Chapter 1.1: Subatomic Particles

Question 1

What is a proton?

Answer 1

A subatomic particle located within the nucleus of an atom that carries a positive charge.

Question 2

What is an electron?

Answer 2

A subatomic particle found outside of the nucleus of an atom that carries a negative charge.

Question 3

What is a neutron?

Answer 3

A subatomic particle found inside the nucleus of an atom that does not carry a charge.

Question 4

What is an atomic mass unit?

Answer 4

A unit of measurement used to express the mass of an atom.

Question 5

What does “amu” stand for?

Answer 5

atomic mass unit

Question 6

What does the atomic mass number of an atom tell us?

Answer 6

The average number of protons and neutrons located in the nucleus of an atom.

Question 7

What are isotopes?

Answer 7

Different versions of an atom that simply have different quantities of neutrons from each other.

Question 8

What do we call atoms that have the same atomic number, but a different mass number?

Answer 8

Isotopes

Question 9

What does the atomic number tell us?

Answer 9

Number of protons an atom has.

Question 10

Where are electrons found?

Answer 10

Outside of the nucleus

Question 11

What are electron shells?

Answer 11

Orbits around the nucleus where electrons travel

Question 12

What are valence electrons?

Answer 12

The electrons found on the outermost orbit (electron shell) of the atom

Question 13

What is a cation?

Answer 13

A positively charged atom

Question 14

What is an anion?

Answer 14

A negatively charged atom

Question 15

What happens to the charge of an atom as it gains more electrons?

Answer 15

Becomes negative

Question 16

What happens to the charge of an atom as it loses electrons?

Answer 16

Becomes positive

Question 17

Can any electron bond with other atoms?

Answer 17

No, only those electrons on the outermost shell interact with the environment.

Question 18

Why do valence electrons interact so much with their environment?

Answer 18

Since they are farthest from the nucleus (and the attracting positve charge of the protons), the force of pull towards the nucleus is the weakest.

Question 19

Which subatomic particles determine the charge of an atom?

Answer 19

Electrons

Question 20

Which subatomic particles determine the atomic number?

Answer 20

Protons

Question 21

Which subatomic particles determine the isotopes?

Answer 21

Neutrons

Question 22

What is the mass number of an atom?

Answer 22

The number of protons + neutrons in a given isotope.

Question 23

How do you find the number of neutrons of an atom on a periodic table?

Answer 23

Round the atomic mass to the nearest whole number.

Question 24

Provide the following:

Atomic Number

Number of Protons

Mass Number

Atomic Mass

Number of Electrons

Answer 24

Atomic Number = 28

Number of Protons = 28

Mass Number = 58.693

Atomic Mass = 59

Number of Electrons = 31

Question 25

Provide the following:

Atomic Number

Number of Protons

Mass Number

Atomic Mass

Number of Electrons

Answer 25

Provide the following:

Atomic Number: 12

Number of Protons: 12

Mass Number: 24.305

Atomic Mass: 24

Number of Electrons: 12

Question 26

Provide the following:

Atomic Number

Number of Protons

Mass Number

Atomic Mass

Number of Electrons

Answer 26

Provide the following:

Atomic Number: 3

Number of Protons: 3

Mass Number: 6.94

Atomic Mass: 7

Number of Electrons: 4

Question 27

Provide the following:

Atomic Number

Number of Protons

Mass Number

Atomic Mass

Number of Electrons

Answer 27

Provide the following:

Atomic Number: 8

Number of Protons: 8

Mass Number: 15.999

Atomic Mass: 16

Number of Electrons: 8