Student Exploration: Element Builder: Maci Stackhouse

Maci Stackhouse
Name: ______________________________________ Date: ________________________
Student Exploration: Element Builder
Vocabulary: atom, atomic number, electron, electron dot diagram, element, energy level, ion,
isotope, mass number, neutron, nucleus, periodic table, proton, radioactive, valence electrons
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

Pizza dough,
1. What are some of the different substances that make up a pizza? _____________________
tomato sause, and cheese.
_________________________________________________________________________
Oxygen and hydrogen

2. What substances make up water? _____________________________________________
Iron
3. What substances make up an iron pot? _________________________________________
Elements are pure substances that are made up of one kind of atom. Pizza is not an element
because it is a mixture of many substances. Water is a pure substance, but it contains two kinds
of atom: oxygen and hydrogen. Iron is an element because it is composed of one kind of atom.
Gizmo Warm-up
Atoms are tiny particles of matter that are made up of
three particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. The
Element Builder Gizmo shows an atom with a single
proton. The proton is located in the center of the atom,
called the nucleus.
1. Use the arrow buttons ( ) to add protons, neutrons,

and electrons to the atom. Press Play ( ).
A. Which particles are located in the nucleus?

protons and neutrons
_________________________________
B. Which particles orbit around the nucleus?
__________________________________
2. Turn on Show element name. What causes the element name to change? _____________
_________________________________________________________________________
2019
Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity A:
 Use the arrows to create an atom with two protons,
Subatomic
two neutrons, and two electrons.
particles
 Turn on Show element name.
Question: What are the properties of protons, neutrons, and electrons?
1. Observe: Turn on Show element symbol and Element

notation. Three numbers surround the element symbol: the
mass number (A), electrical charge (no number is displayed if
the atom is neutral), and the atomic number (Z).
2. Investigate: Watch how the numbers change as you add or

remove particles.
A. Which number is equal to the number of protons in the atom? __________________
B. How can you calculate the number of neutrons (N) in an atom? _________________
___________________________________________________________________
C. Which particle (proton, neutron, or electron) has a positive charge? ______________
Negative charge? ______________ No charge at all? ______________
3. Analyze: An isotope is an alternative form of an element. Each isotope of an element has

the same number of protons, but a different number of neutrons. The isotope is represented
by the atomic symbol and mass number, such as He-4. Some isotopes are stable, while
others are radioactive, which means the atoms decay over time and emit radiation.
A. What are the stable isotopes of carbon? ___________________________________
B. What are the stable isotopes of nitrogen? __________________________________
C. List two radioactive isotopes of oxygen: ___________________________________
4. Practice: Use the Gizmo to answer the following questions.
A. How many electrons are in a neutral atom of lithium? ______
B. How many neutrons are in an atom of Mg-25? ______
C. What is the mass number of an atom with 5 protons and 7 neutrons? ______
D. When at atom is charged, it is called an ion. How many electrons are in O2-? ______
E. How many electrons are in Mg2+? ______
2019
Activity B: Get the Gizmo ready:
Electron  Create a neutral hydrogen atom (1 proton, 0
arrangements neutrons, 1 electron).
Question: How are electrons arranged around the nucleus of an atom?
1. Observe: Add electrons to the atom until you have used all the available electrons. How are
the electrons arranged? ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
2. Analyze: Electrons are arranged in orbits called energy levels. The Gizmo shows all of the
first two energy levels but only part of the third energy level.
A. How many electrons can fit in the first energy level? ___________
B. How many electrons can fit in the second energy level? ___________
C. How many electrons fit in the part of the third energy level shown? ___________
3. Observe: Click Reset ( ). The electrons in the outermost orbit, called valence electrons,
help to create chemical bonds. Create a lithium atom (3 protons, 4 neutrons, 3 electrons).
How many valence electrons are in a neutral lithium atom? ___________
4. Diagram: Turn on Show electron dot diagram. The valence electrons of an atom are
shown in an electron dot diagram. Each dot represents a valence electron.
Draw the electron dot diagram for neutral lithium: __________
2019
2019

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Maci Stackhouse

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ________________________

Student Exploration: Element Builder

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

Oxygen and hydrogen

1. Use the arrow buttons ( ) to add protons, neutrons,

A. Which particles are located in the nucleus?

B. Which particles orbit around the nucleus?

Question: What are the properties of protons, neutrons, and electrons?

1. Observe: Turn on Show element symbol and Element

2. Investigate: Watch how the numbers change as you add or

A. Which number is equal to the number of protons in the atom? __________________

C. Which particle (proton, neutron, or electron) has a positive charge? ______________

Negative charge? ______________ No charge at all? ______________

3. Analyze: An isotope is an alternative form of an element. Each isotope of an element has

A. What are the stable isotopes of carbon? ___________________________________

B. What are the stable isotopes of nitrogen? __________________________________

C. List two radioactive isotopes of oxygen: ___________________________________

4. Practice: Use the Gizmo to answer the following questions.

A. How many electrons are in a neutral atom of lithium? ______

B. How many neutrons are in an atom of Mg-25? ______

E. How many electrons are in Mg2+? ______

Question: How are electrons arranged around the nucleus of an atom?

the electrons arranged? ______________________________________________________

How many valence electrons are in a neutral lithium atom? ___________

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