Atomic Structure

Chapter : Atomic Structure
1. Basic Concepts of Atomic Structure
 Atom: The smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical properties of that element.
Atoms consist of three primary subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons.
2. Subatomic Particles
1. Protons (p⁺)
o Location: Nucleus (center) of the atom.
o Charge: Positive (+1).
o Mass: Approximately 1 atomic mass unit (amu).
o Role: Determines the atomic number (Z) of an element, which defines the element's
identity. For example, all carbon atoms have 6 protons.
2. Neutrons (n⁰)
o Location: Nucleus.
o Charge: Neutral (0).
o Mass: Approximately 1 amu.
o Role: Contributes to the atomic mass but does not affect the chemical properties.
Neutrons provide stability to the nucleus by offsetting the repulsive forces between
positively charged protons.
3. Electrons (e⁻)
o Location: Electron shells (or energy levels) surrounding the nucleus.
o Charge: Negative (-1).
o Mass: Negligible compared to protons and neutrons (about 1/1836 of a proton's mass).
o Role: Involved in chemical bonding and reactions. The number and arrangement of
electrons determine how an atom interacts with others.
3. Structure of the Atom
 Nucleus:
o The nucleus is the dense, positively charged center of the atom containing protons and
neutrons.
o It accounts for nearly all of an atom’s mass but occupies a tiny fraction of its volume.
 Electron Shells/Energy Levels:
o Electrons orbit the nucleus in regions called shells or energy levels. These shells are at
varying distances from the nucleus.
o Shells are designated by numbers (n = 1, 2, 3,…) or letters (K, L, M,…).
o Each shell can hold a limited number of electrons:
 1st shell (K): 2 electrons
 2nd shell (L): 8 electrons
 3rd shell (M): 18 electrons, but often considered 8 for simplicity in O-level
studies.
o Electrons in the outermost shell (valence electrons) are involved in chemical bonding.
4. Atomic Number, Mass Number, and Isotopes

 Atomic Number (Z):

o The number of protons in an atom’s nucleus.
o It defines the element and its position on the Periodic Table.
o For example, Carbon has an atomic number of 6, meaning every carbon atom has 6
protons.
 Mass Number (A):
o The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom’s nucleus.
o Mass Number = Number of Protons (Z) + Number of Neutrons (N).
o Example: A Carbon atom with 6 protons and 6 neutrons has a mass number of 12 (6 + 6
= 12).
 Isotopes:
o Atoms of the same element (same atomic number) that have different numbers of
neutrons and thus different mass numbers.
o Isotopes of an element have similar chemical properties but different physical
properties due to the difference in mass.
o Example: Carbon-12 (^12C) has 6 protons and 6 neutrons, while Carbon-14 (^14C) has 6
protons and 8 neutrons.
5. Electron Configuration and the Periodic Table
 Electron Configuration:
o The arrangement of electrons in an atom’s electron shells.
o Follows the "Aufbau principle," which states that electrons fill the lowest energy levels
first.
o Example: For Sodium (Na, Atomic Number = 11):
 1st shell (K): 2 electrons
 2nd shell (L): 8 electrons
 3rd shell (M): 1 electron
o Electron configuration: 1s22s22p63s11s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^11s22s22p63s1.
 Periodic Table:
o Elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number.
o The table’s structure reflects the electron configurations of the elements, which
determine their chemical properties.
o Elements in the same group (vertical column) have similar outer electron configurations
and thus exhibit similar chemical behavior.
6. Valency and Bonding
 Valence Electrons:
o Electrons in the outermost shell of an atom.
o They are crucial in determining how an element will bond chemically with other
elements.
o Atoms strive to achieve a stable electron configuration, often resembling the nearest
noble gas (full outer shell).
 Types of Chemical Bonds:
o Ionic Bonding: Involves the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, leading to
the formation of positively and negatively charged ions. Common between metals and
non-metals (e.g., NaCl).
o Covalent Bonding: Involves the sharing of electron pairs between atoms, typically
between non-metal atoms (e.g., H₂O, CO₂).
o Metallic Bonding: Involves a 'sea of electrons' that are free to move around a lattice of
metal cations, giving rise to properties like conductivity and malleability.
7. Illustrative Diagrams
1. Bohr Model of an Atom:

o Diagram showing a nucleus with protons and neutrons, surrounded by electrons in
circular orbits (shells).
2. Electron Configuration Diagram:
o Diagram illustrating the distribution of electrons in different shells around a nucleus for
an element like Oxygen (O).
3. Isotope Representation:
o Diagram or symbol representation of isotopes (e.g., Carbon-12, Carbon-14) highlighting
the number of neutrons.
8. Key Concepts and Summary
 Atoms are composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

 The atomic number determines an element’s identity, while the mass number reflects the total
number of protons and neutrons.
 Isotopes are variants of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.
 The arrangement of electrons (electron configuration) dictates the chemical properties and
reactivity of an element.
 Understanding atomic structure is fundamental for exploring how elements bond to form
compounds and interact in mixtures.

Atomic Structure

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Chapter : Atomic Structure

1. Basic Concepts of Atomic Structure

3. Structure of the Atom

4. Atomic Number, Mass Number, and Isotopes

 Atomic Number (Z):

5. Electron Configuration and the Periodic Table

6. Valency and Bonding

1. Bohr Model of an Atom:

8. Key Concepts and Summary

 Atoms are composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

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