Fundamentals of Chemistry

Academic year: 2024 - 2025

Atomic structures

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Content of this lesson

• Atomic structure
• Electrons in atoms
• Atomic orbitals
• Electronic configuration
 Atomic structure
Elements
A chemical element is a chemical substance whose atoms all have the same
number of protons. The number of protons is called the atomic number of that
element.

The term "chemical element" meant a substance that cannot be broken

down into constituent substances by chemical reactions.

Most of elements are found in combination with other elements a compounds.

E.g.: ???
Element symbols
Symbol Name Pronunciation He Helium /ˈhi:lɪəm/
Ag Silver /'sɪlvə/ Hg Mercury /ˈmɜ:kjʊrɪ/
Al Aluminium /æljʊ'mɪnɪəm/ I Iodine /ˈaɪədiːn/
Ar Argon /'ɑːgɒn/ K Potassium /pəˈtæsɪəm/
As Arsenic /’ɑːsnɪk/ Li Lithium /ˈlɪθɪəm/
Au Gold /'gəʊld/ Mg Magnesium /mægˈniːzɪəm/
B Boron /'bɔːrɒn/ Mn Manganese /ˈmæŋgəniːz/
Ba Barium /ˈbəɛrɪəm/ N Nitrogen /ˈnaɪtrədʒən/
Be Beryllium /bəˈrɪlɪəm/ Na Sodium /ˈsəʊdɪəm/
Bi Bismuth /ˈbɪzməθ/ Ne Neon /ˈniːɒn/
Br Bromine /ˈbrəʊmiːn/ Ni Nickel /ˈnɪkəl/
C Carbon /ˈkɑ:bən/ O Oxygen /ˈɒksɪdʒən/
Ca Calcium /ˈkælsɪəm/ P Phosphorus /ˈfɒsfərəs/
Cd Cadmium /ˈkælmɪəm/ Pb Lead /ˈled/
Cl Chlorine /ˈklɔ:riːn/ Pd Palladium /pəˈleɪdɪəm/
Co Cobalt /ˈkəʊbɒlt/ Pt Platinum /ˈplætɪnəm/
Cr Chromium /ˈkrəʊmɪəm/ Pu Plutonium /pluːˈtəʊnɪəm/
Cs Caesium /ˈsiːzɪəm/ S Sulphur /ˈsʌlfə/
Cu Copper /ˈkɒpə/ Se Selenium /səˈliːnɪəm/
F Fluorine /ˈflʊəriːn/ Si Silicon /ˈsɪlɪkən/
Fe Iron /ˈaɪən/ Sn Tin /ˈtɪn/
Ga Gallium /ˈgælɪəm/ Ti Titanium /tɪˈteɪnɪəm/
H Hydrogen /ˈhaɪdrəʤən/
 Elements and Atoms
What is the most abundant element in the Earth’s crust/ the Sun/ our body?
The most abundant element in the Earth's crust is Oxygen, while in the Sun it is
Hydrogen, and in the human body, it is also Oxygen.
•Earth's crust: Oxygen makes up roughly half of the Earth's crust by mass.
•Sun: Hydrogen is overwhelmingly the most abundant element in the Sun.
•Human body: Oxygen is the most prevalent element in the human body, constituting a
large portion of our body weight.

• Chemical elements contain only one type of atoms.

• An atom is the smallest part of an element that can take part in
a chemical change.
• Atoms are very small.
E.g.: The diameter of a hydrogen atom is ~ 10–10 m
• The mass of an atom is very small.
E.g.: A single hydrogen atom weighs only 1.67 × 10–27 kg
 An atom is made up
of which particles?
Inside the atom Composition of an atom:
-Nucleus (proton and neutron)
-Electron

Charges:
-A proton: (+) charge
-An electron: (-) charge
-A neutron: no charge

Volume:
-Vnucleus << Vatom
-The atom is basically empty
7
Atom structure
matom (> 99.9 %) = mproton + mneutron
-mproton ≈ mneutron
-mproton ≈ 1840 melectron

