Atomic Structure Review

Atomic Structure Review

by James Sammons

​This is Periodic Table Notation.

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​C is the symbol for Carbon.

​The '6' is the Atomic Number of Carbon. This means Carbon has 6 protons in its nucleus.

​The '6' is the Atomic Number of Carbon. This means Carbon has 6 protons in its nucleus.

Practice time!​

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Fill in the Blanks

Multiple Choice

What is the charge of a neutron, and what is its location in an atom?

• Neutral charge, located in nucleus.

• Negative charge, located in nucleus.

• Neutral charge, located in the orbitals/cloud.

• Negative charge, located in the orbitals/cloud.

Multiple Choice

What is the charge of a proton, and what is its location in an atom?

• Neutral charge, located in nucleus.

• Positive charge, located in nucleus.

• Neutral charge, located in the orbitals/cloud.

• Positive charge, located in the orbitals/cloud.

Multiple Choice

What is the charge of an electron, and what is its location in an atom?

• Negative charge, located in nucleus.

• Neutral charge, located in nucleus.

• Negative charge, located in the orbitals/cloud.

• Neutral charge, located in the orbitals/cloud.

Multiple Choice

An electron and proton are ALIKE because...

• Neither has a charge.

• Both are charged.

• Both are in the nucleus.

Multiple Choice

A neutron and proton are ALIKE because...

• Neither has a charge.

• Both are charged.

• Both are in the nucleus.

Multiple Choice

Protons are DIFFERENT from neutrons because...

• One is in the nucleus, the other is in the orbitals/cloud.

• One has a charge, the other does not.

• Both are in the nucleus.

​Summary:

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​Now Isotopes!

​All carbon atoms have 6 protons in the nucleus, but there may be 6, 7, or 8 neutrons. These are called isotopes of carbon. There are isotopes of every element!

Isotopes, mass number

An atom's mass is its total of protons and neutrons . The electron cloud mass is small enough to ignore.

Carbon-12, carbon-13, & carbon-14 are carbon's isotopes. 12, 13, and 14 are their masses.

Isotopes and atomic mass (average atomic mass)

The atomic mass on the periodic table is the average of all isotopes of that element, based on how common they are. So the average mass of all carbon isotopes is 12.011 AMU (Atomic Mass Units).

​Carbon-12 is MUCH more common than the others, so the average is very close to 12 AMU

Multiple Choice

The mass number of an atom is the number of ...

• Electrons plus Protons

• Neutrons plus Electrons

• Protons plus Neutrons

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