Science A (Core): Chemistry (I) - The Basics Flashcards
What is an atom made up of?
Atoms contain a nucleus (made of protons and neutrons) and electrons which orbit around in shells
How are the number of protons and electrons related?
The number of protons = the number of electrons (atoms have no overall charge)
How many types of atom does an element have?
An element has only one type of atom (there are around 100 different types of atom, e.g. gold, oxygen, copper etc…)
How are elements represented and where are they found?
Elements are shown by a symbol beginning with a capital letter
All elements are shown in the periodic table
Where are elements with similar properties found in the periodic table?
Elements with similar properties are put into columns (e.g. group 1 are all similar, group 2 are all similar etc…)
Which group are the noble gases found in and where are the alkali metals found in?
Noble gases are found in group 0
Alkali metals are found in group 1
In the periodic table what does the mass number and atomic number of an element shown?
Mass number: protons + neutrons
Atomic number: protons (∴ electrons)
How do electrons fill up around atoms in the shells?
Electrons are found in shells: 2 can fill the first shell then 8 can fill the others
Draw out the electrons surrounding nitrogen (which has 7 electrons)
2 electrons in the first shell and 7 in the second shell
How do atoms join together to form compounds?
Atoms can give / take electrons (ionic bonding)
Atoms can share electrons (covalent bonding)
Draw an example of a covalent bond between two non-metals
Two non-metal atoms share a pair of electrons
Draw an example of an ionic bond between a metal and a non-metal
The metal atom loses an electron (becomes a +ve ion) and the non-metal atom gains an electron (becomes a –ve ion)
What happens to the number of atoms during a reaction?
Atoms are not lost or made in a chemical reaction (the reactants you start with = the products you end with)
What is limestone and what is it used for?
Limestone is calcium carbonate (dug up from the ground and used as a building material)
What happens when limestone (CaCO3) is heated?
Calcium carbonate is thermally decomposed into calcium oxide + carbon dioxide
Calcium carbonate → calcium oxide + carbon dioxide
What happens when limestone (CaCO3) is added to acid?
Calcium carbonate is broken down into a salt, water and carbon dioxide
This is why buildings can get damaged from acid rain
What happens when calcium oxide is added to water?
Calcium oxide reacts with water to form calcium hydroxide (limewater)
Calcium oxide + water → calcium hydroxide
How is limestone useful?
Limestone is used to make cement (heated with clay)
Cement can be mixed with sand and water to make mortar
Cement can be mixed with sand, water and gravel to make concrete
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using limestone as a building material?
Advantages: limestone is cheap, is easily cut and concrete is extremely useful
Disadvantages: quarrying limestone causes noise, pollution and is ugly. Limestone is also damaged by acid rain