Atomic structure and radioactivity Flashcards
(192 cards)
How large are atoms?
Very small, with a radius of about 1 × 10⁻¹⁰ m.
Describe the basic structure of an atom.
A positively charged nucleus
composed of both protons and neutrons surrounded by negatively charged electrons.
The radius of a nucleus is less than _______ of the radius of an atom.
1/10 000
Where is most of the mass of an atom concentrated?
In the nucleus.
Why are atoms neutral?
The positive charge from the protons cancels out the negative charge from the electrons.
How are the electrons of an atom arranged?
They orbit the nucleus at different distances from it (different energy levels).
How might electron arrangements change?
With the absorption or emission of electromagnetic radiation.
Explain what happens when atoms absorb electromagnetic radiation.
Electrons gain energy and can move to higher energy levels (further from the nucleus).
Explain what happens when atoms emit electromagnetic radiation.
Electrons lose energy and move down to lower energy levels (closer to the nucleus).
Atoms have no overall what?
electrical charge
What is the number of protons in an atom of an element called?
Its atomic number
What is the total number of protons and neutrons in an atom called?
Its mass number
How can atoms turn into ions?
If they lose one or more outer electron(s).
What are the ways in which electrons can leave an atom?
-Absorbing electromagnetic radiation of enough energy so that the outer electrons can escape the pull of the nucleus
-Being hit by a particle such as an alpha or beta particle
What are the types of electromagnetic radiation with enough energy to allow outer electrons to escape the pull of the nucleus?
-UV
-X-rays
-Gamma-rays
What might new experimental evidence lead to?
A scientific model being changed or replaced.
Before the discovery of the electron, what were atoms thought to be?
Tiny spheres that could not be divided.
What did the discovery of the electron lead to?
The Plum Pudding model (of the atom).
What dis the plum pudding model suggest that the atom is?
A ball of positive charge with negative electrons embedded in it.
What conclusions were drawn from the alpha particle scattering experiment?
-The mass of an atom was concentrated at the centre (in the nucleus).
-The nucleus was charged.
Which model replaced the Plum pudding model?
Rutherford’s nuclear model.
How did Niels Bohr adapt Rutherford’s nuclear model?
By suggesting that electrons orbit the nucleus at specific distances.
The theoretical calculations of Bohr agreed with (and helped explain) what?
Other scientists’ experimental observations at the time.
What did later experiments by Rutherford et al lead to? (after Bohr)
The idea that the positive charge of any
nucleus could be subdivided into a whole number of smaller particles.
And that each particle had the same amount of positive charge.
These particles were named protons.