Actual charge Relative

Particle Mass (g)
(C) charge
Electron 9.1094 x 10-28 -1.6022 x 10-19 -1
Proton 1.6726 x 10-24 + 1.6022 x 10-19 +1
Neutron 1.6749 x 10-24 0 0
Atom structure
• Every atom of the same element has the same
number of protons in its nucleus.
Atomic number (Z): Nproton

Mass number (A): Nproton + Nneutron

Determine quantity of electrons, protons and neutrons for each elements below:
Isotopes
- All atoms of the same element have the same number of
protons.
- Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of
neutrons are called isotopes.
- Isotopes of a particular element have the same chemical
properties.
- Isotopes can be
Stable (Non-radioactive): 1H, 2H, 12C, 13C, 15N, 16O…
Radioactive: 3H, 14C, 234U…
Ions
In a neutral atom: p = e
When an atom gains electrons 🡪 negative ions are formed (anions)
When an atom losses electrons 🡪 positive ions are formed (canions)

Apply: Deduce the number of electrons and neutrons in each of these ions:
 Electrons in atoms
Simple electronic structure
- Electrons are arranged outside the nucleus in energy levels or quantum
shells (symbol n)
- Energy level: n=1 < n=2 < n=3…
- Electronic configuration: the arrangement of electrons in an atom

Each principal quantum shell can hold a maximum number of electrons:

■ shell 1 – up to 2 electrons
■ shell 2 – up to 8 electrons
■ shell 3 – up to 18 electrons
■ shell 4 – up to 32 electrons
 Simple electronic structure

This number of electrons is filled from lower shell to higher shell

 Simple electronic structure
Write the simple electronic configuration of the following
atoms, showing the principal quantum shells only:

a. Sulfur, Z = 16
b. Magnesium, Z = 12
c. Fluorine, Z = 9
d. Potassium, Z = 19
e. Carbon, Z = 6
Subshells

• Each principal quantum shell

contains a different number
of subshells: s, p, d, f

• The energy of electrons in

the subshells increases in the
order s < p < d

• The maximum number of

electrons in each subshell is:
s = 2 e, p = 6 e, d = 10 e, f =
14 e…
Shells and Subshells
Atomic orbitals

• Each subshell contains 1 or more atomic orbitals.

• The number of orbitals in each subshell must be:

s – ? orbital
p – ? orbitals
d – ? orbitals
Explain:
• s : one orbital (1 x 2 = total of 2 electrons)
• p : three orbitals ( 3 x 2 = total of 6 electrons)
• d : five orbitals (5 x 2 = total of 10 electrons)
• f : seven orbitals (7 x 2 = total of 14 electrons)
Shapes of the orbitals
Each orbital has a three-dimensional shape.
Within this shape, there is a high probability of finding the
electrons in the orbital.
Shapes of the orbitals

d orbitals
Filling the shells and orbitals
• The most stable electronic
configuration of an atom is the one
that has the lowest amount of energy
• The subshell with the lowest energy,
the 1s, is filled first, followed by
subshells with higher in energy.

Q1: A series of orbitals are given below. Identify the

sets which represent the correct order of filling up of
orbitals.
(A) 3s, 3p, 3d, 4s, 4p
(B) 4s, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 4f

Q2: The excepted ground state configuration for Cu is:

1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d9
The actual configuration is:
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s1 3d10
Filling the shells and orbitals
The diagonal rule to fill
orbitals with electrons

Remember 4s < 3d so
4s is filled before 3d
Same for 5s and 4d,4f etc.

Exceptions to the rule:

Cu (Z = 29) and Cr (Z = 24)

Cu = 4s13d10 instead of 4s23d 9
Cr = 4s13d5 instead of 4s23d 4
 Electronic configuration

1s 2s 2p
1 electron in
each p orbital
N: 1s2 2s2 2p3
• Each box represents an atomic orbital.
• An electron is represented by an arrow.
• When there are 2 electrons in an orbital, the ‘spins’ (direction) of the
electrons are opposite.
 Electronic configuration
Fill the electron configuration for each elements below:
Vocabulary
• Atomic number
• Atomic mass
• Isotope
• Electronic configuration
• Quantum shell
• Subshell
• Valence shell
• Atomic orbitals
• Shape of orbitals