AQA A-level Chemistry — Inorganic Chemistry flashcards
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Inorganic chemistry for AQA 7404/7405: period 3 trends, Group 2 and Group 7, period 3 oxides, transition metal complexes, colour, redox titrations and catalysis, and test-tube reactions of metal-aqua ions. Period 3 element reactions and oxides, transition metals and aqueous ions are A-level only.
Learn deck · part of AQA A-level Chemistry · written against: AQA AS and A-level Chemistry (7404/7405) specification, version 1.2, July 2026 (physical, inorganic and organic). Updated 2026-10-10.
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Why is bromine classified as a p-block element?Its highest-energy electrons are in a p sub-shell (4p⁵).Inorganic Chemistry › Periodicity
An element's block is set by the sub-shell being filled across its part of the Periodic Table, which follows from its proton number. -
Why does atomic radius decrease across period 3 from sodium to argon?Nuclear charge increases while the outer electrons stay in the same shell with similar shielding.Inorganic Chemistry › Periodicity
The stronger attraction pulls the outer electrons closer to the nucleus. -
Why does silicon have the highest melting point in period 3?Silicon is macromolecular (giant covalent): melting breaks many strong covalent bonds.Inorganic Chemistry › Periodicity
Sodium to aluminium are metallic and phosphorus to argon are molecular or atomic, all needing less energy to melt. -
Why does the melting point rise from sodium to magnesium to aluminium?Metallic bonding gets stronger: the ions carry more charge, are smaller and release more delocalised electrons.Inorganic Chemistry › Periodicity
Na⁺, Mg²⁺ and Al³⁺ contribute one, two and three electrons per atom to the delocalised sea. -
Why does sulfur have a higher melting point than phosphorus?Sulfur exists as S₈ molecules, larger than P₄ molecules, so there are stronger induced dipole–dipole forces between them.Inorganic Chemistry › Periodicity
Both are molecular solids, so melting only overcomes forces between molecules, never the covalent bonds within them. -
Why does argon have the lowest melting point in period 3?Argon exists as single atoms with very weak induced dipole–dipole forces between them.Inorganic Chemistry › Periodicity
An argon atom has fewer electrons than an S₈, P₄ or Cl₂ molecule, so its temporary dipoles are the weakest. -
Why do the melting points of the Group 2 metals generally decrease from calcium to barium?The metal ions get larger, so the delocalised electrons are further from the nucleus and metallic bonding is weaker.Inorganic Chemistry › Group 2
Watch out: magnesium breaks the trend, melting lower than calcium, strontium or barium; unlike them it is hexagonal close-packed, not cubic. -
How does magnesium react with steam, compared with its reaction with cold water?With steam it burns brightly: Mg + H₂O(g) → MgO + H₂; with cold water it reacts only very slowly to form Mg(OH)₂.Inorganic Chemistry › Group 2
Reactivity with water increases down Group 2, so calcium, strontium and barium react readily with cold water. -
What is the equation for the reaction of calcium with cold water?Ca + 2 H₂O → Ca(OH)₂ + H₂Inorganic Chemistry › Group 2
The solution turns cloudy because calcium hydroxide is only slightly soluble. -
How is magnesium used to extract titanium, and why is carbon not used instead?TiCl₄ + 2 Mg → Ti + 2 MgCl₂; carbon would form titanium carbide, making the metal brittle.Inorganic Chemistry › Group 2
The reaction is run in an argon atmosphere at high temperature to stop the titanium reacting with air.
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About these cards
Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.
Checked against:
- Topic outline follows the AQA AS and A-level Chemistry (7404/7405) specification, version 1.2 (July 2026) (outline only; no specification text reproduced).
- OpenStax Chemistry 2e and OpenStax Organic Chemistry: A Tenth Edition, consulted as references; no text copied.
- Also checked against the AQA AS and A-level Chemistry practical handbook, version 2.2 (February 2025), PubChem element and compound records, NIST Standard Reference Database 46 (stability constants) and chemguide.co.uk (reference only; no text copied).
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