Unit 1 Test Notes Flashcards
What is the smallest possible particle of an element?
An atom
Atoms are the fundamental building blocks of matter.
What is a stable octet?
A full shell of eight electrons in the outer energy level of an atom
How do metal atoms in Groups 1, 2, or 3 achieve a stable octet?
They lose electrons to form cations
How do non-metal atoms in Groups 15, 16, or 17 achieve a stable octet?
They gain electrons to form anions
What are cations?
Positively charged ions that have lost electrons
What are anions?
Negatively charged ions that have gained electrons
What is the atomic number (Z)?
The number of protons in one atom of a specific element
What is atomic mass?
The average mass of an element, expressed in atomic mass units (amu)
How is atomic mass calculated?
of protons + # of neutrons
What are the charges of protons, electrons, and neutrons?
- Proton: 1+
- Electron: 1-
- Neutron: 0
What does an isotope represent?
Atoms with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons
What is isotopic abundance?
The percentage of a given isotope in a sample of an element
Fill in the blank: Atomic mass is a _______ average of all the isotopes of the element.
weighted
True or False: All isotopes of an element have the same atomic mass.
False
What is a mass spectrometer used for?
To determine the relative abundance of each isotope
What are the three types of particles emitted by radioisotopes?
- Alpha particles
- Beta particles
- Gamma rays
How do you calculate the atomic mass given isotopic abundance?
atomic mass = (% abundance of isotope 1)(mass of isotope 1) + (% abundance of isotope 2)(mass of isotope 2)
What happens during the decay of a radioisotope?
It spontaneously produces two or more smaller nuclei and radiation
What are noble gases known for?
They are stable and inert because they have a stable octet
How is the atomic mass expressed?
In decimals
Who proposed that all matter can be divided into smaller pieces until a single indivisible particle is reached?
Democritus
Democritus introduced the concept of the atom, meaning ‘cannot be cut’.
What are the three key characteristics of atoms proposed by Democritus?
- Atoms are of different sizes
- Atoms are in constant motion
- Atoms are separated by empty spaces
Which elements did Aristotle and Empedocles believe all matter was composed of?
- Earth
- Air
- Fire
- Water
What does Dalton’s theory state about atoms?
- Matter consists of definite particles called atoms
- Atoms cannot be created, destroyed, or divided
- Each element has its own type of atom
- Atoms of the same element have identical properties
- Atoms can combine in constant ratios to form new substances