IX CLASS ATOMS
` KKP / MYP CEN TRE
Atom: An atom can be defined as the smallest particle of a matter which may or may not have independent existence
and can itself participate in a chemical reaction. It has sub atomic particles.
i) Electron is a negatively charged particle.
ii) Proton is a positively charged particle.
iii) neutron is a neutral particle (no charge).
Structure of the atom:
An atom essentially consists of two parts - nucleus that contains both protons and neutrons and extra nuclear
part that contains revolving electrons around the nucleus. If you magnify the atom to the size of the cricket stadium
then the size of the peanut on the pitch corresponds to the size of the nucleus. In other words, the size of nucleus is
extremely small as compared to that of an atom. Thus, even within the atom there is vast empty space.
The mass of an electron is negligible in comparison with mass of proton and mass of neutron. So, the total
mass of the atom is concentrated at its centre. The protons and neutrons are collectively called as nucleons. The
nucleus in an atom is positively charged, because of the presence of protons in it. An atoms is electrically neutral as
it contains same number of protons and electrons.
The electrons are revolving around the nucleus in a specific paths with higher speeds. These specific paths are called
as orbits or shells. These are designated alphabets by K, L, M, N (or) numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 …………..
Atomic number :
The number of protons present in an atom is called Atomic number. It is denoted by the letter 'Z'. It is the
characterstic of an element. All the physical and chemical properties of an element depends its atomic number.
Atomic number (Z) = n(p) = n(e)
n(e) = Number of electrons
n(p) = Number of protons
Ex: Atomic number of sodium (Na) = 11
Here, n(e) = 11 and n(p) = 11
Problem - 1 : Find the n(e) and n(p) present in the following atoms ?
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a) He b) C c) Si d) Zn
Mass number :
The total number of protons and neutrons present in the nucleus of an atom is called mass number. It is
denoted by the letter 'A'.
Mass number (A) = number of protons (Z) + number of neutrons (n)
A = Z + n(n)
n(n) = A − Z Number of neutrons = Mass number – Atomic number
Let 'X' be the symbol of an element. The symbolic representation of an atom of the element can be written as
A
zX
where A = mass number
X = symbol of an element
Z = atomic number
TABLE-I
Atomic Stable
Element Mass
Symbol number isotope n(e) n(p) n(n)
name Number (A)
(Z) z XA
1
Hydrogen H 1 1 1X 1 1 0
4
Helium He 2 4 2 He 2 2 2
7
Lithium Li 3 7 3Li 3 3 4
9
Beryllium Be 4 9 4Be 4 4 5
11
Boran B 5 11 5Be 5 5 6
12
Carbon C 6 12 6C 6 6 6
14
Nitrogen N 7 14 7N 7 7 7
16
Oxygen O 8 16 8O 8 8 8
19
Flourine F 9 19 9F 9 9 10
20
Neon Ne 10 20 10Ne 10 10 10
23
Sodium Na 11 23 11Na 11 11 12
24
Magnesium Mg 12 24 12 Mg 12 12 12
27
Aluminum Al 13 27 13 A l 13 13 14
28
Silicon Si 14 28 14 Si 14 14 14
31
Phosphorous P 15 31 15 P 15 15 16
32
Sulphur S 16 32 16 S 16 16 16
35
Chlorine Cl 17 35 17 Cl 17 17 18
40
Argon Ar 18 40 18 Ar 18 18 22
39
Potassium K 19 39 19 K 19 19 20
40
Calcium Ca 20 40 20 Ca 20 20 20
45
Scandium Sc 21 45 21Sc 21 21 24
48
Titanium Ti 22 48 22Ti 22 22 26
51
Vanadium V 23 51 23V 23 23 28
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52
Chromium Cr 24 52 24 Cr 24 24 28
55
Manganese Mn 25 55 25Mn 25 25 30
56
Iron Fe 26 56 26 Fe 26 26 30
59
Cobalt Co 27 59 27 Co 27 27 32
58
Nickel Ni 28 59 28Ni 27 27 32
Copper Cu 29 63 29 Cu63 29 29 34
66
Zinc Zn 30 65 30 Zn 30 30 35
Electronic configuration of an atom :
The arrangement of electrons in the orbits (or) shells of an atom of an element is called electronic
configuration. The electronic configuration of an atom can be written by using the following key notes.
