Atomic Structure

Question 1

What are atoms?

Answer 1

Atoms are tiny particles which makes up all matter.

Question 2

What is an atom made of?

Answer 2

An atom is made of electrons(-), protons(+) and neutrons(0)

Question 3

What is the relative charge of a proton?

Answer 3

+1

Question 4

What is the relative charge of an electron?

Answer 4

-1

Question 5

What is the relative charge of a neutron?

Answer 5

0, there is no charge

Question 6

What is the relative mass of a proton?

Answer 6

1

Question 7

What is the relative mass of an electron?

Answer 7

1/835 (negligible)

Question 8

What is the relative mass of a neutron?

Answer 8

1

Question 9

What is at the centre of an atom and what does it do?

Answer 9

At the centre of an atom, there is a tiny nucleus which contains protons and neutrons.

Question 10

What is surrounding the nucleus?

Answer 10

Fast-moving electrons arranged in electron shells at different distances from the nucleus

Question 11

Where is most of the mass in an atom?

Answer 11

Protons and neutrons have a higher relative mass than an electron so most the mass is in the nucleus

Question 12

What is the Atomic Number?

Answer 12

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which is characteristic of a chemical element and determines its place in the periodic table.

Question 13

What the Mass number?

Answer 13

The total number of protons and neutrons in a nucleus.

Question 14

What is an Isotope?

Answer 14

Isotopes are forms of an element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Question 15

What happens in Nuclear Fission?

Answer 15

The splitting of a nucleus which produces new elements and transfers large amounts of energy

Question 16

How do you work out the relative atomic mass?

Answer 16

Find the relative mass of an atom by adding the number of protons to the number of neutrons. Hydrogen has a relative atomic mass of 1, and carbon-12 has a relative atomic mass of 12.