Atomic structure Flashcards
How small are atoms?
Atoms are approximately 0.00000001 cm.
What are atoms made of?
Atoms are made of even smaller particles called sub-atomic particles.
What are the 3 types of sub-atomic particles
Protons,neutrons and electrons
are protons, neutrons, and electrons evenly distributed in an atom?
Protons neutrons and electrons are not evenly distributed in an atom.
What is the relative mass of a proton, neutron, and electron?
The relative mass of a proton is 1
The relative mass of a neutron is 1
The relative mass of an electron is 1/2000
What is the relative charge of a proton, neutron, and electron?
The relative charge of a proton is +1
The relative charge of a neutron is 0
The relative charge of an electron is -1
Why is an atom electrically neutral?
An atom contains an equal number of protons and electrons. Hence, it has no overall charge.
What is a nucleon?
A neutron is a subatomic particle that is found in the nucleus.
A nucleon can be either a proton or a neutron
Define Proton number
The atoms of an element always contain the same number of protons.
For example, a carbon atom always contains 6 protons. Furthermore, any atom that has 6 protons must be a carbon atom.
Proton number is also known as atomic number
It is the smaller of 2 numbers shown in most Periodic Tables.
Why does atoms have an equal number of positive protons and negative electrons?
This is because an atom is electrically neutral.
Hence, the number of electrons is the same as the number of protons.
