PRELIMINARY CHEMISTRY THE CHEMICAL EARTH

Elements in Earth materials are present mostly as compounds because of interactions at the atomic
level

Identify that matter is made of particles that are continuously moving and interacting
Matter
o Occurs in three states depending on the energy of the particles solids, liquids and
gases

Property
Arrangement of
particles

Solid
Close together and
vibrating in fixed
positions (orderly
arrangement)

Liquid
Close together and
moving more freely

Gas
Far apart and moving
freely

Shape
Volume (space
occupied)
Ability to be
compressed (be pushed
into a smaller volume)
Ability to diffuse
(spread through
another substance)
Kinetic energy of
particles

Definite shape
Definite volume

Shape of container
Definite volume

Depends on container
Fills all available shape

Cannot be
compressed

Cannot be
compressed

Can be compressed

Cannot diffuse

Can diffuse

Can diffuse

Least

More than solids, less

than gases

Greatest kinetic
energy

Describe qualitatively the energy levels of electrons in atoms

Energy levels of electrons
o Electrons in an atom exist in discrete energy levels or shells
o The further away from the nucleus the shell is, the higher the energy of the e- in it
Electronic configuration
o Refers to the particular order in which electrons are arranged on the shells of an atom
o Maximum number of electrons in each shell is given by: 22

Energy level
1st shell
2nd shell
3rd shell
4th shell
-

Maximum number of electrons

2
8
18 or 8e32e-or 8e-

Valence electrons
o Electrons in the outer shell are called valence electrons
o Elements can have between 1-8 electrons on the outer shell, if the outer shell has 8
electrons the atom is stable
o All atoms want to have 8 electrons on their outer shell [to do this, atoms may give
away or take electrons from other atoms i.e. undergo a chemical reaction]
o Only the valence electrons can be moved to other atoms

PRELIMINARY CHEMISTRY THE CHEMICAL EARTH

Elements in Earth materials are present mostly as compounds because of interactions at the atomic
level

Describe atoms in terms of mass number and atomic number

o
o
o

. () = no. of protons + no. of neutrons

. () = no. of protons
In a neutral atom, the no. of protons = no. of electrons

Describe the formation of ions in terms of atoms gaining or losing electrons

Achieving Noble Gas Configurations
o Atoms can achieve noble gas electron configurations [i.e. full outer shell] in two ways

1. Ionic bonding outright transfer of

electrons from one atom to another

2. Covalent bonding sharing electrons

between pairs of atoms