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Lesson 3: The Atomic Scale — Practice Questions

  1. 1. Which of the following common materials is best described as having an extended structure?

    • A. A diamond
    • B. A water droplet
    • C. A puff of carbon dioxide
    • D. A molecule of methane
  2. 2. What fundamental characteristic is shared by both simple molecules like water and extended structures like salt?

    • A. They are both always solid at room temperature.
    • B. They are both formed from only one type of element.
    • C. They are both defined by a repeating atomic unit.
    • D. They both dissolve easily in all liquids.
  3. 3. A student observes a computer model of a substance showing atoms bonded in a vast, orderly, and continuous three-dimensional lattice. How would this material be classified?

    • A. As a collection of simple molecules
    • B. As an extended structure
    • C. As a mixture of different elements
    • D. As a gaseous substance
  4. 4. Why is a single particle of oxygen gas (O₂) considered a molecule rather than an extended structure?

    • A. Because it is a gas at room temperature.
    • B. Because it contains more than one atom.
    • C. Because it is a small, self-contained group of atoms.
    • D. Because its atoms are not connected by chemical bonds.
  5. 5. If a substance is described as being composed of molecules, what does this imply about its atomic-level structure?

    • A. It is made of small, discrete atomic groups.
    • B. Its atoms are arranged in a massive, repeating 3D crystal lattice.
    • C. It must be a solid substance with a very high melting point.
    • D. It is formed from a single type of atom, making it an element.
  6. 6. What is the fundamental particle that serves as the building block for all matter?

    • A. Molecules
    • B. Atoms
    • C. Elements
    • D. Cells
  7. 7. What is the primary reason why copper is a reddish, conductive metal while sulfur is a yellow, brittle nonmetal?

    • A. Copper is heavier than sulfur, which gives it different properties.
    • B. They are composed of different types of atoms.
    • C. The way the materials were processed and manufactured determines all of their final physical characteristics.
    • D. Copper is mined from deep underground, while sulfur is found near the surface.
  8. 8. A chemist analyzes a sample of pure aluminum and a sample of pure lead. She finds they have different densities and melting points. What is the basic scientific explanation for this difference?

    • A. The lead atoms are different from the aluminum atoms.
    • B. The aluminum sample was shinier and therefore less dense.
    • C. One sample must have been contaminated during the experiment.
    • D. The samples were tested on different days under slightly different lab conditions.
  9. 9. Scientists know that gold is a soft, shiny metal and that helium is a very light, non-reactive gas. Based on this information, what is a guaranteed difference between them at the atomic level?

    • A. The atoms in gold are solid particles while the atoms in helium are gaseous particles.
    • B. There are more atoms in a sample of gold than in a sample of helium.
    • C. They are made of different types of atoms.
    • D. Gold atoms are yellow and helium atoms are clear.
  10. 10. The statement that atoms are "too small to see" implies that...

    • A. everyday objects consist of a vast quantity of these particles.
    • B. atoms are less important than the objects they make up.
    • C. atoms only exist in scientific theories and not in the real world.
    • D. only microscopic organisms are made of atoms.