atomic structure Flashcards
what are the subatomic particles?
There are 3 subatomic particles; protons, electrons and neutrons.
charge and mass of proton
Protons are positive (relative charge is +1) and have a relative mass of 1.
charge and mass of electrons
Electrons are negative (relative charge is -1) and their relative mass is very small.
charge and mass of neutrons
Neutrons are neutral (relative charge is 0) and have a relative mass of 1.
what is found in the nucleus? and what orbits the nucleus?
Protons and neutrons are found in the nucleus and electrons orbit the nucleus.
what overall charge do atoms have and why?
Atoms have no overall charge because the number of positive protons is equal to the
number of negative electrons.
what is the atomic number?
The atomic number is the number of protons
what is the mass number?
The mass number is the number of protons and neutrons in total.
what are isotopes?
Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons
how are electrons arranged?
how many electrons do the energy levels hold?
Electrons are arranged in energy levels (shells). The lowest energy level (shell) can hold a
maximum of 2 electrons, the second can hold 8 and the third can hold 8.
what do electrons occupy?
Electrons occupy the lowest available energy level.
how can the electronic structure be shown?
as a diagram or as numbers. Eg for sodium that
has 11 electrons, the electronic structure is 2,8,1
