ones that do mix together) chromatography a technique commonly used to separate a mixture of dyes in ink J.J. Thomson the scientist who discovered the electron and proposed the plum pudding model plum pudding model a model of the atom that proposed the nucleus was a ball of positive charge wit