ATOMIC STRUCTURE
CALCIUM ELEMENT
PRESENTED BY:
Ayanna Hector
Hannah Perrotte
Keevan Ramsamooj
Zoe Paul
DUE DATE: March 4th, 2025
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION TO ATOMIC STRUCTURE..................................................3
2 WHAT IS CALCIUM?...................................................................................4
3 THE ATOMIC NUMBER OF CALCIUM..........................................................5
4 THE STRUCTURE OF THE CALCIUM ATOM.................................................6
5 THE ELECTRONIC CONFIGURATION OF CALCIUM......................................7
6 ISOTOPES OF CALCIUM.............................................................................8
7 REACTIVITY OF CALCIUM..........................................................................9
8 THE IMPORTANCE OF CALCIUM...............................................................10
9 CONCLUSION..........................................................................................11
1 INTRODUCTION TO ATOMIC STRUCTURE
An atom is one of the smallest particles of a chemical element that can
exist and contains three sub-atomic particles:
Subatomic Particles Relative Charge Relative Mass
1. Protons +1 1
2. Neutrons 0 1
3. Electrons -1 1/1840
The atomic structure of an atom has a nucleus which has protons and
neutrons, and an outer shell which can hold electrons in them. The
number of protons in the nucleus determines which element it is.
2 WHAT IS CALCIUM?
Calcium is an alkaline metal found in the earth. It is a soft, grey metal
chemical element that can be identified on the periodic table. It is the
most found metallic element in the human body and the fifth most
abundant element in Earth’s crust.
3 THE ATOMIC NUMBER OF CALCIUM
Calcium has a chemical symbol of Ca. The atomic number of Calcium is
20. It is the 20th element in the periodic table. The atomic number tells
us the number of protons in an element. Therefore, Calcium has 20
protons in its nucleus. In the periodic table it can be found in group two
and period four.
4 THE STRUCTURE OF THE CALCIUM ATOM
The calcium atom has three parts which are:
The nucleus
The electrons
The electron shells
The nucleus is the center of the atom and is made up of the 20 protons
and 20 neutrons. There are 20 electrons that move around the nucleus in
electron shells. There are 4 electron shells for the calcium atom.
5 THE ELECTRONIC CONFIGURATION OF
CALCIUM
The electronic configuration of calcium is 2,8,8,2. This configuration tells
us how the electrons are arranged around the nucleus of a calcium atom.
Why is it important?
It is important because it helps us understand how calcium behaves in
chemical reactions and how it forms compounds with other elements. The
way the electrons are arranged influences calcium properties and how it
interacts with other substances.
The electron configuration of calcium is fundamental to understanding its
reactivity, bond formation, and role in various chemical processes,
especially in biological systems like bones and cellular functions
6 ISOTOPES OF CALCIUM
What is an Isotope?
Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different numbers
of neutrons, but the
same number of protons. They all have different mass and stability.
Calcium Isotopes
There are seven naturally occurring calcium isotopes. Five of them are
stable and some of them are:
Calcium-40: Is the most common, with 20 protons and 20 neutrons.
Calcium-42: Is not as common as calcium-40. It has 20 protons and
22 neutrons.
Calcium-44: Is the 2nd most common calcium isotope. It has 20
protons and 24 neutrons.
Calcium Isotopes Importance
Calcium isotopes are important because they are used in scientific
research such as how
elements change over time, how rocks and fossils form, and how it affects
bone health.
7 REACTIVITY OF CALCIUM
Calcium is highly reactive because it is an alkaline earth metal. It has two
electrons in its outermost shell which makes it chemically reactive. It loses
these two outer electrons when it reacts with other elements, forming a
positively charged ion (Ca²⁺).
Calcium Reactions
Calcium reacts with various substances such as:
Oxygen - it forms calcium oxide (CaO).
Water - it forms calcium hydroxide (Ca (OH)₂) and hydrogen gas
(H₂).
8 THE IMPORTANCE OF CALCIUM
Calcium is used to help build strong bones and teeth and keeps the
muscles, nerves and blood functioning; it also helps with blood clotting.
Calcium deficiency can lead to a condition called osteoporosis, which
causes weak bones and increases the risk of fractures or rickets a disease
that causes children to have soft bones. Calcium can be found in foods
such as cheese, milk, yogurt, tofu and some carbohydrates.
9 CONCLUSION
Our report on calcium’s atomic structure shows that it is a key element in
the periodic table. It is highly reactive with its 20 protons, 20 neutrons and
20 electrons. It plays an important role in living organisms, specifically
our bones and teeth of humans and animals.
CONTRIBUTION
Ayanna Hector – Topics 1 & 8
Hannah Perrotte – Topics 4 & 5
Keevan Ramsamooj – Topics 2 & 3
Zoe Paul – Topics 6 & 7
We all contributed towards the images, formatting and layout of the
project report.
