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Chapter 2 Summary

An atom is the smallest particle of a chemical element. Atoms are made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Elements are substances made of only one type of atom. Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons. The relative atomic mass of an element takes into account the proportions of its naturally occurring isotopes.

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42 views2 pages

Chapter 2 Summary

An atom is the smallest particle of a chemical element. Atoms are made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Elements are substances made of only one type of atom. Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons. The relative atomic mass of an element takes into account the proportions of its naturally occurring isotopes.

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kmbgtssnbm
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Atoms and Elements

An atom is the smallest particle of a chemical element


Atoms are the building blocks of matter

A substance made up of only one type of atom is


called an element.

Structure of the atom


Electron shells Proton

Neutron
Electron
The nucleus is located at the
Nucleus
center of the atom and houses Electron shells are at fixed
Subatomic
the protons and neutrons distances from the nucleus particle
Relative
Charge
Relative
Mass

and hold the electrons. Proton +1 1

Neutron -1 1

Electron 0 Negligible

Mass number
Notes: proton + neutron Element symbol
12
6
C
Proton number
number of protons in
nucleus
Isotopes & Relative Atomic Mass
Isotopes
Atoms of the same element that have the same atomic
number but a different atomic mass number, ie. they
have a different number of neutrons

Isotopes of an element all have the same chemical


Isotopes are classified as the same
element because they have the same properties, because they have the same number of
number of protons in thier nucleus electrons in their outer shells
Some physical properties of isotopes do differ.
Many elements have naturally occurring isotopes.
Masses of the atoms differ, therefor properties
For example: hydrogen has 2 naturally occurring
such as density and rate of diffusion differ too.
isotopes, hydrogen and deuterium. A third, tritium,
can be made artificially

Relative Atomic Mass


This takes into account the
Most elements exist naturally Therefore, the value we use for
proportions of all naturally
as a mixture of isotopes. the atomic mass of an element
occurring isotopes.
is an average mass.

Calculating relative
atomic mass
Notes: Example: Magnesium
Step 1: Isotopes of Mg:
Calculate total mass of 100 atoms of
magnesium by multiplying the mass of Isotope Abundance
each isotope with its relative abundance.
Mg-24 : 78.6%
Step 2:
Calculate the average mass of 1 atom by Mg-25 : 10.1%
dividing the total mass by 100. Mg-26 : 11.3%
Step 3:
Round to required level of accuracy
(usually 2 significant figures).
Step 1:
(24 x 78.6) + (25 x 10.1) + (26 x 11.3) = 2432.7
Step 2:
2432.7/100 = 24.327
Step 3: (Rounded to 3 significant figures)
24.327 = 24.3

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