Atomic Structure

An atom is the smallest part of an element that retains

the properties of that element.
Atoms are composed of three primary particles, protons,
neutrons and electrons.
In a neutral atom, there is the same number of electrons
(negative charge) and protons (positive charge).
Example: Lithium Atom

Lithium has 3 protons and 3 neutrons inside

the nucleus with 3 electrons orbiting around
the nucleus as shown below.
Atom

All materials available to us are made of tiny

particles called atoms.

Atom is a small particle consist of proton,

electron and neutron.
Remember!

Atom= Nucleus (protons, neutrons) +

electrons
Element

An element is a substance consisting of atoms

which all have the same number of protons - i.e.
the same atomic number. Elements are pure
substances (are made from one type of atom only).

Examples of elements: carbon, aluminum, iron,

copper, gold etc.
Mixture

Substances that are made from more than

one type of atom combined physically but
not chemically are called mixtures.
• There is no chemical reaction involved
in
mixtures.
• In a mixture, the properties of the
combination
are still the properties of its
components.
• Mixtures can be separated by physical
means.
Compound

Compounds are substances consisting of two or more

elements chemically combined in definite proportions by
mass to give a material having a definite set of properties
different from that of any of its constituent elements.

Compounds can only be separated by chemical means.

Examples of compounds: NaCl, MgO, H2O

Example 1: Water
Hydrogen is an element. Oxygen is an element.
When hydrogen and oxygen bond they make
the compound water (H2O).
Element Periodic Table (EPT)
Element Periodic Table (EPT)
A. Protons and Atomic Number
1. The periodic table was found to be in atomic number order, not atomic mass order

B. The Periodic Law

1. The physical and chemical properties of the elements are periodic functions of their atomic
numbers
2. Elements with similar properties are found at regular intervals within the periodic table

Organization of the Table

1. Groups or Families
a. Vertical columns containing elements with similar chemical properties

2. Periods (series)
a. Horizontal rows of elements

3. Metals and Nonmetals

a. A stair-step line on the table separates the metals from the nonmetals
b. Metalloids (Semimetals) straddle the line and have properties of both metals and nonmetals

4. Lanthanide and Actinide Series (Inner Transition Metals)

a. Metals and man-made metal elements

5. Group 1 – Alkali metals (the most reactive metal elements) (except hydrogen (H) also in this
group)

6. Group 2 – Alkaline earth metals (very reactive metal elements)

7. Group 17 – Halogens (the most reactive nonmetal elements)

8. Group 18 – Noble gases (the least reactive elements – inert and very stable)
Atomic Number

This refers to how many protons an atom of that element has.

No two elements, have the same number of protons.
• The atomic number of an element = number of protons in
the nucleus
• Number of protons in an atom = number of electrons

For example: element Carbon

Number of protons = 6
Atomic number, Z = 6

Atomic number - indicates the number of protons and defines

the element (atomic number 6 is always carbon, atomic
number 7 is always nitrogen etc.).
Atomic Mass
Atomic mass - the average mass of an atom of an
element (in amu)

Calculation of the number of particles in an atom of an

- number: of protons equals the atomic number
element
- number of neutrons equals the mass number minus the
atomic
number (remember virtually all the mass is from the
neutrons
and protons in the nucleus-each with an amu of 1)
- number of electrons equals the number of protons in a
neutral
atom
Atomic Mass
Consider the following periodic table information for carbon,
nitrogen and sodium :

Carbon's atomic number is 6, has an average mass of 12.011

amu and carbon's most common isotope has a mass number of
12 amu. Therefore, the most common type of carbon atom has
6 protons, 6 neutrons and 6 electrons.

Nitrogen's atomic number is 7, has an average mass of 14.007

amu and nitrogen's most common isotope has a mass of 14
amu. Therefore the most common type of nitrogen atom has 7
protons, 7 neutrons and 7 electrons.

Sodium's atomic number is 11, has an average mass of 22.990

amu and nitrogen's most common isotope has a mass of 23
amu. Therefore the most common type of sodium atom has 11
protons, 12 neutrons and 11 electrons.
Importance of Element Periodic Table

The periodic table is important because it is organized to

provide a lot of information about elements:

• The table can be used to predict properties of

elements, even those that have not been discovered.
• Columns (groups) and rows (periods) indicate
elements that share similar characteristics.
• The table makes trends in element properties
apparent.
• The table provides important information used to
balance chemical equations.
Atomic Bonding
Have you ever wondered why some materials behave
differently from others, for example it is easy to stretch
rubber but it is difficult to stretch metals?

