Leaning unit 2

Atoms and Elements

(AACHA1A)
Lecturer: PP Mashinini

www.vut.ac.za

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Atoms and elements, Page 85
1. Element and symbols
2. The periodic table
3. The atom
4. Atomic number and mass number
5. Isotopes and atomic mass
6. Electron energy levels
7. Trends in the Periodic Properties

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 Atoms and elements

Elements and symbols, Page 86

• Learning goal: give the name of an element, and write its correct symbol; from the
symbol, write the correct name

• All matter is composed of elements.

• Elements are pure substances from which all things are built.
• Elements cannot be broken down into simpler substance
• Learn all the chemical symbols (one or two abbreviations for the elements).
• Be able to write the chemical symbols for all elements in the periodic table.
• Complete the questions and problems at the end of each section in the textbook.

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 Atoms and elements

• The atom is the fundamental building

block of everything we see, feel, hear,
and experience.
• Atoms are the building blocks of
matter, the basic units from which
nature builds.
• The properties of atoms determine the
properties of matter.
• An atom is the smallest indentifiable
unit of an element and can not be
broken down into simpler substances.
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Atoms and elements

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 Atoms and elements

Chemical symbol – are one or more or two-letter abbreviations for the names of the
element
• Only the first letter of an element’s symbol is capitalized
• If the symbol has a second letter, it is in lowercase so we can know when a different
element is indicated

Co – cobalt
CO - carbon and oxygen

Check questions and problems

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 Atoms and elements
Periodic table– arrangement of 118 elements

Learning goal: use the periodic table to identify the group and the period of an element;
identify element as metal, nonmetal or a metalloid

• Period – horizontal rows

• Group (family) – Vertical column on
a periodic table.
• Be able to identify representative
elements and transition elements.

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 The Periodic Table
• The periodic table is a systematic arrangement of all known chemical elements based on their
atomic number, electron configuration, and recurring chemical properties.
• It is an essential tool in chemistry that helps predict the properties of elements and their
compounds.
Periods
• The rows in the periodic table are called periods (horizontal).
• There are 7 periods, and elements in the same period have the same number of electron
shells.
Groups
• The columns are called groups (vertical).
• There are 18 groups. Elements in the same group have similar chemical properties
because they have the same number of valence electrons 9
 Classification of Groups
Group Name Example Key Properties Uses

elements
1 Alkali Metals Li, Na, K 1 valence electron, highly Batteries (Li), Table salt (NaCl)
reactive, soft,
2 Alkaline Earth Mg, Ca Reactive, 2 valence Building materials (Ca), Fireworks (Sr)
Metals electrons
3 – 12 Transition Metals Fe, Cu, Au High melting points, Structures (Fe), Jewellery (Au
colourful compounds
No Common Names
13 Boron Group B, Al 3 valence electrons, Packaging (Al), Glass (B)
including metals/metalloids
14 Carbon Group C, Si, Sn 4 valence electrons, varied Electronics (Si), Organic compounds
bonding
15 Nitrogen Group N, P 5 valence electrons,
covalent compounds
16 Oxygen Group O, S 6 valence electrons, form Respiration (O), Rubber (S)
oxides/sulphides
17 Halogens F, Cl 7 valence electrons, highly Disinfectants (Cl), Toothpaste (F)
reactive,
18 Noble Gases He, Ne, Ar Inert, full valence shells Lighting (Ne), Cooling (He) 11
 Atoms and elements
Classification of groups

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 Atoms and elements

• The periodic table contains 118 different elements, each unique in its chemical properties.
• Elements are categorized into three main groups: metals, nonmetals, and metalloids.
• Metals are periodic elements characterized by similar traits and molecular structures.
• Typically hard, shiny materials with good thermal and electrical conductivity.
• Nonmetals are elements characterized by their lack of metallic properties.
• They are often brittle and poor conductors of heat and electricity.
• Metalloids are the middle ground between metals and nonmetals, exhibiting qualities of
both groups of elements.
• They are more thermally or electrically conductive than nonmetals, but not as much as
metals

