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Atomic structure and isotopes: Edexcel GCSE Combined Science questions

Every Edexcel GCSE Combined Science exam question on Atomic structure and isotopes (specification points 1.1–1.12), 2018–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.

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2,937 questions

  1. Q1(a)(i)

    June 2025 · Chemistry Paper 1 Higher

    3 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  2. Q1(a)(ii)

    June 2025 · Chemistry Paper 1 Higher

    2 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  3. Q1(a)(iii)

    June 2025 · Chemistry Paper 1 Higher

    2 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  4. Q1(b)

    June 2025 · Chemistry Paper 1 Higher

    2 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  5. Q5(a)(i)

    June 2025 · Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation

    3 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  6. Q5(a)(ii)

    June 2025 · Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation

    2 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  7. Q5(a)(iii)

    June 2025 · Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation

    2 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  8. Q6(b)

    June 2025 · Chemistry Paper 2 Higher

    1 markAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  9. Q3(a)

    June 2024 · Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation

    3 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  10. Q4(b)(i)

    June 2023 · Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation

    1 markAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  11. Q2(d)(i)

    June 2023 · Chemistry Paper 2 Higher

    2 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  12. Q2(d)(ii)

    June 2023 · Chemistry Paper 2 Higher

    2 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  13. Q1(d)

    June 2023 · Chemistry Paper 2 Foundation

    3 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  14. Q6(d)

    June 2023 · Chemistry Paper 2 Foundation

    2 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  15. Q3(a)

    June 2022 · Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation

    3 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  16. Q1(a)(ii)

    June 2022 · Chemistry Paper 2 Foundation

    1 markAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  17. Q1(a)

    November 2021 · Chemistry Paper 1 Higher

    2 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  18. Q6(a)

    November 2021 · Chemistry Paper 1 Higher

    2 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  19. Q6(b)(i)

