Lesson 2B.1

2B.1 Giant lattices, molecular and carbon structures Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Chemistry, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 2B.1, Giant lattices, molecular and carbon structures: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Chemistry (9CH0), Unit 2: Bonding and Structure, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In diamond, how many other carbon atoms is each carbon atom covalently bonded to?

    • 3
    • 2
    • 6
    • 4

  2. What structural feature allows graphite to conduct electricity?

    • Free ions in the lattice, which carry the current through the layers of the graphite structure
    • Metallic cations in a sea of electrons that move freely through the whole graphite structure
    • Hydrogen bonds between the layers, which allow the electrons to move from one layer to the next
    • Delocalised electrons between its layers of carbon atoms

  3. What is graphene?

    • A simple molecular form of carbon, made of separate molecules that are held together by weak forces
    • A layered structure of metal ions, which are held together by a sea of delocalised electrons
    • A single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice
    • A three-dimensional network of carbon tetrahedra, in which each carbon atom is bonded to four others

  4. What type of structure does solid iodine, I2, have?

    • Giant ionic, with oppositely charged ions held in a regular lattice by strong electrostatic attraction
    • Giant metallic, with positive ions surrounded by a sea of delocalised electrons in the solid
    • Giant covalent, with strong bonds linking every atom in a continuous three-dimensional network
    • Simple molecular

  5. What type of structure does ice have?

    • Giant covalent, with strong bonds linking every atom in a continuous three-dimensional network
    • Giant metallic, with positive ions surrounded by a sea of delocalised electrons in the solid
    • Simple molecular
    • Giant ionic, with oppositely charged ions held in a regular lattice by strong electrostatic attraction

  6. What type of structure does silicon(IV) oxide, SiO2, have?

    • Giant metallic
    • Simple molecular
    • Giant ionic
    • Giant covalent

  7. Which substance has a giant ionic lattice?

    • Iodine, which forms small I2 molecules held together by weak London forces between the molecules in the solid
    • Sodium chloride
    • Carbon dioxide, which forms small linear molecules held together by weak London forces between them
    • Ice, which forms small H2O molecules held together by hydrogen bonds between neighbouring molecules

  8. Why does diamond have a very high melting temperature?

    • Its strong covalent bonds must all be broken throughout a three-dimensional network
    • It contains weak London forces between large molecules, which are strong only because the molecules are huge
    • It contains metallic bonds that need a great deal of energy to break, which holds the carbon atoms firmly together
    • It contains ions that are strongly hydrated by the surrounding water, which holds the lattice together firmly

  9. Why does graphite conduct electricity but diamond does not?

    • Graphite contains free ions between its layers, while diamond has no ions and so cannot carry any charge at all
    • Diamond has more protons per atom than graphite, so its electrons are held too tightly to move through the solid
    • Graphite has metal ions while diamond has none, and the metal ions carry the electric current through the layers
    • Graphite has delocalised electrons between layers, while all of diamond's electrons are localised in covalent bonds

  10. Which substance has the highest melting temperature: NaCl, I2, diamond or Cu?

    • Diamond
    • NaCl, a giant ionic lattice whose strong electrostatic attractions must all be broken before it melts
    • Cu, a giant metallic lattice whose positive ions and delocalised electrons melt at a moderate temperature
    • I2, a simple molecular solid whose weak London forces are broken easily on heating, so it melts at a low temperature

  11. Which is a better prediction for the melting temperature of SiO2 relative to CO2?

    • SiO2 melts lower, because its bonds are shorter and so the atoms sit closer together and break apart easily
    • They melt at the same temperature, because both are oxides of an element in Group 4 or Group 14 of the periodic table
    • CO2 melts higher, because its carbon-oxygen double bonds are stronger than the bonds in the silicon dioxide
    • SiO2 melts far higher, because it is giant covalent and CO2 is simple molecular

  12. Why is diamond so hard?

    • Its carbon atoms are held by ionic attraction between oppositely charged ions in a rigid lattice structure
    • Its carbon atoms are held together by weak London forces that allow the layers to slide past one another easily
    • Its electrons are delocalised across the lattice, which makes the atoms flexible and easy to bend under load
    • Its strong covalent bonds form a rigid three-dimensional network that resists deformation

  13. Which property would most strongly suggest that a solid is a metal?

    • It conducts electricity in the solid state and is malleable
    • It is brittle and does not conduct electricity in any state, which is typical of a giant covalent solid in the lattice
    • It dissolves in water and conducts electricity only when dissolved, which is typical of a salt that ionises in solution
    • It has a low melting temperature and is soluble in hexane, which is typical of a simple molecular solid in the liquid

  14. Which structure is a giant metallic lattice?

    • Sodium metal, with cations in a sea of delocalised electrons
    • Iodine, with I2 molecules arranged in a crystal held together by weak London forces between the molecules
    • Sodium chloride, with ions held in a regular lattice by strong electrostatic attraction between them in the solid
    • Diamond, with covalent bonds in all directions linking every carbon atom in a rigid network of the solid

  15. How many other carbon atoms is each carbon bonded to within a graphite layer?

    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 6

  16. Explain why graphite is soft and slippery.

    • Its covalent bonds are weak and break easily when pressure is applied, which lets the atoms move apart
    • Its electrons repel each other strongly between the layers, which pushes the layers apart when they are pressed
    • Its ions can move freely through the solid when pressure is applied, which lets the layers flow over one another
    • Layers held together by weak forces can slide past one another

  17. A solid melts at 1600 degrees Celsius, is insoluble, and does not conduct as a solid or as a liquid. What is its most likely structure?

    • Giant ionic
    • Simple molecular
    • Giant covalent
    • Giant metallic

  18. Explain why I2 melts at a much lower temperature than diamond.

    • Diamond has delocalised electrons that resist melting, which raises the temperature needed to melt the solid
    • I2 is ionic, so its ions separate easily on heating, which is why it melts at a much lower temperature
    • Melting I2 needs only weak intermolecular forces to be overcome, whereas melting diamond requires breaking strong covalent bonds
    • I2 has more electrons than diamond, so it melts at a lower temperature because the extra electrons weaken the solid

  19. Which statement about giant metallic structures is correct?

    • They contain fixed negative ions surrounded by mobile positive ions, which carry the charge through the solid
    • They consist of covalent bonds between metal atoms arranged in tetrahedra, which give the metal its rigidity
    • They consist of positive ions in a lattice, held by electrostatic attraction to delocalised electrons that can slide past the ions
    • They consist of molecules held together by hydrogen bonds, which are broken on heating to give a liquid metal

  20. Predict the physical properties of silicon(IV) oxide in terms of its structure.

    • High melting temperature and conduction, because it is metallic and its delocalised electrons carry charge through the solid
    • High melting temperature, no conduction, and insolubility in water, because it is a giant covalent lattice with no free electrons or ions
    • Low melting temperature and solubility, because it is ionic and its ions dissolve readily in water when it is stirred
    • Low melting temperature and conduction, because it is a simple molecular solid whose molecules move freely when heated

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