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Edexcel Topic 1 Atomic Structure and The Periodic Table interactive chemistry course cover with s and p orbital diagrams.

Atomic Structure and The Periodic Table – Topic 1

£14.40

Associated Courses

Atomic Structure and The Periodic Table – Topic 1 – Edexcel

Taught in full. 388 minutes of video.

Atom & Mass Spectrometry137 min
Orbitals & Electronic Configuration69 min
Ionisation Energy, Part 164 min
Ionisation Energy, Part 240 min
Exam Practice78 min

Watch
Pause and try the exam question
Check the worked answer

Watch a minute of the lessons.

Short clips cut from the course itself.

From chlorine atoms to Cl2 molecules
The potassium atom and the K+ ion
Which jump marks a new shell?
The dip from magnesium to aluminium

21hoursguided learning
388minof video lessons
155MCQ marks
270SAQ marks

Full details of the lessons and hours

Atomic Structure and The Periodic Table Topic 1

The Topic 1 course on Edexcel A Level Chemistry provides approximately 21 hours of guided learning. Students work through five recorded video lessons, 155 marks of auto-marked MCQ practice, 270 marks of teacher-marked written questions, and a personalised spec-point progress report.

Guided Learning

21 Hours

total study time

Video Lessons

388 mins

5 recorded lessons

MCQ Assessments

155 Marks

8 quizzes

SAQ Assessments

270 Marks

9 quizzes

How the 21 guided learning hours are worked out

Guided learning hours are calculated from the actual contents of the course, not estimated.

Video time is counted at its true running length, MCQs at 1.5 minutes per question, written answers at 1.5 minutes per mark, and time is allowed for reading the feedback returned on every quiz.

Component	Time
Virtual lesson video	388 min
MCQ practice (155 questions × 1.5 min)	232 min
MCQ feedback review (8 quizzes × 10 min)	80 min
SAQ practice (270 marks × 1.5 min)	405 min
SAQ feedback review (9 quizzes × 15 min)	135 min
Total	1240 min ≈ 21 hours

The five recorded lessons

The virtual lesson is delivered as five recorded lessons totalling 388 minutes. Students pause during exam-practice sections, attempt questions independently, then review the worked explanations and the mark-scheme approach.

Lesson	Running time
1. Atom & Mass Spectrometry	137 min
2. Atomic Orbitals and Electronic Configuration	69 min
3. Ionisation Energy Part 1	64 min
4. Ionisation Energy Part 2	40 min
5. Exam Practice	78 min
Total video	388 min

At a glance

What you get in this course

388 minutes of guided video

Five recorded lessons covering Topic 1 in full, with worked exam questions and mark-scheme strategy built into the teaching.

155 marks of MCQ practice

8 auto-marked quizzes of 19–20 questions each, with diagnostic feedback on every option. One attempt per quiz, so your scores track real progress.

270 marks of written practice

9 written-answer quizzes (133 questions) marked by a specialist chemistry teacher, assisted by KASP, with per-mark feedback returned the following Monday.

Spec-point coverage

55 of the 69 assessable Edexcel A level spec points in Topic 1 carry questions in the bank.

Exam-technique baked in

The lessons teach the chemistry and the exam wording. You learn what Edexcel actually rewards, not just the content.

Personalised progress report

A one-click PDF report shows your level on every spec point in colour-coded form.

See exactly where your marks are lost.

One-click progress report

Secure 70%+
Developing 40–69%
Weak below 40%
Not yet assessed

Every question tagged to a spec point
Updates after every quiz
55 of 69 spec points covered

Your report, spec point by spec point.

An example of the colour-coded report for this topic.

A Level Chemistry progress report for Atomic Structure and The Periodic Table Topic 1 showing student performance across specification points with colour coded levels for understanding

Full details of KASP Analytics

What is KASP Analytics?

KASP (Knowledge Analytics & Spec-point Platform) tracks your progress at the level of individual specification points, not just whole quizzes.

