Term 1 Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table

Question 1

Location, charge and relative mass of Proton

Answer 1

Location: Nucleus
Charge: +1
Relative Mass: 1 amu

Question 2

Location, charge and relative mass of Neutron

Answer 2

Location: Nucleus
Charge: 0
Relative Mass: 1 amu

Question 3

Location, charge and relative mass of Electron

Answer 3

Location: Orbiting nucleus in shells
Charge: -1
Relative Mass: ~1/1836 amu

Question 4

What is the nucleus made up of

Answer 4

Protons and neutrons

Question 5

Where is nucleus located

Answer 5

Center core of the atom

Question 6

What is the overall charge of the nucleus

Answer 6

Positive

Question 7

Overall charge of atom

Answer 7

An atom is electrically neutral as the total positive charge from protons equals the total negative charge from electrons.

Any imbalance results in an ion with a net positive or negative charge

Question 8

What does the atomic number represent

Answer 8

Represents the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.

Question 9

What does the mass number represent

Answer 9

Sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.

Question 10

How can you find the number of protons

Answer 10

Equal to the atomic number

Question 11

How can you find the number of electrons

Answer 11

In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons

Question 12

How can you find the number of neutrons

Answer 12

Calculated by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number

Question 13

What is the relationship between number of valence electrons and reactivity

Answer 13

Atoms with few valence electrons (alkali metals) tend to be more reactive because they have a strong tendency to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration.

Atoms with a full valence shell (such as the noble gases) are generally unreactive because they already have a stable electron configuration and do not readily gain or lose electrons.

Question 14

What do the columns on the periodic table tell us

Answer 14

Same number of valence electrons and they have similar properties

Question 15

What do the periods on the periodic table tell us

Answer 15

Same number of electron shells

Question 16

for anions which direction on the periodic table makes it more reactive

Answer 16

anions (negatively charged ions), reactivity tends to increase as you move up and to the left on the periodic table. This is because as you move up a group (column), the atomic radius decreases and the outermost electrons are held more tightly by the nucleus, making it harder for them to be gained or lost.
Additionally, as you move to the left across a period (row), the effective nuclear charge (the positive charge felt by the outer electrons) increases, making it easier to attract additional electrons

Question 17

for cations which direction on the periodic table makes it more reactive

Answer 17

For cations (positively charged ions), reactivity generally increases as you move down and to the left on the periodic table. This is because as you move down a group (column), the atomic radius increases, allowing for easier loss of outer electrons. Additionally, as you move to the left across a period (row), the effective nuclear charge decreases, making it easier to lose electrons. So, cations towards the bottom and left of the periodic table are typically more reactive.