ATOMIC STRUCTURE

The History of Atomic Theory

 Atomos
 Matter is made up of tiny
particles called atomos
which means indivisible

Greek philosopher
Democritus
Aristotle and Plato favored
the earth, fire, air and water
approach to the nature of
matter.
 Dalton’s Atomic Theory
1. Element is composed of
extremely particles called
atoms.
2. Atoms of a given element are
identical. The atoms of different
elements and have different
properties.
3. Atoms of an element are not
changed into different types of
atoms by chemical reactions:
atoms are neither created nor
English Chemist John Dalton destroyed in chemical reaction.
4. Compounds are formed by the
joining of atoms of two or more
elements. A given compound
always has the same relative
number and kind of atom.
 Thomson’s Plum Pudding Model
 He proposed a
model of the atom
that is sometimes
called the “Plum
Pudding” model.
 Atoms were made
from a positively
charged substance
with negatively
English scientist J.J. Thomson charged electrons
1897
scattered.
A = alpha
J.J. Thomson, measured mass/charge of e-
B = gamma
C = beta (1906 Nobel Prize in Physics)
CHARGE OF AN ELECTRON
gold foil

helium nuclei

Millikan oil drop

experiment
Plum Pudding model of
an atom.
Rutherford’s
experiment.
Actual Results.
Rutherford’s Model of the
Atom

atomic radius ~ 100 pm = 1 x 10-10 m

nuclear radius ~ 5 x 10-3 pm = 5 x 10-15 m
 Atomic Structure
Atoms are composed of
-protons – positively charged particles
-neutrons – neutral particles
-electrons – negatively charged particles
Fundamental Facts about the Atom
Sub- Absolute Absolute
Relative Relative
atomic Location Mass Charge
mass (amu) charge
Particles (g) (coulombs)

Proton
(p) Inside the 1.6725 x 10-24 1.0073 + 1.6 x10-19 +1
nucleus
Neutron
(n) 1.6748 x 10-24 1.0087 0 0
Outside
Electron the
(e-) nucleus 9.109 x 10-28 .0005486 - 1.6 x10-19 -1

1 amu = 1.6606 x 10-24g

 Atomic symbol/Elemental Symbol

A A – mass number

Z E Z – atomic number
E – symbol of the element

Atomic number = no. of protons in the nucleus

= no of electrons outside the nucleus
Mass number = no. of protons + no. of neutrons
Atomic mass or atomic weight – weighted
average of all the natural isotopes of a
given element.
 Isotopes
Isotopes – atoms of the same element that
have different number of neutrons and therefore
having different masses.
1 2 3
1 H H (D)
1 H (T)
1

235 238
92 U 92 U
 Atomic mass or atomic weight – weighted
average of all the natural isotopes of a
given element.
Mass of atom %
Chlorine Symbol
(u) abundance
35
Cl 34.968853 75.78
37
Cl 36.965903 24.22

Atomic mass = 0.7578 (34.968853) + 0.2422 (36.965903) = 35.452545

Atomic mass of chlorine = 35.453

 Ions
Ions – charged atoms

cations – positively charged ions.

(no of e- < no. of p)
Anions – negatively charged ions.
(no of e- > no. of p)
 An ion is formed when an atom, or group
of atoms, has a net positive or
negative charge
neutral atom looses one or more electrons
comes a cation.

11 protons 11 protons
Na 11 electrons Na+
10 electrons

neutral atom gains one or more electrons

comes an anion.

17 protons 17 protons
Cl 17 electrons Cl- 18 electrons
Complete the table:
Symbol Atomic Mass Number Number Number
Number Number of of of
Protons Neutrons Electrons
Sr          

  10   20      

  O2-    

 Ne      

 Cu+   

   26        23

  Ne    22  
 Bohr’s Model
of
1. the Atom
e can have
-
only specific
(1913)
(quantized) energy values
2. light is emitted as e-
moves from one energy level
to a lower energy level

1
En = -RH ( )
n2
n (principal quantum number) = 1,2,3,…

RH (Rydberg constant) = 2.18 x 10-18J

 The Bohr Model of the Atom
 In the Bohr model of
hydrogen, the lowest
amount of energy
hydrogen’s one
electron can have
corresponds to being
in the n = 1 orbit.
We call this its
ground state.
 When the atom gains
energy, the electron
leaps to a higher
energy orbit. We
call this an excited
state.
 Line Emission Spectrum of Hydrogen Atoms

Every element has a unique emission spectrum

The Bohr Model of the
Atom:
Hydrogen Spectrum
 LIGHT EMISSION OF SODIUM ATOM

Line spectrum
Arrangement of electron
by energy levels or shells
 Electron Cloud Model
Heisenberg Principle:
It is inherently impossible to know simultaneously
the both the exact
momentum and its exact location in space.
Erwin Schrödinger –Quantum mechanics
 Electron cloud: visual model of the most likely
locations for electrons in an atom
 Cloud is denser where electrons are more
likely to be
 Represents all the orbitals in an atom

orbital: a region of space around the nucleus

where an electron is likely to be found 31
 Atomic Orbitals
 Electrons at certain energy levels can only occupy
certain orbitals
 Orbitals can only contain 2 electrons
 The lowest energy level (where the lowest energy
electrons are) only has 1 orbital, whereas higher energy
orbitals have more than one (see table below)

Energy Number of Maximum Number

Level Orbitals of Electrons
1 1 2
2 4 8
3 9 18
4 16 32

Mrs. Meiring - Honors Integrated Science 32

s Orbitals

 They are spherical in

shape.
 The radius of the
sphere increases with
the value of n.