Every question on this course is mapped to the Edexcel A level spec point it assesses, so you always know exactly which parts of the specification you have mastered and which need another look.

Spec points tracked

Specification area

Topic 1: Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table

Questions tagged

288

55 spec points assessed in this course

Two more (1.7-c, 1.7-d) are assessed in the Amounts of Substance course; 12 are not yet assessed. Across the 155 MCQ and 133 SAQ questions here, most of those spec points are assessed several times over, in both question styles.

Your topic dashboard

Every topic you have worked through is summarised here. At a glance you see how many questions you have attempted, what is still waiting to be marked, your total marks scored, and an overall score percentage.

The dashboard below is an example, filled with the real topic structure of this course.

Hello, Sara – here is how you are doing

Edexcel A level Chemistry

Topic	Questions attempted	Pending	Marks (scored / available)	Score
Topic 1: Atomic Structure and The Periodic Table	38 / 46	6	58.00 / 80.00	73%

Spec-point breakdown for a topic

Click into any topic and you see the full spec-point breakdown. Each row is a single Edexcel A level spec point with its official wording, how many questions the bank holds against it, your score, and a colour that tells you immediately where to focus.

The spec points and question counts below are the real ones from this course; the scores are an example.

Spec tag	Description	Attempted	In bank	Marks	Score
1.4-d	be able to determine the number of electrons in an ion from atomic number, mass number and charge	5 / 5	13	10.00 / 10.00	100.0%
1.8-a	be able to analyse mass spectrometry data to calculate relative atomic mass from relative abundance of isotopes	6 / 6	27	11.00 / 13.00	84.6%
1.11-b	be able to define the term 'successive ionisation energies'	4 / 4	13	7.00 / 9.00	77.8%
1.15ii	understand how ideas about electronic configuration developed from: the fact that successive ionisation energies provide evidence for the existence of quantum shells and the group to which the element belongs	5 / 5	30	8.00 / 12.00	66.7%
1.21i	be able to predict the electronic configurations, using 1s notation and electrons-in-boxes notation, of: atoms, given the atomic number, Z, up to Z = 36	4 / 4	25	5.00 / 9.00	55.6%
1.21ii	be able to predict the electronic configurations, using 1s notation and electrons-in-boxes notation, of: ions, given the atomic number, Z, and the ionic charge, for s and p block ions only, up to Z = 36	3 / 4	12	4.00 / 8.00	50.0%
1.25i-a	understand reasons for trends in melting temperatures of elements from periods 2 and 3 based on given data in terms of structure and bonding	2 / 3	14	2.00 / 7.00	28.6%
1.25ii-a	understand reasons for trends in ionisation energy of elements from periods 2 and 3 based on given data	0 / 3	11	–	Not yet attempted

■ Green 70–100%: secure mastery■ Orange 40–69%: some gaps■ Red 0–39%: needs attention■ Grey: not yet assessed

Printable progress report

One click and you can download a clean, branded Progress Report PDF for the topic. Useful for your own revision folder, for parents to see at a glance, or for tutors to plan focused sessions.

Every spec point in the topic appears with its code and full requirement text, and the level column is colour-coded green through red.

At a glance

What you get with KASP Analytics

Spec-point level tracking

Every question is tagged to the exact Edexcel A level spec point it assesses, so your scores roll up cleanly to the specification.

Updates automatically

Submit a quiz and your dashboard updates right away. Short-answer questions appear as pending until they have been marked.

Built for Edexcel A level

Wording, codes and topic structure follow the Edexcel A Level Chemistry specification exactly, so your scores line up with the document you will be examined on.

Printable report

One-click PDF Progress Report per topic, in the same colour system, ready for your folder or for a tutor session.

Both question styles counted

MCQ and written answers feed the same spec point. With 155 MCQ and 133 SAQ questions tagged, a weak area shows up whether you miss it under multiple choice or in writing.

Progress over time

A simple line chart shows how your overall score has trended across the days you have been studying.