i) The increasing order of energies of various orbits is K, L, M, N
ii) Electrons occupy available lower energy orbit.
iii) The maximum number of electrons present in an orbit (or) a shell of an atom is 2n2 Where n = orbit (or)
shell number
Maximum Capacity
If n = 1 ; 2n2 = 2(1)2 = 2 ; K - shell has 2 electrons
n=2; 2n2 = 2(2)2 = 8 ; L - shell has 8 electrons
n = 3; 2n2 = 2(3)2 = 18 ; M - shell has 18 electrons
The last shell of an atom that contains electron(s) is called outermost shell (or) valence shell. The electrons
present in valence shell are called as valence electrons. \
Ex : i) Atomic number of Hydrogen is 1. It has only one electron. As K- Shell is the available lower energy,
this electron occupy K - Shell. So the electronic configuration of Hydrogen can be written as ( 1 ) or K1
. ii) Atomic number of Helium is 2. It has two electron. As K- Shell is the available lower energy , these two
electrons occupies K - Shell. So the electronic configuration of Hileum can be written as ( 2 ) or K 2 .
iii) Atomic number of Lithium is 3. It has three electron. First two electrons occupy K- Shell and the third
electron occupy next available lower energy L – Shell. So the electronic configuration of Lithium can be written as ( 2,
1 ) or K 2L1 .
iv) The atomic number of Sodium is 11. It has 11 electrons. two electrons occupy K - Shell, 8 electrons occupy
L -Shell and one electron occupies M - Shell. So its electronic configuration can be written as ( 2, 8, 1 ) or K 2L8M1 .
If an atom has 8 electrons in it's valence shell, then atom is known to be stable. All noble gases except Helium
has eight electrons. These elements are stable in nature. All elements lose (or) gain electrons to get inert gas (stable)
configuration. Helium atom with two valence electrons is also known to be stable.
The electronic configuration of first 20 elements is given in the Table -II.\
TABLE-II
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Atomic
Electronic Configuration
number
Element name Symbol
(Z) K L M N
Hydrogen H 1 1 0 0 0
Helium He 2 2 0 0 0
Lithium Li 3 2 1 0 0
Beryllium Be 4 2 2 0 0
Boran B 5 2 3 0 0
Carbon C 6 2 4 0 0
Nitrogen N 7 2 5 0 0
Oxygen O 8 2 6 0 0
Flourine F 9 2 7 0 0
Neon Ne 10 2 8 0 0
Sodium Na 11 2 8 1 0
Magnesium Mg 12 2 8 2 0
Aluminum Al 13 2 8 3 0
Silicon Si 14 2 8 4 0
Phosphorous P 15 2 8 5 0
Sulphur S 16 2 8 6 0
Chlorine Cl 17 2 8 7 0
Argon Ar 18 2 8 8 0
Potassium K 19 2 8 8 1
Calcium Ca 20 2 8 8 2
Isotopes
Atoms of an element with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons are called isotopes. Isotopes
have similar chemical properties. All the properties of isotopes which depend on mass are different.
Example: Hydrogen has three isotopes of names Protium or hydrogen−H, deuterium−D and Tritium−T with mass
numbers 1, 2, and 3 respectively. They are represented as,
1
1 H Hydrogen or Protium (1p, 0 n)
2
1 H or 12D Deuterium (1p, 1n)
3
1 H or 13 T Tritium (1p, 2n)
Isotopes of some common elements
Element Isotopes
Carbon 12
C, 13 14
6 6 C, 6 C
Nitrogen 14
7 N, 15
7 N
Oxygen 16
O, 17
O, 18
O
8 8 8
Chlorine 35
Cl, 37
Cl
17 17
Uranium 235
92 U, 238
92 U, 239
92 U
Isobars
Atoms of different elements having same mass number but different atomic number are called isobars. Isobars differ
in number of protons and neutrons. Examples are :
40 40
(i) 18 Ar, 20 Ca (ii) 13 H, 32He (isotope of 24 He )
Isotones
Atoms of different elements having same number of neutrons are called isotones.
Examples are
(i) 11 12
5 B, 6 C (ii) 12 H, 32He
Isoelectronic species
Atoms or ions having same number of electrons are called isoelectronic species. Examples are
(i) Mg2+ and Al3+ (ii) F− and O2−
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