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KCSE Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry — practice questions

Explore 35 free Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry questions in KCSE Chemistry. Open each question or exercise to read its content, reference answers and available explanation.

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Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry questions and exercises with answers

Showing questions 1–30 of 35.

How does a neutral atom become a cation?Read the answer and worked solution →What holds the ions of an ionic compound together?Read the answer and worked solution →Which pair of properties do ionic solids typically show?Read the answer and worked solution →Solid sodium chloride does not conduct electricity, but the molten salt does. Why?Read the answer and worked solution →A binary ionic compound is built from which two kinds of element?Read the answer and worked solution →What does the chemical formula of an ionic compound actually tell you?Read the answer and worked solution →Why is it wrong to speak of a single sodium chloride molecule?Read the answer and worked solution →When an atom of a main group element forms a cation, how many electrons does it tend to lose?Read the answer and worked solution →For elements in groups 13 to 17, how is the charge of the cation worked out?Read the answer and worked solution →Which electrons leave first when an atom of a transition metal ionises?Read the answer and worked solution →How many electrons does a nonmetal atom gain when it forms a monatomic anion?Read the answer and worked solution →How do the melting points of covalent compounds compare with those of ionic compounds?Read the answer and worked solution →What fixes the bond length in a hydrogen molecule?Read the answer and worked solution →What happens to energy when a chemical bond is formed?Read the answer and worked solution →When are the electrons of a covalent bond shared completely equally?Read the answer and worked solution →What does electronegativity measure?Read the answer and worked solution →How does electronegativity change across a period and down a group?Read the answer and worked solution →Which element is the most electronegative of all?Read the answer and worked solution →How does electronegativity differ from electron affinity?Read the answer and worked solution →What kind of quantity is the electron affinity of an element?Read the answer and worked solution →What kind of bond usually forms between a metal and a nonmetal?Read the answer and worked solution →In a Lewis symbol, what do the dots drawn around the element symbol represent?Read the answer and worked solution →By bonding, how many valence electrons do main group atoms tend to end up with?Read the answer and worked solution →Why is hydrogen an exception to the octet rule?Read the answer and worked solution →How many pairs of electrons are shared in a double bond?Read the answer and worked solution →A triple bond shares how many electron pairs between the two atoms?Read the answer and worked solution →What arrangement of electron pairs does VSEPR theory predict a molecule will adopt?Read the answer and worked solution →When does the electron pair geometry match the molecular structure exactly?Read the answer and worked solution →What is the energy needed to break one mole of a particular covalent bond called?Read the answer and worked solution →What does the lattice energy of an ionic compound measure?Read the answer and worked solution →

Worked practice questions

How does a neutral atom become a cation?

  1. By losing electrons from its valence shell
  2. By gaining electrons in its valence shell
  3. By losing protons from its atomic nucleus
  4. By gaining neutrons in its atomic nucleus
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Correct answer: A. By losing electrons from its valence shell

1. A cation carries a positive charge, so the atom must end up with fewer electrons than protons. 2. That happens when the neutral atom loses one or more electrons from its valence shell. 3. An anion is the opposite case: a neutral atom gains electrons into its valence shell. 4. Protons and neutrons sit in the nucleus and do not move during ordinary chemical change. _Source: OpenStax Chemistry (CC BY 4.0), Ch 7 "Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry", section 7.1 Ionic Bonding_

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What holds the ions of an ionic compound together?

  1. Equal sharing of one pair of electrons
  2. Electrostatic attraction between opposite ions
  3. Overlap of two half filled valence orbitals
  4. Attraction between neutral gas molecules
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Correct answer: B. Electrostatic attraction between opposite ions

1. An ionic compound is built from cations and anions, which carry opposite charges. 2. Opposite charges attract, and it is that electrostatic force which constitutes the ionic bond. 3. Sharing a pair of electrons describes a covalent bond, not an ionic one. 4. Orbital overlap and attraction between neutral molecules belong to covalent and intermolecular bonding. _Source: OpenStax Chemistry (CC BY 4.0), Ch 7 "Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry", section 7.1 Ionic Bonding_

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Which pair of properties do ionic solids typically show?

  1. Soft and waxy, with no ordered structure
  2. Ductile and shiny, with a metallic lustre
  3. Rigid and brittle, with a crystal structure
  4. Elastic and rubbery, with coiled chains
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Correct answer: C. Rigid and brittle, with a crystal structure

1. Ions in an ionic solid sit in a regular repeating arrangement, which is what makes the solid crystalline. 2. Because every ion is locked by strong attractions to its neighbours, the solid is rigid rather than soft. 3. It is also brittle, since forcing the layers to slide brings like charges together and the crystal splits. 4. Softness, metallic lustre and rubbery elasticity describe molecular, metallic and polymeric solids instead. _Source: OpenStax Chemistry (CC BY 4.0), Ch 7 "Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry", section 7.1 Ionic Bonding_

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