2.1.1 Constituents of the Atom Flashcards
What particles make up an atom?
Protons & Neutrons make up the nucleus
Electrons are contained in energy levels surrounding the atom nucleus
What is the charge of proton?
+1.60 x 10^-19 C
What is the mass of a proton?
1.67 x 10^-27 kg
What is the charge of a neutron?
0 C
What is the mass of a neutron?
1.67 x 10^-27 kg
What is the charge of an electron?
-1.60 x 10^19 C
What is a proton number?
The number of protons in the nucleus.
Sometimes called atomic number.
What do proton number define?
Define the element. as no two element have the same proton number.
Why is proton number important?
In neutral atoms, they also count for the number of electrons.
The element’s reactions and chemical behaviour depend on the number of electrons. (Tells us a lot of about its chemical properties)
What is a nucleon number?
Tells us how many protons and neutrons are in a nucleus.
It is also known as the mass number. (relative mass of a proton and neutron is approximate 1 and electron have very little mass so nucleon number give approximate of atom’s mass)
What is nuclide notation?
Summarises all information about an element’s atomic structure.
For element ‘X’:
- ‘A’ at the top is nucleon number (mass number)
- ‘Z’ at the bottom is proton number (atomic number)
What is specific charge?
The ratio of its charge to its mass (C/kg).
What is the equation for specific charge?
specific charge = charge / mass
What is an isotope?
Atoms with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons.
Does isotope behave differently to the original atom?
This does not effect the atom’s chemical properties but affects the stability of the nucleus
Higher the number of neutrons to protons ratio, higher the instability.
