Atomic Structure

www.lab-initio.com

CA Standards
Students know how to relate the position of
an element in the periodic table to its
atomic number and atomic mass.
Students know the nucleus of the atom is
much smaller than the atom yet contains
most of its mass.

Modern Atomic Theory

All
All matter
matter is
is composed
composed of
of atoms
atoms

Atoms
Atoms cannot
cannot be
be subdivided,
subdivided, created,
created, or
or
destroyed
destroyed in
in ordinary
ordinary chemical
chemical reactions.
reactions.
However,
However, these
these changes
changes CAN
CAN occur
occur in
in
nuclear
nuclear reactions!
reactions!

Atoms
Atoms of
of an
an element
element have
have aa characteristic
characteristic
average
average mass
mass which
which is
is unique
unique to
to that
that
element.
element.

Atoms
Atoms of
of any
any one
one element
element differ
differ in
in
properties
properties from
from atoms
atoms of
of another
another element
element

Discovery of the Electron

In 1897, J.J. Thomson used a cathode ray tube
to deduce the presence of a negatively charged
particle.

Cathode ray tubes pass electricity through a gas

that is contained at a very low pressure.

Conclusions from the

Study of the Electron

Cathode
Cathode rays
rays have
have identical
identical properties
properties

regardless
regardless of
of the
the element
element used
used to
to produce
produce
them.
them. All
All elements
elements must
must contain
contain identically
identically
charged
charged electrons.
electrons.

Atoms
Atoms are
are neutral,
neutral, so
so there
there must
must be
be
positive
positive particles
particles in
in the
the atom
atom to
to balance
balance
the
the negative
negative charge
charge of
of the
the electrons
electrons

Electrons
Electrons have
have so
so little
little mass
mass that
that atoms
atoms
must
must contain
contain other
other particles
particles that
that account
account
for
for most
most of
of the
the mass
mass

Thomsons Atomic Model

Thomson believed that the electrons were like

plums embedded in a positively charged
pudding, thus it was called the plum pudding
model.

Rutherfords Gold Foil Experiment

Alpha () particles are helium nuclei

Particles were fired at a thin sheet of gold foil
Particle hits on the detecting screen (film) are
recorded

Rutherfords Findings
Most of the particles passed right through
A few particles were deflected
VERY FEW were greatly deflected
Like
Like howitzer
howitzer shells
shells bouncing
bouncing off
off
of
of tissue
tissue paper!
paper!

Conclusions:

The nucleus is small

The nucleus is dense
The nucleus is positively charged

Atomic Particles
Particle

Charge Mass #

Location

Electron

-1

Electron
cloud

Proton

+1

Nucleus

Nucleus

Neutron

Atomic Number
Atomic number (Z) of an element
is the number of protons in the
nucleus of each atom of that
element.
Element

# of protons

Atomic # (Z)

Phosphorus

15

15

Gold

79

79

Carbon

Mass Number

Mass number is the number of protons and

neutrons in the nucleus of an isotope.

Mass # = p+ + n0
Nuclide

p+

n0

e-

Mass #

Oxygen - 18
Arsenic - 75
Phosphorus - 31

10
42
16

18

33
15

75
31

33
15

Isotopes
Isotopes are atoms of the same element having
different masses due to varying numbers of
neutrons.
Isotope

Protons

Electrons

Neutrons

Hydrogen1

(protium)
Hydrogen-2
(deuterium)
Hydrogen-3
(tritium)

Nucleus

Atomic Masses
Atomic mass is the average of all the
naturally occurring isotopes of that element.
Isotope
Carbon-12

Symbol
12

Composition of
the nucleus

% in nature

6 protons

98.89%

6 neutrons
Carbon-13

13

6 protons

1.11%

7 neutrons
Carbon-14

14

6 protons

<0.01%

8 neutrons

Carbon = 12.011