For: Bishwajyoti Paul

Edunes Online Education

Topic: Periodic Properties & Variations (ICSE Class 10)

🧠 DIAGNOSTIC TEST

🔬 Periodic Properties & Variations (Higher-Order Thinking)

Instructions:

No direct memorization answers
Show reasoning wherever required
Avoid guessing—logic is more important than correctness

🔹 SECTION A: CONCEPTUAL DEPTH (Very Short but Deep)

Q1.

Two elements A and B are in the same period.
A has a larger atomic radius than B.

👉 Without naming them, explain:

Which one has higher ionisation energy and WHY (not trend, but reason).

Q2.

An element has:

High electronegativity
Small atomic size
High ionisation energy

👉 Is it more likely to be:

Metallic or non-metallic?
👉 Justify using electron behavior, not definitions.

Q3.

Why does atomic size increase down a group even though nuclear charge increases?

👉 This question tests: shielding vs nuclear attraction

🔹 SECTION B: PATTERN DETECTION

Q4.

Elements X, Y, Z have atomic numbers:

X = 11
Y = 17
Z = 19

👉 Arrange in increasing order of:

Atomic size
Electronegativity

👉 Explain the pattern (not just order).

Q5.

Consider this unusual trend:

Element P has lower ionisation energy than Q,
but P is placed to the right of Q in the same period.

👉 Is this possible?
👉 If yes, explain the reason (think electron configuration anomaly).

🔹 SECTION C: MULTI-CONCEPT APPLICATION

Q6.

Element A:

3 shells
6 valence electrons

Element B:

2 shells
7 valence electrons

👉 Compare:

Atomic size
Electronegativity
Metallic character

👉 Give reasoning for each (not trend statements).

Q7.

Why do noble gases have:

High ionisation energy
But almost zero electron affinity?

👉 This tests: stability vs attraction

🔹 SECTION D: ERROR ANALYSIS (CRITICAL THINKING)

Q8.

A student says:

“Fluorine should have the highest electron affinity because it is the most electronegative.”

👉 Is this correct?
👉 If not, explain the actual exception and WHY it occurs.

Q9.

Another student says:

“As atomic number increases, atomic size always increases.”

👉 Identify the flaw in this statement and correct it using periodic reasoning.

🔹 SECTION E: DATA INTERPRETATION

Q10.

You are given:

Element	Atomic Radius	Ionisation Energy
A	Large	Low
B	Small	High
C	Medium	Medium

👉 Arrange them in order of:

Reactivity (metals)
Reactivity (non-metals)

👉 Justify using electron loss/gain tendency.

🔹 SECTION F: HIGHER ORDER (HOTS)

Q11.

Imagine a new element X is discovered:

It has very high ionisation energy
Very low atomic size
Extremely high electronegativity

👉 Predict:

Its position in the periodic table
Its chemical behavior
Type of bonds it will form

Q12.

Why do metals become less reactive across a period, while non-metals become more reactive?

👉 Explain using:

Effective nuclear charge
Electron movement

🔹 SECTION G: META-COGNITION (VERY ADVANCED)

Q13.

If periodic trends did NOT exist,
👉 What would be the biggest difficulty in chemistry?

(This tests conceptual abstraction ability)

Periodic Properties - Variations (Higher-Order Thinking)