Introduction to

Physical Science
What is Physical Science
Physical science is the study of the
inorganic world. That is, it does not study
living things.
The four main branches of physical science
are astronomy, physics, chemistry, and the
Earth sciences, which include meteorology
and geology.
Coverage of Physical Science
 Formation of the elements during the Big Bang and during
stellar evolution
 Distributionof the chemical elements and the isotopes in
the universe
 The concept of the atom evolved from Ancient Greek to
the present
 The concept of the element evolved from Ancient Greek
to the present
 The uses of different materials are related to their
properties and structures
 Therelationship between the function and structure of biological
macromolecules
 The following aspects of chemical changes:
 a. how fast a reaction takes place
 b. how much reactants are needed and how much products are
formed in a reaction
 c. how much energy is involved in a reaction
 2. how energy is harnessed
 The properties and mode of action of the following consumer
products:
 a. cleaning materials
 b. cosmetics
 The Big Bang and
Stellar Nucleosynthesis
 Learning Objectives

 Describe how the Big Bang led to the formation

of Elements

 Solve for percent abundance of isotopes of an

element
 Relate the concept of Atomic Number to the
synthesis of new elements
 Where did Everything Begin?

 Thereare various theories on how the

universe began. What theories can you
give?
 The Big Bang Theory
 It is considered the most acceptable theory about the
origin of the universe.
 Proposed by Georges Lemaitre, a Belgian astronomer,
cosmologist, and s Catholic priest
 According to this theory, the universe developed 13.7
billion years ago from a very small, extremely dense and
hot state that expanded rapidly
 What happened after the Big Bang?
 It is impossible to tell how long the Big Bang lasted. However,
scientists were able to trace that, after the rapid expansion,
the universe cooled down and became less dense, forming new
particles – protons, neutrons and electrons, also known as
subatomic particles. The universe then entered what was
known as the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis.
 The energy and temperature of the universe were so high that
they caused the protons and neutrons combined and formed
certain species of atomic nuclei in a process called Nuclear
Fusion.
 In this process, the light elements Hydrogen, Helium along with
traces of Lithium and Beryllium were formed.
 Stellar Nucleosynthesis
 Elements formed by fusion with five to eight nucleons are very
unstable. This is the reason why lithium and beryllium only formed in
trace amounts during the Big Bang. Heavy Elements were formed only
billions of years later, after the formation of stars.
 This is because the density inside a star is great enough to sustain
fusion for the extended period to synthesize heavy elements. This
formation of elements in stars is called stellar nucleosynthesis
 There are many nuclear synthetic pathways that produce heavier
elements. These are carbon-nitrogen-oxygen cycle, proton-proton
fusion, and triple alpha process.
 The deeper you go inside a star, the temperature increases, and thus,
heavier elements form there.
 Supernova Nucleosynthesis

 Despite the enormous heat and density in stars,

it is insufficient to form heavier elements. A
supernova is needed for them to form
A supernova is the explosion of a dying star.
 Duringa supernova, a neutron-capture reaction
occurs, in which heavy elements are created by
the addition of more neutrons to existing nuclei.
 Isotopes
 All uncharged or neutral atoms of an element in their
stable state have the same number of electrons and
protons but the number of neutrons can be different.
These are what we refer to as isotopes
 Isotope Notation

 A way of identifying the different isotopes of an element is

through isotope notation. It has four parts: element
symbol (X), mass number (A), and atomic number (Z).
Examples
Isotopes and Mass Numbers of Elements

 Anexample for isotopes is Hydrogen. It

normally has a mass of 1.008 amu.
However, it also has isotopes, namely
deuterium, which has a mass of 2.014 amu
and tritium which has 3.016 amu. While
they all have the same molecules as base
hydrogen, the variance in neutrons gives
them different properties.
 Isotope Abundance

 It refers to the expression of how much of an isotope of a given element

exists.
Sample Problem
Try this:

Nitrogen is made up of two isotopes:

N-14 and N-15. Given Nitrogen’s
atomic weight is 14.007, solve for the
percent abundance of each isotope.
Consider N-14 has a mass of 14.003
and N-15 has a mass of 15.
 Another method:

 Oxygen is composed of three isotopes: O -17 (mass = 16.999 amu),

O-16 (15.995 amu) and O-18 (17.999 amu). If O – 17 has a percent
abundance of 0.037%, solve for the percent abundance of the
other two isotopes given Oxygen has an atomic mass 15.9994 amu.
 Solution:
 Step 1: Set abundances as decimal percents
 O-16 = x
 O-17 = 0.00037
 O-18 = 0.99963 - x
 Set
up average atomic weight equation and
apply algebra
 15.995(x)+ (16.999)(0.00037)+ (17.999)
(0.99963-x)
 X= 99.76%
 Percentabundance is thus: O-16: 99.76%,
O-17: 0.037% and O-18: 0.203%
Rubidium has two isotopes 85Rb,
and 87Rb whose mass are 84.9117
amu and 86.9085 amu respectively.
If the average of atomic mass is
85.4678 amu, what is the
abundance of each isotopes?