Chapter 4 Flashcards
Nucleus
The dense, positively charged mass located in the center of an atom.
Proton
A positively charged subatomic particle that is found in the nucleus of an atom.
Electron
A negatively charged subatomic particle that is found in the space outside the nucleus of an atom.
Neutron
A netural subatomic particle that is found in the nucleus of an atom.
Atomic Number
A unique number for each element that equals the number of protons in an atom of that element.
Mass Number
The sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.
Isotopes
Atoms of a given element that have different numbers of neutrons and different mass numbers.
Energy Levels
The possible energies that electrons in an atom can have.
Electron Clouds
A visual model of the most likely locations for the electrons in an atom.
Orbital
A region of space around the nucleus where an electron is likely to be found.
Electron Configuration
The arrangement of electrons in the orbitals of an atom.
Ground State
A state in which all of the electrons in an atom have the lowest possible energies.
