Chapter 2

Atoms, Molecules and Ions

2.1 Atoms and the Atomic Theory

● In 1808 an English scientist John Dalton developed the atomic model of matter
● An element is composed of tiny particles called atoms
● Atoms can move from one substance to another in a chemical reaction but is does not
change or disappear
● Compounds are formed when atoms of two or more elements combine
● Based on Dalton an atoms is the smallest particle of an element that can enter into a
chemical reaction
2.1 Components of the Atom
● Electrons
○ Evidence of existence of subatomic particle came from studies of the conduction
of electricity through gases at low pressures. When the glass tube is partially
evacuated and connected to a spark coil an electric current flows through it.
Associated with this flow are colored rays of light called cathode rays which are
ben by both electric and magnetic fields. From studies of deflection J.J. Thomas
shows in 1897 that the rays consist of a stream of negatively charged particles
which he called electrons
○ Outside the nucleus
○ Unit -1
○ Mass 1/2000
○ Every atom contains a definite number of electrons
● Proton and Neutrons; the Atomic Nucleus
● J.J. Thomson proposed that the structure of the
atom consists of a positively charged sphere with
the negatively charged electrons embedded in
that sphere
● Ernest Rutherford bombarded a piece of thin gold
foil with x particles (helium atoms minus their
electrons), with the fluorescent light he observed
the x scattered particles most of the particles
went through the foil in an unchanged direction however some bounced some reflected
back.
● Rutherford concluded that the scattering was caused by positively charged nucleus at the
center of the gold atom
● Nucleus
○ Most of the mass of the nucleus comes from protons and neutrons
○ Volume is smaller than atom
○ Consists of two different types of particles

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■ Protons
● Mass nearly equal to a hydrogen atom
● Positive charge +1
● Equal to the magnitude of the electron -1
■ Neutrons
● Uncharged particles
● Mass > proton

2.3 Quantitative Properties of the Atoms

● Atomic Number
○ Atomic number = number of protons
○ Z symbol
○ Neutral atom the number of proton = number of electron
● Mass number; Isotopes
○ A= number of protons + number of neutrons
○ Neutrons number can differ
○ Isotope: an atom that contains the same number of
protons but a different number of neutrons
● Atomic Masses
○ Atomic mass scale is based on carbon 12
○ amu= atomic mass unit
● Isotopic Abundance
○ Relative masses of individual atoms can be determined using a mass spectrometer
○ Can be determened by mass spectrometry

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