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 Atoms and elements

PROPERTY METALS NONMETALS METALLOIDS

Location on Periodic Table Left and center (e.g., Along the "stair-step" line
Right side (e.g., Groups
Groups 1-12) dividing metals and
14-18)
nonmetals
Physical State Mostly solids (except Gases, liquids, or brittle
Solids
Mercury) solids
Appearance Lustrous (shiny) Dull Can be shiny or dull
Excellent conductors of Poor conductors Moderate conductivity
Conductivity
heat and electricity (insulators) (semiconductors)
Malleability Malleable and ductile Brittle (if solid) Brittle
Density Generally high Generally low Variable
Melting/Boiling Points High Low to moderate Intermediate
Electronegativity Low High Intermediate
Behave as either metals or
Lose electrons (form Gain or share electrons
Chemical Behavior nonmetals depending on
cations) in reactions (form anions) 14
the reaction
 Atoms and elements

Metals, nonmetals and metalloids

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 Atoms and elements

Example
Consider the element aluminium, silicon, and phosphate
• In what group and period are they found
• Identify each as metal, a nonmetal or a metalloid

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 Atoms and elements
• Period – horizontal rows
• Group (family) – Vertical column on a periodic table.

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 Atoms and elements
The Atom
• The smallest particles of an element and retains the characteristics of that element

• English physicist and chemist John Dalton in the year 1808.

• It stated that all matter was made up of small, indivisible particles known as ‘atoms’.

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 Atoms and elements

Electron: A subatomic particle with a negative electric charge, symbolized as 𝑒−.

Electrons are much smaller than protons and neutrons and are found in energy levels (or orbitals)
surrounding the nucleus.
They are involved in chemical bonding and reactions, as they interact with electrons of other
atoms.
Proton: A positively charged subatomic particle, symbolized as 𝑝+.
Protons are found in the nucleus of an atom.
The number of protons in an atom determines its element and is referred to as the atomic number
(𝑍).
Neutron: A subatomic particle with no electric charge is symbolized as 𝑛.
Neutrons are also found in the nucleus, alongside protons.
They play a critical role in stabilizing the nucleus by offsetting the repulsive forces between
positively charged protons.

Nucleus: The dense central core of an atom, composed of protons and neutrons.
The nucleus contains nearly all of the atom's mass.
The electrons orbit around the nucleus at specific energy levels. 19
 Atoms and elements

• Atoms are composed of a nucleus (protons and neutrons) surrounded by electrons in a “cloud.”

• The positive charge of the protons in the nucleus is

balanced by the negative charge of the electrons,
making the atom electrically neutral.
• These are bound together in the nucleus by strong
nuclear forces, stronger than repulsive
electromagnetic forces between protons.
• Their opposite charges create an attractive force that
binds electrons to the nucleus.

• Electrons occupy specific energy levels or orbitals around the nucleus, and their arrangement
determines the atom's chemical properties. 20
 Atoms and elements

Atomic number
All atoms of the same element
always have the same number of
protons, this feature distinguishes
atoms of one element from atoms of
all the other elements

Atomic number = number of

protons in an atom

An atom is electrically neutral – meaning that the number of protons in an atom is equal
to the number of electrons 21
 Atoms and elements

Atomic mass number

The total number of protons and neutrons in its nucleus
Mass number = number of protons + number of neutrons

For example
The nucleus of a single oxygen atom that contains 8 protons and 8 neutrons, has a mass of 16
If we are given the mass number of an atom and its atomic number, We can calculate the number
of neutrons in its nucleus
Number of neutrons in a nucleus = mass number – number of protons

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 Atoms and elements

Concept check:
An atom of silver has a mass number of 109
a) How many protons are in the nucleus?
b) How many neutrons are in the nucleus
c) How many electrons are in the atom? 23
 Atoms and elements

• Nitrogen
• Magnesium
• bromine
Atomic number →Periodic table, Atomic number = number of protons, Number of protons =
number of electrons 24
Atoms and elements

Concept Check:

Consider an atom that has 79 electrons

a) How many protons are in its nucleus
b) What is its atomic number?
c) What is its name? and what is its symbol?

