Basic Chemistry (Review)

Atoms and Elements

It is important to understand the fundamental difference
between atoms and elements when looking at biological
compounds. Your book offers these definitions:
Element – a fundamental form of matter with the same
chemical and physical properties that can’t be broken down
into any more unique parts by ordinary chemical or physical
means
Atom – the smallest particles of matter that retain all of the
properties of an element
The best way to think about the difference is with an
example. Let’s say that I had a brick of pure gold. This
would be an element, because no matter how many times I
broke it’s many atoms apart, every atom would still be gold.
 Components of the Atom
Every atom of every element consists of three basic
components, the proton, the neutron, and the electron

Compon Charge Location Symbol

ent
Proton Positive Nucleus p or +
(+1)

Neutron Neutral Nucleus n or 0

(0)

Electron Negativ Electron Cloud e- or (-)

e
(-1)
 Parts of the Atom
An atom consists of two very different parts, the nucleus and
the electron cloud.
Atomic Nucleus – is an extraordinarily small, extremely
dense region in the center of an atom which contains all of
the atom’s protons and neutrons
-- the nucleus contains over 99.9% of the mass of an
atom
-- the size of the nucleus compared to the size of the
atom is like a marble in a football field
-- discovered by Rutherford’s gold-foil experiment
Electron Cloud -- rest of the atom which surrounds the
nucleus, which contain free-moving electrons
 What Makes an Atom an Element?
Every element is unique because it requires a specific kind
of atom.
What element an atom is depends solely on the number
of protons in that atom’s nucleus.
We refer to the number of protons in an atom’s nucleus as
the atom’s atomic number
You can find the atomic number of any atom on your
periodic table by looking in the upper left-hand corner of the
box for that element
Remember: Atomic Number = # of protons
 Atomic Mass
If we know that the mass of a proton is 1 amu, the mass of
a neutron is 1 amu, and the mass of an electron is 0 amu,
then the mass of an atom (in amu) is simply the mass of
the protons plus the mass of the electrons.
Even simpler, because the mass of protons and neutrons
are each 1,
Atomic Mass = # of Protons + # of Neutrons
You can find the atomic mass of any element under the
element’s name on the periodic table.
On my periodic table, the masses aren’t whole numbers, why is that?
Since atoms can only have whole protons and whole neutrons, it makes sense
that the atomic mass of any element should be a whole number, however, the
mass given on the periodic table isn’t a whole number. Instead, it’s an average
mass of all of the isotopes of an element. Which brings us to. . .
 Isotopes
We know that every atom of an element has to have the
same number of protons or it would be a different element.
Every atom of a particular element, however, does NOT
have to have the same number of neutrons, and therefore
every atoms of the same element does not have to have
the same atomic mass.
Isotopes – two atoms of the same element with different
atomic masses
Some common isotopes:
carbon-12 and carbon-14 atomic mass

oxygen-16 and oxygen-18

hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium (H-1, H-2, H-3)
 Charge!
Usually, atoms of an element are neutral in charge (think
about what would happen if they weren’t!), however
sometimes an atom picks up an electric charge.
For an atom to be neutral in charge, it must have the same
number of positively-charge protons (+) as negatively-
charged electrons (-). It is when this atom gains or loses an
electron that it gains or loses a positive or negative charge.
*** Atoms cannot gain or lose protons or they will
become new elements!!!  impossible without
fission/fusion
 Ions
When an atom gain or loses an electron to become positively
or negatively charged, we call it an ion

Atom gains electron  negatively charged

Atoms loses electron  positively charged

Writing ions:
when we write an ion of an atom, we always put the
charge in superscript to the right of the atomic symbol

Examples:
Sodium with one less electron = Na+
Chlorine with an extra electron = Cl-
Sulfur with two extra electrons = S2- or S-2
Using our periodic table and what we know about atomic
number, mass, isotopes, and electrons, we can fill in the
following chart:
Element Symbol Atomic Atomic # of # of # of charge
Number Mass protons neutron electron

8 8 8

Potassium 39 +1

Br 45 -1

30 35 30
 Electrons
Atoms which are not ions have the same number of protons
as electrons.
These electrons are arranged in different energy levels, a
topic which will be discussed later in chemistry and physics.
For now, we will use the simplest model of describing the
location of electrons, which is known as the Bohr model.
-- Designed by scientist Neils Bohr to represent the
energy level of an electron in a hydrogen atom
-- The Bohr model only can be correctly drawn for
elements 1-18
-- The Bohr model is actually only a correct model for
the hydrogen atom
 Using the Bohr Model
The Bohr Model assumes that each energy level can hold
eight electrons, EXCEPT for the lowest (1st) energy level,
which can only hold two electrons.
The electrons in the highest energy level are called valence
electrons
Example of Bohr Model for Flourine (9 p+, 9 e-):
e- e-

Notice that fluorine has

2 electrons in its
e-
e-
e-
9 p+
e- e- lowest (1st) energy
10 n
level, and 7 electrons
in its valence energy
level
e- e-
 Valence Electrons
Valence electrons play a very important role in bonding
Atoms like to have full valence shells of 8 electrons,
therefore, atoms will share valence electrons with atoms of
other elements to make compounds.
For example: Water (H2O) has two hydrogen atoms and one
oxygen atom.
Oxygen = 6 valence electrons
Hydrogen = 1 valence electron
Hydrogen = 1 valence electron
TOTAL = 8 shared valence electrons
 The Periodic Table
In addition to being a really spiffy-looking chart that tells us
atomic number, mass, and symbol, the periodic table tells
us other secrets about atoms as well.
The secrets are held in the rows and columns of the
periodic table, which are known as periods and groups,
respectively
 Columns (Groups)
Columns – the columns of the periodic table are called
groups
-- Each group is numbered 1-8 (excluding the
transition metals)
-- The number of each group indicates how many
valence electrons every element in the group has
-- Therefore, every element in the same column has
the SAME NUMBER of valence electrons! (and therefore
about the same reactivity)
-- Group 8 is known as the Noble Gases, which
almost never react chemically
-- Group 1 is the Alkali Metals and Group 2 is the
Alkaline Earth Metals, both are pretty reactive
-- Group 7 is known as the halogens, and they are
also extremely reactive
 Rows (Periods)
The rows of the periodic table are called periods
Each period is numbered 1-7.
The number of each period corresponds to the valence
energy level of all elements within that period.
***therefore by looking at the period and group of an
element, you should know how many valence electrons
it has and in what energy level they are