155 exam questions. Feedback on every option.

Feeds your KASP report

8quizzes
19–20questions each
1attempt per quiz

A real question. Marked, as you see it.

Question 20 of MCQ (A), answered: why the wrong answer is wrong, and the right one ticked.

Question 20Wrong · 0/1

Which is the equation for the second ionisation of magnesium?

A
Mg(g) → Mg²⁺(g) + 2e⁻
Your answer
B
Mg⁺(g) → Mg²⁺(g) + e⁻
Correct answer
C
Mg⁺(g) → Mg³⁺(g) + 2e⁻
D
Mg²⁺(g) → Mg³⁺(g) + e⁻

About your answer

Incorrect. This starts from a neutral atom Mg(g) and removes two electrons in one step. The second ionisation must start from the unipositive ion Mg⁺(g) and remove exactly one electron.

The correct answer is: Mg+(g) → Mg2+(g) + e−

Explanation

The second ionisation energy is the energy required to remove one electron from a unipositive gaseous ion to form a dipositive gaseous ion.

The starting species must be Mg⁺(g) - the singly charged ion - and the product must be Mg²⁺(g), with the release of one electron.
Mg(g) → Mg²⁺(g) + 2e⁻: Incorrect. The starting species is a neutral atom Mg(g), not the ion Mg⁺(g). This represents the sum of the first and second ionisation energies.
Mg⁺(g) → Mg³⁺(g) + 2e⁻: Incorrect. The ion loses two electrons in one step. A single ionisation removes only one electron.
Mg²⁺(g) → Mg³⁺(g) + e⁻: Incorrect. The starting species is Mg²⁺(g), which describes the third ionisation, not the second.
The correct answer is Mg⁺(g) → Mg²⁺(g) + e⁻.

MCQ (A) is free: take it on the website, marked straight away.

Full details of the MCQ Bank

What is the MCQ Bank?

The MCQ Bank for Topic 1 is an auto-marked, instant-feedback practice engine of original questions written at real Edexcel A level exam difficulty. It runs to 8 quizzes, 155 questions and 155 marks.

Every question is tagged to a specific Edexcel A level spec point, every option carries diagnostic feedback explaining the chemistry, and every quiz attempt feeds directly into your KASP Analytics dashboard.

Quizzes

Questions

155

Marks

155

Attempts

1 per quiz

Try a Topic 1 MCQ from the bank

This is an original question from the bank, shown exactly as it appears in the course. Click any option to reveal the diagnostic feedback for that choice, then expand the panel at the bottom for the full walkthrough.

What all isotopes of an element share

1.5 (Edexcel A level)1 mark

Two atoms are isotopes of the same element. They must have the same

Click an option to see feedback

Anumber of protons

Correct

Correct. Isotopes of the same element must contain the same number of protons. The proton number defines the element. They differ from one another in the number of neutrons, giving different mass numbers.

Bnumber of neutrons

Incorrect

Isotopes have different numbers of neutrons from one another. This is precisely what makes two atoms isotopes rather than identical atoms. What they share is the number of protons.

Cmass number

Incorrect

Isotopes have different mass numbers because they have different numbers of neutrons. The shared property that defines them as the same element is the proton number, not the mass number.

Dnumber of nucleons

Incorrect

Nucleons are protons and neutrons combined, so the number of nucleons equals the mass number. Isotopes differ in mass number because they differ in neutron count. They share the number of protons only.

Show correct answer & full explanation →

General feedback

Isotopes are atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Same number of protons (atomic number) – this is what makes them the same element.
Different numbers of neutrons, which is what makes them isotopes of one another.
Different mass numbers as a consequence of different neutron counts.
The number of electrons can differ if one atom is an ion; what is always identical is the proton count.

The correct answer is number of protons.

8 quizzes, 155 marks of MCQ practice

The MCQ Bank runs as a single set of quizzes across the topic. Quizzes hold 19–20 questions worth one mark each, and each quiz is a single auto-marked attempt.

