Atoms

The protons and neutrons make up the nucleus of the atom, which is surrounded by the
electrons belonging to the atom. Protons have positive charge, electrons have negative
charger and neutrons have no charge on them. Electrons are lightest in weight.

Dalton’s Atomic Theory

The English chemist John Dalton suggested that all matter is made up of atoms, which
were indivisible and indestructible. He also stated that all the atoms of an element were
exactly the same, but the atoms of different elements differ in size and mass.

Chemical reactions, according to Dalton’s atomic theory, involve a rearrangement of

atoms to form products. According to the postulates proposed by Dalton, the atomic
structure comprises atoms, the smallest particle responsible for the chemical reactions
to occur.

The following are the postulates of his theory:

● Every matter is made up of atoms.

● Atoms are indivisible.
● Specific elements have only one type of atom in them.
● Each atom has its own constant mass that varies from element to element.
● Atoms undergo rearrangement during a chemical reaction.
● Atoms can neither be created nor destroyed but can be transformed from one form to
another.
Demerits of Dalton’s Atomic Theory

● The theory was unable to explain the existence of isotopes.

● Nothing about the structure of the atom was appropriately explained.
● Later, scientists discovered particles inside the atom that proved the atoms are divisible.

Elements and Compounds

Elements
Elements are substances composed of only one type of atom. There are around 100
naturally occurring elements, which can be seen on a periodic table.
Elements consist of atoms that all have the same number of protons. An example of an
element is nitrogen, which has a proton number of 7. Each element is represented by its
own chemical symbol and atomic number (the number of protons).
Atoms of elements are represented by one or two-letter chemical symbols. For
example, carbon is also referred to as C. These can be found in the periodic table.
Take hydrogen as an example. The atomic symbol ‘H’ tells us that this is hydrogen.
Each element has an atomic number and a mass number. The atomic number tells us
how many protons (and electrons) are in the atom and the mass number refers to the
number of protons + neutrons that are in the atom.

The same element can exist in different forms, known as isotopes. An example of this
is carbon-12 and carbon-13, which both have the same number of protons, but a
different number of neutrons.
● Isotopes have different mass numbers and the same atomic numbers.
Atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons are called
isotopes. They share almost the same chemical properties, but differ in mass and
therefore in physical properties

Carbon isotopes

These are carbon isotopes:

As you can see by the image above, one is carbon-12 and the other is carbon-13. They
both have the same number of protons (and electrons) but a different number of
neutrons.

Element Isotope Number of Neutrons Physical Properties

Lightest isotope, most

Hydrogen Protium 0 abundant

Heavier than protium,

Deuterium 1 used in nuclear fusion
research

Radioactive, used in
Tritium 2 glow-in-the-dark signs
and watches
 Stable, most common
Carbon Carbon-12 6 form of carbon in
nature.

Stable, used in
nuclear magnetic
Carbon-13 7 resonance (NMR)
spectroscopy.

Radioactive, used in
carbon dating
Carbon-14 8 archaeological
artifacts.

Compounds
Compounds are substances formed when atoms join together. Once compounds form,
it is often hard to separate out the elements that formed the compound.

Formulas are used to show which atoms were used to form a compound. For example,
H2O, which is water, is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
● Another example is CO2. Carbon dioxide is made up of one carbon atom and two
oxygen atoms.
Below are a few helpful formulas.

Name of Compound Molecular Formula

Carbon dioxide CO2

Ammonia NH3

Water H2O

Sodium chloride NaCl

Carbon monoxide CO

Hydrochloric acid HCl

Calcium chloride CaCl2

Sodium carbonate Na2CO3

Sulfuric acid H2SO4