Atoms and Element

Atoms and Elements

▪ Atoms and Elements

▪ Isotopes and Radioactivity
▪ Arrangement of Electrons
▪ Metal and Non- metals
 Atoms

Atoms are the smallest particles of matter that we cannot break down
further by chemical means.
An element contains only one kind of atom.
 Elements
How many elements are there?

▪ 119 elements.
▪ 94 of them are naturally on earth.
▪ Scientists made the rest in the lab.

Why are they not found in nature?

 Non- metal

Metals
Atoms
 Atomic Structure

Copper is an Copper powder Copper particles

element atoms
Atomic Structure

Protons and neutrons

 Atomic Structure

▪ Subatomic particles: protons, neutrons and electrons.

▪ The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom is called its proton
number ( or atomic number)
▪ Every atom has an equal number of protons and electrons.
▪ So the atoms have no overall charge.
 Atomic Structure

Nucleon number ( Mass number)

▪ Protons and neutrons form the nucleus , so are called nucleons.

▪ The total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of and atom
is called it s nucleon number. ( or mass number ).

Nucleon number = number of protons + number of neutrons

Electrons Arrangement
Period number tell how many shells
there are.
All the element in a group have the same
number of electrons in their outer shells.
The outer- shell electrons are also called the
valency electrons.
▪ Potassium reacts violently with water.
▪ Hydrogen gas is forms and it may catch fire.
▪ All Group I metals react in a similar way, because all their atoms have 1
outer shell electrons.
The number of outer shell electrons dictates how an element
reacts.
That is why the elements in a group have similar reaction
Group VIII – Special Group
Group VIII – Special Group
▪ Helium from Group VIII is a light gas.
▪ Since It is unreactive, it is ideal for filing
balloons.
▪ The other Group VIII elements are also
gases.
▪ Noble gases because they are unreactive
 Isotopes

Isotopes are atoms of the same element which have the same proton
number, but a different nucleon number
Isotopes behave in the same way during chemical reactions because they have
the same number of electrons on their outer shell.
Isotopes behave in the same way during chemical reactions because they
have the same number of electrons on their outer shell.
Radioactivity
The natural isotopes you meet in this unit are stable. But some elements
have isotopes with an unstable nucleus, that breaks down by splitting.
▪ The breakdown is a nuclear reaction, not a chemical one.
▪ The breakdown gives out a great deal of energy, including radiation. So
these isotopes are called radioisotopes.
▪ The radioistopes uranium- 235 is used in nuclear power stations.
▪ The energy it gives out is used to boil water, to drive a steam turbine.
This is generates electricity.
 Relative atomic mass of an element, Ar

The relative atomic mass of an element, Ar is the average mass of its

isotopes, compared to 1/12 the mass of an atom of carbon-12

Ar = (atomic mass of first isotope x its % abundance) + ( atomic mass of

second isotope x its % abundance)..
Example

Chlorine has two natural isotopes: chlorine -35 and chlorine 37.
75 % of the atoms in chlorine have a mass of 35 , and 25 % a mass of 37.
Use of radioisotopes

Radioisotopes ate dangerous – but they are also useful. For example:
▪ To check for leaks.
▪ To treat cancer
▪ To kill germs and bacteria
Metals and Non-metals
 Exceptions to those properties

The properties above are general properties of metals and non-metals. But
there are exceptions. For example:

▪ Not all metals are hard solids. You can cut sodium and potassium with a
knife and mercury is a liquid at room temperature.
▪ Hydrogen is a non-metal, but forms positive ions ( H+) like metals do.
▪ Carbon is a non-metal, but one form of it ( graphite) is a good conductor;
another form (diamond) is very hard, with a very high melting point.
 Use of metals

Metals are generally hard and strong, and good conductors.

▪ Iron is the most-used metal in the world. It is used in buildings, bridge,

cars, tin cans (coated with tin), needles, and nails.
▪ Copper is used for electrical wiring in homes.
▪ Aluminium is strong but light. So it is used in planes and space rockets.
 Non-metals

▪ Air is almost 80 % nitrogen, and about 20 % oxygen.

▪ Water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen.
▪ Our bodies are mostly water, plus hundreds of carbon compounds. (
nitrogen, phosphrous and iodine and metals such as calcium and iron)
▪ Sand is mainly the compound silicon dioxide, formed from silicon and
oxygen.