5: Atoms and Molecules
- Page ID
- 212470
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- 5.1: Cutting Alumimun until you get Atoms
- Take some aluminum foil. Cut it in half. Now you have two smaller pieces of aluminum foil. Cut one of the pieces in half again. Cut one of those smaller pieces in half again. Continue cutting, making smaller and smaller pieces of aluminum foil.
- 5.2: Indivisible - The Atomic Theory
- You learned earlier how all matter in the universe is made out of tiny building blocks called atoms. All modern scientists accept the concept of the atom, but when the concept of the atom was first proposed about 2,500 years ago, ancient philosophers laughed at the idea. It has always been difficult to convince people of the existence of things that are too small to see. We will spend some time considering the evidence (observations) that convince scientists of the existence of atoms.
- 5.3: The Nuclear Atom
- While Dalton's Atomic Theory held up well, J. J. Thomson demonstrate that his theory was not the entire story. He suggested that the small, negatively charged particles making up the cathode ray were actually pieces of atoms. He called these pieces "corpuscles," although today we know them as electrons. Thanks to his clever experiments and careful reasoning, J. J. Thomson is credited with the discovery of the electron.
- 5.4: Atomic Theory
- Chemistry is based on the modern atomic theory, which states that all matter is composed of atoms. Atoms themselves are composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Each element has its own atomic number, which is equal to the number of protons in its nucleus. Isotopes of an element contain different numbers of neutrons. Elements are represented by an atomic symbol. The periodic table is a chart that organizes all the elements.
- 5.5: The Properties of Protons, Neutrons, and Electrons
- Electrons are extremely small. The mass of an electron is only about 1/2000 the mass of a proton or neutron, so electrons contribute virtually nothing to the total mass of an atom. Electrons have an electric charge of −1, which is equal but opposite to the charge of a proton, which is +1. All atoms have the same number of electrons as protons, so the positive and negative charges "cancel out", making atoms electrically neutral.
- 5.6: Quantum Numbers for Electrons
- Electrons in atoms have quantized energies. The state of electrons in atoms is described by four quantum numbers.
- 5.7: Organization of Electrons in Atoms
- The Pauli exclusion principle limits the number of electrons in the subshells and shells. Electrons in larger atoms fill shells and subshells in a regular pattern that we can follow. Electron configurations are a shorthand method of indicating what subshells electrons occupy in atoms. Abbreviated electron configurations are a simpler way of representing electron configurations for larger atoms. Exceptions to the strict filling of subshells with electrons occur.
- 5.8: Electronic Structure and the Periodic Table
- The arrangement of electrons in atoms is responsible for the shape of the periodic table. Electron configurations can be predicted by the position of an atom on the periodic table.