Solid State Chemistry MCQs

1. What is the primary characteristic of a crystalline solid?

a) Random arrangement of atoms
b) Long-range order of atoms
c) Amorphous structure
d) High compressibility

Answer: b) Long-range order of atoms

2. What type of bond is primarily found in ionic solids?

a) Metallic bonds
b) Covalent bonds
c) Ionic bonds
d) Hydrogen bonds

Answer: c) Ionic bonds

3. What type of solid is characterized by delocalized electrons and high electrical conductivity?

a) Ionic solids
b) Covalent network solids
c) Metallic solids
d) Molecular solids

Answer: c) Metallic solids

4. Which property is characteristic of covalent network solids?

a) High melting points and hardness
b) Low melting points and softness
c) High solubility in water
d) Low electrical conductivity

Answer: a) High melting points and hardness

5. What is the main type of bonding in molecular solids?

a) Ionic bonding
b) Covalent bonding
c) Metallic bonding
d) Van der Waals forces

Answer: d) Van der Waals forces

6. Which of the following is an example of a covalent network solid?

a) Sodium chloride
b) Diamond
c) Aluminum
d) Ice

Answer: b) Diamond

7. In which type of crystal lattice are atoms or ions located at the corners and centers of the faces of the unit cell?

a) Simple cubic
b) Body-centered cubic
c) Face-centered cubic
d) Hexagonal close-packed

Answer: c) Face-centered cubic

8. What is the primary type of bonding in ionic solids?

a) Ionic bonding
b) Covalent bonding
c) Metallic bonding
d) Hydrogen bonding

Answer: a) Ionic bonding

9. What is a unit cell in a crystal lattice?

a) The smallest repeating unit of a crystal lattice
b) The largest repeating unit of a crystal lattice
c) The boundary of the crystal lattice
d) The total volume of the crystal

Answer: a) The smallest repeating unit of a crystal lattice

10. Which type of solid has atoms, ions, or molecules arranged in a regular repeating pattern extending in three dimensions?

a) Amorphous solid
b) Crystalline solid
c) Liquid crystal
d) Gel

Answer: b) Crystalline solid

11. What is the coordination number in a crystal lattice?

a) The number of nearest neighbor atoms or ions surrounding a central atom or ion
b) The number of unit cells in a crystal
c) The total number of atoms in the crystal
d) The distance between two adjacent atoms

Answer: a) The number of nearest neighbor atoms or ions surrounding a central atom or ion

12. In which crystal structure are atoms arranged in a close-packed manner, with each atom surrounded by 12 nearest neighbors?

a) Simple cubic
b) Body-centered cubic
c) Face-centered cubic
d) Hexagonal close-packed

Answer: c) Face-centered cubic

13. What distinguishes an amorphous solid from a crystalline solid?

a) The presence of a well-defined melting point
b) The lack of long-range order in atomic arrangement
c) The ability to conduct electricity
d) The presence of a repeating unit cell

Answer: b) The lack of long-range order in atomic arrangement

14. Which property is typically higher in crystalline solids compared to amorphous solids?

a) Melting point
b) Electrical conductivity
c) Density
d) Solubility

Answer: a) Melting point

15. What type of crystal lattice is found in metals like iron and copper?

a) Face-centered cubic
b) Body-centered cubic
c) Hexagonal close-packed
d) Simple cubic

Answer: a) Face-centered cubic

16. What type of solid is salt (NaCl)?

a) Molecular solid
b) Ionic solid
c) Metallic solid
d) Covalent network solid

Answer: b) Ionic solid

17. Which of the following is a property of molecular solids?

a) High melting and boiling points
b) Good electrical conductivity
c) Low melting and boiling points
d) Hardness and brittleness

Answer: c) Low melting and boiling points

18. In a body-centered cubic lattice, where are the atoms located?

a) At the corners of the unit cell only
b) At the centers of the faces of the unit cell
c) At the corners and the center of the unit cell
d) At the edges of the unit cell

Answer: c) At the corners and the center of the unit cell

19. What type of solid is characterized by a regular, repeating arrangement of atoms or ions throughout the entire solid?

a) Amorphous solid
b) Crystalline solid
c) Liquid crystal
d) Composite material

Answer: b) Crystalline solid

20. Which type of bonding is primarily responsible for the hardness and high melting points of covalent network solids?

a) Ionic bonding
b) Covalent bonding
c) Metallic bonding
d) Van der Waals forces

Answer: b) Covalent bonding

21. What does the term “polymorphism” refer to in solid-state chemistry?

a) The ability of a solid to exist in more than one crystal structure
b) The ability of a solid to change its physical state
c) The ability of a solid to conduct electricity
d) The ability of a solid to dissolve in different solvents

Answer: a) The ability of a solid to exist in more than one crystal structure

22. What is the primary characteristic of a metallic solid?

a) High electrical conductivity
b) Low melting point
c) Brittleness
d) Poor thermal conductivity

Answer: a) High electrical conductivity

23. Which type of solid consists of a lattice of positive ions surrounded by a sea of delocalized electrons?

a) Molecular solid
b) Ionic solid
c) Metallic solid
d) Covalent network solid

Answer: c) Metallic solid

24. Which of the following best describes the bonding in graphite?

a) Ionic bonding in a three-dimensional network
b) Covalent bonding in a two-dimensional sheet with delocalized electrons
c) Metallic bonding in a close-packed structure
d) Hydrogen bonding between layers

Answer: b) Covalent bonding in a two-dimensional sheet with delocalized electrons

25. What does the term “isomorphism” refer to in solid-state chemistry?

a) The ability of different compounds to adopt the same crystal structure
b) The ability of a compound to change its crystal structure
c) The ability of a solid to exist in multiple phases
d) The ability of a solid to conduct electricity

Answer: a) The ability of different compounds to adopt the same crystal structure

26. Which property is NOT typical of ionic solids?

a) High melting points
b) Poor electrical conductivity in solid state
c) Solubility in nonpolar solvents
d) Brittle nature

Answer: c) Solubility in nonpolar solvents

27. In a hexagonal close-packed structure, how many atoms are in the unit cell?

a) 4
b) 6
c) 12
d) 8

Answer: b) 6

28. What is the common feature of amorphous solids?

a) They have a definite geometric structure
b) They lack a long-range order in their atomic arrangement
c) They exhibit high melting points
d) They have a regular repeating unit cell

Answer: b) They lack a long-range order in their atomic arrangement

29. What type of solid is quartz (SiO₂)?

a) Molecular solid
b) Ionic solid
c) Metallic solid
d) Covalent network solid

Answer: d) Covalent network solid

30. Which type of lattice structure has atoms or ions at the corners and in the center of the unit cell, but not on the faces?

a) Simple cubic
b) Body-centered cubic
c) Face-centered cubic
d) Hexagonal close-packed

Answer: b) Body-centered cubic