CAIE A Level Chemistry 9701 · Atomic structure
Compare the electronic configurations of a phosphorus atom (atomic number 15) and a sulfur atom (atomic number 16).
In your answer you should include:
Explain the order of filling of the 3p sub-shells in terms of the relative energies of the electrons and inter-electron repulsion.
5 marks, so the mark scheme is looking for about 5 separate creditworthy points. Making the same point twice in different words earns it once.
Compare means: Give similarities or differences between two things, and say which side each point belongs to. Write each point as a pair, for example: A is X, whereas B is Y. Two separate descriptions rarely earn the marks.
Written by Markquill to follow the Cambridge International syllabus. Markquill is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cambridge International.