1.1 Atomic Structure

Question 1

what types of particles is an atom made up of?

Answer 1

protons, neutrons and electrons

Question 2

what does the nucleus at the centre of the atom contain?

Answer 2

protons and neutrons, both known as nucleons

Question 3

what is the relative charge and mass of a proton?

Answer 3

relative charge: positive, +1
relative mass: 1

Question 4

what is the relative charge and mass of a neutron?

Answer 4

relative charge: neutral, 0
relative mass: 1

Question 5

what is the relative charge and mass of an electron?

Answer 5

relative charge: negative, -1
relative mass: 0.0005

Question 6

what is the proton/atomic number?

Answer 6

the number of protons in the nucleus. this tells you the atoms element and the number of electrons

Question 7

what is the symbol for the proton/atomic number?

Answer 7

Z

Question 8

what is the nucleon/mass number?

Answer 8

the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. this tells you the atoms mass.

Question 9

what is the symbol for the nucleon/mass number?

Answer 9

A

Question 10

what is the equation for specific charge?

Answer 10

specific charge = charge/mass

Question 11

what is the unit for specific charge?

Answer 11

coulombs per kilogram (C kg^-1)

Question 12

what are isotopes?

Answer 12

atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons

Question 13

what does changing the number of neutrons do to the atom?

Answer 13

• chemical properties do not change
• the stability of the nucleus changes (in general, the greater the number of neutrons the more unstable the nucleus)

Question 14

what is isotopic data?

Answer 14

the relative amounts of the different isotopes of an element present in a substance