Chemistry of Life

Chemistry of Life

Atoms, elements & Molecules

Digital Text-"The Periodic Table"

Poll

The four most common elements found in living organisms are Oxygen, Nitrogen, Hydrogen and

• Carbon

• Fluorine

• Sodium

• Potassium

Living things consist of atoms of different elements

Atom is the smallest basic unit of matter

All atoms share the same basic structure...

• Protons (positive charge +)

• Neutrons (Neutral charge )

• Electrons (Negative charge -)

• These smaller inner particles are located within the nucleus

All atoms share the same basic structure...

• Multiple scientists spent years to describe or model what the atom looked like

• John Dalton was the first to say that all matter is composed of tiny particles called atoms & could not be divided any further

• JJ Thompson & Rutherford discover the inner particles (i.e. electron, neutron, & proton)

Multiple Choice

An atom has equally numbered positive & negative charged particles, which makes the net charge

• positive

• negative

• no charge (neutral)

• Wait...I have to do math?

Elements- made up of only one type of atom

Fill in the Blanks

Elements such as iron, aluminum, oxygen, and hydrogen can be further broken down into their simplest form of the particular

that form them.

Elements

• Elements differ in the # of Protons

• The atomic # of an element is defined by the # of protons

• The # of electrons of each element determines the properties of that element (i.e. gas, liquid, solid, metal. nonmetal)

• Compounds involve two different elements bonded together (Ex: H2O & CO2)

Poll

Another way of describing a compound is to say,

• Different groups of atoms combining together

• More than one element combines with a molecule

• Molecules composed of more than one different atom

• The bonded pairing of different elements to form new substances

Open Ended

How are elements different from compounds?

Atomic Love Connection?

A molecule is 2 or more atoms held together by covalent bonds. Almost all of the substances that makeup organisms (i.e. ATP, DNA, RNA, Water) are molecules.

Open Ended

How does a molecule differ from an atom?