Atoms, Elements, and Compounds Study Guide for Grade 6
A 15-question study guide for 6th graders covering atomic structure, chemical formulas, bonding, and balancing equations. Students work through multiple-choice, select-all-that-apply, and labeling items, with a short content excerpt defining atom, nucleus, and orbit to support review.
“Question #1 Key- Carbon, Oxygen Which of the following is the correct figure for carbon dioxide (CO2)? A B C D Question #2 Select all four of the choices that are correct about the following compound- A The compound pictured is water. B The compound pictured is hydrogen. C The compound pictured has one hydrogen atom. D The compound pictured has two hydrogen atoms. E The atoms of the compound are bonded together. F There are four atoms in the compound pictured. G There are three atoms in the compound pictured. Question #3 Ammonia compound model The ammonia compound shown is composed of nitrogen (N) and hydrogen (H). What is a correct formula for the compound? A NiH3 B NiHe3 C N3He D NH3 Question #4 Label the atom with the appropriate vocabulary term. Question #5 Which of the following are the four correct statements comparing hydrogen and carbon atoms? A Carbon atoms have more protons in their nuclei than hydrogen. B Hydrogen atoms have more protons in their nuclei than carbon. C Hydrogen atoms have one electron. D Carbon atoms have 6 electrons. E Every carbon atom has 6 neutrons. F Every hydrogen atom has one proton. Question #6 Scientists use symbols to represent atoms in chemical equations and compounds. Which is the symbol used to represent lithium? A 3 B Li C L D 6.941 Question #7 What has happened in the chemical equation represented above? The red circles represent oxygen atoms and the white represent hydrogen atoms. A The hydrogen atoms' nuclei split in half. B The oxygen atoms and the hydrogen atoms rearranged themselves to form a new compound. C The oxygen atoms bonded to themselves. D The oxygen atoms were destroyed in this chemical equation. E The atoms that started the chemical reaction were not there when it ended. Question #8 How many atoms of each element are present in the compound CaCO3? A Calcium- 2, Oxygen- 3 B Carbon- 1, Oxygen- 3 C Calcium- 3, Carbon- 3, Oxygen- 3 D Calcium- 1, Carbon- 1, Oxygen- 3 Question #9 A student sees this image of the modern model of an atom. Which particle orbits the nucleus and is negatively charged? A neutron B proton C electron D positron Question #10 Atoms share or steal electrons from each other to form compounds and molecules. This is called forming-- A chemical reactions B chemical bonds C chemical equations D chemical changes Question #11 The basic building block of all matter is a(n)- A element B molecule C atom D compound Question #12 The periodic table provides information about the atoms of different elements. Which is a characteristic of an atom determines what element it is? A number of neutrons B number of protons C state of matter D atomic mass Question #13 In a chemical formula like H₂O , what does the subscript tell you? A The number of atoms of that element B The number of shared electrons C The element's weight D The stability of the bond. Question #14 How many protons are present in the atom/element pictured? A 7 B 3 C 6 D 14 Question #15 6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2 The equation for photosynthesis is shown. If the equation is balanced, what must be true? A The compounds have to be the same on both sides of the equation. B The reactants and products have to be the same on both sides of the equation. C There should be more on the left side of the equation than on the right side of the equation. D The number of elements need to be the same on both sides of the equation.”
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use as a review station or homework before an atoms and compounds test, or as a whole-class review where students answer individually and then compare in pairs.
- Discussion question: Why do chemists use symbols like Li and CO2 instead of writing out full names, and how does a subscript change the meaning of a formula?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Pre-teach the key terms (atom, nucleus, orbit) and pair students with a partner for the select-all-that-apply questions, having them check each statement against the content excerpt.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask them to write their own balanced equation for another reaction and explain how they checked that the number of atoms matches on both sides.
- Estimated time: About 35 to 45 minutes for most students to complete all 15 questions, plus 10 minutes for discussion of answers.
What is Diffit?
Teachers use Diffit to get quality materials for their unique classrooms. Adjust difficulty, add scaffolds, or change the topic to get started.
