Inorganic Chemistry and the Periodic Table

What Inorganic Chemistry and the Periodic Table covers

Covers the trends and reactions of Group 2, flame colours and thermal decomposition across Groups 1 and 2, the trends and reactions of the halogens and hydrogen halides with predictions for fluorine and astatine, and the tests that identify halide, carbonate, hydrogencarbonate, sulfate and ammonium ions.

The 11 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• Flame tests and how they workHow thermal energy promotes electrons in metal ions that emit light of characteristic wavelengths as they fall back, the flame colours of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium, calcium, strontium and barium compounds, and why magnesium compounds give no distinctive colour.Open →
• Thermal decomposition of nitrates and carbonatesThe products of heating Group 1 and Group 2 nitrates and carbonates, the lithium nitrate and lithium carbonate exceptions, the increase in thermal stability down each group, and how cation charge density and polarisation of the anion explain why Group 2 compounds decompose more readily.Open →
• Carrying out flame tests and testing the gasesRecall questions on the practical method for a flame test and on the tests that identify oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.Open →
• Group 2 elements and their compoundsThe trends in ionisation energy and reactivity down Group 2, the reactions of the metals with oxygen, chlorine, water and steam, the oxides and hydroxides with water and acids, uses as antacids and to neutralise soil, the solubility trends of the hydroxides and sulfates, the barium meal and the sulfate test.Open →
• Trends in Group 7 and predicting fluorine and astatineHow London forces explain the melting and boiling temperatures and physical states of the halogens, the trends in atomic radius, shielding and electronegativity down Group 7, why reactivity decreases down the group, and predictions for fluorine and astatine covering their properties, displacement reactions, hydrogen halides and silver salts.Open →
• Halogen displacement reactionsThe displacement reactions of chlorine, bromine and iodine with halide ions and the colours seen, why a halogen cannot displace a more reactive one, the halogen colours in an organic solvent, which species is oxidised and which reduced, and the oxidation numbers when halogens react with Group 1 and Group 2 metals.Open →
• Disproportionation and the reactions of chlorineRecall questions on chlorine with cold and with hot alkali, on chlorine in water treatment, and on the oxidation number changes that make each a disproportionation.Open →
• Halides with concentrated sulfuric acid, and the hydrogen halidesThe products of solid sodium chloride, bromide and iodide with concentrated sulfuric acid and the observations for each, why the reducing power of the hydrogen halides increases from HCl to HI as the H-X bond weakens, and the reactions of hydrogen halides with ammonia and with water.Open →
• Testing for halide ions with silver nitrateThe white, cream and yellow silver halide precipitates and the ionic equation for silver bromide, their solubility in dilute and concentrated ammonia and the diamminesilver(I) complex, why the sample is acidified with dilute nitric acid rather than hydrochloric acid, and identifying an unknown halide from the results.Open →
• Testing for carbonate and hydrogencarbonate ionsThe aqueous acid test for carbonate and hydrogencarbonate ions, the effervescence of carbon dioxide it gives, the ionic equations CO₃²⁻ + 2H⁺ → H₂O + CO₂ and HCO₃⁻ + H⁺ → H₂O + CO₂, and the mole ratio of hydrogen ions each shows.Open →
• Testing for sulfate and ammonium ionsThe acidified barium chloride test for sulfate ions with its white barium sulfate precipitate and ionic equation, why hydrochloric acid is added first to stop carbonate and sulfite ions giving false positives, and the test for ammonium ions by warming with sodium hydroxide, its ionic equation, and identifying the ammonia with damp red litmus or by smell.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Inorganic Chemistry and the Periodic Table further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Halogen vs Halide ion

  Halogen: group 7 element in its uncombined form. Halide ion: negative species formed when a Group 7 atom gains an electron.

• Displacement vs Precipitation

  Displacement: more reactive element replacing a less reactive element. Precipitation: formation of an insoluble solid from aqueous ions.

• Flame test vs Precipitate test

  Flame test: identification using characteristic emitted colour. Precipitate test: identification using formation and colour of an insoluble solid.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   In a flame test, what is the initial energy source that causes electrons in metal ions to become excited?

   Model answer

   Thermal energy from the flame

2. 2

   When electrons in a metal ion absorb thermal energy during a flame test, what happens to their energy level?

   Model answer

   They are promoted to higher energy levels

3. 3

   After excitation in a flame test, what do electrons do that results in light emission?

   Model answer

   They fall back to lower energy levels

4. 4

   Why do different metal ions produce different flame colours?

   Model answer

   Because photons of characteristic wavelengths are emitted when excited electrons return to lower energy levels, and different metals have different energy level spacings

5. 5

   What flame colour is produced by lithium compounds?

   Model answer

   Crimson/red

6. 6

   What flame colour is produced by sodium compounds?

   Model answer

   Yellow/orange

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Inorganic Chemistry and the Periodic Table revision questions

What does Inorganic Chemistry and the Periodic Table cover in Edexcel A-Level Chemistry?

11 subtopics: flame tests and how they work, thermal decomposition of nitrates and carbonates, carrying out flame tests and testing the gases, group 2 elements and their compounds, trends in group 7 and predicting fluorine and astatine, halogen displacement reactions, disproportionation and the reactions of chlorine, halides with concentrated sulfuric acid, and the hydrogen halides, testing for halide ions with silver nitrate, testing for carbonate and hydrogencarbonate ions and testing for sulfate and ammonium ions. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Inorganic Chemistry and the Periodic Table organised?

By the Edexcel 9CH0 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.