18/09/2017

The Atom

It all starts here

Bohr-Rutherford Atomic Model (1913)

1. Electrons are in in specific orbitals around nucleus

2. Electrons closer to the nucleus harder to remove (and vice versa)
3. When electrons gain energy they can jump orbits
4. Protons are found in the nucleus

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Issues with the Bohr Rutherford model

Major issue Why doesnt the nucleus explode?
(another) Major issue Why is the atomic mass always bigger than
the atomic number?

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Major Discovery The Neutron (1932)

Neutral particle found in the nucleus, holds protons together
Mass is approximately the same as the mass of the proton

Simplified Atomic Model

S.A.M

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Atomic number vs Mass Number

Atomic Number Mass Number

Number of protons Number of protons and

neutrons

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Isotopes and Relative Atomic Mass

Isotope: atom with the same number of protons but different
number of neutrons
These forms differ in their number of neutrons
Relative atomic mass: average mass of an atoms
different isotopes, determined by their frequency in
nature
Remember:
If you change the number of protons
you change the element!

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Drawing atoms using S.A.M.

Nucleus Number of protons and neutrons
Protons = Atomic number
Neutrons = Rounded atomic mass atomic number
Arches Electron orbitals
Write number of electrons underneath each arch

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Isotopes
1. Natural isotopes
Found naturally in the environment, either stable or unstable
(radioactive)
An isotope whose nucleus is unstable (it has too much nuclear
energy), which will lead to radioactive decay

2. Artificial (synthetic) isotopes

Man-made using nuclear reactors, so usually unstable
(radioactive)
E.g. iradium-192

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Representing Isotopes: Way #1

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Representing Isotopes: Way #2

Written in the Element-Mass number

14 15
7 7

Nitrogen-14 Nitrogen-15

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Practice
Isotope Atomic # Neutrons
Number
Sulphur 33 16 17
Boron-11 5
Boron-10
Aluminum-27
Silicon -28
Silicon-30
Calcium - 48

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Calculating Relative Atomic Mass

Remember, it is a weighted averaged based on the relative abundance
of the isotope

If 7.4% of lithium atoms have a mass number of 6 a.m.u and 92.6% of

lithium atoms have a mass number of 7 a.m.u, what is the atomic mass
of lithium?

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Calculating Relative Atomic Mass

If 7.4% of lithium atoms have a mass number of 6 a.m.u and 92.6% of
lithium atoms have a mass number of 7 a.m.u, what is the atomic mass
of lithium?

0.074 6 + 0.926 7 =
0.444 + 6.482 =
6.926 =