Term 3 Science Study 

Unit 1.1: Atoms 

 
Atomic Building Blocks 
 
● Atoms are the building blocks of everything 
● To see atoms, a scanning tunneling microscope must be used 
● There are 118 different types of atoms with only 98 being naturally occurring 
 
Atoms in Elements and Compounds 
 
● Clusters of atoms are molecules 
● Crystal lattices are large grid-like structures made of atoms 

Elements 
 
● If a substance is made up of just one type of element, it is referred to as an element 
● Carbon is a unique element because carbon atoms can form very large molecules 
● Carbon is also the only non metal that is able to form a crystal lattice 
 
Compounds 
 
● If a substance is made up of different types of atoms it is a compound 
● Many compounds are crystal lattices 

1
 Term 3 Science Study 
 

 
 
Inside Atoms 
 
● Atoms are made of subatomic particles 
● The three subatomic particles are protons, neutrons and electrons 
● Neutrons have no charge, protons are positively charged and electrons are negatively 
charged. This causes protons to be attracted to electrons and vice versa 
● The electrons are light enough to form an electron cloud around the nucleus 

2
 Term 3 Science Study 
 

 
Atomic Number and Mass Number 
 
● The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom determines what type of atom it is 
and what element it belongs to 
● The number of electrons is equal to the number of protons 
● The number of neutrons is the mass number minus the atomic number 
● The number of protons in an atom is known as the atomic number 
● The number of protons and neutrons combined is the mass number 

 
 
Electrons and the Nucleus 
 
● The positive charge of protons is countered by the negative charge of electrons 
● An electron is 1800 times lighter than a proton 
● The electron cloud can be broken down into electron shells that surround the nucleus 

 
 
Ions 
 
● Atoms can lose or gain electrons, causing them to become charged. They’re then 
known as ions 
● A positively charged ion is called a cation 
● I negatively charged ion is known as an anion 
● Their chemical symbol is the normal symbol except with the the amount of electrons 
lost/gained on its right. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

3
 Term 3 Science Study 
 

 
Progression of the Atomic Model 

 
 

4
 Term 3 Science Study 
 

 
 
Unit 1.2: Metals, Nonmetals and Metalloids 
 
Elements 
 

 
● Elements are substances that are made up of only one type of atom 
● They all have their own distinctive symbols and atomic numbers 
● There are 118 elements on the periodic table that are all listed in order of atomic 
number 
 
Metals 
 
● Metals are lustrous (shiny), malleable (can be bent without breaking), ductile 
(stretched into wires), conductors of electricity and heat, dense and solid at room 
temperature 
 
Non Metals 
 
● Most nonmetals are found naturally as gases in the air 
● They are poor conductors of heat and electricity, are brittle, dull and have relatively 
low melting and boiling points 
 
 
 
Carbon 
 

5
 Term 3 Science Study 
 

● Carbon is unusual because its atoms combine with other carbon atoms and other 
elements to form lattices, long chains and rings 
● Over 90% of all compounds contain carbon 
● Forms of pure carbon are known as allotropes 
 
Metalloids 
 
● Metalloids act like non-metals in most ways, however, they possess some properties 
of metals 
● They are semiconductors, meaning that they will conduct electricity under certain 
conditions 
● This makes allows them to be used in computers and televisions 
 
 
Unit 1.3: Acids and Bases 
 
Acids 
● An acid is a substance that releases hydrogen ions into a solution that contains 
water. 
 
Properties of Acids 
 
● Are corrosive 
● Have a sour taste  
● Turn blue litmus paper red 
● React with some metals 
● Conduct electricity  
● A neutralised by bases. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

6
 Term 3 Science Study 
 

● Acids are molecular compounds made up of atoms from different elements 

● The strength of the acids depends on how many Hydrogen ions are released. 
 

 
 
Examples of Acids 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Bases and Alkalis 

7
 Term 3 Science Study 
 

●A base is a substance that releases hydroxide ions 

●An alkali is a base that can be dissolved in water 
 
Properties of bases 
● Are caustic (able to burn/corrode) 
● Have a soapy of slimy feel 
● Turn litmus paper blue 
● Have a bitter taste 
● Conduct electricity  
● A neutralised by acids  
 
Side Notes 
● Strong bases produce a lot of hydroxide ions (OH-) whereas weak bases 
produce fewer. 
 

 
 
pH 
● pH is the measure of hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution. 
● In an acid solution there will be more hydrogen ions. 
 

8
 Term 3 Science Study 
 

 
 
Measuring pH 
 
● Indicators are chemicals that change colour to show whether a substance is acidic, 
neutral or basic. 
● A common indicator is litmus paper, however this method doesn't display the amount 
of pH rather what category it comes into. 
 

 
 
Half-life 
 
● The rate at which nuclear decay takes place is measured by a radioisotope’s half-life. 
● The half-life os a radioisotope is the time it takes for half the nuclei to decay. 

9
 Term 3 Science Study 
 

● The half-life of radioisotopes varies from a fraction of a second to millions of years. 

 

 
 
Radioactivity 
 
● Alpha, beta and gamma radiation all have different properties that determine how 
much biological damage they can cause. 
● Alpha particles are 20 times better at ionising molecules than beta particles and 
gamma rays. If isotopes emitting alpha radiation get inside the body, the effects can 
be fatal. Radioactive gases that emit alpha radiation are particularly dangerous when 
breathed into the lungs. 
● Beta radiation penetrates the skin more deeply than alpha radiation. As a result, beta 
radiation is more likely to cause radiation burns to the skin and eyes. 
● Gamma radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation which means that it is made 
up of electromagnetic waves rather than particles. This means gamma rays do not 
have any mass or charge and travel at the speed of light. 
 

 
 
 
 

10
 Term 3 Science Study 
 

Nuclear decay 
 
● Nuclear decay can cause some atoms to change into completely different types of 
elements. This happens whenever the number of protons in the nucleus changes. 
This process of an atom converting to another type of atom is known as 
transmutation. 
● The three types of nuclear decay are alpha, beta and gamma decay. 
● During alpha decay, a nucleus ejects an alpha particle, which is a cluster of two 
protons and two neutrons. 
● When a nucleus undergoes beta decay, a neutron is converted into a proton. 
● Gamma decay is the process of protons and neutrons simply rearranging inside the 
nucleus but not emitting a particle. Instead they emit a form of electromagnetic wave 
known as a gamma ray. 
 

11