AQA GCSE CHEMISTRY 8462 1H PAPER 1
STUDY GUIDE 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ What is the charge of a neutron? Answer: 0
◉ What is the charge of an electron? Answer: -1
◉ What is the relative mass of a proton? Answer: 1
◉ What is the relative mass of a neutron? Answer: 1
◉ What is the relative mass of an electron? Answer: Very small
◉ How many types of atoms do elements contain? Answer: Only one
type
◉ What are compounds? Answer: Substances containing two or
more different elements that are chemically bonded together
◉ What are mixtures? Answer: Substances containing two or more
different elements that are not chemically bonded together
,◉ What pattern is formed from carrying out paper chromatography?
Answer: Chromatogram
◉ Which method of separation is useful to separate an insoluble
solid from a liquid? Answer: Filtration
◉ Which method of separation is useful to separate a soluble solid
from a liquid? Answer: Evaporation or Crystillisation
◉ Which method of distillation separates liquids with similar boiling
points? Answer: Fractional distillation
◉ Who discovered that the plum pudding model was wrong?
Answer: Ernest Rutherford
◉ Who devised an experiment that proved the existence of the
neutron? Answer: Niels Bohr
◉ Why did Mendeleev leave gaps in his Table of Elements? Answer:
To ensure that elements with similar properties stayed in the same
groups. The gaps indicated the existence of undiscovered elements
and allowed Mendeleev to predict what their properties might be
,◉ How are the group number and the number of electrons in the
outer shell of an element related? Answer: The group number tells
you how many electrons are in the outer shell of an element. E.g.
sodium is in Group 1 therefore it has 1 electron on its outer shell
◉ What kind of ions do metals form? Answer: Positive
◉ Where are the non-metals on the periodic table? Answer: On the
right hand side
◉ Give three properties which are specific to transition metals
Answer: 1) They can form more than one ion e.g cobalt form Co2+
2) They are often coloured, therefore compounds which contain
them are colourful e.g. potassium chromate is yellow
3) They often make good catalysts e.g. nickel based catalysts are
used in the hydrogenation of alkenes
◉ State three trends as you go down Group 1 Answer: 1) Increased
reactivity - the outer electron is more easily lost as the attraction
between the nucleus and the electron decreases because the
electron is further away from the nucleus
2) Lower melting and boiling points
3) Higher relative atomic mass
, ◉ What are the products of the reaction of a Group 1 metal and
water Answer: Hydrogen gas and a metal hydroxide
E.g. sodium + water --> sodium hydroxide + hydrogen
◉ What's the difference between the hardness of Group 1 and
transition metals? Answer: Transition metals are harder, denser and
stronger than Group 1 metals
◉ What's the difference between the reactivity of Group 1 and
transition metals? Answer: Group 1 metals are much more reactive
than transition metals
◉ What's the difference between the melting points of Group 1 and
transition metals? Answer: Transition metals have higher melting
points than Group 1 metals
◉ What trends occur as you go down Group 7? Answer: 1) They
become less reactive - it's harder to gain an extra electron because
the outer shell's further from the nucleus
2) They have higher melting and boiling points
3) They have higher relative atomic masses
◉ What is the charge of the ions that halogens form when they react
with metals? Answer: They form negative ions
STUDY GUIDE 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ What is the charge of a neutron? Answer: 0
◉ What is the charge of an electron? Answer: -1
◉ What is the relative mass of a proton? Answer: 1
◉ What is the relative mass of a neutron? Answer: 1
◉ What is the relative mass of an electron? Answer: Very small
◉ How many types of atoms do elements contain? Answer: Only one
type
◉ What are compounds? Answer: Substances containing two or
more different elements that are chemically bonded together
◉ What are mixtures? Answer: Substances containing two or more
different elements that are not chemically bonded together
,◉ What pattern is formed from carrying out paper chromatography?
Answer: Chromatogram
◉ Which method of separation is useful to separate an insoluble
solid from a liquid? Answer: Filtration
◉ Which method of separation is useful to separate a soluble solid
from a liquid? Answer: Evaporation or Crystillisation
◉ Which method of distillation separates liquids with similar boiling
points? Answer: Fractional distillation
◉ Who discovered that the plum pudding model was wrong?
Answer: Ernest Rutherford
◉ Who devised an experiment that proved the existence of the
neutron? Answer: Niels Bohr
◉ Why did Mendeleev leave gaps in his Table of Elements? Answer:
To ensure that elements with similar properties stayed in the same
groups. The gaps indicated the existence of undiscovered elements
and allowed Mendeleev to predict what their properties might be
,◉ How are the group number and the number of electrons in the
outer shell of an element related? Answer: The group number tells
you how many electrons are in the outer shell of an element. E.g.
sodium is in Group 1 therefore it has 1 electron on its outer shell
◉ What kind of ions do metals form? Answer: Positive
◉ Where are the non-metals on the periodic table? Answer: On the
right hand side
◉ Give three properties which are specific to transition metals
Answer: 1) They can form more than one ion e.g cobalt form Co2+
2) They are often coloured, therefore compounds which contain
them are colourful e.g. potassium chromate is yellow
3) They often make good catalysts e.g. nickel based catalysts are
used in the hydrogenation of alkenes
◉ State three trends as you go down Group 1 Answer: 1) Increased
reactivity - the outer electron is more easily lost as the attraction
between the nucleus and the electron decreases because the
electron is further away from the nucleus
2) Lower melting and boiling points
3) Higher relative atomic mass
, ◉ What are the products of the reaction of a Group 1 metal and
water Answer: Hydrogen gas and a metal hydroxide
E.g. sodium + water --> sodium hydroxide + hydrogen
◉ What's the difference between the hardness of Group 1 and
transition metals? Answer: Transition metals are harder, denser and
stronger than Group 1 metals
◉ What's the difference between the reactivity of Group 1 and
transition metals? Answer: Group 1 metals are much more reactive
than transition metals
◉ What's the difference between the melting points of Group 1 and
transition metals? Answer: Transition metals have higher melting
points than Group 1 metals
◉ What trends occur as you go down Group 7? Answer: 1) They
become less reactive - it's harder to gain an extra electron because
the outer shell's further from the nucleus
2) They have higher melting and boiling points
3) They have higher relative atomic masses
◉ What is the charge of the ions that halogens form when they react
with metals? Answer: They form negative ions
