AQA GCSE Chemistry — Atomic Structure and Bonding flashcards
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Topics 4.1 and 4.2 of AQA GCSE Chemistry: atoms and isotopes, the periodic table and its groups, transition metals, ionic, covalent and metallic bonding, giant structures, carbon and nanoparticles. Higher Tier and Chemistry-only cards are marked.
Learn deck · part of AQA GCSE Chemistry · written against: AQA GCSE Chemistry (8462) specification, version 1.2, 16 January 2026; Higher Tier and separate-science-only cards marked on the front. Updated 2026-10-10.
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Iron sulfide and a mixture of iron filings and sulfur powder contain the same elements. What is the key difference between them?In iron sulfide the elements are chemically combined in fixed proportions; in the mixture they are not chemically combined.Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table › Atoms and Mixtures
Example: a magnet pulls the iron out of the mixture, but iron sulfide can only be split into its elements by a chemical reaction. -
A student wants to recover pure water from salty water. Which separation technique should they use, and why would filtration not work?Simple distillation: the water boils off and is condensed, leaving the salt behind.Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table › Atoms and Mixtures
Why: dissolved salt passes straight through filter paper, which only holds back insoluble solids. -
Which technique separates two miscible liquids with different boiling points, such as ethanol and water?Fractional distillation.Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table › Atoms and Mixtures
Why: the liquid with the lower boiling point evaporates and reaches the top of the fractionating column first, then cools in the condenser and is collected as a liquid. -
Sand and salt are mixed together. In what order would you carry out the steps to recover both?Add water and stir to dissolve the salt, filter so the sand stays on the filter paper, then evaporate or crystallise the filtrate to recover the salt.Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table › Atoms and Mixtures
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Why are filtration, distillation and chromatography described as physical processes?No new substances are made: no chemical reaction takes place, and each substance in the mixture keeps its chemical properties.Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table › Atoms and Mixtures
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In terms of electrons, what happens when magnesium reacts with oxygen to form magnesium oxide?Each magnesium atom transfers two electrons to an oxygen atom, forming Mg²⁺ and O²⁻ ions.Bonding Structure and Properties › Ionic Bonding
Why: both ions then have a full outer shell, the electronic structure of the noble gas neon. -
What charge is on the ions formed by elements in Groups 1, 2, 6 and 7?Group 1: 1+; Group 2: 2+; Group 6: 2−; Group 7: 1−.Bonding Structure and Properties › Ionic Bonding
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What holds a giant ionic lattice such as sodium chloride together?Strong electrostatic attraction between each ion and the oppositely charged ions around it, acting in all directions.Bonding Structure and Properties › Ionic Bonding
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Why does sodium chloride have a high melting point?Melting needs a lot of energy to overcome the many strong electrostatic forces between oppositely charged ions in the giant lattice.Bonding Structure and Properties › Ionic Bonding
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Why does solid sodium chloride not conduct electricity, while molten or dissolved sodium chloride does?In the solid the ions are fixed in place; when it is melted or dissolved the ions are free to move and carry charge.Bonding Structure and Properties › Ionic Bonding
Watch out: it is ions, not electrons, that carry the charge.
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About these cards
Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.
Checked against:
- Topic outline follows the AQA GCSE Chemistry (8462) specification, version 1.2 (16 January 2026) (outline only; no specification text reproduced).
- OpenStax Chemistry 2e, consulted as a reference; no text copied.
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