Atomic structure and bonding: JAMB Chemistry Past Questions and Answers

What the JAMB syllabus covers in Atomic structure and bonding

Our summary: Atoms, electron arrangement and orbitals, the periodic table and its trends, the types of chemical bond and the shapes of simple molecules.

• The concept of atoms, molecules and ions, the works of Dalton, Millikan, Rutherford, Moseley, Thomson and Bohr
• Atomic structure, the four quantum numbers, the principles that govern the arrangement of atoms into orbitals, electron configuration, atomic number, mass number and isotopes (Specific examples should be drawn from elements of atomic number 1 to 20.)
• Shapes of s and p orbitals
• The periodic table and periodicity of elements (Presentation of the periodic table with a view to recognizing families of elements e.g. alkali and alkaline-earth metals, halogens, the noble gases and transition metals. The variation of the following properties: ionization energy, ionic radii, electron affinity, electronegativity, electrical and thermal conductivities.)
• Chemical bonding (Electrovalency and covalency, the electron configuration of elements and their tendency to attain the noble gas structure. Hydrogen bonding and metallic bonding as special types of electrovalency and covalency respectively; coordinate bond as a type of covalent bond as illustrated by complexes like [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻, [Fe(CN)₆]⁴⁻, [Cu(NH₃)₄]²⁺ and [Ag(NH₃)₂]⁺; van der Waals' forces should be mentioned as a special type of bonding forces.)
• Shapes of simple molecules (Linear (H₂, O₂, Cl₂, HCl and CO₂), non-linear (H₂O) and tetrahedral (CH₄) and pyramidal (NH₃).)

Objectives

• distinguish between atoms, molecules and ions;
• identify the contributions of these scientists to the development of the atomic structure;
• deduce the number of protons, neutrons and electrons from atomic and mass numbers of an atom;
• apply the rules guiding the arrangement of electrons in an atom;
• identify common elements exhibiting isotopy;
• relate isotopy to mass number;
• perform simple calculations relating to isotopy;
• differentiate between the shapes of the orbitals;
• determine the number of electrons in s and p atomic orbitals;
• relate atomic number to the position of an element on the periodic table;
• relate properties of groups of elements on the periodic table;
• identify reasons for variation in properties across the period and down the groups;
• differentiate between the different types of bonding;
• deduce bond types based on electron configurations;
• relate the nature of bonding to properties of compounds; and
• differentiate between the various shapes of molecules.

Syllabus content © The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (UTME).