    November 2021 · Chemistry Paper 1 Higher

    1 markAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗

  20. Q6(b)(ii)

    November 2021 · Chemistry Paper 1 Higher

    2 marksAtomic structure and isotopes
    The whole paper ↗
All 46 questions on Atomic structure and isotopes, as a list
  1. June 2025, Chemistry Paper 1 Higher, Q1(a)(i) (3 marks): Figure 1 shows some information about the subatomic particles in neon atoms. Complete Figure 1 with the missing information. (3) subatomic particle relative cha
  2. June 2025, Chemistry Paper 1 Higher, Q1(a)(ii) (2 marks): All atoms of neon have an atomic number of 10. Describe what information about the number of subatomic particles can be obtained from the atomic number of neon.
  3. June 2025, Chemistry Paper 1 Higher, Q1(a)(iii) (2 marks): Explain why atoms of neon are electrically neutral. (2)
  4. June 2025, Chemistry Paper 1 Higher, Q1(b) (2 marks): A sample of neon contains three isotopes 90.48% of neon-20 0.27% of neon-21 9.25% of neon-22 Using this information, calculate the relative atomic mass of this
  5. June 2025, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q5(a)(i) (3 marks): Figure 9 shows some information about the subatomic particles in neon atoms. Complete Figure 9 with the missing information. (3) subatomic particle relative cha
  6. June 2025, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q5(a)(ii) (2 marks): All atoms of neon have an atomic number of 10. Describe what information about the number of subatomic particles can be obtained from the atomic number of neon.
  7. June 2025, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q5(a)(iii) (2 marks): Explain why atoms of neon are electrically neutral. (2)
  8. June 2025, Chemistry Paper 2 Higher, Q6(b) (1 mark): Iodine has an atomic number of 53 and a mass number of 127. How many electrons are there in an iodine molecule, I2? (1) A 53 B 106 C 127 D 180
  9. June 2024, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q3(a) (3 marks): Figure 5 shows some information about an atom of chlorine. 35 17Cl Figure 5 State the number of protons, neutrons and electrons in this atom. (3) number of prot
  10. June 2023, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q4(b)(i) (1 mark): Magnesium atoms have 12 electrons. Complete the electronic configuration of a magnesium atom. (1) 2.8.
  11. June 2023, Chemistry Paper 2 Higher, Q2(d)(i) (2 marks): Explain the meaning of the term isotopes. (2)
  12. June 2023, Chemistry Paper 2 Higher, Q2(d)(ii) (2 marks): This sample of potassium contains 93.25% potassium-39 0.02% potassium-40 6.73% potassium-41 Calculate the relative atomic mass of this sample of potassium. (2)
  13. June 2023, Chemistry Paper 2 Foundation, Q1(d) (3 marks): The atomic number of phosphorus, P, is 15. One atom of phosphorus has a relative atomic mass of 31. Give the number of protons, neutrons and electrons in this a
  14. June 2023, Chemistry Paper 2 Foundation, Q6(d) (2 marks): A sample of potassium contains three isotopes, potassium-39, potassium-40 and potassium-41. Explain the meaning of the term isotopes. (2)
  15. June 2022, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q3(a) (3 marks): An atom of aluminium has an atomic mass of 27. Aluminium has an atomic number of 13. State the number of electrons, neutrons and protons in this atom. (3) numbe
  16. June 2022, Chemistry Paper 2 Foundation, Q1(a)(ii) (1 mark): Give the atomic number of lithium. (1)
  17. November 2021, Chemistry Paper 1 Higher, Q1(a) (2 marks): John Dalton suggested an early model of atoms. When Dalton first described atoms he said that • all elements are made of atoms • atoms are not formed of any sma
  18. November 2021, Chemistry Paper 1 Higher, Q6(a) (2 marks): An ion of element X can be represented as 125X2– This ion of element X has 54 electrons. Calculate the number of protons and the number of neutrons in this ion.
  19. November 2021, Chemistry Paper 1 Higher, Q6(b)(i) (1 mark): State, in terms of subatomic particles, how atoms of these isotopes are the same. (1)
  20. November 2021, Chemistry Paper 1 Higher, Q6(b)(ii) (2 marks): This sample of silicon contains three isotopes. 92% of the atoms are silicon-28 5% of the atoms are silicon-29 3% of the atoms are silicon-30 Calculate the rela
  21. November 2021, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q5(a) (2 marks): John Dalton suggested an early model of atoms. When Dalton first described atoms he said that • all elements are made of atoms • atoms are not formed of any sma
  22. November 2020, Chemistry Paper 1 Higher, Q4(a) (3 marks): Figure 4 shows the percentage abundance of each isotope in a sample of titanium. 100 percentage abundance 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Ti-46 Ti-47 Ti-48 Ti-49 T
  23. November 2020, Chemistry Paper 1 Higher, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): Which row of the table shows the number of protons and number of neutrons in this atom of calcium? (1) number of protons number of neutrons A 20 20 B 40 20 C 20
  24. November 2020, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q2(a)(i) (1 mark): What is the electronic configuration of this atom? (1) A 10.7 B 17 C 2.8.7 D 7.8.2
  25. November 2020, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q2(b)(i) (2 marks): Explain, using the information in Figure 3 and Figure 4, why atoms of chlorine have no overall charge. (2)
  26. November 2020, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q2(b)(ii) (1 mark): Atoms of chlorine-37 have a mass number of 37. Calculate the number of neutrons in atoms of chlorine-37. (1) number of neutrons =
  27. November 2020, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q2(b)(iii) (2 marks): There are two isotopes of chlorine, chlorine-35 and chlorine-37. Explain the meaning of the term isotopes. (2)
  28. November 2020, Chemistry Paper 2 Higher, Q1(a)(i) (1 mark): Give the electronic configuration of this potassium atom. (1)
  29. November 2020, Chemistry Paper 2 Higher, Q1(a)(ii) (1 mark): This potassium atom forms the ion K+. Which row shows the number of protons and the number of neutrons in this potassium ion, K+? (1) number of protons number o
  30. November 2020, Chemistry Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): Give the electronic configuration of this potassium atom. (1)
  31. November 2020, Chemistry Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(a)(ii) (1 mark): This potassium atom forms the ion K+. Which row shows the number of protons and the number of neutrons in this potassium ion, K+? (1) number of protons number o
  32. June 2019, Chemistry Paper 1 Higher, Q1(b)(i) (2 marks): Explain, in terms of subatomic particles, what is meant by the term isotopes. (2)
  33. June 2019, Chemistry Paper 1 Higher, Q1(b)(ii) (1 mark): All atoms of element E in this sample contain (1) A 5 protons B 5 neutrons C 6 protons D 6 neutrons
  34. June 2019, Chemistry Paper 1 Higher, Q1(c) (1 mark): Element X has an atomic number of 18. State the electronic configuration of an atom of element X. (1)
  35. June 2019, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q5(b)(i) (2 marks): Explain, in terms of subatomic particles, what is meant by the term isotopes. (2)
  36. June 2019, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q5(b)(ii) (1 mark): All atoms of element E in this sample contain (1) A 5 protons B 5 neutrons C 6 protons D 6 neutrons
  37. June 2019, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q5(c) (1 mark): Element X has an atomic number of 18. State the electronic configuration of an atom of element X. (1)
  38. June 2019, Chemistry Paper 2 Higher, Q4(c) (4 marks): Lithium has two naturally occurring isotopes, lithium‑6 and lithium‑7. A sample of lithium contains 7.59 % of lithium‑6 92.41% of lithium‑7. Calculate the relat
  39. June 2019, Chemistry Paper 2 Foundation, Q1(c) (2 marks): An atom of an element has an atomic number and a mass number. Draw one straight line from each of these to the numbers of subatomic particles it shows to be pre
  40. June 2018, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q1(a)(i) (2 marks): Draw one line to link each particle to its correct relative charge. (2) particle relative charge +1 electron neutron 0 proton –1
  41. June 2018, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q1(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which of the following is the relative mass of a proton? (1) A 0 1 B 1837 C 1 D –1
  42. June 2018, Chemistry Paper 1 Foundation, Q1(c) (3 marks): Figure 1 shows the atomic number and mass number of two isotopes of argon. isotope atomic number mass number argon-38 18 38 argon-40 18 40 Figure 1 Describe the
  43. June 2018, Chemistry Paper 2 Higher, Q2(a)(i) (1 mark): State the mass number of this chlorine atom. (1)
  44. June 2018, Chemistry Paper 2 Higher, Q2(a)(ii) (1 mark): Give the electronic configuration of this chlorine atom. (1)
  45. June 2018, Chemistry Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): State the mass number of this chlorine atom. (1)
  46. June 2018, Chemistry Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(a)(ii) (1 mark): Give the electronic configuration of this chlorine atom. (1)

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