Particle model of matter Flashcards
An atom has a small, …………… charged nucleus surrounded by orbiting ……………. charged electrons.
- positively
- negatively
what is the avg radius of atoms?
1 × 10 to the -10 metres
what fraction of an atom does the nucleus make up?
The radius of a nucleus is less than 1/10 0000 of the radius of an atom
where is most of the mass of the atom concentrated at?
the nucleus
In what environment would the relative mass of an atom change?
mass is constant across all enviroments
what is the overall charge of an atom?
neutral (0)
what is the relative charge of a proton?
+1
where are protons found?
the nucleus
what is the correlation between atomic number and number of protons?
an elements atomic number is the number of protons it possesses
((all atoms of the same element have the same number of protons)
what is the relative charge of electrons?
-1
where are electrons found in the atom?
on fixed orbits (energy levels/shells/orbitals) around the nucleus
why do atoms overall have no electric charge?
because the total number of negative electrons equals the number of positive protons
what is the relative charge of neutrons?
0 -meaning that they are neutral
where are neutrons found in the atom?
in the nucleus
What is the overall charge of the nucleus of an atom?
positive
What is the charge of an atom’s nucleus?
positive
An atom’s ………….. are arranged at different distances from the nucleus (different energy levels). .
electrons
Where is most of the mass of an atom found?
the nucleus
how was the nucleus discovered?
Ernest Rutherford discovered the nucleus by firing a beam of alpha particles at thin metal foils (only a few atoms wide).
What did Rutherford’s experiment tell us?
- The large deflections suggested that some positively charged mass is the atom was repelling the particles
- suggested that most of the atom is made up of empty space
how did Rutherford’s experiment adapt the model of the atom?
-this lead to the model of the atom with negatively charged electrons orbiting a positively charged nucleus
During Rutherford’s experiment what were fired at the metal?
alpha particles
Why would the alpha particles be deflected by a smaller angle if the thin metal foil was made of a lighter element?
The nuclei of lighter elements contain fewer protons. This means they have a lower charge. Each alpha particle will therefore experience a smaller electric force acting on it and so deflect by a smaller angle.
who discovered electrons and in what year?
- English physicist J. J. Thompson
- 1897