Nuclear Representation

• what are atoms made from?

• how can we represent them?
• what are the properties of the particles?

THINK!
What is in a 4He atom?
Can you draw a diagram of a 4He atom?
The Structure of an Atom

electron

nucleus

proton

neutron

What things are wrong with this model?

Scale? colours? 2D? Can the electrons go
where they want?
Do electrons really go round in circular orbits??
Representing a nucleus

12
C
Mass number
(nucleon number)
Atomic

Atomic number
(proton number)
Symbol
6
Note: you can find the symbol from a periodic table but
NOT the mass number. These are just the averages for all of
the isotopes of the particular element.

What’s one of
these again?
What was an isotope again?
7 8 9 10
Be Be Be Be
4 4 4 4

They are all beryllium (with 4 protons) but have

different numbers of neutrons. Th
be e y a
r yl r e
li u all
They are all called isotopes of beryllium m ! st
ill

Isotopes have the same number of protons but

different numbers of neutrons.
 Nuclear Representation
Draw the table showing the number of protons and neutrons in
the following nuclei
1 2 4 40 206 238
H H He Ca Pb U
1 1 2 20 82 92

Representation Protons Nucleons Neutrons

1
1 H 1 1 0
2
1 H 1 2 1
4
2 He 2 4 2
40
20 Ca 20 40 20
206
82 Pb 82 206 124
238
92 U 92 238 146
The number shown in the Atomic (Proton)
Number NOT the mass number!
Add the representations of these nuclei
Representation Protons Nucleons Neutrons
14
6 C 6 14 8

56
26 Fe 26 56 30

99
43 Tc 43 99 56

222
88 Ra 88 222 134

179
79 Au 79 197 118

207
82 Pb 82 207 125
Relative masses and charges – what you should already
know

Particle Relative Relative

mass (u) Charge

proton 1 +1

neutron 1 0

electron 0.000 55 -1
 What is the mass of a proton (or 1u) in kg?
1 mole is 6.02 x 1023 atoms (remember this?)
1 mole of 12C atoms has a mass of 12g
What is the mass of a 12C atom in relative units (u)?
(6 x 1u) + (6 x 1u) + (6 x 0.00055u) = 12.0033u = 12u
What is the mass of one mole of 12C in relative units?
12u x 6.02 x 1023 = 7.2 x 1024 u
What is conversion factor between relative masses in the
table and masses in kg? (what is 1u in kg?)
7.2 x 1024u = 12g 7.2 x 1024u = 0.012 kg
1 u = 0.012 / 7.2 x 1024 = 1.66 x 10-27 kg
What is the mass of an electron in kg?
1 u = 1.66 x 10-27 kg

0.000 55 u = 0.000 55 x 1.66 x 10-27

= 9.1 x 10-31 kg
Relative masses and charges – what you should
know now
Particle Mass (kg) Charge (C)

Note – do
not worry proton 1.67 x 10-27 1.6 x 10-19
why proton
and
neutron neutron 1.67 x 10-27 0
masses are
0.01 higher electron 9.1 x 10 -31 -1.6 x 10-19

Yes they are on the data sheet, but be confident and

know why / how to get the numbers!!!