C1 - Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table Flashcards
What are the three main subatomic particles that make up an atom?
Protons, Neutrons, Electrons
What is the approximate radius of an atom?
About 0.1 nanometres (1 × 10-10 m)
Where is the nucleus located in an atom?
In the middle of the atom
What particles are contained in the nucleus?
Protons and Neutrons
What is the radius of the nucleus compared to the atom?
Around 1 × 10-14 m (about 1/10,000 of the radius of an atom)
What charge does the nucleus have and why?
Positive charge because of protons
Where is most of the mass of an atom concentrated?
In the nucleus
What are the charges and relative masses of protons, neutrons, and electrons?
Proton: +1 charge, heavy; Neutron: 0 charge, heavy; Electron: -1 charge, very small
How do electrons move in relation to the nucleus?
They move around the nucleus in electron shells
What determines the size of an atom?
The volume of the orbits of the electrons
What is true about the number of protons and electrons in a neutral atom?
They are equal
What is an ion?
An atom or group of atoms that has lost or gained electrons
What happens to the number of protons and electrons in an ion?
The number of protons does not equal the number of electrons
What does the atomic number represent?
The number of protons in an atom
What does the mass number represent?
The total number of protons and neutrons in the atom
How do you calculate the number of neutrons in an atom?
Subtract the atomic number from the mass number
Fill in the blank: Atoms are neutral because they have the same number of protons as _______.
Electrons
True or False: Electrons have a significant mass compared to protons and neutrons.
False
What is an element?
A substance made up of atoms that all have the same number of protons in their nucleus.
What determines the type of atom?
The number of protons in the nucleus.
How many different elements are there?
About 100 different elements.
What is the relationship between the number of protons and elements?
All atoms of a particular element have the same number of protons, while different elements have different numbers of protons.
How are atoms of each element represented?
By a one or two letter symbol.
What is an example of a straightforward atomic symbol?
C = carbon, O = oxygen, Mg = magnesium.