Atomic Structure and Chemical

States of Matter
Material Science & Chemistry
Week One Lecture
Chemical State of Matter
Physical States of Matter
 An Overview
All matter exists as either elements,
compounds or mixtures.
Every element or compound is a substance,
matter with a fixed composition.

Source: Chemistry The Molecular Nature of Matter & Change, Silberberg, McGraw
Hill 2nd Edition
 Elements
An element is the simplest type of matter with
unique physical and chemical properties.
It consists of only one kind of atom and,
therefore, cannot be broken down into a
simpler type of matter by any physical or
chemical methods.
In nature, most elements exist as populations
of atoms, either separated or in contact with
each other, depending on the physical state.
 Several elements occur in molecular form
A molecule is an independent structure of two
or more atoms bound together.
Eg: Oxygen (O2) Chlorine (CL2)
 Compounds
A compound consists of two or more different
elements that are bonded chemically.
That is, the elements in a compound are not
just mixed together: their atoms have joined
in a chemical reaction.
Many compounds, such as ammonia, water,
and carbon dioxide, consist of molecules.
 Two Defining feature of Compounds
1. The elements are present in fixed parts by
mass (fixed mass ratio).
2. A compounds properties are different from
the properties of its elements.
 Mixtures
A mixture consists of two or more substances
(elements and/or compounds) that are
physically intermingled, not chemically
combined.
Mixtures can be separated into their
components by physical changes; chemical
changes are not needed.
 Differences
Characteristics Elements Compounds Mixtures
Constituents Atoms or Elements in Compounds
Molecules the form of
atoms/
molecules
Separation Cannot be Can be Can be
techniques separated separated by separated by
chemical physical
changes techniques
Examples Sodium, NaCl (Salt) Salt Solution
Chlorine (Salt + Water)
Atomic Structure
 Observation which lead to Atomic
View of Matter (Mass Laws)
Any model on composition of matter had to
explain three Mass Laws
1. Law of Mass Conservation
2. Law of Definite (Constant) Composition
3. Law of Multiple Proportions
 Law of Mass Conservation
the total mass of substances does not change
during a chemical reaction
 Law of Definite Composition
no matter what its source, a particular
compound is composed of the same elements in
the same parts (fractions) by mass
The fraction by mass (mass fraction) is the
part of the compounds mass that each
element contributes.
 Law of Multiple Proportions
The law of multiple proportions states that, in
different compounds of the same elements, the
masses of one element that combine with a
fixed mass of the other can be expressed as a
ratio of small whole numbers.
 Daltons Atoms Theory
1. All matter consists of atoms, tiny indivisible units of
an element that cannot be created or destroyed.
2. Atoms of one element cannot be converted into
atoms of another element. In chemical reactions, the
atoms of the original substances recombine to form
different substances.
3. Atoms of an element are identical in mass and other
properties and are different from atoms of any other
element.
4. Compounds result from the chemical combination of
a specific ratio of atoms of different elements.
 How Dalton Postulates Explain Mass
Laws
Mass Law Explanation of Dalton Postulates
Mass Atoms cannot be created or destroyed
Conservation (postulate 1) or converted into other types of
atoms (postulate 2).
Definite A compound is a combination of a specific
Composition ratio of different
atoms (postulate 4), each of which has a
particular mass (postulate 3).
Multiple Atoms of an element have the same mass
Proportions (postulate 3) and are indivisible (postulate 1).
 Atomic Structure
An atom is an electrically neutral, spherical
entity composed of a positively charged
central nucleus surrounded by one or more
negatively charged electrons.
An atomic nucleus consists of protons and
neutrons (the only exception is the simplest
hydrogen nucleus, which is just a proton).
 The proton has a positive charge, and the
neutron has no charge; thus, the positive
charge of the nucleus results from its protons.
 Atomic number, mass number and
atomic symbol
The atomic number (Z) of an element equals
the number of protons in the nucleus of each
of its atoms.
All atoms of an element have the same atomic
number, and the atomic number of each
element is different from that of any other
element.
 The mass number (A) is the total number of
protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an
atom.
E.g. Carbon atom has 6 protons and 6
neutrons hence mass number is 12
The atomic symbol (or element symbol) of an
element is based on its English, Latin, or Greek
name, such as C for carbon, S for sulfur, and
Na for sodium
 Isotopes
All atoms of an element have the same atomic
number but not the same mass number.
Isotopes of an element are atoms that have
different numbers of neutrons and therefore
different mass numbers.
Most elements occur in nature in a particular
isotopic composition, which specifies the
proportional abundance of each of its
isotopes
 These are carbons three naturally occurring
isotopes12C, 13C, and 14C.
A natural sample of carbon has these three
isotopes in these relative proportions.
Five other carbon isotopes9C, 10C, 11C,
15C, and 16Chave been created in the
laboratory.
 Next Weeks Lecture
The mole concept
Atomic and molar mass
Stoichiometry
Formulae
Equations
For any further clarifications
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