Subject: Chemistry

Chapter 11: P-Block Element

One mark questions

1. What are p-block Elements?
p-block elements are those in which the lost electron enters
the p orbital of the outermost shell.
2. Is an aqueous solution of borax is basic or acidic?
Basic.
3. What is the type of hybridization of boran in diborabe?
Sp3.
4. Which is the thermodynamically most stable form of
carbon?
Graphite.
5. Why boric acid is polymeric?
Due to the presence of hydrogen bonds.
6. What happens when
a)Borax is heated strongly
loses water molecule to form sodium metaborate on further
heating boric anhydride is formed.
b) Boric acid is added to water.
It accepts electrons from OH ion.
c) Aluminium is treated with dilute NaOH.
Sodium tetrahydroxoaluminate(III) and hydrogen gas is
liberated.
d) Boron trifluoride is reacted with ammonia.
Form an adduct and results in complete octet around boron.
7. Classify the following oxides as neutral,acidic ,basic or
amphoteric.
CO,B2O3 ,SiO2,CO2.Al2O3,PbO2,Tl2O3.
Acidic-B2O3,SiO2,CO2
Basic-Ti2O3
Neutral-CO
Amphoteric-Al2O3,PbO2.
8. What are allotropes? Name the allotropes of carbon?
Elements having different physical properties and same
chemical properties are known as Allotropes.
Allotropes of carbon Graphite, Diamond, Fullerene .
9. Write the oxidation states exhibited by elements of group
14?
+2 and +4 .
10. What is the nature of hybridization in diamond and
graphite?
SP3 and SP2 respectively.
11. write the valence shell electronic configuration of p-block
elements
ns2 np1-6 (except helium )
12. write the chemical composition of borax.
Na2 B4 O7 . 10H2O
13. Which is the catalyst used to convert alcohols directly into
gasoline?
ZSM-5
14. Which is the basic structural unit of silicates?
Sio44-
15. Which is the repeating unit of organosillicon polymer?
R2SiO
16. Name the important oxides of carbon?
CO,CO2
17. Why carbon shows allotropic forms?
Due to property of catenation and P - P bond formation.
18. What happens atomic and ionic radii of p-block elements
along a period?
Decreases.
19. What happens to ionization enthalphy of p-block elements
of down a group?
Decreases.
20. Name the solid metalloid of p-block elements?
Boron.
21. Which is the most abundant metal in the earth crust?
Aluminium.
22. Which is the simplest boron hydride?
Di borane.
23. Which compound is known as inorganic benzene?
Borazine.
24. Who discovered fullerenes?
H.W.Kroto, E.Smalley and R.F.Curl.
25. What type of hybridization does carbon undergo in
diamond?
Sp3.
26. What type of hybridization does carbon undergo in
Graphite?
Sp2.
27. What is water gas ?
CO+H2.
28. What is producer gas?
CO +N2.
29. What is dry ice?
Solid CO2.
30. What is the type of hybridization of boron in diborane?
Sp3.
31. Which gas is used in fizzy drinks and fire extinguisher?
CO2.
32. Why diamond donot conduct electricity?
Because it has no free electrons.
33. Name the allotropic form of carbon whose structure
resembles soccer ball?
Fullerene,
34. Why CH4 is more stable than SiH4?
Due to small size of carbon.
35. Mention one use of dry ice?
As a refrigerant for ice cream.
36. Write the equation for the decomposition of steam by tin?

Sn+2H2O SnO2+2H2.
Two marks questions:-
37. Write balanced equations for
a) B2H6+O2
B2H6+3O2 B2O3+3H2O
b) BF3+NaH 450 K.

