1: Atomic Structure
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- 1.1: Atomic Structure - The Nucleus
- Atoms are comprised of protons, neutrons and electrons. Protons and neutrons are found in the nucleus of the atom, while electrons are found in the electron cloud around the nucleus. The relative electrical charge of a proton is +1, a neutron has no charge, and an electron’s relative charge is -1. The number of protons in an atom’s nucleus is called the atomic number, Z. The mass number, A, is the sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons in a nucleus.
- 1.2: Atomic Structure - Orbitals
- An atomic orbital is the probability description of where an electron can be found. The four basic types of orbitals are designated as s, p, d, and f.
- 1.3: Atomic Structure - Electron Configurations
- The order in which electrons are placed in atomic orbitals is called the electron configuration and is governed by the aufbau principle. Electrons in the outermost shell of an atom are called valence electrons. The number of valence electrons in any atom is related to its position in the periodic table. Elements in the same periodic group have the same number of valence electrons.