Because every spec point is tested across several quizzes, your KASP scores reveal real improvement as you work through them.

Topic 1: Atomic Structure and The Periodic Table

8 quizzes · 155 marks

MCQ A

questions & marks

MCQ B

questions & marks

MCQ C

questions & marks

MCQ D

questions & marks

MCQ E

questions & marks

MCQ F

questions & marks

MCQ G

questions & marks

MCQ H

questions & marks

155 total marks155 questions in totalOne attempt per quizAuto-marked on submit

At a glance

What you get with the MCQ Bank

155 marks across 8 quizzes

Eight quizzes of 19–20 questions each, giving balanced coverage of every spec point in Topic 1.

Instant auto-marking

Submit and the result is back in your hands inside a second. No waiting, no manual checking.

Diagnostic feedback per option

Every wrong option carries a tailored explanation of the misconception, not just a generic ‘incorrect’, plus a full walkthrough on every question.

Spec-point tagged

Each question is mapped to the Edexcel A level spec point it assesses, so your score flows straight into KASP Analytics.

Track improvement across quizzes

One attempt per quiz, but the same spec points appear across the set. Your scores from quiz to quiz show real progress, not repeat-attempt inflation.

Original questions

Every MCQ is an original question written at real exam difficulty, with the chemistry checked.

Marked by a teacher. Assisted by KASP.

KASP drafts the marks

Teacher decides every mark

MonSubmit
TueSubmit
WedSubmit
ThuSubmit
FriSubmit
Sat–SunTeacher + KASP mark
MonFeedback back

Every SAQ is marked by a specialist chemistry teacher, assisted by KASP. One SAQ quiz is marked each week.

What you get back. Every mark explained.

A marked answer from this course, exactly as a student sees it.

SAQ (D) Topic 1, Question 5: a mass spectrumEach marking point boxed on the student's own answer, with the worked answer and the teacher's comment.

9quizzes
133questions
270marks
1quiz marked each week

Not all writing. You draw and calculate too.

How the 133 questions split.

Written

104

Drawing

Calculation

Full details of the SAQ Bank

What is the SAQ Bank?

The SAQ Bank for Topic 1 is a written-answer practice engine marked by a specialist chemistry teacher, assisted by KASP. It runs to 9 quizzes, 133 questions and 270 marks.

You attempt one quiz per week, submit your full written response, and your teacher returns mark-by-mark feedback the following Monday. Every comment is targeted at the exam wording you need to use.

Quizzes

Questions

133

Marks

270

Marks per quiz

A submitted SAQ and the feedback it gets

This is an original question from the bank with its full mark scheme. The submitted answer below is an example of a typical response at this standard. Expand the panel to see how it was marked.

Trend in first ionisation energies down Group 17

1.14 (Edexcel A level)4 marks

The first ionisation energies of the halogens fall from fluorine (1681 kJ mol⁻¹) to iodine (1008 kJ mol⁻¹). Explain this trend down Group 17.

Submitted answer

The first ionisation energy decreases down Group 17. Going from fluorine to iodine, each halogen has one more shell, so the outer electron is further from the nucleus.

There are also more inner shells shielding the outer electron. This means less energy is needed to remove it.

View returned feedback →

Returned by your chemistry specialist3 / 4 · 75%

Mark scheme

	Criterion
✓	The trend: first ionisation energy decreases down the group. Awarded – the direction of the trend is stated clearly at the start.
✓	Atomic radius increases (more shells, so the outer electron is further from the nucleus). Awarded – one more shell each time, linked to where the outer electron sits.
✓	More shielding by inner shells. Awarded – more inner shells, correctly identified as shielding.
✗	A weaker attraction between the nucleus and the outer electron, which outweighs the increase in nuclear charge. Not awarded. ‘Less energy is needed’ on its own restates the trend, so it scores nothing. Name the net effect, a weaker attraction between the nucleus and the outer electron, or say it outweighs the rising nuclear charge (9 protons in fluorine, 53 in iodine).

