plumiFilling orbitals and electron configurations: OCR A‑Level Chemistry A questions
OCR A-Level Chemistry A past-paper questions on 2.2.1.2 Filling orbitals and electron configurations, 2016–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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Open the full PDFYour answerQ2(a)(i)
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All 20 questions on Filling orbitals and electron configurations, as a list
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q2 (1 mark): How many p electrons does an atom of chlorine have? A 5 B 7 C 11 D 17 Your answer [1]
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q1 (1 mark): Oxygen has the electron configuration 1s22s22p4. 1 How are the electrons in an atom of oxygen arranged in the p-orbitals? A ↑↑ ↑↑ B ↑↓ ↑↓ C ↑↑ ↑ ↑ D ↑↓ ↑ ↑ Your
- June 2024, AS Paper 2, Q2(a)(i) (3 marks): Complete the table below with the electron configurations and blocks. Group 2 Group 17 (7) Period 2 Be F 1s2 1s2 Period 3 Mg Cl 1s2 1s2 Block [3]
- June 2023, AS Paper 2, Q1(a)(ii) (1 mark): Complete the electron configuration of a titanium atom. 1s2 [1]
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q4 (1 mark): What is the number of paired orbitals in a sulfur atom? A 4 B 6 C 7 D 8 Your answer [1]
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q22(b) (2 marks): Complete the table for an atom and an ion of two different elements. Mass Element Protons Neutrons Electron configuration Charge number 28 34 0 1s22s22p63s23p6
- November 2021, Paper 1, Q16(b)(iii) (1 mark): Electrons occupy orbitals. In Table 16.2 below, add a tick (✓) below the ionisation numbers that are responsible for removing an electron from a full orbital in
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q9 (1 mark): Which element has atoms with the largest number of unpaired p-electrons? A aluminium B oxygen C chlorine D phosphorus Your answer [1]
- November 2021, AS Paper 2, Q5(d)(ii) (1 mark): Complete the electron configuration of gallium. 1s2 [1]
- November 2020, AS Paper 1, Q5 (1 mark): Which p-block element contains atoms with one unpaired electron? A Al B Si C P D S Your answer [1]
- November 2020, AS Paper 1, Q22(a)(i) (1 mark): Complete the electron configuration of a bromine atom. 1s2 [1]
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q1 (1 mark): In the diagrams below, each box represents an orbital and each electron is shown as an arrow. Which diagram shows the correct arrangement of electrons in an ato
- June 2019, AS Paper 1, Q21(c) (2 marks): Electrons occupy orbitals which are arranged in energy levels. In the diagram below, each box represents an orbital and each electron is shown as an arrow. Labe
- June 2018, Paper 3, Q1(a)(i) (1 mark): The element that forms a 1– ion with the same electron configuration as helium. [1]
- June 2018, AS Paper 2, Q2(c)(i) (1 mark): Complete the full electron configuration of a selenium atom. 1s2 [1]
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q6 (1 mark): Which element has atoms with the greatest number of singly occupied orbitals? A C B Cl C Ca D Ga Your answer [1]
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q1(c)(i) (1 mark): Complete the electron configuration of a nitride ion. 1s2 [1]
- June 2016, AS Paper 1, Q6 (1 mark): How many orbitals are occupied in a silicon atom? A 5 B 7 C 8 D 9 Your answer [1]
- June 2016, AS Paper 1, Q23(a)(i) (1 mark): Write the electron configuration of a bromide ion, in terms of sub-shells. [1]
- June 2016, AS Paper 2, Q1(a)(i) (1 mark): Write the electron configuration, in terms of sub-shells, of a magnesium atom. [1]
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