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    PracticeAQA GCSEAQA GCSE Chemistry Higher Tier Paper 1Question 02.1
    Easy2 marksStructured
    Atomic structure and the periodic tableHigherperiodic tableelectronic structuregroup 1

    AQA GCSE · Question 02.1 · Atomic structure and the periodic table

    This question is about the periodic table.
    Sodium and potassium are in Group 1 of the periodic table.
    Give one similarity and one difference between the electronic structures of sodium and potassium.
    Similarity:
    Difference:

    How to approach this question

    Similarity: What does the group number tell you about the electronic structure of an element? Difference: As you go down a group in the periodic table, what happens to the number of electron shells?

    Full Answer

    **Similarity:** Sodium (Na) and potassium (K) are both in Group 1. The group number of an element in the periodic table corresponds to the number of electrons in its outermost shell. Therefore, both sodium and potassium have one electron in their outer shell. **Difference:** Potassium is in Period 4, while sodium is in Period 3. The period number corresponds to the number of occupied electron shells. This means potassium has four electron shells, whereas sodium has only three. (Na: 2,8,1; K: 2,8,8,1).

    Common mistakes

    ✗ Similarity: Saying "they are both in Group 1" - this is given in the question and doesn't describe the electronic structure. ✗ Difference: Saying "potassium has more electrons" - this is true but not specific enough. The question asks about electronic structure, so the answer should refer to shells.
    Question 01.6All questionsQuestion 02.2

    Practice the full AQA GCSE Chemistry Higher Tier Paper 1

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