Lesson 4.1.2.2

4.1.2.2 Development of the periodic table Quiz: AQA Chemistry, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.1.2.2, Development of the periodic table: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE Chemistry (8462), Unit 1: Atomic structure and the periodic table, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What were early periodic tables arranged by?

    • Electron shells
    • Melting points
    • Isotope abundance
    • Atomic weights

  2. Why were early periodic tables incomplete?

    • Missing noble gases
    • Incorrect group names
    • Wrong atomic numbers
    • Undiscovered elements

  3. How did Mendeleev improve early periodic tables?

    • Used atomic numbers
    • Added protons
    • Left gaps
    • Removed metals

  4. What did Mendeleev occasionally change based on properties?

    • Atomic weight order
    • Proton number
    • Neutron count
    • Electron shell

  5. What happened when elements predicted by Mendeleev were found?

    • Created new groups
    • Filled the gaps
    • Reversed the rows
    • Disproved his table

  6. What knowledge explained why the atomic weight order was not always correct?

    • Knowledge of catalysts
    • Knowledge of compounds
    • Knowledge of isotopes
    • Knowledge of electrolysis

  7. Which phrase describes very early periodic tables?

    • Arranged by shell count
    • Based on proton count
    • Incomplete with misplacements
    • Complete and accurate

  8. What did successful experimental tests of Mendeleev's predictions provide?

    • Scientific evidence
    • Atomic mass
    • Isotope data
    • Proton number

  9. Why was discovering Mendeleev's predicted elements important?

    • It validated predictions
    • It stopped all research
    • It reduced atomic mass
    • It disproved isotopes

  10. What property does the modern periodic table use to order elements?

    • Melting point
    • Atomic number
    • Density
    • Atomic weight

  11. How were elements initially arranged in early periodic tables?

    • Atomic number
    • Reactogenicity
    • Electron shell
    • Atomic weight

  12. What event strongly supported Mendeleev's periodic table?

    • Finding radioactive decay
    • Measuring neutron mass
    • Discovery of predicted elements
    • Creating synthetic plastics

  13. What did the discovery of isotopes help explain about early tables?

    • Noble gas stability
    • Atomic weight anomalies
    • Metallic bonding
    • Electron transfer

  14. Why did Mendeleev leave gaps in his periodic table?

    • Radioactive decay
    • Undiscovered elements
    • Unstable isotopes
    • Measurement errors

  15. Why did strict atomic weight ordering sometimes place elements incorrectly?

    • Existence of isotopes
    • Neutron absence
    • Proton counts
    • Electron sharing

  16. Why did Mendeleev occasionally change the order of elements by atomic weight?

    • Same electron shell
    • Similar chemical properties
    • Identical densities
    • Equal mass numbers

  17. What key feature distinguished Mendeleev's table from earlier versions?

    • Ignoring atomic weight
    • Sorting only non-metals
    • Using proton numbers
    • Leaving predictive gaps

  18. Which evidence gave the greatest support to Mendeleev's table?

    • Removing all metals
    • Changing atomic weights
    • New isotope discovery
    • Found predicted elements

  19. Why were early periodic tables considered incomplete and flawed?

    • Excessive proton numbers
    • Too many isotopes
    • Misplaced elements
    • Lack of non-metals

  20. Which scientist's table left gaps for elements that had not yet been discovered?

    • Mendeleev
    • Thomson
    • Chadwick
    • Bohr

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