Teacher comment

Three out of four, Sara. Radius and shielding are both right and point the right way. The missing mark ties them together: name the weaker attraction on the outer electron, and say it outweighs the rising nuclear charge.

A predictable weekly rhythm over 9 weeks

One quiz per week across the 9 quizzes, so the SAQ Bank runs as a 9-week programme. Submit anywhere from Monday to Friday, marking happens over the weekend, and you receive your feedback by the following Monday.

The rhythm is the same every week so you always know when to expect a return.

Mon

Submit

Tue

Submit

Wed

Submit

Thu

Submit

Fri

Submit

Sat

Marking

Sun

Marking

Mon

Returned

One attempt per quiz, one quiz submitted per week. Because the same spec points reappear across the 9 quizzes, your scores over the programme show real improvement – not repeat-attempt inflation.

The weekly cap also keeps the marking load manageable so your feedback stays thorough and detailed.

9 quizzes, 270 marks of written practice

The SAQ Bank holds 133 questions and 270 marks between its 9 quizzes.

Every quiz is worth 30 marks, and runs to between 12 and 18 questions depending on how the marks fall, with the parts of each multi-part question kept together in the same quiz.

Every question is original, written at real Edexcel A level exam difficulty, across Topic 1.

Topic 1: Atomic Structure and The Periodic Table

9 quizzes · 270 marks

SAQ A

marks · 14 questions

SAQ B

marks · 12 questions

SAQ C

marks · 14 questions

SAQ D

marks · 14 questions

SAQ E

marks · 17 questions

SAQ F

marks · 16 questions

SAQ G

marks · 14 questions

SAQ H

marks · 14 questions

SAQ I

marks · 18 questions

270 total marks133 questions1 quiz per week, over 9 weeksReturned the following Monday

What the written questions ask you to do

The bank is not all prose. Alongside written explanations you are asked to draw structures and mechanisms and to work through calculations, all marked by a specialist chemistry teacher, assisted by KASP, against the same mark scheme.

Question style	Questions	What it asks for
Written answer	104	Explanations, descriptions, equations and definitions, marked against the exam mark scheme point by point.
Drawing	15	Structural and displayed formulae, skeletal structures and mechanism steps, drawn on screen and marked by your teacher, assisted by KASP.
Calculation	14	Quantitative work shown in full, so method marks can be awarded even when the final answer is wrong.
Total	133

At a glance

What you get with the SAQ Bank

270 marks across 9 quizzes

Nine quizzes, SAQ A through SAQ I, holding 133 questions between them at 30 marks per quiz.

Marked by a teacher, assisted by KASP

KASP drafts the marking; your teacher reads your answer end to end, decides every mark and writes the comments.

Per-mark feedback

Every mark in the scheme is checked off explicitly. You see exactly which marks you earned and what wording the missed ones needed.

Predictable weekly turnaround

Submit by Friday, marked over the weekend, feedback returned by Monday. One quiz per week; one attempt per quiz; 9 weeks end to end.

Exam-board wording focus

Feedback teaches the precise language the Edexcel mark scheme rewards, so the next time the topic appears you write to score.

Feeds your KASP dashboard

Every SAQ is spec-point tagged. Once marked, your scores flow into KASP Analytics alongside your MCQ results.

55 of 69 spec points. Assessed.

Edexcel A Level Chemistry, Topic 1: Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table.

2 more are assessed in the Formulae, Equations and Amounts of Substance course (1.7-c, 1.7-d).

Not yet assessed: 1.6-a, 1.7-a, 1.7-b, 1.7-e, 1.7-f, 1.15i, 1.16-a to 1.16-c, 1.25i-b, 1.26-a and 1.26-d.