Try Diffit for free“Question #1 Key- Carbon, Oxygen Which of the following is the correct figure for carbon dioxide (CO2)? A B C D Question #2 Select all four of the choices that are correct about the following compound- A The compound pictured is water. B The compound pictured is hydrogen. C The compound pictured has one hydrogen atom. D The compound pictured has two hydrogen atoms. E The atoms of the compound are bonded together. F There are four atoms in the compound pictured. G There are three atoms in the compound pictured. Question #3 Ammonia compound model The ammonia compound shown is composed of nitrogen (N) and hydrogen (H). What is a correct formula for the compound? A NiH3 B NiHe3 C N3He D NH3 Question #4 Label the atom with the appropriate vocabulary term. Question #5 Which of the following are the four correct statements comparing hydrogen and carbon atoms? A Carbon atoms have more protons in their nuclei than hydrogen. B Hydrogen atoms have more protons in their nuclei than carbon. C Hydrogen atoms have one electron. D Carbon atoms have 6 electrons. E Every carbon atom has 6 neutrons. F Every hydrogen atom has one proton. Question #6 Scientists use symbols to represent atoms in chemical equations and compounds. Which is the symbol used to represent lithium? A 3 B Li C L D 6.941 Question #7 What has happened in the chemical equation represented above? The red circles represent oxygen atoms and the white represent hydrogen atoms. A The hydrogen atoms' nuclei split in half. B The oxygen atoms and the hydrogen atoms rearranged themselves to form a new compound. C The oxygen atoms bonded to themselves. D The oxygen atoms were destroyed in this chemical equation. E The atoms that started the chemical reaction were not there when it ended. Question #8 How many atoms of each element are present in the compound CaCO3? A Calcium- 2, Oxygen- 3 B Carbon- 1, Oxygen- 3 C Calcium- 3, Carbon- 3, Oxygen- 3 D Calcium- 1, Carbon- 1, Oxygen- 3 Question #9 A student sees this image of the modern model of an atom. Which particle orbits the nucleus and is negatively charged? A neutron B proton C electron D positron Question #10 Atoms share or steal electrons from each other to form compounds and molecules. This is called forming-- A chemical reactions B chemical bonds C chemical equations D chemical changes Question #11 The basic building block of all matter is a(n)- A element B molecule C atom D compound Question #12 The periodic table provides information about the atoms of different elements. Which is a characteristic of an atom determines what element it is? A number of neutrons B number of protons C state of matter D atomic mass Question #13 In a chemical formula like H₂O , what does the subscript tell you? A The number of atoms of that element B The number of shared electrons C The element's weight D The stability of the bond. Question #14 How many protons are present in the atom/element pictured? A 7 B 3 C 6 D 14 Question #15 6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2 The equation for photosynthesis is shown. If the equation is balanced, what must be true? A The compounds have to be the same on both sides of the equation. B The reactants and products have to be the same on both sides of the equation. C There should be more on the left side of the equation than on the right side of the equation. D The number of elements need to be the same on both sides of the equation.”
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use as a review station or homework before an atoms and compounds test, or as a whole-class review where students answer individually and then compare in pairs.
- Discussion question: Why do chemists use symbols like Li and CO2 instead of writing out full names, and how does a subscript change the meaning of a formula?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Pre-teach the key terms (atom, nucleus, orbit) and pair students with a partner for the select-all-that-apply questions, having them check each statement against the content excerpt.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask them to write their own balanced equation for another reaction and explain how they checked that the number of atoms matches on both sides.
- Estimated time: About 35 to 45 minutes for most students to complete all 15 questions, plus 10 minutes for discussion of answers.
Atoms, Elements, and Compounds Study Guide for Grade 6
A 15-question study guide for 6th graders covering atomic structure, chemical formulas, bonding, and balancing equations. Students work through multiple-choice, select-all-that-apply, and labeling items, with a short content excerpt defining atom, nucleus, and orbit to support review.
What is Diffit?
Teachers use Diffit to get quality materials for their unique classrooms. Adjust difficulty, add scaffolds, or change the topic to get started.
Try Diffit for free