The Atom

MATTER
MATTER
Everything around us is TREE WATER AIR
made of matter. If it
takes up space and has
volume, it is matter.
NOT MATTER
ENERGY EMOTIONS IDEAS

ATOMS
▪ Matter is composed of incredibly small atoms.
▪ Atoms are the basic building blocks of all matter.
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 The Atom

STRUCTURE OF ATOMS

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LANGUAGE OF ATOMS
▪ + charge
PROTON (P) ▪ Mass = 1 amu
▪ Location: In nucleus
▪ # Protons = # Electrons

NEUTRON (N) ▪ NO charge

▪ Mass = 1 amu
▪ Location: In nucleus

▪ - charge
ELECTRON (E) ▪ Mass = 0 amu
▪ Location: In electron cloud
▪ # Protons = # Electrons

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LANGUAGE OF ATOMS

ATOMIC NUMBER is the number of protons (P) in an atom.

▪ The number of protons (atomic number) determines
the identity of an atom.

ATOMIC MASS is the number of protons (P) plus neutrons

(N) in the nucleus.

In summary, P = E
N = Atomic mass – P
E=P

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LANGUAGE OF ATOMS

VALENCE ELECTRONS: the number of electrons in the

outermost energy level of the electron cloud

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LANGUAGE OF ATOMS

VALENCE ELECTRONS determine the chemical

properties of atoms, including the reactivity of the atom.

▪ CHEMICAL PROPERTIES: Atoms with the same

number of valence electrons will have similar
chemical properties.

▪ REACTIVITY: The reactivity of an atom is its capacity

to undergo a chemical reaction with another atom.
The capacity to react is dependent on its valence
electrons.

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GROUPS AND VALENCE ELECTRONS

SIMILAR PROPERTIES
● GROUPS are made of atoms having the SAME NUMBER OF
VALENCE ELECTRONS.

● Elements in a group have similar properties because they have the

same number of valence electrons.

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REACTIVITY

● The atoms that react most easily with other atoms have
either the lowest number of valence electrons or the
highest number of valence electrons.

● Atoms with the lowest number of valence electrons are

highly reactive because they seek stability by releasing
their valence electron(s) to other atoms.

● Atoms with the highest number of valence electrons

are highly reactive because they seek stability by gaining
electrons to fill their outermost shell.