1.1Structure of the atom
1.2Relative masses and charges
1.3Atomic and mass number
1.4Electrons in atoms and ions
1.5Isotopes
1.6Relative isotopic and atomic mass
1.8Relative atomic mass from mass spectra
1.9Mass spectra of diatomic molecules
1.10Relative molecular mass from mass spectra
1.11First ionisation energy
1.12Factors affecting ionisation energy
1.13Ionisation energy across a period
1.14Ionisation energy down a group
1.15Evidence for shells and sub-shells
1.16Electrons in each shell
1.17Orbitals
1.18Shapes of s and p orbitals
1.19Electrons in s, p and d sub-shells
1.20Filling orbitals
1.21Electronic configurations
1.22s, p and d blocks
1.23Configuration and chemical properties
1.24Periodicity
1.25Trends across Periods 2 and 3
1.26Illustrating periodicity

Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table, for £14.40.

388 minutes of video, 155 MCQs, 270 SAQ marks marked by a teacher, assisted by KASP.

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Every spec point, in full

Exam Board Alignment

Atomic Structure and The Periodic Table Topic 1 Edexcel A Level Chemistry

This course covers the following Edexcel A Level Chemistry specification points for Topic 1 Atomic Structure and The Periodic Table.

know the structure of an atom in terms of electrons, protons and neutrons

know the relative mass and relative charge of protons, neutrons and electrons

know what is meant by the terms ‘atomic (proton) number’ and ‘mass number’

be able to determine the number of each type of sub-atomic particle in an atom, molecule or ion from the atomic (proton) number and mass number

understand the term ‘isotopes’

be able to define the terms ‘relative isotopic mass’ and ‘relative atomic mass’, based on the ¹²C scale

understand the terms ‘relative molecular mass’ and ‘relative formula mass’, including calculating these values from relative atomic masses

Definitions of these terms will not be expected.

The term ‘relative formula mass’ should be used for compounds with giant structures.

be able to analyse and interpret data from mass spectrometry to calculate relative atomic mass from relative abundance of isotopes and vice versa

be able to predict the mass spectra, including relative peak heights, for diatomic molecules, including chlorine

understand how mass spectrometry can be used to determine the relative molecular mass of a molecule

Limited to the m/z value for the molecular ion, M⁺, giving the relative molecular mass of the molecule.

be able to define the terms ‘first ionisation energy’ and ‘successive ionisation energies’

understand how ionisation energies are influenced by the number of protons, the electron shielding and the electron sub-shell from which the electron is removed

understand reasons for the general increase in first ionisation energy across a period

understand reasons for the decrease in first ionisation energy down a group

understand how ideas about electronic configuration developed from:

the fact that atomic emission spectra provide evidence for the existence of quantum shells

the fact that successive ionisation energies provide evidence for the existence of quantum shells and the group to which the element belongs

iii

the fact that the first ionisation energy of successive elements provides evidence for electron sub-shells

know the number of electrons that can fill the first four quantum shells

know that an orbital is a region within an atom that can hold up to two electrons with opposite spins

know the shape of an s-orbital and a p-orbital

know the number of electrons that occupy s, p and d-subshells

know that electrons fill subshells singly, before pairing up, and that two electrons in the same orbital must have opposite spins

be able to predict the electronic configurations, using 1s notation and electrons-in-boxes notation, of:

atoms, given the atomic number, Z, up to Z = 36

ions, given the atomic number, Z, and the ionic charge, for s and p block ions only, up to Z = 36

know that elements can be classified as s, p and d-block elements

understand that electronic configuration determines the chemical properties of an element

understand periodicity in terms of a repeating pattern across different periods

understand reasons for the trends in the following properties of the elements from periods 2 and 3 of the Periodic Table:

the melting and boiling temperatures of the elements, based on given data, in terms of structure and bonding

ionisation energy based on given data or recall of the plots of ionisation energy versus atomic number

be able to illustrate periodicity using data, including electronic configurations, atomic radii, melting and boiling temperatures and first ionisation energies

Specification Coverage

Students will be assessed on their ability to:

The following specification points outline the knowledge and skills students are expected to demonstrate.