Deck 8: The Atom: Why Are There so Many Different Materials in the World

Question 1

Each electron shell corresponds to a different

A) number of charges on each electron.
B) chemical element or compound.
C) ion or group of ions.
D) atom or molecule.
E) electron energy level.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Electrons in the Bohr atom shift to a higher energy level by

A) absorbing the energy of light or heat.
B) reflecting the energy of heat or light.
C) emitting a photon.
D) radiating an electromagnetic wave.
E) stubbornly refusing to change energy states.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Democritus put forth the concept of an atom because

A) of experimental evidence from his laboratory.
B) older ideas that he borrowed from Egyptians.
C) he observed rocks turning into pebbles and then turning into sand.
D) his invention of the magnifying glass led him to think about progressively smaller particles.
E) it was philosophically satisfying that there would ultimately be a size limit on particles.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

In the periodic table, elements are arranged in order of

A) atomic number.
B) number of neutrons.
C) number of electrons minus one.
D) atomic size.
E) the alphabet.

Question 5

In the periodic table of the elements, the period refers to the

A) energy level of the electrons.
B) number of neutrons.
C) number of protons.
D) atomic mass of the atom.
E) mass of the photons emitted by the atom.

Question 6

Materials made from a single type of atom that cannot be broken down any further are called

A) atoms.
B) elements.
C) molecules.
D) solutions.
E) compounds.

Question 7

Evidence for the theory that an atom is mostly space was based on research by

A) Joseph John Thomson.
B) Niels Bohr.
C) John Dalton.
D) Ernest Rutherford.
E) Daniel Bernoulli

Question 8

What is an atom's spectrum?

A) the total number of photons an atom can contain
B) sum of photons an atom will emit
C) the atomic mass of the atom
D) the atom's place in the periodic table
E) the allowed orbit closest to the nucleus

Question 9

An electrically charged atom is known as

A) a nucleus.
B) a proton.
C) an electron.
D) an ion.
E) a neutron.

Question 10

Which instrument below emits photons that have wave crests in exact alignment?

A) electron microscope
B) light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
C) telescope fitted with a spectroscope
D) spectroscope which is not part of a telescope
E) a source of alpha particles in a physics laboratory

Question 11

In 1808, which person below borrowed the name 'atom' from Greek writings and described in a modern way how it is that an atom is indivisible?

A) Daniel Bernoulli
B) John Dalton
C) Dimitri Mendeleev
D) Ernest Rutherford
E) Albert Einstein

Question 12

All elements in any column in the periodic table of elements

A) have very little in common.
B) form a compound known as a salt.
C) are alkaline earth metals.
D) have similar chemical properties.
E) are noble gases.

Question 13

"Allowed orbits" is a phrase applied to the

A) electrons in Rutherford's model of the atom.
B) protons in Dalton's model of the atom.
C) electrons in Bohr's model of the atom.
D) protons in Thompson's experiments.
E) neutrons in Mendeleev's periodic table of elements.

Question 14

Each time an electron moves from a higher energy level to a lower energy level

A) a photon is absorbed.
B) an electron is absorbed.
C) an observer will not see any light.
D) an electron disappears as some point between two levels.
E) a photon or some heat is given off.

Question 15

When two or more atoms combine chemically this forms the basic constituent of many different kinds of material, which is called

A) uncuttable.
B) an element.
C) a molecule.
D) an electron.
E) water.

Question 16

The relationship between the atomic theories of Democritus and Dalton is that

A) both were based on observations in nature.
B) neither was based on observations in nature.
C) Dalton's theory depended upon observation; Democritus' theory did not.
D) Democritus' theory depended upon observation; Dalton's theory did not.
E) Dalton used the term atom; Democritus did not.

Question 17

An element with an atomic number of 8

A) was the eighth element discovered.
B) contains atoms with four protons and four neutrons.
C) is composed of atoms with only eight protons.
D) has eight electrons in the outer shell of each atom.
E) has six protons and two neutrons.

Question 18

An electrically neutral particle in the nucleus is called

A) a nucleus.
B) a proton.
C) an electron.
D) an ion.
E) a neutron.

Question 19

The fundamental building block for all matter, which is the smallest representative sample of a substance that maintains chemical identity, is called

A) an atom.
B) an element.
C) a molecule.
D) an electron.
E) a chemical compound.

