Atomic
Structure
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Determine the number of protons,
neutrons, and electrons in a
particular atom;
Defining the Atom
All elements are composed of particles
called atoms
All atoms of the same element are
identical
Atoms of different elements combine to
form compounds
Atoms of one element can never be
changed into another element
History of the Atom
Democritus (Greek 460-370 BC)
• 1st to use the word atom
• Believed that atoms were
indivisible & indestructible
• No scientific support
Aristotle (Greek 384-322 BC)
• Rejected the theory of atoms
• Believed in 4 core elements
fire, air, water, earth
Antoine Lavoisier (French 1743-
1794)
• Law of Conservation of Matter
–
Matter is not created or
destroyed
during a chemical reaction
Joseph Proust (French 1754-1826)
• Law of Definite Proportions -
A compound is always
composed of the same
elements, in the same
proportion by mass
John Dalton (English 1766-1844)
• Studied the ratio in which elements
combine
• Quantitative data – mass
• Law of Multiple Proportions -
When 2 elements form more than
one compound, they do so in a ratio of
whole numbers
Dalton’s Atomic Theory
1. All elements are composed of
indivisible ‘solid sphere’ atoms.
2. All atoms of a given element are
identical.
3. Atoms of different elements differ
in their masses.
4. Different atoms combine in simple
whole number ratios to form
compounds.
Structure of the Atom
Subatomic Particles
Today… Dalton’s Atomic Theory has
one important change
Atoms are divisible…
3 types of subatomic particles
• Protons
• Neutrons
• Electrons
Electrons
[Link] (English 1897) –
• Identified the 1st subatomic
particle
• Cathode-ray tube
Thomson’s Electron Model
Named electrons
Symbol: e-
Charge: (-1)
Mass: ~ 0 amu
Plum Pudding/
Chocolate Chip Cookie
What about the protons &
neutrons?
Protons
• Symbol: p+
• Charge: (+1)
• Mass: 1 amu
Neutrons
• Symbol: n0
• Charge: (0) neutral
• Mass: 1 amu
The Nucleus
Ernest Rutherford (English 1911) -
• Discovered the ‘structure’ of the
atom
• Gold foil experiment
Rutherford’s Gold Foil Experiment
Rutherford’s Nuclear Model
Atom is mostly empty space
Atoms have a dense center –
nucleus
Most of the mass is in the nucleus
Nucleus has a positive charge
Protons & neutrons are located in the
nucleus
Electrons are outside of the nucleus
& occupy most of the atom’s volume
Distinguishing Among
Atoms
What makes atoms different
from one another?
# of protons
Atomic number = # of protons
Usually written as a subscript
Mg12 or Mg
12
Sodium
What element has 11 protons?
How many protons does potassium
have? 19
How do you determine the #
of neutrons?
Atomic mass = # protons + #
neutrons
Usually written as a superscript
12
C or C12 or C -12
# of neutrons is the difference
between the atomic mass & the
atomic number
# of neutrons = atomic mass -
What is the atomic mass of helium?
4.0026… round to 4
What element has an atomic mass of 27?
Aluminum
How many protons does this element
contain?
13
How many neutrons does this element
contain?
What about electrons?
# electrons = # of protons
Why?
• Atoms are electrically neutral
How many electrons does sulfur
contain?
16
Which elementNeon
contains 10
electrons?
Sample Problems
How many protons, neutrons and
electrons are in each atom?
Beryllium (Be) - 4, 5, 4
Fluorine (F) -
9, 10, 9
Hydrogen (H) -
1, 0, 1
How many neutrons are in each
atom?
16 – 8 = 8
8O 16
Ag 108 108 – 47 = 61
47
82Pb 207
207 – 82 = 125
Expressthe composition of each
atom in shorthand form.
Nitrogen -14
p+ = 7, n0 = 7, e- = 7
Sodium - 23
p+ = 11, n0 = 12, e- = 11
Phosphorus -31
p+ = 15 , n0 = 16, e-
= 15
Isotopes
Atoms that contain the same
number of protons but have
different numbers of neutrons
Different atomic masses
Does not change the atom’s
identity
Are naturally occurring
Symbols:
11Na 23
or 11Na 24
12 13 14
Determine the number of protons,
neutrons and electrons in the
following:
p+ = 1, n0 = 0, e- = 1
1H 1
p+ = 1, n0 = 1, e- = 1
1H 2
H 3 p+ = 1, n0 = 2, e- = 1
1
Determining the Atomic Mass
Atomicmass # is an average of
atom’s naturally occurring isotopes
Copper has 2 isotopes Cu-63 and Cu-
65
Which isotope is most abundant?63
There are 3 isotopes of Silicon with
mass numbers of 28, 29, and 30.
Which is more abundant? Si -28
Calculating the Atomic
Mass
Multiply the mass of each isotope
by its natural abundance
(expressed as a decimal), then add
the products
Practice…
Ions
An atom with an electrical charge
Occurs 2 ways:
• Oxidation – loss of an e-
results in a (+)
charge
• Reduction – gain of an e-
results in a (-)
charge
Mnemonic: ‘Leo says Ger’
Examples of Ions
Lost 1e-
H+
Gained 1e -
Cl-
As3- Gained 3e -
Mg2+ Lost 2e-
Oxidation State –
• Number found on the periodic table
• Shows the number of e- gained or lost
• Many elements have more than one
number
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