Chapter 3: Atoms, Elements, and the Building Blocks of Matter Flashcards
(47 cards)
2 and 3
2: atomic number, number of protons, also same as the number of electrons surrounding the nucleus of an element in its neutral state.
3: The molar mass of the element. It’s also called the atomic weight
Mass number and isotopes
Mass number: sum of neutros and protons
Isotope: different numbers of neutrons. Example - carbon-12 contains 6 protons and 6 neturons, and carbon-14 contains 6 protons and 8 neutrons. These are isotopes of carbon
Molar mass on periodic table - average of all the mass numbers of all known isotopes
What are the horizontal and vertical rows called on the periodic table?
Periods: horizontal rows
Groups: verticle columns
What do the coefficients in chemical reactions tell you?
About the reactants and products in terms of moles
Avagadro’s number
1 mole = 6.022 x 1023 molecules
Moles = Molecules/(6.022 x 1023)
What are the atomic weights on the periodic table?
They are given in terms of atomic mass units (amu), but an amu is the same as a gram per mole, so if 1 carbon weighs 12 amu, then 1 mol of carbon atoms weighs 12 grams.
Equation to convert between grams & moles
Moles = grams/molar mass
What is the ideal gas equation?
PV = nRT
P = pressure
V = Volume (L)
T = Temperature (K)
R = the gas constant, 0.0821 L-atm/mol-K
What is STP?
Where P = 1 atm
T = 273
And, in this situation, one mole of gas always occupies 22.4 L
So Moles = liters/(22.4 L/mol)
Other ways for finding Moles =
(molarity)(liters of solution)
(molality)(kilograms of solvent)
What is percent composition (or mass percent)?
Percent by mass of each element that makes up a compound
Calculated by dividing the mass of each element or component in a compound / by the total molar mass for the substance (x 100%)
Emperical Formula
Molecular Formula
Represents the simplest ration of one element to another in a compound. Example: CH2O
Represents the actual formula for the substance. Example: C6H12O6
What are quantum numbers?
Numbers that describe the positions of the electrons in relation to the nucleus
Each electron has 4 ________ that apply to its **shell, subshell, oribtal, **and spin.
Shells
n =1, 2, 3…
In a hydrogen atom, the principal quantum number, or shell, of an electron determines its averge distance from the nucleus as well as its energy.
So, electrons in shells with higher values are farther away on average from the nucleus and will have more energy and less stability than electrons in shells with lower values.
Subshells
L = 0, 1, 2…
The angular momentum quantum number, or subshell, describes the shape of an electron’s orbital
- First shell (n = 1) has 1 subshell: s, or l = 0 [n - 1]
- Second shell (n = 2) has 2 subshells: s (l = 0) and p (l = 1)
- Third shell (n = 3) has 3 subshells: s (l = 0), p (l = 1), & d (l = 2)
Orbitals of s sbushells are spherical
Oritals of p subshells are dumbbell shaped
Orbitals
ml, = … -1, 0, +1...
The magnetic quantum number, or orbital, describes the orientation of the orbital in space
Describes whether the path of the electron lies mostlhy on the x, y, or z axis of a 3-dimensional grid
- s subshell (l = 0) has 1 orbital: ml = 0
- p subshell (l = 1) has 3 orbitals: ml = -1, m<em>l</em> = 0, ml = +1
- d subshell (l = 2) has 5 orbitals: m<em>l</em> = -2, -1, 0, 1, and 2
Spin
ms = +1/2, -1/2
Each orbital can contain 2 electrons: one with a positive spin and one with a negative spin
Aufbau Principle
When building up the electron configuration of an atom, electrons are placed in orbitals, subshells, ad shells in order of increasing energy
Pauli Exclusion Principle
Within an atom no electron can have the same set off quantum numbers. Each electron in any atom has its own distinct set of 4 quantum numbers
Hund’s Rule
When an electron is added to a subshell, it will always occupy an empty oribtal if one is availabe. Electrons always occupy orbitals singly if possible and pairup if no empty orbitals are available
Electrons and Energy
Electrons have potential energy that increases with their distance from the nucleus
Energy of electrons is quantized. Means that electrons can exist only at specific energy levels, separated by specific intervals. Ex. - brick in the building could be placed only on 1st, 2nd, or 3rd floor, but not in between
Quantized energy of an electron in an H atom can be found if you know its principal quantum number or shell
How do you find the energy of an electron?
E<em>n</em> = -2.178 x 10-8/n2 Joules
E<em>n</em>= energy of the electron
<em>n</em> = principal quantum number of the electron
What happens when atoms absorb energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation?
Electrons jump to higher energy levels. When electrons drop from higher to lower energy levels, atoms give off energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation.
Relationship between the change in energy level of an electron and the electromagnetic radiation absorbed or emitted
Energy and Electromagnetic Radiation
ΔE = hv = hc/λ
ΔE = energy change
- h *= Planck’s constant, 6.63 x 10-34 joule-sec
- v* = frequency of the radiation
λ = wavelength of the radiation
c = the speed of light, 3.00 x 108 m/sec (c = λf)
energy level changes for the electrons of a particular atom are always the same, so atoms can be identified by their emission & absorption spectra