Why metals are good electrical conductors while other

non-metallic materials are poor conductors?

This is all due to the bonding of atoms.

Atomic Bonding

The bonds are developed between atoms due to

forces of attraction and repulsion which keep
nearby atoms in an equilibrium state.

The equilibrium means to have its electron

configuration similar to that of inert gases.
Atomic Bonding

• If the outermost shell is not complete with 8 electrons,

atoms of most of the elements form bonds with one
another to achieve this stable condition of 8 electrons at
the outermost shell.

• This can be achieved:

1) Atoms sharing one or more electrons with other atoms
2) Atoms gaining one or more electrons with another
atom
3) Atoms losing one or more electrons with another atom
Primary Bonds

3 types of primary bonds:

a) Ionic bonding
b) Covalent bonding
c) Metallic bonding
Ionic Bonding
• It is always found in compounds that are composed of
both metallic and nonmetallic elements.
• Atoms of a metallic element easily give up their
valence electrons to the nonmetallic atoms.
• The attractive bonding forces are coulombic; that is,
positive and negative ions, by virtue of their net
electrical charge, attract one another.
Ionic Bonding
Ionic bonding is termed nondirectional, that is, the
magnitude of the bond is equal in all directions
around an ion.
Covalent Bonding

In covalent bonding stable electron configurations

are assumed by the sharing of electrons between
adjacent atoms.

Two atoms that are covalently bonded will each

contribute at least one electron to the bond, and
the shared electrons may be to belong to both
atoms.
Metallic Bonding

• Metallic bonding, the final primary bonding

type, is found in metals and their alloys.
• Metallic materials have one, two, or at most,
three valence electrons.

• With this model, these valence

electrons are not bound to any
particular atom in the solid and
are more or less free to drift
throughout the entire metal.
• They may be thought of as
belonging to the metal as a
whole, or forming a ‘‘sea of
electrons’’ or an ‘‘electron
cloud.’’
Metallic Bonding

• The remaining nonvalence electrons and

atomic nuclei form what are called ion cores,
which possess a net positive charge equal in
magnitude to the total valence electron charge
per atom.

• These free electrons act as a ‘‘glue’’ to hold the

ion cores together.
Secondary Bonds

The bond between atoms is formed by weak forces.

These weak forces are weaker than the primary bonds
and are known as Vander Waals forces.

Types of secondary bonds:

a) Hydrogen bonds
b) Dipole bonds
Hydrogen Bonds

Hydrogen bonding, a special type of secondary

bonding, is found to exist between some molecules
that have hydrogen as one of the constituents.
Dipole Bonds

• Secondary bonding forces arise from atomic or molecular

dipoles. In essence, an electric dipole exists whenever there
is some separation of positive and negative portions of an
atom or molecule.

• The bonding results from the coulombic attraction between

the positive end of one dipole and the negative region of an
adjacent one, as indicated in Figure 2.12.
Crystal Structures

• Have you ever wondered how atoms

assemble into solid structures?

• How does the density of a material

depend on its structures?

Solid materials can broadly be classified as crystalline and

non crystalline (amorphous) solids.

In crystalline solid the arrangement of atoms is in a

periodically repeating manner whereas no such patterns
are found in a non-crystalline solid.
Crystal Structures

2 types of crystalline solids:

a) Single crystal : the periodic and repeated
arrangement of atoms is perfect or extends
throughout the entirety of the specimen without
interruption.
b) Polycrystalline solid : a collective aggregate of
many crystals separated by well defined
boundaries.
As a general rule, most metals are crystalline, while
ceramics and polymers may be either crystalline or
non-crystalline.
Differences between crystalline and non-
crystalline solids
Crystal Structures
Types of crystal structure:
1) Simple cubic
2) Body centered cubic (BCC)
3) Face centered cubic (FCC)
4) Hexagonal closed packed (HCP)
Simple Cubic

Number of atom = 1/8 X 8 corner

atoms
= 1 atom
Body Centered Cubic (BCC)

Number of atoms = 1/8 X 8 corner atoms + 1

center atom
= 2 atoms
Face Centered Cubic
(FCC)

Number of atoms = 1/8 X 8 corner atoms + 1/2 X 6 face

atoms
= 4 atoms
Hexagonal Close Packed

Number of atoms = 1/6 X 12 corner atoms + 1/2 X 2 face atoms + 3

center atoms
= 6 atoms
End of chapter 2