Atomic Structure

John Dalton- Proposed the Atomic Theory

- All matter is made up of atoms.

- Atoms are indivisible and indestructible

- All atoms of a given element are identical in mass and properties

- Compounds are formed by a combination of two or more different kinds of atoms

- A chemical reaction is a rearrangement of atoms

J. J Thompson- suggested that the atom looked like a miniature plum pudding with electrons embedded
in the rest of the atom

Rutherford- Showed that the atom was actually made up of two parts: the central nucleus containing
protons surrounded by electrons revolving it rather like the planets around the sun

Bohr- Explained that the electrons orbit in fixed distances (in shells) around the nucleus which prevents
them from being pulled towards the nucleus causing the atom to collapse inwards.

James Chadwick- Found out that the nucleus contained not only positive charged particles called
protons but also neutral particles which he called neutrons.

The Model of the Atom

The atom is consists of three types of particles called sub-atomic particles. These are the protons,
neutrons and electrons.

Particle Relative Mass Relative Charge Location

Protons 1 +1 In nucleus
Neutrons 1 Neutral In nucleus
Electrons 1/1840 -1 In shells
A comparison of the Sub Atomic Particles

Scientists have measured the mass of these sub atomic particles and their electrical charges. Because
they are so very small, the ordinary units of mass and charge which we use in everyday life cannot be
used. So they are simple compared with another atom- carbon. One unit of mass is chosen to be 1/12
the mass of a carbon atom. These units are called atomic mass units. A similar method is used for
electrical charge: one unit of charge is equal to the charge on the nucleus of a hydrogen atom.

- The number of protons and electrons in any atom is the same, atoms are therefore electrically
neutral. So an atom is not electrically charged, but the protons and electrons inside it are.
- Atoms of different elements are different because they contain different numbers of protons,
neutrons and electrons.
- The protons and neutron has the same mass, one atomic mass unit.
 - The electrons are so much smaller that its mass is ignored when compared to the protons and
neutrons.
- The charges on the proton and electron are equal but opposite.
- The nucleus has no charge, it is neutral.

Atoms are composed of two parts:

 A central nucleus containing protons and neutrons tightly packed together.

 One or more shells or energy levels surrounding the nucleus, and containing electrons revolving
at high speeds:
- Each shell is a fixed distance from the nucleus.
- Electrons in the shells closest to the nucleus have the least energy.
- Shells closest to the nucleus fill up first.
- The shells become nearer to each other as the distance from the nucleus increases.
- Each shell contains a fixed number of electrons:
- The first shell (called the K shell) contains up to two electrons.
- The second shell (called the L shell) contains up to 8 electrons.
- The third shell (called the M shell) contains up to 18 electrons but only 8 are needed before we
move on to the next shell.
- The chemical properties of elements are determined by the number and arrangement of
electrons.
- The outermost shell of an electron is called its valency shell.
- The arrangement of the electrons in the shells of the atoms is called electronic configuration

Atoms can be assigned two numbers:

 Atomic Number/Proton Number (Z)- the number of protons in the nucleus of one atom of an
element.
 The Mass Number /Nucleon Number (A)- the sum total of the number of protons and neutrons
in the nucleus of one atom of an element.
 Electrons are not counted since they have negligible mass.

mass number
Atomic Number Symbol of element
A=Z+N
Example: 1327Al represents one atom of Aluminum:
Mass number = 27

Atomic Number = 13

Number of protons = 13

Number of electrons = 13
 Number of neutrons = 27-13=14

Element Atomic Number of Number of Mass Number of

Number (Z) Protons Electrons Number (A) Neutrons (N)
1
H
4
He
7
Li
9
Be
11
B
12
C
14
N
16
O
19
F
20
Ne
23
Na
24
Mg
27
Al
28
Si
31
P
32
S
35
Cl
40
Ar
39
K
40
Ca

a c
X
b d

X- symbol of atom
a- Mass number
b- Atomic number
c- Charge
d- Number of items on the entity

The Atomic Mass Unit (a.m.u) - one atomic mass unit is defined as precisely 1/12 the mass of
an atom of carbon-12 and is given as 1.67377 x 10-24 g. The mass on one proton is approximately
1 a.m.u and the mass of one neutron is also approximately 1 a.m.u. Carbon has 6 protons and 6
neutrons so its mass is given as 12 a.m.u.
Use Lemona and Chlorine example to explain RAM, Isotopes and Relative Abundance and
35.5/12 is the mass of Chlorine relative to Carbon-12.
Total mass number of isotope = (mass number of isotope x abundance) + (mass number of
isotope x abundance)
Relative Atomic Mass (Ar) (Atomic Weight) – is the average mass of one atom of an element
compared with the mass of one atom of carbon 12, the mass of which is taken to be exactly
12.00 units.
Relative atomic mass is a weighted average and not the normal average we are accustomed to
doing.
Relative atomic masses have no units because they are ratios of two quantities- the mass of one
divided by the mass of the other.
Isotopy
Isotopes- are two or more atoms of the same element with the same number of protons and
electrons but different numbers of neutrons i.e. they have the same atomic number but
different mass numbers.
Relative Abundance- The relative abundance of an isotope is the percentage of that isotope on
Earth in relation to the total abundance of the atom on Earth.
Example: Carbon-12 and Carbon-13 are two isotopes of the element Carbon. The relative
abundance of carbon-12 is 99.7% and the relative abundance of carbon-13 is 0.3%. What is the
approximate amount of carbon-12 and carbon-13 using known relative abundance?
Answer= 700 atoms of C-12 and 300 atoms of C-13
Relative Atomic Mass Questions
1. The natural abundance of boron isotopes is: 19.9% 10B and 80.1% 11B. Calculate the RAM of
boron.
2. Verify that the atomic mass of magnesium is 24.32, given the following information.
24
Mg- 78.99%, 25Mg- 10.00%, 26Mg- 11.01%

3. Copper exist as two isotopes: 63Cu and 65Cu. Calculate the percentage abundance of the
isotopes. Given the RAM of copper is 63.564.

Radioisotopes
The neutron/proton ratio of a nucleus determines its stability. If the n/p ratio is too large or too small,
the nucleus is unstable and it decays to form a more stable nucleus.

In carbon-12, n/p= 6/6=1

In carbon-13, n/p= 7/6=1.2

In carbon-14, n/p= 8/6=1.3

The greater n/p value of carbon-14 is too large for a carbon atom and this makes the nucleus unstable. A
carbon-14 isotope becomes stable by emitting an electron. This converts it to a stable isotope of
nitrogen-14(n/p=7/7)=1.0

6 C  7 14N + -10e
14

The atoms of some elements are unstable because their neutron/proton ratio is too small or too large
(they have to many or too little number of neutrons) so they split up spontaneously to form smaller
atoms. As the nucleus splits, it also releases radiation. Isotopes which do this are called radioisotopes
and they are said to be radioactive. All isotopes with n/p < 1.0 or > 1.5 are radioactive. All isotopes larger
than bismuth-209 are radioactive. They are just too large and the nuclear forces can no longer hold
them together.

Uses of Radioisotopes
 Carbon-14 Dating-
 Cancer Treatment-
 Heart Pacemaker-
 Tracers in Medical Investigations and Biological Research-
 Generate Electricity-