Atomic Structure MCQs set 2 for ETEA / KMU MDCAT (KPK) Chemistry — 20 solved questions.
Q1. The energy of an electron in a hydrogen atom is determined by which quantum number?
Answer: Principal
Explanation: Principal quantum number determines energy level in hydrogen atom; azimuthal quantum number affects energy in multi-electron atoms.
Q2. What is the maximum number of electrons that can occupy an orbital with n=3 and l=2?
Answer: 10
Explanation: l=2 indicates a d-orbital, which can hold 10 electrons; n=3 doesn't change this capacity.
Q3. The atomic number of an element is equal to the number of
Answer: Protons
Explanation: Atomic number equals proton count; neutron count varies among isotopes of the same element.
Q4. The wavelength of a spectral line in the hydrogen spectrum can be calculated using which equation?
Answer: Rydberg
Explanation: Rydberg equation predicts spectral lines in hydrogen; de Broglie relates to particle wavelength, not spectral lines.
Q5. For a given principal quantum number n, the possible values of azimuthal quantum number l are
Answer: 0 to n-1
Explanation: l ranges from 0 to n-1; for n=3, l can be 0, 1, or 2.
Q6. The energy required to remove an electron from a neutral atom is called
Answer: Ionization Energy
Explanation: Ionization energy is the energy to remove an electron; electronegativity is the tendency to attract electrons.
Q7. The orbital with the highest energy in a multi-electron atom has the quantum numbers n=4, l=1. What type of orbital is this?
Answer: p
Explanation: l=1 corresponds to a p-orbital; n=4 indicates it's a 4p orbital.
Q8. The number of unpaired electrons in a nitrogen atom (Z=7) is
Answer: 3
Explanation: Nitrogen's electron configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p³, with 3 unpaired electrons in 2p orbitals.
Q9. The Pauli Exclusion Principle states that
Answer: Two electrons in the same orbital must have opposite spins
Explanation: Pauli Exclusion Principle states that no two electrons can have the same set of quantum numbers, implying opposite spins in the same orbital.
Q10. The element with the electron configuration 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s¹ is
Answer: Potassium
Explanation: The given configuration corresponds to potassium (Z=19); calcium has an additional electron in 4s.
Q11. The frequency of a spectral line is related to the energy difference between two levels by
Answer: ΔE = hν
Explanation: ΔE = hν relates energy difference to frequency; λ = h/p is de Broglie's equation for particle wavelength.
Q12. The azimuthal quantum number l=3 corresponds to which type of orbital?
Answer: f
Explanation: l=3 corresponds to f-orbitals; l=0, 1, and 2 correspond to s, p, and d orbitals, respectively.
Q13. The effective nuclear charge experienced by an outer electron in a multi-electron atom is
Answer: Less than the actual nuclear charge
Explanation: Inner electrons shield outer electrons, reducing the effective nuclear charge they experience.
Q14. The radius of an atomic nucleus is approximately
Answer: 10⁻¹⁵ m
Explanation: Nuclear radius is about 10⁻¹⁵ m; atomic radius is about 10⁻¹⁰ m.
Q15. The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle is mathematically expressed as
Answer: Both A and B
Explanation: Heisenberg's principle is expressed as Δx * Δp >= h/4π and ΔE * Δt >= h/4π; λ = h/p is de Broglie's equation.
Q16. The maximum number of electrons that can occupy the M-shell (n=3) is
Answer: 18
Explanation: For n=3, l can be 0, 1, or 2, corresponding to s, p, and d orbitals, which can hold 2+6+10=18 electrons.
Q17. The quantum number that describes the orientation of an orbital in space is
Answer: Magnetic
Explanation: Magnetic quantum number (m_l) determines the orientation of an orbital; spin quantum number determines electron spin.
Q18. The energy of an electron in an atom is quantized, meaning it can only take on certain discrete values. This is a consequence of
Answer: Schrödinger equation
Explanation: Schrödinger equation leads to quantized energy levels; Heisenberg's principle relates to measurement uncertainty.
Q19. The number of electrons in a neutral atom of chromium (Z=24) that have l=2 is
Answer: 5
Explanation: Chromium's electron configuration is [Ar] 3d⁵ 4s¹; 5 electrons are in 3d orbitals (l=2).
Q20. The spin quantum number of an electron can have values
Answer: +1/2 or -1/2
Explanation: Spin quantum number can be +1/2 or -1/2; other options are not valid for electron spin.