Lesson 2.

The Atomic Number and the

Synthesis of New Elements
 Learning Competency

At the end of this lesson, the given DepEd learning

competency should be met by the students.

Explain how the concept of atomic number led to the

synthesis of new elements in the laboratory
(S11/12PS-IIIb-11).
 Learning Objective

At the end of this lesson, the learner should be able to

explain how the concept of atomic number led to the
synthesis of new elements in the laboratory
A linear particle
accelerator used
to create new
elements.

How does the

advancement in
chemistry lead to
the synthesis of
new and existing
elements?
 Try it!
Warm-Up

Gumdrop ATOM
1. Draw a “+” sign on three circle-cut papers, a “0” on four circle-cut
papers, and a “-“ sign on three circle-cut papers.
2. Staple the plus stickers to the green gumdrops, the minus papers to
the purple gumdrops, and the zero papers to the red gumdrops.
3. Combine the plus and zero gumdrops with the broken toothpicks to
form the nucleus.
 Try it!
Warm-Up

Gumdrop ATOM
4. Attach the minus gumdrops with three other toothpicks to the
nucleus. Your atom should look like this:
 Learn about It

Scientists Explained the Structure of the Atom

● Dalton’s Billiard Ball Model

● Thomson’s Plum Pudding Model

● Rutherford’s Planetary Model

● Bohr’s Model of the Hydrogen Atom

● Schrodinger’s Electron Cloud Model

 Learn about It

The Arrangement of the Elements

● Johann Dobereiner made use of Triads.

● John Newlands made use of Octaves.

● Dmitri Mendeleev arranged elements by increasing atomic

weights.

● Dmitri is considered as the Father of the Periodic Table.

 Learn about It

The Arrangement of the Elements

Henry Moseley made use of spectroscopic data

that lead him to arrange elements by increasing
atomic number.
 Learn about It

Atomic Number
● The atomic number is also known as the Z number. The Z
came from the German word, “Zahl.” It means number.

● The atomic number corresponds to the number of protons.

● The number of protons gives the identity of the atom.

 Learn about It

Nuclear Transmutation Reactions Was Possible

● Knowledge of the atomic number introduced nuclear
reactions.

● Transformation of one element or isotope into another

element.

● The reaction includes protons and neutrons.

 Learn about It

Ernest Rutherford did the First Nuclear

Transmutation Reaction using an Alpha Particle
 Learn about It

Nuclear Transmutation Reactions

● Alpha particles are positively charged and the nucleus will

repel it.

● Neutrons were then used in lieu of the the alpha particle.

 Learn about It

Particle Accelerators
● To overcome the repulsion between the nucleus and alpha
particles, particle accelerators were used.

● The alpha particles were made to move in a very fast way

which will overcome repulsive forces.

● A cyclotron is a particle accelerator that uses alternating

electric field to accelerate particles that move in a spiral
path in the presence of a magnetic field.
 Learn about It

Particle Accelerators Were Used to Synthesize

Elements

Lawrence synthesized
technetium.

Segre, Mackenzie and

Corson synthesized
astatine.
 Learn about It

Transuranium Elements
● Uranium was the heaviest known element by 1930. Its
atomic number is 92.

● Elements having an atomic number of greater than 92 are

known as transuranium elements.

● Transuranium elements are synthesized using particle

accelerators.
 Key Points

● Atomic number, Z, is the number of protons in an atom.

It is identical to the charge number of the nucleus. It
uniquely identifies a chemical element.

● Henry Gwyn Jeffreys Moseley discovered that the

periodic table of elements should be arranged based on
its atomic number.
 Key Points

● A particle accelerator is used to synthesize new

elements.

● A cyclotron is a particle accelerator that uses alternating

electric field to accelerate particles that move in a spiral
path in the presence of a magnetic field.
 Check Your Understanding

Identify what or who is being asked on the following

statements.
1. It is a number that corresponds to the number of protons in the
nucleus.
2. He is an English physicist who demonstrated that the atomic
number determines most of the properties of an element.
3. It is a device that is used to speed up particles to overcome the
repulsion between the particles and the target atomic nuclei by
using magnetic and electrical fields.
 Bibliography

Chang, Raymond. 1997. Chemistry. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Gill, N.S. “Atomism: Pre-Socratic Philosophy of Atomism.” ThoughtCo. January 21, 2020. Accessed August
09, 2018. https://www.thoughtco.com/philosophy-of-atomism-120427.

“Introducing the Atom.” Core Concepts: Periodic Table. Accessed July 18, 2018.
https://periodictable.rosendigital.com/staticfiles/reproducibles/Introducing_Lesson.pdf.

“In the Classroom.” American Nuclear Society. Accessed December 6, 2021.

https://www.ans.org/nuclear/classroom/.
 Bibliography

McQuarrie, D.A., and Rock, P.A. 1991. General Chemistry. 3rd ed. New York: W.H. Freeman.

Pearce, Ed. “Aristotle.” September 10, 2011. Accessed August 09, 2018.
https://encyclopaediaoftrivia.blogspot.com/2011/08/aristotle.html.

Schelenz, Robin. 2018. University of California. April 10. Accessed July 17, 2018.
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/longform/how-ernest-o-lawrences-aha-moment-led-nuclear-
physics
.