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IGCSE Chemistry: The Periodic Table — Practice Questions & Answers
How elements are arranged by proton number, and how position predicts the properties of metals, halogens, noble gases and more.
762 practice questions available for this topic — here are 10 with full answers and explanations.
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Practice questions with answers
1
Multiple choice · Easy
In the modern Periodic Table, the elements are arranged in order of increasing what?
Proton number
Number of neutrons
Relative atomic mass only
Density
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Why Elements are arranged in order of increasing proton number (atomic number), which places elements with similar properties in the same group.
2
Multiple choice · Easy
What name is given to the vertical columns in the Periodic Table?
Groups
Periods
Shells
Series
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Why The vertical columns are called groups, and elements in the same group have the same number of outer-shell electrons.
3
Multiple choice · Easy
Which of these is a property of the Group I alkali metals?
They are soft and can be cut with a knife
They are very hard and dense
They do not react with water
They have very high melting points
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Why Alkali metals are soft and have low densities; lithium, sodium and potassium all float on water.
4
Multiple choice · Easy
The Group VIII (Group 0) elements are commonly called the what?
Noble gases
Halogens
Alkali metals
Transition elements
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Why Group VIII elements are the noble gases, which are unreactive because they have a full outer electron shell.
5
Multiple choice · Easy
Which element is a Group VII halogen?
Chlorine
Sodium
Argon
Calcium
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Why Chlorine is a member of Group VII, the halogens; the others shown belong to other groups.
6
Fill in the blank · Easy
The horizontal rows in the Periodic Table are called
Check answer
Answer:
periods / period
Why The horizontal rows are called periods; the period number equals the number of occupied electron shells.
7
Multiple choice · Medium
An element has the electronic configuration 2,8,1. In which group of the Periodic Table is it found?
Group I
Group II
Group VII
Group VIII
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Why The number of outer-shell electrons gives the group number, so 1 outer electron means Group I.
8
Multiple choice · Medium
As you go down Group I, the reactivity of the alkali metals with water does what?
Increases
Decreases
Stays the same
First increases then decreases
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Why Reactivity increases down Group I because the outer electron is further from the nucleus and more easily lost.
9
Multiple choice · Medium
At room temperature, which halogen is a liquid?
Bromine
Chlorine
Iodine
Fluorine
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Why Bromine is a red-brown liquid at room temperature; chlorine is a gas and iodine is a solid.
10
Multiple choice · Medium
Which statement about transition elements is correct?
They form coloured compounds
They have low melting points
They are very soft, low-density metals
They are extremely reactive with water
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Why Transition elements typically form coloured compounds, which distinguishes them from the mainly white Group I and II compounds.
Key terms in The Periodic Table
Periodic Table: A chart that arranges all known chemical elements in order of increasing proton number into rows and columns based on shared properties.
Proton number: The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which determines the element's identity and its position in the Periodic Table.
Atomic number: Another name for the proton number, used to order elements in the Periodic Table from left to right and top to bottom.
Group: A vertical column of elements in the Periodic Table whose members share similar chemical properties.
Period: A horizontal row of elements in the Periodic Table across which properties change gradually from metal to non-metal.
Group number: The number identifying a group that equals the number of electrons in the outer shell of its main-group elements.
Period number: The number identifying a period that equals the number of occupied electron shells in its atoms.
Outer shell electrons: The electrons in the highest occupied energy level of an atom, which mainly control how the element reacts.
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