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Wavelength (λ): the distance between successive crests or high points of a wave
Frequency (ν): the number of waves that pass a given point in some unit of time,
usually per second
Standing wave: a type of wave that has two or more points of no amplitude, which has
a distance of λ/2 between consecutive nodes, and is only possible in certain
wavelengths. It is useful in describing electrons in atoms.
Quantization: Max Planck's idea that heated vibrating atoms give rise to
electromagnetic radiation at only certain frequencies
Photoelectric effect: the ejection of electrons when light strikes the surface of a metal
Photons: the mass-less particles that make up light, whose energy is proportional to
the frequency of the radiation
Line emission spectrum: the specific wavelengths emitted by gas particles when they
are excited. Each element has its own unique one.
Principal quantum number (n): a unitless integer having values of 1, 2, 3, and so on. It
defines the energy level of an electron
Ground state: the state of an atom with its electrons in the lowest possible energy
levels
Excited state: the state of an atom without all its electrons in the lowest possible
energy levels
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PART TWO: THE STRUCTURE OF ATOMS AND MOLECULES
Chapter Seven: Atomic Structure
(Text from Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity, by Kotz, Treichel, and Weaver
Lyman series: a series of emission lines having energies in the ultraviolet region that
arises from electrons moving from states with n>1 to the n=1 state
Balmer series: the series of lines that have energies in the visible region that arises
from electrons moving from states with n>2 to the lower state with n=2
Wave-particle duality: the electron has properties of both a wave and a particle
Wave functions: the solutions to the wave equations, which describe an electron as a
wave
Electron density: the probability of finding an electron within a given region of space
Quantum numbers n, ℓ, and mℓ: integral numbers that are a vital part of Schrödinger's
solution. They also define the energy states and orbitals available to the electron
Surface density plot/radial distribution plot: a plot that depicts the probability of
finding the electron at a given distance from the nucleus
Nodal surface: an imaginary planar surface that slices through the nucleus, divides the
region of electron density in half, and which has zero probability of having an electron