GENERAL CHEMISTRY 1

Quarter 1 – Week 2
Review on Protons, Neutrons, and Electrons

Atoms of an element have a constant or fixed number of protons. The atomic number gives the number of
protons in the nucleus of the atom. For the neutral atom, the number of protons is equal to the number of its
electrons. The atomic number is often represented by the symbol Z.

Z = nuclear charge = number of protons = number of electrons in neutral form

The mass number is represented by the symbol A. The sum of the number of protons and neutrons is
called the mass number. An atom may be represented by the nuclear symbol AZE where:

E = symbol of the element

A = mass number
Z = atomic number

A = number of protons (Z) + number of neutrons

The protons and neutrons are collectively called nucleons.

Let us look at some examples of nuclear symbols of elements

24
12Mg (Magnesium)
Atomic number (Z)=12
# of protons: 12
# of electrons: 12
Number of neutrons: (A-Z)
(24-12) = 12

Part I. Isotopes and Their Uses

John Dalton’s atomic theory states that all atoms of an element have the same mass. However, with
modern science and techniques, isotopes have been discovered. This discovery revised Dalton’s statement
that atoms of the same element have the same mass numbers. In other words, isotopes are atoms of the
same element but has different numbers of neutrons.

For example, all carbon atoms (Z=6) have 6 protons as well as electrons, but only 98.89% of naturally
occurring carbon atoms have 6 neutrons (A=12).

Isotopes

The word isotope was derived from Greek words isos and topos which means “the same place”. Isotopes
variants of an element are still found in the same location in the periodic table of elements. This term was
introduced by a British Chemist Frederick Soddy.

What is the Nature of Isotopes?

Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different in the number
of neutrons. For example, the most common oxygen isotope has 8 neutrons inside the nucleus, but other
isotopes have 9 or 10 neutrons.

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 Isotopes of Oxygen

An oxygen atom with eight protons and eight neutrons and has a mass number of 16, its name is Oxygen-
16. Oxygen-17 has eight protons and nine neutrons and its mass number is 17. And lastly, an oxygen atom
with eight protons and ten neutrons and has a mass number of eighteen.

Due to the variations of the mass number of the isotopes like Oxygen-16, Oxygen-17 and Oxygen-18, the
relative atomic mass should be computed as indicated in the periodic table. The atomic mass of oxygen
indicated in the periodic table is 15.999. How this figure obtained? To calculate the atomic mass of an
element, you have to multiply the mass number of each isotope by its percentage abundance in
decimal form. Then add these amounts together to find the relative atomic mass.

For example, Chlorine-35 makes up 75.53 percent of all the chlorine in nature, and Chlorine-37 makes up
the other 24.47 percent. The relative atomic mass of chlorine is calculated as follows;

Isotope Mass Number Atomic Mass Percentage Relative Atomic

Number Abundance Mass
Chlorine-35 35 34.969 75.53%
35.45
Chlorine-37 37 36.966 24.47

Below is a list of some important isotopes:

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 Part II. Writing and Naming the Chemical Formula of Compounds

In a chemical formula, element symbols, and, often, numerical subscripts show the type and number of
each atom in the smallest unit of the substance. In this lesson, you will learn how to write the names and
formulas of ionic and simple covalent compounds and how to visualize molecules.

How to write the Chemical Formula, Chemical Name and Structural Formula of Compounds?

Compound

This is a substance which is made up of two or more atoms joined together by a chemical bond.
Compounds may be classified into two based from the nature of the atoms that make up them, and the type
of intramolecular bond that exist between atoms. The two classification of compounds are ionic compound
and covalent compound. The ionic compound is formed between a metal atom and a nonmetal atom, and
the type of intramolecular bond exist between atoms is ionic bond due to the presence of ionic charges.
Example of this is sodium chloride which is made up of metal sodium and nonmetal chlorine.

