✅ 1. Atomic structure & the Periodic Table Flashcards
What are all substances made up of?
All substances are made up of atoms
Describe what an atom is
An atom is the smallest part of an element that can exist
How can atoms be represented?
Atoms can be represented by chemical symbols
What is an element?
An element is one type of atom
Around how many different elements are there?
There are around 100 different elements
What is a compound?
A compound isa group of 2 or more elements that are chemically combined together in fixed proportions
e.g. for carbon dioxide, there are 2 oxygen atoms for each carbon atom
How are compounds formed and separated?
Compounds are formed and seperated by chemical reactions
How do we separate compounds back into their elements?
We can seperate compounds back into their elements using chemical reactions
How can compounds be represented?
Compounds can be represented by formulae using the symbols of the atoms from which they were formed
What do chemical reactions always involve?
- Energy changes
- Production of one or more new substances
How can chemical reactions be represented?
Chemical reactions can be represented by word equations or equations using symbols and formulae
Describe the relationship between the properties of compounds and the elements they are made from?
Compounds have totally different properties from the elements that they’re made from
What does a mixture consist of?
A mixture consists of two or more elements or compounds not chemically combined together
Give three differences between a mixture and a compound
- A compound consists of two or more elements that are chemically combined together, whereas a mixture consists of two or more elements and compounds that are not chemically combined together
- Mixtures can be separated by physical techniques rather than chemical reactions
- In a mixture, the chemical properties of each substance stays the same
What is a molecule?
A molecule is any element that is chemically combined (even the same element)
When do we use filteration?
Filteration is used to seperate an insoluble solid from a liquid
When do we use crystalisation?
Crystalisation is used to seperate a soluble solid from a solution
When do we use simple distillation?
Simple Distillation can be used to seperate a solvent from a solution
When do we use chromatography?
Chromatography can be used to seperate a mixture of substances based on their solubility
What may lead to a scientific model being changed or replaced?
New expermental evidence that doesn’t agree with the existing theory
What were atoms thought to be before the discovery of the electron?
John Dalton Model
Atoms were initially thought to be tiny spheres that could not be divided
John Dalton Model
What happened in 1897?
In 1897, J.J Thomson discovered the electron which led to his proposal of the plum pudding model in 1904
Which scientist discovered electrons?
JJ Thomson discovered the electron
What model did Thomson create after the discovery of the electron?
The discovery of the electron led to the creation of the plum pudding model
What did the plum pudding model suggest?
The plum pudding model suggested the the atom was a ball of positive charge with negative electrons embedded in it
How was the plum pudding model disproved?
The plum pudding model was disproved by the results from Rutherford’s alpha particle scattering experiment
Describe what happened in the alpha particle scattering experiment?
- A beam of positively charged alpha particles were aimed at a thin gold foil
- Most of the alpha particles passed straight through the gold foil without changing direction
- Some were slightly changed direction but passed through the foil
- Very few particles bounced back off the gold foil
What were the results of the alpha particle scattering experiment?
Rutherford concluded that:
- Most of the atom consisted of empty space as most alpha particles went straight through the gold foil
- The nucleus must have a positive charge as some alpha particles were deflected
- The mass of the atom must be concentrated at the centre as few numbers of alpha particles rebounded straight back
This became known as Rutherford’s nuclear model
What did Rutherford do after the alpha particle scattering experiment?
Rutherford created the nuclear model after the alpha particle scattering experiment, which replaced the Plum Pudding Model
What did Neil Bohr do?
Niel Bohr adapted the nuclear model by suggesting that electrons orbit the nucleus in shells that are at specific distances
Why was Bohr’s model accepted?
The theoretical calculations of Bohr agreed with experimental observations.
What did James Chadwick do?
20 years after the nucleus became an accepted scientific
idea and the nuclear model, James Chadwick demonstrated the existence of neutrons
What are the 3 subatomic particles
- Protons
- Neutrons
- Electrons
Describe the structure of an atom?
The atom has a small, central nucleus made up of neutrons and protons, around which there are electrons
What is the charge of atoms?
Atoms have no overall charge
Why do atoms have no overall charge?
There is no overall charge as they have the same number of protons as electrons, so the charges cancel each other out
What does the atomic number represent?
The atomic number represents the number of protons
(The no. of protons defines an element)
What do all atoms of a particular element have in common?
All atoms of a particular element have the same number of protons
(The no. of protons defines an element)
What is the atomic mass?
The total number of protons and neutrons
What is the radius of an atom?
The radius of an atom is about 0.1 nm (1 x 10-10 m)
Compare the radius of the nucleus to the radius of the atom?
The radius of the nucleus is around 10 000 times smaller than the radius of the atom (1 x 10-14)
What are isotopes?
Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons, but different number of neutrons, hence a different mass number