QUESTIONS-HOW ATOMS COMBINE TO FORM COMPOUNDS
Name: ____________________________________________
1. What part of an atom will determine if the atom is stable or unstable?
a. Protons
b. Neutrons
c. Electrons
2. When sodium and chlorine atoms are placed together they will react o become more stable and
form Sodium Chloride (or table salt). What is the correct chemical formula for Sodium Chloride?
(Use your cut out atoms to help you)
3. The following chemical compounds were formed when metal atoms reacted with non-metal
atoms. Write out the correct chemical formula for each compound. (Use your cut out atoms to help
you)
a. Calcium Chloride= _______________________(white pellets used to melt ice)
b. Calcium Oxide= __________________________
c. Potassium Oxide=_________________________
d. Iron Chloride=____________________________
4. When Copper atoms are placed with Chlorine atoms a chemical reaction occurs to form Copper
Chloride. Write out the correct equation for the chemical reaction that forms Copper Chloride,
then correctly balance the equation.
_________ + __________ ------------------ ___________________________________
5. When Sodium atoms are placed with Oxygen atoms, a chemical reaction occurs to form Sodium
Oxide. Write out the correct equation for the chemical reaction that forms Sodium Oxide, then
correctly balance the equation.
_________ + __________ ------------------ _____________________________________
6. A Mg atom has just reacted with another atom and is now stable.
How many total protons would you find in the nucleus of the stable Mg atom? ___________
How many total electrons would you find spinning around the stable Mg atom? ___________
7. You are holding a Copper atom in your hand. Explain what this Copper atom wants to do to
become a more stable atom.
8. You take a pile of Copper atoms and a pile of Iron atoms and add them together in a beaker. Even
though the Copper atoms and Iron atoms want to become more stable, they will not react
together. Explain why these unstable atoms will not react together.
9. The following chemical compounds were formed when non-metal atoms reacted with other nonmetal atoms by sharing electrons. Write out the correct chemical formula for each compound. (Use
your cut out atoms to help you).
Cleaning Ammonia (Not AMMONIUM) is composed of nitrogen and hydrogen atoms =
_________________________
Carbon Dioxide gas is composed of Carton and Oxygen atoms = ________________
Methane gas is composed of Carbon and Hydrogen atoms = ____________________
Chlorine gas used to chlorinate swimming pools is composed of only Chlorine atoms =
_______________________
10. The compounds below contain stable atoms that are now stuck together. What kind of CHEMICAL
BOND is holding each group of atoms together? Ionic or Covalent bond?
Sodium Oxide, Na2O ____________________________________
Calcium Sulfide, CaS ____________________________________
Sucrose (table sugar), C12H22O11 __________________________________
Chlorine gas, Cl2 ___________________________________