Na+1 + Cl-1 → Na1Cl1 or NaCl

Sodium Chlorine Sodium chloride

The covalent compound is formed between two or more nonmetal atoms, and the type of intramolecular
bond that exist between atoms is covalent bond. Example of this is Carbon tetrachloride (in structural
formula)

So, in writing the chemical formula, structural formula as well as the chemical name of a given compound,
you must determine first the intramolecular bond that exists between atoms of compounds.

Chemical Formula and Chemical Name

Once again, chemical formula is the shorthand of expressing the types and the number of atoms in a
substance. The way of writing the chemical formula and chemical name of ionic compound is different from
the covalent compound.

a. Ionic Compound
In writing the chemical formula of an ionic compound, do the following steps below. We will use sodium
chloride as an example of a chemical name that need to be converted into chemical formula.

Step 1 (Atoms involved) - Sodium and Chlorine

Step 2 (Chemical symbol) - Na + Cl
+1 -1
Step 3 (Formed Ion) - Na + Cl

The Na has a charged of +1 because it tends to give 1 valence electron to chlorine atom to become
stable. Most metal atoms whose valence electrons are ranging from 1-3, they tend to give valence electron
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to become stable thus becomes positive ion known as Cation. Since Na has 1 valence electron, it will give
its valence electron to chlorine forming sodium ion. While Cl has a charged of -1 because it tends to accept
1 valence electron from sodium atom to become stable. Most nonmetal atoms whose valence electrons are
ranging from 5-7, they tend to accept valence electron to become stable thus becomes negative ion known
as Anion. Since Cl has 7 valence electrons, it needs 1 valence electron from Na, it will accept 1 valence
electron from sodium forming chlorine ion.
+1 -1
Step 4 (Criss-cross multiply the charges) - Na + Cl
1 1
Step 5 (Remove the plus sign
to determine the chemical formula) - Na1Cl1 or NaCl
(note the charges become subscript)

If you want to reverse the process, let us say naming an ionic compound, do the following steps
below. We will use NaCl as an example of a chemical formula that need to convert to chemical name.

Step 1 (Chemical name involved) - Sodium and Chlorine

Step 2 (Change the last 4, 3 or 2
Letters of the name of - Sodium and Chloride
nonmetal element into -ide)
Step 3 (Remove the word and - Sodium Chloride
then combined the two words)

b. Covalent Compound
In writing the chemical formula of an covalent compound, do the following steps below. We will use Carbon
tetrachloride as an example of a chemical name that need to be converted into chemical formula.

Step 1 (Atoms involved) - Carbon and Chlorine

Step 2 (Chemical symbol) - C + Cl
Step 3 (Number of atoms) - 1 + 4

Note that the carbon has 1 atom while chlorine has 4 atoms. We can determine the number of atom based
from the Greek prefixes used before each type of atom. In Carbon tetrachloride, there is no Greek prefix
written before the word carbon. This means that the number of carbon is 1. In Greek prefix, 1 is mono but
there is no prefix mono before the word carbon. This is because the prefix mono is not allowed to be
written at the beginning of the chemical name. From supposedly Monocarbon tetrachloride, it is name
as carbon tetrachloride.

Greek Prefixes
1- Mono 4- Tetra 7-Hepta 10- Deca
2- Di 5- Penta 8- Octa
3- Tri 6- Hexa 9- Nona

Step 4 (Combined the chemical

Symbol and number of atoms) - C1 + Cl4

Step 5 (Remove the plus sign

to determine the chemical formula) - C1Cl4 or CCl4

If you want to reverse the process, let us say naming a covalent compound, do the following steps below.
We will use CCl4 as an example of a chemical formula that need to convert to chemical name.
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Step 1 (Chemical name involved) - Carbon and Chlorine
Step 2 (Determine the Greek prefix) - non and tetra
Step 3 (Remove the word and
then combined Greek prefix
and Change the last 4, 3 or 2 - Carbon tetrachloride
Letters of the name of last
nonmetal element into -ide )

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