Chemistry (Set 2 Reviewer)
Elements and Atoms
An element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by
chemical reactions. Each element is made up of a particular type of atom. For example,
the element hydrogen is made up of hydrogen atoms.
An atom is the smallest unit of an element that maintains the properties of that element.
Atoms are composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
Atomic Structure
The structure of an atom is composed of two parts: the nucleus and the electron cloud.
The nucleus, located at the center of the atom, contains protons and neutrons. Protons
carry a positive charge, while neutrons carry no charge.
The electron cloud, which surrounds the nucleus, contains electrons. Electrons carry a
negative charge and have much less mass than protons or neutrons.
Atomic Mass
The atomic mass of an atom is the sum of the masses of its protons and neutrons. Electrons
are not included in the atomic mass because their mass is significantly smaller than that of
protons and neutrons.
Mole and Avogadro's Number
A mole is a unit of measurement in chemistry. It is used to express amounts of a chemical
substance. One mole of any substance contains Avogadro's number of particles, which is
6.022 × 10²³. This number is also known as Avogadro's constant.
Ions and Ionic Compounds
Ions are atoms or groups of atoms that have lost or gained electrons, giving them a
charge. Ions that have gained electrons have a negative charge and are called anions.
Ions that have lost electrons have a positive charge and are called cations.
Ionic compounds are formed when ions come together and form a neutral compound.
For example, sodium (Na), a cation, and chloride (Cl), an anion, can combine to form
sodium chloride (NaCl), a neutral ionic compound.
Shells, Subshells, and Orbitals
Electrons in an atom are located in areas called electron shells, which are a certain
distance away from the nucleus. Each shell can hold a certain number of electrons.
Within each shell, there are subshells. Each subshell is designated by a letter (s, p, d, f)
and can hold a specific number of electrons. For example, an s subshell can hold 2
electrons, a p subshell can hold 6, a d subshell can hold 10, and an f subshell can hold 14.
Orbitals are areas within a subshell where there is a high probability of finding an
electron. Each orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons.
Electronic Configuration
The electronic configuration of an atom describes the distribution of electrons in the atom's
electron shells. For example, the electronic configuration of hydrogen is 1s1, meaning there is
one electron in the s subshell of the first shell.
