Atomic Structure
PREPARED BY: GLENN P. GESITE
S8MTIIIe-f-10
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
J.J. Thomson (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
Neutons
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 12 Mg
What element has 11 protons?
How many protons does potassium Sodium
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 - atomic #
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?
27-13= 14
What about electrons?
# electrons = # of protons
Why?
Atoms are electrically neutral
How many electrons does sulfur contain?
16 10 electrons?
Which element contains
Neon
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?
8O 16
16 – 8 = 8
Ag 108
108 – 47 = 61
47
82Pb 207
207 – 82 = 125
Express the 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
6C 12
or 6C13
or 6 C14
Determine the number of protons, neutrons
and electrons in the following:
H 1
1
p+ = 1, n0 = 0, e- = 1
1H 2
p+ = 1, n0 = 1, e- = 1
1H 3
p+ = 1, n0 = 2, e- = 1
Determining the Atomic Mass
Atomic mass # 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’
Loss of electrons = oxidation
Gain of electrons = reduction
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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