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Chemistry of the P-Block

  • 13 subtopics
  • 37 things to know
  • A2 Unit 3

What Chemistry of the P-Block covers

Chemistry of the P-Block is examined on A2 Unit 3 of WJEC Chemistry, Physical and Inorganic Chemistry. 168 recall questions across 13 subtopics.

Where it is assessed

A2 Unit 3

Physical and Inorganic Chemistry.

Check the WJEC specification ↗

The 13 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Numbers

Sodium hydroxide solution is added dropwise, and then in large excess, to aluminium sulfate solution. Describe what is seen at each stage.

Key term

How could you distinguish between separate solutions of aluminium nitrate and lead(II) nitrate?

Key term

Magnesium hydroxide and aluminium hydroxide are both white precipitates. State a simple test that tells them apart and explain the result.

Numbers

State the most stable oxidation state of thallium in Group 3, and contrast it with aluminium.

Key term

Explain why carbon and silicon show only the +4 state in their common compounds.

Numbers

Tin(II) chloride solution turns iron(III) solution from yellow to pale green. Write the ionic equation and explain what this shows about tin.

Key term

Carbon monoxide reduces iron(III) oxide in the blast furnace. Write the equation and give the oxidation number change for each element that changes.

Key term

Why is carbon monoxide such a useful reducing agent?

Key term

Lead(IV) oxide is warmed with concentrated hydrochloric acid. Write the equation and describe what is seen.

Key term

Sulfur hexafluoride has an expanded octet. State the number of valence electrons around sulfur, the shape and the bond angle.

Process

Why does aluminium chloride dimerise, how is each aluminium bonded in Al₂Cl₆, and how do the bridging bonds compare with the terminal ones?

Key term

Ammonia and boron trifluoride combine to form a white solid. Explain how the bond between them is formed.

Key term

Identify the donor and the acceptor in the compound NH₃.BF₃ and explain your choice.

Key term

Boron nitride has the empirical formula BN. Why are its structures so similar to those of carbon?

Key term

Why is hexagonal boron nitride a good high-temperature lubricant?

Key term

Describe the structure and bonding in carbon dioxide.

Key term

Why is carbon dioxide a gas at room temperature while silicon dioxide is a solid melting above 1600 °C?

Key term

Carbon dioxide contains polar bonds but is a non-polar molecule. Explain.

Key term

Write an equation for the reaction of silicon tetrachloride with water and describe the observations.

Process

State and explain the trend in bonding shown by the Group 4 chlorides CCl₄, SiCl₄ and PbCl₂.

Key term

A student is given three unlabelled samples, one of each of CCl₄, SiCl₄ and PbCl₂. Describe how adding water would identify each.

Key term

Both CCl₄ and SiCl₄ are liquids of similar structure. Why can the difference in their reactions with water not be explained by bond polarity alone?

Process

Why is silicon tetrachloride, with a boiling temperature of 58 °C, so much more volatile than lead(II) chloride, which melts at about 500 °C?

Key term

Explain why tetrachloromethane can be used as a solvent for non-polar substances while lead(II) chloride cannot dissolve in it.

Key term

Explain how you could use sodium hydroxide solution and potassium iodide solution together to confirm the presence of lead(II) ions in a colourless solution.

Key term

A student adds sodium hydroxide solution slowly to a lead(II) salt solution and reports no precipitate at all. Suggest what went wrong.

Key term

Both the chloride and the iodide of lead(II) are insoluble. Why does the colour of the precipitate differ so markedly?

Key term

Give the ionic equation for chlorine reacting with cold dilute alkali and show that it is a disproportionation.

Numbers

What is seen when chlorine gas is bubbled into cold dilute sodium hydroxide solution?

Key term

Balance the ionic equation for chlorine with cold alkali and confirm the charge balance.

Process

Why is a bleaching action always an oxidation when chlorine-based bleaches are used?

Evaluation

Why does bleach lose its strength if the bottle is left open or stored in a warm place?

Key term

Explain why chlorate(I) is used to bleach paper pulp rather than a coloured pigment being simply washed out.