© 2009, Prentice-Hall, Inc.

s Orbitals

Observing a graph of
probabilities of finding an
electron versus distance
from the nucleus, we see
that s orbitals possess
n−1 nodes, or regions
where there is 0
probability of finding an
electron.

© 2009, Prentice-Hall, Inc.

 p Orbitals
 They have two lobes with a node between them.

© 2009, Prentice-Hall, Inc.

d Orbitals
 Four of the five d
orbitals have 4
lobes; the other
resembles a p orbital
with a doughnut
around the center.

© 2009, Prentice-Hall, Inc.

 Sublevels/subshells
Type of No. of No. of
sublevel orbitals electrons
s 1 2
p 3 6
d 5 10
f 7 14
 Electronic Structure of
Atoms
Electron Orbital shape

s orbital(spherical)

p orbitals (dumbbell shape)

d orbitals
(four-leaf clover shape)
 Electron Configurations
• Electron configuration: the arrangement of
electrons in the orbitals of an atom.
•  A typical electron configuration consists of
numbers, letters, and superscripts.

Example:1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2

number of electrons
Energy level 3s 2

sublevel
40
 Writing Electron Configurations
Order of Filling Orbitals
Aufbau Principle – sublevels
are filled up in increasing
energies. Electrons enter
orbitals of lowest energy first

Hund’s rule of maximum

multiplicity – within a given
sublevel, ach orbital is
occupied by a single electron
before any can have two
electrons.
41
Writing Electron Configurations

42
 Writing Electron Configurations

• unabbreviated electron configurations

1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s1

• Abbreviated/shorthand electron configurations

[Kr] 5s2 4d10 5p3

44
 Orbital Diagrams

 Each box in the

diagram represents
one orbital.
 Half-arrows represent
the electrons.
 The direction of the
arrow represents the
relative spin of the
electron.
© 2009, Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Orbitals and the periodic table
s p
d

f
 Quantum Numbers
There are four quantum numbers which can describe
the electron completely.

• Principal quantum number (n)

• Azimuthal quantum number (ℓ)
• Magnetic quantum number (m)
• Spin quantum number (s)

47
 Quantum Mechanics

 Erwin Schrödinger
developed a
mathematical treatment
into which both the
wave and particle nature
of matter could be
incorporated.
 It is known as quantum
mechanics.
© 2009, Prentice-Hall, Inc.
 Quantum Mechanics

 The wave equation is

designated with a lower
case Greek psi ().
 The square of the wave
equation, 2, gives a
probability density map of
where an electron has a
certain statistical likelihood
of being at any given instant
in time. © 2009, Prentice-Hall, Inc.
 Quantum Numbers
 Solving the wave equation gives a set of
wave functions, or orbitals, and their
corresponding energies.
 Each orbital describes a spatial distribution
of electron density.
 An orbital is described by a set of three
quantum numbers.

© 2009, Prentice-Hall, Inc.

 Quantum Numbers
Principal quantum no. (n) – corresponds to
the main energy level in which the electron
moves.. It can take values
of 1, 2, 3, 4 and so on.

Azimuthal quantum no. (ℓ) – gives the

measure of the angular momentum of an
electron in its motion about the nucleus. It
tells us of the sublevel to which the electron
belongs. It can take values of 0 to n-1
 Quantum Numbers

Magnetic quantum no. (mℓ) - gives the specific

orbital within the sublevel where the electron
can be found. It can have values from -3 to +
3.

Spin quantum no. (ms) - gives the spin of the

electron about its own axis in either
clockwise or
counterclockwise direction. It can take values
of -½ or + ½.
 Quantum Numbers
Sym
Name Orbital meaning
bol
principal quantum
n shell
number
azimuthal quantum
subshell (s orbital is listed as
number (angular ℓ
0, p orbital as 1 etc.)
momentum)
magnetic quantum m energy shift (orientation of
ℓ
number the subshell's shape)
spin quantum ms spin of the electron (−½ =
number "spin down", ½ = "spin up")
Quantum numbers and the periodic table
azimuthal quantum no, l
 REVIEW
1. If each orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons, how
many electrons can each of the following hold?
a. 2s b. 5p c. 4f d. 3d e. 4d

2. What is the shape of an s orbital?

3. How many s orbitals can there be in an energy level?
4. How many electrons can occupy an s orbital?
5. What is the shape of a p orbital?
6. How many p orbitals can there be in an energy level?
7. Which is the lowest energy level that can have a s orbital?
8. Which is the lowest energy level that can have a p orbital?
9. Is it possible for two electrons in the same atom to have
exactly the same set of quantum numbers?
 REVIEW
10. How many d electrons can there be in an energy level?
11. Which is the lowest energy level having f orbitals?
12. How many f orbitals can there be in an energy level?
13. How many energy levels are partially or fully occupied in
a neutral atom of calcium?
14. Which sublevels of the 3rd energy level are filled (a) in the
element argon (b) in the element krypton?
15. What does the term principal quantum number refer to?
16. What is meant by the electron configuration of an atom?
17. What is the maximum number of electrons that can be
present in an atom having three principal energy levels?
18. Isoelectronic species have similar electron configurations.
Which of these are isoelectronic?
(a) Li+, H-, He (b) Ca2+, Ne, S2-
 REVIEW
19. For the following electron configurations choose
3 possible elements (or ions)
they may represent

a. 1s2 2s22p6 3s23p6 4s2 3d10 4p4

b. 1s2 2s22p6 3s23p6 4s2 3d10 4p5
j. [Kr] 5s2 4d10 5p3
k. [Kr] 5s2 4d10 5p6
l. [Ar] 4s1
m. [Xe] 6s2 4f10
n. [Xe] 6s2 4f14 5d7
o. [Ne] 3s2 3p1