Question 20

It was first discovered that atoms have a nucleus when

A) scientists photographed the nucleus of uranium.
B) Einstein hypothesized the existence of the nucleus in 1915.
C) some alpha particles were deflected by gold nuclei in Rutherford's experiment.
D) experiments showed that electrons must have a charge balance at an atom's center.
E) Rutherford split the nucleus of uranium atoms.

Question 21

Mendeleev's periodic table was organized according to rules of scientific method. Which statement below follows those rules?

A) The periodic table made predictions that could be tested.
B) Only scientists could understand the periodic table.
C) Information that refuted Mendeleev's hypothesis was ignored.
D) Mendeleev's listed the elements alphabetically.
E) The periodic table has not changed in 100 years.

Question 22

What does it mean to say that scientists accepted an idea "because it worked"? Explain your answer using the periodic table and the Bohr atom as examples.

Question 23

What is electrolysis and how is it related to the battery?

Question 24

Describe how ultraviolet "black" light causes some material to glow while sunlight or light from a typical light bulb will not.

Question 25

Describe the difference in the atomic number and number of electrons in typical hydrogen and helium atoms and their chemical effects.

Question 26

Describe some characteristics of the elements found in at least two columns of the periodic table of elements.

Question 27

The model for the Rutherford atom is best compared to

A) a blueberry muffin.
B) a spiral galaxy.
C) a living animal.
D) the solar system.
E) a beach ball.

Question 28

Physical principles predict that the solar system model of the atom cannot be viable because

A) atoms would be constantly emitting energy.
B) atoms would be constantly absorbing energy.
C) compounds could not be easily formed.
D) atoms would not have symmetrical shapes.
E) the law of thermodynamics would not work.

Question 29

Explain how the development of the Bernoulli's gas laws (how gasses behave under various temperatures and pressures) supported the modern concept of atoms and their interactions.

Question 30

An atom that becomes an ion always changes from having an equal number of protons and electrons to having

A) more neutrons than protons.
B) an electrical charge, either positive or negative.
C) more electrons than protons.
D) more protons than electrons.
E) an equal number of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Question 31

Summarize the evolution of ideas and theories about atoms from the Greek philosophers to the present day.

Question 32

Describe how spectroscopy is applied to practical problems in everyday life.

Question 33

Explain the physical principles that allow an electric stove's burner to glow (give off light) when heated.

Question 34

From the periodic table, the elements iron (26), cobalt (27), and nickel (28) are grouped in the same row. How are those three elements similar? How are they different?

Question 35

Why is it that helium and neon do not form compounds?

Question 36

Describe Rutherford's experiment with alpha particles. Compare what Rutherford was expecting to happen during the experiment with what was actually observed.

Question 37

In the periodic table of the elements, the heaviest element is located

A) at the top right corner.
B) in the center of the chart.
C) at the lower right corner.
D) at the top left corner.
E) at the lower left corner.

Question 38

Describe the origin of table salt in terms of the columns of the periodic table where the component elements come from.

Question 39

Describe how a laser works.

Question 40

Use notions about the atom to define color. Give examples.

Question 41

What are the chemical characteristics of the alkaline earth metals of the periodic table?

Question 42

Even though we do not have a sample of the Sun's interior, we think that it is composed of a significant amount of H and He. What observations and their physical principles support this hypothesis?

Question 43

What is the Pauli exclusion principle? Explain.

Question 44

What was the contribution of the English physicist Joseph John Thompson to the study of atoms and what was his relationship to Ernest Rutherford?

Question 45

Why is argon used as the gas "filler" in incandescent light bulbs (light bulbs with glowing filaments)? What would happen if hydrogen were used instead?

Question 46

Do you agree with the statement "elements are materials that cannot be broken down any further"? Explain your answer.

Question 47

Discuss how intuition has been important to many discoveries in science. In so doing, include the accomplishments of Bohr, Newton, and Einstein.

Question 48

How did Brownian motion provide evidence for the existence of atoms?

Question 49

Predict what would happen if the electrical charges on an atom were reversed. In other words, what if protons were negative and electrons were positive? Would the periodic table still be viable as a predictive model?

Question 50

What would be different in our lives today if lasers had not been developed?