The Nature of Matter Flashcards
The basic unit of matter is called an…
atom
Different kinds of atoms are called…
elements
Elements are organized into a table based on…
their atomic number (number of protons in their nucleus)
In the nucleus of the atoms there are what type of charges?
Protons (positive) and neutrons (neutral)
Surrounding the atom there is a…
shell of electrons (negative charge)
The number of valence electrons are in the _____ electron shell
outer
The number of valence electrons in an atom determines the ways in which…
atoms can bond with other atoms
An atom loves to have ___ valence electrons in it’s outer shell
8 or none
When an atom loses an electron, it loses a negative charge and becomes a…
positive ion
When an atom gains an electron, it gains a negative charge and becomes a…
negative ion
Ionic bonds form as a result of the attraction between…
positive and negative ions
The forces that holds atoms together in a covalent bond is the attraction of each atom’s nucleus for the…
shared pair of electrons
The oxygen atom in water and the nitrogen atom in ammonia are each surrounded by how many electrons?
eight
Why are there eight electrons surrounding the oxygen atom in water and the nitrogen atom in ammonia?
they share electrons with hydrogen atoms
What does a chemical formula tell us?
The number of atoms of each element in a compound; describes one chemical compound or molecule
