ATOMIC STRUCTURE WORKSHEET NAME

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Atoms are composed of three sub-atomic particles: the proton, the neutron, and the electron. The
proton and the neutron are found in the nucleus. Electrons are found in a cloud surrounding the nucleus.

The atomic number of an element is equal to the number of protons in that element. If the atom is
neutral, the number of electrons (-) is equal to the number of protons (+).

If the atom carries a charge, it is referred to as an ion. The charge on an ion indicates an imbalance
between protons and electrons. If the ion has a positive charge, there are more protons than electrons.
To find the number of electrons, you must subtract the charge from the atomic number. If the ion has a
negative charge, there are more electrons than protons. To find the number of electrons, you must add
the charge to the atomic number.

The mass number is a whole number equal to the number of protons plus neutrons. This is because we
say that protons and neutrons each have a mass of 1 amu (standardized from Carbon-12). This number is
not on the periodic table. The atomic mass is the weighted average atomic mass of all the naturally
occurring isotopes of an element. This number is located on the periodic table and is usually a decimal.

(Remember, an isotope is an atom of the same element with a different number of neutrons; an ion is an
atom of the same element with a different number of electrons.)

X= element Mass number

Charge
A= mass number (# of protons + # of neutrons)
Z= atomic number (# of protons)
A - Z = # of neutrons
Isotopic symbol is in this form: Atomic number
Element symbol
A

X Or, you might see: X – A Example: Aluminum - 26

Z

Complete the chart.

Atomic Mass
Element/Ion Atomic Mass Protons Neutrons Electrons
Number Number
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Calcium
Argon
Silver
Define the following:

Atomic Number _______________________________________________________________________

Mass Number _________________________________________________________________________

Atomic Mass _________________________________________________________________________

SUMMARIZE:

Number of… Atomic Mass

Name
Protons Neutrons Electrons Number Number

Argon

Sulfur

Bismuth
Neon

Zinc

Potassium

Aluminum

Gold

Tungsten

Magnesium

Manganese
Uranium

Plutonium

How do you find the number of protons and electrons for any atom?

How do you find the number of neutrons for any atom?

How do you fine the number of valence electrons for elements in the “A” groups?

How do you find how many electron orbitals should be drawn in the model?

Draw 6 models of any atom listed in the charts above in the area on this page. Be sure you label each

atom model.