4 original questions from New Regents. The worksheet, answer key, and browser practice are free.
Reading Two Boron Nitride Structures 4 questions
Reading Two Boron Nitride Structures
Base your answers on the information provided and your knowledge of chemistry. Use the 2025 Chemistry Reference Tables as needed.
A display contains two solids made only of boron and nitrogen. In both solids the overall ratio is one B atom for each N atom. Students receive simplified descriptions of the bond arrangements.
| Solid | B–N bonding arrangement |
|---|---|
| L | Covalent bonds join atoms within layers. Neighboring layers attract each other more weakly. |
| N | Covalent bonds connect atoms in a three-dimensional network. |
Question 1
What does the formula BN establish for both samples?
- Every B atom is bonded to exactly one N atom.
- Both solids contain individual two-atom molecules.
- The solids have the same three-dimensional structure.
- They have the same ratio of boron atoms to nitrogen atoms.
Question 2
Explain how layers in L can slide past one another without breaking most of the B–N bonds.
Write your answer and work on the printable worksheet, or answer online.
In a model scratch test, N leaves a groove in L but L does not leave a groove in N. A student attributes the result to a different chemical formula for N.
Question 3
Use the formula and bonding descriptions to give a structural explanation for why the two solids can have different hardness.
Write your answer and work on the printable worksheet, or answer online.
Question 4
An image of a third BN sample shows some B–N bonds, but its view hides any bonds above or below the image plane. Describe a feature an additional view could reveal to support the network model.
Write your answer and work on the printable worksheet, or answer online.
2025 Chemistry Reference Tables · Browse Chemistry worksheets