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Isotopes
Atoms of the same element that have the same
number of protons but different number of
neutrons.

Different number of neutrons gives Mg atom different mass number – but does not change the
chemical behaviour 27
Atoms and elements

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 Atoms and elements

Atomic mass or an “average atom” – which is a weighted average of the masses of all
the naturally occurring isotopes of that element

• Chemists have calculated the atomic mass by

finding the weighted average masses of all the
naturally occurring isotopes of the element.
• Calculating the Atomic Mass

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CfSyGd5Ry4

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Atoms and elements

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Atomic mass calculation (isotopes)
Example
Chlorine has two isotopes as shown in the table below. Calculate the average atomic
mass of chlorine
% abundance
Isotope % abundance Atomic mass (amu) 75.76% + 24.24 = 100%
Cl -35 75.76% 34.969 To use this in the formula
divide each % abundance
Cl -37 24.24% 36.699 by 100

Formula: atomic mass (amu) = (fractional abundance of isotope 1)(mass of isotope 1)

+ (fractional abundance of isotope 2)(mass of isotope 2) + and so on
Amu = 34.969(0.7576) + 36.699(0.2424) =35.453
Therefore, the average atomic mass of Chlorine is 35.453
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 Electron Energy Levels
• Electromagnetic radiation is a form of energy generated when electrically charged particles
move through matter or a vacuum.
• It can also be produced by oscillating magnetic and electric disturbances.

• Wavelength and frequency are inversely proportional; as one increases, the other decreases.
• All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed (3.0 x 108 m/s) in a vacuum, regardless of
their wavelength or frequency.

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 Electron Energy Levels

• The changes in the energies of electrons cause the lines in the atomic spectra of elements.
• In an atom, each electron has a specific energy known as its energy
• The electrons surrounding an atom are located in regions around the nucleus called “energy
levels”.
• An energy level represents the 3-dimensional space surrounding the nucleus where electrons
are most likely to be.
• The first energy level is closest to the nucleus. The second energy level is a little farther away
than the first. The third is a little farther away than the second, and so on.
• Each energy level can accommodate or “hold” a different number of electrons before additional
electrons begin to go into the next level.

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 Electron Energy Levels
• When the first energy level has 2 electrons, the next
electrons go into the second energy level until the second
level has 8 electrons.
• When the second energy level has 8 electrons, the next
electrons go into the third energy level until the third level
has 8 electrons.
• When the third energy level has 8 electrons, the next 2
electrons go into the fourth energy level.
• The electrons in the energy level farthest from the nucleus
are called valence electrons.
• Atoms in the same column (group) in the periodic table
have the same number of valence electrons. 35
 Atoms and elements
Electron Energy Levels
Energy level – the energy of each specific electron.
Principle energy level – Are regions where electrons can be found and is designated n=1, n=2, n=3
and so fourth.
Electron configuration – describes the arrangement of electrons in atoms.
Note: The maximum number of electrons that a principle energy level can hold is 2(n)2
Example: n=1 ----- 2(1)2
n=2 ------- 2(2)2
n=3 ---------2(3)2
Sublevel – a set of equal-energy orbitals within a principle energy level.
The sublevels are symbolized as s, p, d and so fourth.
s<p<d
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Summary

Energy level →Sublevel →Orbitals

The energy of a set of equal-

each specific energy orbitals
electron- within a principle
assigned a value energy level
called Principle
energy level (n)

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 Atoms and elements
Electron Energy Levels

Each energy level can hold a

certain number of electrons

n=1 n=2 n=3 n=4

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 Atoms and elements
Electron Energy Levels
Energy level – the energy of each specific electron.

