Chapter 3

Atomic Structure
Atoms and Molecules
• It is important to understand the terms atom and molecule when referring to atomic structure, elements
and compounds.
• Atom- The smallest particles of an element that consists of electrons surrounding a nucleus that contains
protons and neutrons.
• Molecule- A group of two or more atoms chemically bonded together forming an identifiable unit which
retains the properties and composition of the substance.
Atomic structure
Atomic structure
 The structure of the atom
• Elements are made of tiny particles of matter called atoms.
• Each atom is made up of subatomic particles called protons, neutrons and electrons.
• Their size is so tiny that we can’t really compare their masses in conventional units such as
kilograms or grams, so a unit called relative atomic mass unit is used.
• One relative atomic mass is equal to one twelfth the mass of a carbon -12 atom.
• All other elements are measured relative to the mass of a carbon -12 atom and since these are
ratios, the relative atomic mass has no units.
• Hydrogen for example has a relative atomic mass of 1, meaning that 12 atoms of hydrogen would
have exactly the same mass as 1 atom of carbon.
• The relative mass and charge of the subatomic particles are shown below.
Particles Relative mass Charge
Proton 1 +1
Neutron 1 0 (neutral)
Electron 1 -1
1836
 Atomic structure key terms
• Atomic number – The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
• Mass number –The sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.
• Isotopes –Atoms of the same element contain the same number of protons and electrons but a
different number of neutrons. Therefore, they have the same atomic number but a different mass
number.
• Relative atomic mass –is the average mass of an atom, taking into account the abundance of all the
isotopes of that elements. It is measured as a ratio one twelfth of the mass of an atom of carbon-12.
Isotopes
 Relative atomic mass(Ar)
• The number 35.5 of Chlorine is not mass number but rather Relative Atomic Mass (Ar).
• Chlorine consists of two isotopes, 35𝐶𝑙 and 37𝐶𝑙 and a naturally occurring sample contains a
mixture of these .
• Relative atomic mass of an element can be calculated by knowing how much of each isotope is
present in a sample of that element, and working out the average mass of an atom.
• This type of average is called a weighted average or weighted mean.
 Calculating Relative Atomic Mass
• The relative atomic mass of each element is calculated from the mass number and relative
abundances of all the isotopes of a particular element.
• The equation below is used where the top line of the equation can be extended to include the
number of different isotopes of a particular element present .
• So, if there were 3 isotopes present then the top of the equation would read ;
(% of isotope A × mass of isotope A) + (% of isotope B × mass of isotope B) + (% of isotope C ×
mass of isotope C)
• RAM calculation formula ;
(% of isotope A × mass of isotope A) + (% of isotope B × mass of isotope B)
𝐴𝑟 =
100
The table shows information about the isotopes in a sample of rubidium with 72%
 Calculating relative atomic mass (Ar)
Example
1. A naturally occurring sample of the element Boron contains 20% 10𝐵 and 80% 11𝐵 . Calculate
the relative atomic mass.
20 ×10 +(80×11)
Relative atomic mass = = 10.8
100

2. Lithium has two naturally occurring isotopes, 6𝐿𝑖 (abundance 7%) and 7𝐿𝑖 (abundance 93%) .
Calculate the relative atomic mass of lithium, giving your answer to 2 decimal places
 The electrons
• Atoms are electrically neutral (they have no overall charge). The charge on a proton (+1) is equal
but opposite to the charge on an electron (-1), and therefore in an atom
number of electrons = number of protons
• So, if an oxygen atom(atomic number =8) has 8 protons, it must also have 8 electrons.
• However, the atomic number is defined in terms of the number of protons because the number of
electrons can change in chemical reactions, for example when atoms form ions.
Example
1. Calculate the number of protons, neutrons and electrons in an atom of uranium.
 Periodic table
• Atoms are arranged in the Periodic Table in order of increasing atomic number.
• Most Periodic Table have two numbers against each symbol the smaller number is atomic number
and the other is the mass number of the most common isotope of the element or the relative atomic
mass of the element .
• A nucleon is one of the particles of the atomic nucleus. Each atomic nucleus includes one or more
Nucleons.
• The nucleon number or mass number of an atom is the total number of protons and neutrons it
contains.
Example
Use words from the box to complete the sentences about beryllium.
Electron Negative Neutral Neutrons
Nucleus Positive Protons Shells

An atom of beryllium has a central ………….that contains particles called………….and …………..

Around these particles there are …………orbiting in…………. . An atom of beryllium has no
charge because it contains equal numbers of …………..and …………. .the particles with the lowest
mass in an atom of beryllium are called …………………….
Chapter questions
1. (a) the nucleus (b) electrons (c) proton (d) proton and neutron
2. (a) 9
(b) sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus
(c) 9p, 10n, 9e
(d) the protons and electrons have equal but opposite charges. The atom has no overall charge,
therefore there must be equal numbers of protons and electrons.
3. (a) 26 p, 30 n, 26e
(b) 41 p, 52 n, 41e
(c) 92 p, 143n, 92e
4. (a) Atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers. They have the same
number of protons, but different numbers of neutrons.
(b) 35 Cl : 17 p, 18 n, 17 e ; 37Cl : 17 p, 20 n, 17e
6×7 + 93×7
5. = 6.93
100
24×78.9+25×10.00+26×11.01
6. = 24.32
100
 Chapter questions

204×1.4+206×24.1+207×22.1+208×52.4
7. = 207.241
100

8.(a) 77 protons, 114 neutrons, 77 electrons

(b) Iridium-193 has 2 more neutrons in the nucleus .

(c) More iridium -193 because the relative atomic mass is closer to

193 than 191.

9. This statement is true – it only applies to 1 element, hydrogen(H).