Atomic structure study guide

Atomic Structure Study Guide

1. Structure of the Atom

• Nucleus: Contains protons (+1 charge) and neutrons (0 charge).
• Electrons: Orbit the nucleus in energy levels, with a -1 charge.

2. Particle Properties

• Protons: Mass = 1 amu, Charge = +1
• Neutrons: Mass = 1 amu, Charge = 0
• Electrons: Mass ≈ 0 amu, Charge = -1

3. Isotopes

• Different forms of the same element with varying neutron numbers.
• Example: Carbon-12 and Carbon-14.

4. Mass Spectrometry Principles

• Ionisation: Atoms are ionised to form charged particles.
• Acceleration: Ions are accelerated by an electric field.
• Ion Drift: Ions travel through a field; lighter ions move faster.
• Detection: Ions are detected and recorded.
• Data Analysis: Mass spectra are analyzed to determine isotopic composition.

5. Calculating Relative Atomic Mass

• Use isotopic abundance data to calculate average atomic mass.
• Report results to the correct number of significant figures.

6. Electron Configurations

• Write configurations for elements up to atomic number 36, using the order of filling (1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d).

7. Ionisation Energies

• First Ionisation Energy: Energy needed to remove the first electron.
• Successive Ionisation Energies: Energy needed to remove additional electrons.
• Trends in Period 3 and Group 2 elements can be interpreted to understand atomic structure.