Subatomic Particles
A. Protons – Protons carry a single positive charge that have a mass of one
approximately one atomic mass unit. The atomic number is equal to the number
of protons found in an atom.
B. Neutrons – Neutrons carry no charge and have a slightly larger mass than
protons. Isotopes of an element have different number of neutrons but the same
number of protons. The mass number is equal to the number of protons plus
number of neutrons.
C. Electrons – Electrons carry a charge equal but opposite to that of protons. An
electron is very small, about 1/1,837th the mass of a proton.
Atomic Weights
Atomic mass of an atom is expressed in atomic mass units (amu) which is
approximately 1.66x10-24 grams.
A more conventional way of expressing mass of an atom is Atomic Weight. Atomic
weight is the weight in grams of one mole of an element, expressed as g/mol. A mole a
unit of counting, much like a “dozen”, where a mole is represented by Avogadro’s
number (6.02x1023). One mole of an element is equal to its atomic mass number but in
grams instead of amu.
Bohr’s Model
A. In 1913, Niels Bohr created an atomic model based on the work of Ernest
Rutheford and Max Planck. This model was of the structure of the hydrogen
atom, where the nucleus consisted of a central proton around which an electron
traveled in a circular orbit. The electrons are only capable of having discrete
energies called quanta.
B. Atomic Emission Spectra - At room temperature, most atoms are at a ground
state. Electrons can be excited to higher energy levels by hear or other energy,
resulting in an excited state of the atoms. Electrons, when excited, will quickly
return to the ground state, preferring low energy. When returning to ground
state, the energy lost will be released as photons, who’s energy can be calculated:
E=hc/_
E is energy, h is Planck’s constant (6.626x10-34 Js), c is the velocity of light
(3.00x108 m/s) and _ is the wavelength of the radiation.
Each element can have its electrons excited to different distinct energy levels,
giving each element a unique atomic emission spectrum (like a fingerprint).