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 Atoms and elements
Sublevels
Within each energy level are sublevels- s, p, d and f

n Sublevel inside energy level

1 s

2 s, p
The number of sublevel in an energy level is equal to
the number of energy level
3 s, p, d

4 s, p, d, f

n=1 n=2 n=3 n=4

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 Atoms and elements
Sublevels
Within each energy level are sublevels- s, p, d and f

n Sublevel inside energy

s p d s p d f level
s s p
1 S
2 S, p
3 S, p, d
4 S, p, d, f
n=1 n=2 n=3 n=4

Nucleus

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 Atoms and elements
Orbitals

Sublevel Number of orbitals in the

sublevel

s 1

p 3

d 5

f 7

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 Atoms and elements
Sublevels
Within each energy level are sublevels- s, p, d and f

s p d s p d f
s p
s

n=1 n=2 n=3 n=4

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 Atoms and elements
.
Principle energy level – Are regions were electrons can be found and is designated n=1, n=2, n=3

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 Atoms and elements
Orbitals
A maximum of 2 electrons can occupy an orbital

s p d s p d f
s p
s

n=1 n=2 n=3 n=4

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 Atoms and elements
Orbitals
A maximum of 2 electrons can occupy an orbital

s p d s p d f
s p
s

n=1 n=2 n=3 n=4

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 Atoms and elements
Electron configuration

s p d s p d f
s s p
1s
2s 2p
3s 3p 3d

n=1 n=2 n=3 n=4 4s 4p 4d 4f

2 6 10 14

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 Atoms and elements
Example – write electron configuration of nitrogen atom

1s
2s 2p
3s 3p 3d
4s 4p 4d 4f

1s2 2s2 2p3 = 7 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 = 13 2 6 10 14

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 Atoms and elements
Some examples of writing electron configuration.

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 Atoms and elements
Atomic orbital – a specific region of a sublevel containing a maximum of two electrons.
• Electron configuration:
• The Aufbau or building up principle helps to represent the electron configuration of atoms
of various elements.
Guidelines for writing the electron configuration – go through the rules in the text book and learn
these.

A useful way to
remember the filling
order for electrons
in atoms.
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 Trends in the periodic table
Valence electrons
Are the outer most electrons in an atom (outer most energy level) which are involved in the
bonding process.

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Compounds and their bonds

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Compounds and their bonds

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 Trends in the periodic table
Group number and valence electrons
Valence electrons are those found in the outermost energy level.
The group number gives the number of valence electrons for each group of representative elements.
For example, all group 1A elements have 1 valence electron and group 2A has 2 valence electrons, and so forth.

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Compounds and their bonds

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Compounds and their bonds

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 Atoms and elements
Atomic size
• The size of the atom is determined by
its atomic radius.
Decreases from left to right.
• Increasing nuclear charge pulls
electrons closer to the nucleus,
reducing the radius.
Increases from top to bottom.
• Additional energy levels (shells) are
added, increasing the size of the atom
despite a higher nuclear charge.
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 Atoms and elements
Electronegativity
The ability of an atom to attract electrons
in a chemical bond.
Increases from left to right.
Increased nuclear charge and smaller size
allow atoms to attract bonding electrons
more strongly.
Decreases from top to bottom.
Larger atomic size and greater shielding
reduce the atom’s ability to attract
bonding electrons
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 Atoms and elements
Ionization energy
The quantity of energy required to
remove one of the outermost electrons.
Increases from left to right.
Greater nuclear charge holds electrons
more tightly, making them harder to
remove.
Decreases from top to bottom.
Outer electrons are farther from the
nucleus and experience more shielding,
reducing the energy needed to remove
them. 59
 Summary of Trends in the Periodic Table

Periodic Property Top to Bottom of a Group Left to right across a Period

Valence electrons Remains the same Increases

Atomic Radius Increases due to the increase in Decreases due to the increase of
energy levels protons in the nucleus that pull
electrons closer
Ionization Energy Decreases because outer Increases as the attraction of the
electrons are easier to remove protons for outer electrons
when they are further away from requires more energy to remove
the nucleus an electron
Metallic Character Increases because outer Decreases as the attraction of
electrons are easier to remove the protons makes it more
when they are farther away from difficult to remove an electron
the nucleus

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