Chemistry Study Guide
Fall Semester Exam / 2021
Introduction to Chemistry / Nature of Science
• What are the characteristics of science?
• What is the difference between an observation and an inference?
• Identify the variables and control in an experiment. Where would the variables be
on a graph
• What is the difference between a theory and a law?
• Mass is measured in _____ using a ______ .
• Volume is measured in _____ using a _____.
• To measure 12 mL of liquid NaOH what piece of equipment should you use?
• What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative data?
• Explain how a hypothesis can direct your experiment.
• Identify the variables and control in an experiment.
• Define mass, volume, and density.
• Solve: The density of aluminum is 2.7 g/cm3. An unknown sample has a mass of
45g and a volume of 13.5 cm3. Could the unknown sample be aluminum?
• How many significant figures do the following numbers contain? 1.00020, 3.004
x 105, .00060, 7.00008, 0.009
• Solve the following problems expressing the answers with the correct number of
significant figures: 1.20 cm x 3.4 cm
5.66 cm + 7.0 cm
• What is the difference between precision and accuracy?
• Solve 50000 m = _____ km = _____ cm
• Solve 123 cm = _____ ft (2.54 cm = 1 in)
• Put 0.000123 into scientific notation with two significant figures.
• Express 123,456 in scientific notation with two significant figures.
Atoms and Elements
• What did Dalton’s atomic theory state?
• What did Rutherford conclude from his gold foil experiment?
• Who was the first scientist to show that atoms emit tiny negative particles?
• What is the order in history for scientists that made changes to the atomic theory?
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What did Dmitri Mendeleev do?
Iodine-131 contains how many neutrons?
Which atomic particle determines the chemical behavior of an atom?
What do you add together to calculate the mass number of an atom?
How many protons and electrons does Zn+2 have?
How many protons, electrons and neutrons does O-2 have?
How many protons, electrons and neutrons does sulfur have?
What is an isotope?
What does the number next to an isotope signify? Ex: Chromium-58
Solve for the average atomic mass: Iodine is 80% 127I, 17% 126I, and 3% 128I
List the noble gases. What properties do they all share?
Describe the alkali metals, the alkaline earth metals, and the transition metals.
Describe the halogens.
How are metals, metalloids, and nonmetals different? Which is most likely to
form a cation?
Classify the following as a metal, a metalloid, or a nonmetal: Si, K, C, N, Fe, Ne,
As
Why do lithium, potassium, and sodium have similar chemical properties?
Nuclear Chemistry
• Describe radioactivity.
• Explain why some atoms are unstable.
• Which elements have radioactive isotopes?
• What are the types of radioactive decay?
• How does a radioactive atom change during alpha decay?
• Solve: What element should replace “X”: 23892U→42He + “X”
• How does a radioactive atom change during beta decay?
• Solve: What element should replace “X”: 23490Th → 0-1 e + “X”
• What is the third type of radiation associated with radioactive decay?
• Describe the half-life of a radioisotope.
• Solve: If a sample originally had 120 atoms of carbon-14, how many atoms will
remain after 17,190 years? (Hint: Carbon-14 half-life is 5,730 years)
• What is the difference between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission?
Compounds and Nomenclature
• What are compounds containing only two chemical elements called?
• What is the difference between ionic and covalent bonds? Give examples of each.
• Metals and nonmetals form _____ bonds.
• Nonmetals form _____ bonds with other nonmetals.
• Electrons are transferred in an _____ bond.
• What are valence electrons?
• All the elements in group 1 have ____ valence electron(s).
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All the elements in group 17 have _____ valence electron(s).
Metals are most likely to produce (positive/negative) ions.
Elements in group 16 are most likely to produce (+2/-2) ions.
Write the formulas for the following:
o Titanium (IV) oxide
o Barium hydroxide
o Calcium chloride
o Dinitrogen pentoxide
o Iron (III) chloride
o Potassium iodide
o Potassium oxide
o Aluminum sulfide
o Magnesium nitrate
o Ammonium chloride
o Hydrochloric acid
o Hydrocyanic acid
o Carbon dioxide
Name the following:
o NaCl
o LiNO2
o SF6
o Na2O
o NO
o HF