Key term

In the reaction between sodium bromide and concentrated sulfuric acid, state the oxidation number changes and identify the oxidising and reducing agents.

Key term

Describe the observations when concentrated sulfuric acid is added to solid sodium iodide.

Key term

Write equations for the three redox reactions in which hydrogen iodide reduces concentrated sulfuric acid.

Key term

Give the shape of chlorine trifluoride and the number of electrons around the chlorine atom.

Take Chemistry of the P-Block further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

  • Hexagonal boron nitride vs Cubic boron nitride

    Hexagonal boron nitride: the layered, soft, lubricating form analogous to graphite. Cubic boron nitride: the tetrahedral, extremely hard form analogous to diamond.

  • An amphoteric oxide vs A basic oxide

    An amphoteric oxide: an oxide that reacts with both acids and bases. A basic oxide: an oxide that reacts with acids only.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What does it mean to call a substance amphoteric?

    Model answer

    An amphoteric substance reacts with both acids and bases. It behaves as a base towards an acid and as an acid towards a base, so it dissolves in both.

  2. 2

    Aluminium foil dissolves in warm dilute hydrochloric acid. Write the ionic equation and state what is seen.

    Model answer

    2Al(s) + 6H⁺(aq) → 2Al³⁺(aq) + 3H₂(g). The grey metal dissolves with steady effervescence of a colourless gas, leaving a colourless solution.

  3. 3

    Why does aluminium also dissolve in hot aqueous sodium hydroxide, and what is the aluminium-containing product?

    Model answer

    Aluminium is amphoteric, so it is attacked by strong alkali as well as by acid: 2Al(s) + 2OH⁻(aq) + 6H₂O(l) → 2[Al(OH)₄]⁻(aq) + 3H₂(g). The product is the colourless tetrahydroxoaluminate(III) ion, and hydrogen is given off.

  4. 4

    Sodium hydroxide solution is added dropwise, and then in large excess, to aluminium sulfate solution. Describe what is seen at each stage.

    Model answer

    A white gelatinous precipitate of aluminium hydroxide forms first: Al³⁺(aq) + 3OH⁻(aq) → Al(OH)₃(s). In excess alkali the precipitate redissolves to give a colourless solution: Al(OH)₃(s) + OH⁻(aq) → [Al(OH)₄]⁻(aq).

  5. 5

    Write the equation for aluminium hydroxide dissolving in dilute nitric acid.

    Model answer

    Al(OH)₃(s) + 3H⁺(aq) → Al³⁺(aq) + 3H₂O(l). The white precipitate dissolves to give a colourless solution.

  6. 6

    Explain why aluminium hydroxide is described as amphoteric.

    Model answer

    It dissolves in acid by accepting protons to give Al³⁺(aq), acting as a base, and it dissolves in alkali by accepting a hydroxide ion to give [Al(OH)₄]⁻, acting as an acid. Because it reacts in both ways it is amphoteric.

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Chemistry of the P-Block revision questions

What does Chemistry of the P-Block cover in WJEC A-Level Chemistry?
13 subtopics: amphoteric behaviour of aluminium and lead, stability of oxidation states down groups 3, 4 and 5: increasing stability of the inert pair cations, stability of oxidation states down groups 3, 4 and 5: change in relative stability, valence shells that break the octet rule: how some group 3 elements can form compounds, valence shells that break the octet rule: structure and bonding in al2cl6 and formation, boron nitride: two structures, two sets of properties, group 4 oxides and chlorides, and lead in solution: structure, group 4 oxides and chlorides, and lead in solution: hydrolysis of the group 4 chlorides, group 4 oxides and chlorides, and lead in solution: chloride hydrolysis and lead(ii) precipitates, group 4 oxides and chlorides, and lead in solution: distinguishing lead from silver ions, chlorine, chlorate and the sodium halides: chlorine with water and with cold and hot alkali, chlorine, chlorate and the sodium halides: bleaching and bactericidal action of cl2 and chlorine, chlorate and the sodium halides: differences in behaviour of nacl. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
How is Chemistry of the P-Block organised?
By the WJEC 1410QS specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.

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