Nursing Elites

1. Which compound has a nonpolar bond in which the electrons are shared equally?

• A. H₂O
• B. NH₃
• C. Cl₂
• D. CH₄

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The compound CH₄, methane, has a nonpolar bond where carbon and hydrogen share electrons equally. This occurs because carbon and hydrogen have similar electronegativities, meaning they have equal abilities to attract shared electrons. Consequently, a nonpolar covalent bond is formed due to the balanced sharing of electrons between these atoms. Choices A, B, and C do not have nonpolar bonds with electrons shared equally. In H₂O (water), there are polar covalent bonds due to the difference in electronegativity between hydrogen and oxygen. In NH₃ (ammonia), the nitrogen-hydrogen bonds are polar because of the electronegativity difference. In Cl₂ (chlorine gas), the Cl-Cl bond is nonpolar, but the question specifies a compound, not an element, and chlorine does not share its electrons equally with another element in a compound.

2. If fifty-six kilograms of a radioactive substance has a half-life of 12 days, how many days will it take the substance to decay naturally to only 7 kilograms?

• A. 8
• B. 12
• C. 36
• D. 48

Correct answer: C

Rationale: To decay from 56 kg to 7 kg, the substance needs to go through 3 half-lives (56 kg ÷ 2 ÷ 2 ÷ 2 = 7 kg). Since each half-life is 12 days, the total time required is 12 days per half-life x 3 half-lives = 36 days. Choice A is incorrect because it does not consider the concept of half-lives. Choice B is incorrect because it represents the duration of a single half-life, not the total time required for the decay. Choice D is incorrect as it does not account for the multiple half-lives needed for the substance to decay from 56 kg to 7 kg.

3. When an acid is added to a base, water and a salt form. What kinds of bonds form in these two compounds?

• A. Liquid and metallic
• B. Polar and nonpolar covalent
• C. Polar covalent and ionic
• D. Ionic only

Correct answer: C

Rationale: In water, the bond formed between the oxygen atom and the hydrogen atoms is a polar covalent bond. The oxygen atom attracts the shared electrons more strongly, creating a partial negative charge on the oxygen and a partial positive charge on the hydrogen atoms. In the salt formed, the bond between the metal cation and the nonmetal anion is predominantly an ionic bond. The metal cation donates electrons to the nonmetal anion, resulting in the formation of oppositely charged ions that are held together by electrostatic attractions. Choices A and B are incorrect because water and salts do not form bonds that are liquid and metallic, or polar and nonpolar covalent. Choice D is incorrect as it oversimplifies the types of bonds present in water and salts, failing to differentiate between the covalent bond in water and the ionic bond in the salt.

4. Carbon-12 and carbon-14 are isotopes. What do they have in common?

• A. Number of nuclear particles
• B. Number of protons
• C. Number of neutrons
• D. Mass number

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Isotopes are atoms of the same element with the same number of protons (which determines the element) but different numbers of neutrons. Both carbon-12 and carbon-14 have 6 protons (hence they are both carbon atoms) but different numbers of neutrons: carbon-12 has 6 neutrons, while carbon-14 has 8 neutrons. Therefore, the correct answer is the number of neutrons. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because isotopes may have different numbers of nuclear particles (protons + neutrons), protons, and mass numbers, respectively.

5. What does a blood sample with a pH of 3 indicate?

• A. It is strongly acidic.
• B. It is strongly basic.
• C. It is weakly acidic.
• D. It is weakly basic.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: A blood pH of 3 is significantly low, indicating a strong acidity level. The normal blood pH range is 7.35 to 7.45; therefore, a pH of 3 is far below the normal range, showing a highly acidic condition in the blood sample. Choice B is incorrect because a pH of 3 is not basic at all. Choice C is incorrect as a pH of 3 is not weakly acidic but strongly acidic. Choice D is wrong as a blood pH of 3 does not indicate a weakly basic condition.

Similar Questions