2BF3+6NaH 450 K B2H6+NaF

c) SiCl4+H2O
SiCl4+2H2O Si(OH)4 + 4HCl
d) C+O2+N2 1273K
2C+O2+4N2 1273K 2CO+4N2
38. Diamond is covalent, yet it has high melting point. why?
Diamond has a three dimensional network involving strong c-c
bonds, which are very difficult to break and in turn has high
melting point.
39. Write the uses of boron.
In making bullet proof vest and light composite material for
aircraft
40. Name the allotropes of carbon.
Diamond, graphite, fullerene.
41. Boron is unable to form BF63- ion, explain.
Due to non-availability of d-orbitals boron is unable to expand
its octet therefore,maximum covalence of boron exceed 4
42. Write the uses of the aluminium.
In making utensils,aeroplane and transportation industry etc.
43. Why Carbon monoxide is poisonous? Explain.
Because its ability to form a complex with heamoglobin.The CO-
Hb complex is more stable than O2-Hb complex and prevents
Hb to bind with oxygen, thus person dies due to lack of oxygen
44. Distinguish between diamond and graphite.
Diamond each carbon atom is sp3 hybridised and bonded to 4
other carbon atoms. C-C bond length is 154 pm
Graphite-each carbon atom is sp2 hybridised and is bonded to 3
other carbon atoms. C-C bond length is 141.5 pm
45. Why does boron trifluoride behave as a lewis acid?
Octet remains incomplete hence electron deficient and acts as
a lewis acid
46. What is the action of borax on heating?
It first loses water molecules to form sodium metaborate. On
further heating forms glass like material known as borax bead
47. How is orthoboric acid is prepared from borax?
It can be prepared by acidifying an aqueous solution of borax
Na2B4O7+2HCl +5H2O 2Nacl+4H3BO3
48. Why is boric acid considered as a weak acid?
Because it is not able to relese H+ ions on its own. It
receives OH- ions from water molecule to complete its
octet in turn releases H+ ions.
49. How to prepare diborane on industrial scale?
Boran trifluride reacts with sodium hydride at 450k forms
diborane.
2BF3+6NaH 450K B2H6 +6NaF
50. Write the structure of diborane
Reffer text book.
51. What is catenation?
Carbon atoms have the tendency to link with one another
through covalent bonds to form chains and rings this property
is called catenation.
52. Why boric acid is considered as a weak acid?
Boric acid is considered as a weak acid because it is not able to
release H+ ions on its own. It receives OH- ions from water
molecules to complete its octet and in turn releases H+ ions.
53. Give one method for industrial preparation of CO.
C+H2O CO+H2
54. Give one method for laboratory preparation of co.
HCOOH H2O+CO
55. Explain why is there a phenomenal decrease in ionization
enthalpy from carbon to silicon?
As carbon is very small in size its ionization energy is high .
however on moving down the group the size of silicon increases
and its ionization enthalpy decreases sharply.
56. How would explain the lower atomic radius of Ga as
compared to Al?
Although Ga has one extra shell than Al , atomic radius is less
than Al this is because the presence of additional 10d-electrons
offer poor screening effect for the outer electrons in Ga ,
hence atomic radius of Ga is less than that of Al
57. Why carbon differs from rest of the members of its family.?
Due to its smaller size, higher electronegetivity, higher
ionization enthalpy and unavailability of d orbitals.
58. Diamond is covalent yet it has high melting point. Why.?
Diamond has a three dimensional network involving strong
C-C bonds, which are very difficult to break and in turn has high
melting point.
59. Why graphite is used as a dry lubricant in machines running
at high temperature.?
Graphite cleaves easily between the layers and therefore, it is
very soft and slippery for this reason it is used as dry lubricant.
60. How to obtain carbon dioxide in laboratory?
By the action of dilute HCl on calcium carbonate.
CaCO3+2HCl Ca Cl2+CO2+H2O
61. Write the equation for the chemical change during
photosynthesis?
6CO2+12H2O C6H12O6+6O2+6H2O
62. Write the resonance structures of carbon dioxide?
Reffer text book.
63. What are the crystalline forms of silica? Are they
interconvertable?
Quartz,Cristobalite and trydymite.Yes
64. What are silicons.?
Group of organosilicon polymers, which have (R2SiO) as a
repeating unit.
65. Name the important man made silicates.
Glass and cement

Three/four marks questions

66. Discuss the pattern of variation in the oxidation states of
(1) B to Tl (2) C to Pb
(1)Due to small size of boron, the sum of its first 3 ionization
enthalpies is very high, this prevents it to form +3 ions and
forces it to form only covalent compounds Al shows +3
oxidation state,on moving down the group, due to poor
shielding effect of intervening d and f orbitals and inert pair
effct,the two electrons present in the s-shell are stongly
attracted by the nucleus and not participating in bonding .
hence +1 state becomes more stable down the group. In Ga, In
and Tl, both +1 and +3 oxidation states are observed.
(2) the common oxidation state +4 and +2,down the group +2
oxidation statebecomes common.C and Si shows the +4
state.down the group higher oxidation state less stable because
of inert pair effct.
67. Explain the structure of diborane .
The four terminal hydrogen atoms and the boron atoms lie in
one plane .Above and below this plane ,there are two bridging
hydrogen atoms. The four terminal B-H bonds are regular two
centre two electron bonds while the two bridge(B-H-B)bonds
are different and can be described in terms of three centre-two
electron bonds as in the figure(refer text book).
68. Explain the anomalus behavior of carbon.
Due to its smaller size ,higher electronegetivity,higher
ionization enthalpy and unavailability of d-orbitals only s and p
orbitals are available for bonding so maximum covalence is 4
and due to catenation it shows allotropic forms.
69. How can you explain higher stability of BCl3 as compared to
TlCl3.?
Outer electronic configuration- ns2np1.
Bcl3 is more stable than TlCl3 because +3 oxidation state of B is
more stable than +3 oxidation state of Tl,+3 state is highly
oxidizing.

70. Explain the structure of diamond ?

It has a crystalline lattice.

Carbon atom undergoes sp3 hybridasation.
Linked to other 4 carbon atoms using hybridized orbitals in
tetrahedral fashion.
C-C bond length is 154 pm.
Presence of covalent bonds.

71.Discuss the layered structure of graphite?

Vanderwaals forces between layers,distance between layers

340pm,each layer is composed of planar hexagonal rings of
carbon atoms,C-C bond length 141.5 pm-sp2 hybridisation
3sigma bonds and a pi bond.
72. Explain the structure of fullerenes?

These are cage like molecules contains 26 membered rings and

12 five mebered rings.All carbon atoms are equal and
undergoes sp2 hybridisation. Each carbon atom forms 3 sigma
bonds with other 3 carbon atoms. The remaining electron at
each carbon is delocalized in molecular orbitals. Both cabon
carbon single and double with distance 143.5pm and 138.3pm
respectively.
73. How to synthesis organo silicon polymers?

Methyl chloride reacts with silicon in the presence of copper at

573 K methyl substituted chlorosilane are formed,hydralisis of
dimethyldichlorosilane followed by condensation
polymerization yields organo silicon polymers.

2CH3 Cl + Si Cu/570 K (CH3)2SiCl2 +2H2O

-2HCl
(CH3)2Si(OH)2

74. A. Diamond is a bad conductor of electricity but graphite is

good conductor,justify.

Due to sp3 hybridisation in diamond no free electron. In

graphite due sp2 hybridisation there free to conduct electricity.

B. Diamond is hardest substance while graphite is very soft,

give reasons.

It is difficult to break extended covalent bonds in diamonds so

it is hard. Graphite cleaves easily between the layers therefore
it is very soft

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