Leanne Bonnici Chemistry O’level Notes

Atomic structure
Atoms are made up of even smaller ‘sub-atomic’ particles which electrons, protons and
neutrons. These are found in distinct and separate regions.

The protons and neutrons are found in the centre of the atom, the nucleus.

The neutrons have NO charge and protons are POSITIVELY charged.

The nucleus occupies only a very small volume of the atom but is very dense.

Electrons are found surrounding the nucleus in electron shells or energy levels. Electrons are
negatively charged. The electrons are held within the atom by an electrostatic force of
attraction between themselves and the positive charge of the protons in the nucleus.

About 1837 electrons are equal in mass to the mass of one proton or one neutron.
Masses these particles is measured in atomic mass units or amu. This is because they are so
light that their masses cannot be measured accurately using grams.

Particle Symbol Relative mass/amu Relative charge

Proton p 1 +1
Neutron n 1 0
Electron e 1/1837 -1

Electrons have very little mass, so the mass of an atom is dependent on protons and neutrons.

Note: The Atoms themselves are eclectically neutral (they have no overall electric
charge). This is because the atoms contain equal numbers of electrons and protons.

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Leanne Bonnici Chemistry O’level Notes

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom is called the atomic number (Z).

The total number of protons and neutrons found in the nucleus of an atom is the mass
number or nucleon number ( A).

Mass number = atomic number + number of neutrons.

So: in helium (4 2He ) = the atomic number is 2 and the mass number is 4.

Therefore there are ________ Neutrons.

Number of neutrons = mass number – atomic number.

E.g. 24 Mg12

• The atomic number is _____________.

• The mass number is _______________.
• Number of neutrons is ____________.
35Cl 17

• The atomic number is _____________.

• The mass number is _______________.
• Number of neutrons is ____________.

A) Calculate the number of neutrons in the following;

27 Al13

31 P15

262 Uns107

190 Os76

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Leanne Bonnici Chemistry O’level Notes

What are ions?

Electrically charged particles. When anatoms loses one or more electrons it becomes a
positively charged ion.

E.g.1 : potassium atom loses an electron to give a potassium ion K+

Eg. 2: chlorine gains an electron to give chlorine ion Cl-

Note:

- Some ions contain more than one atom type.

- An ion may possess more than one unit of charge, e.g. Al3+ , O2- or SO42-

Isotopes
Atoms of the same element which have different members of neutrons are isotopes. For example the
two isotopes of chlorine are 35Cl17 and 37Cl 17. The only effect of the extra neutrons is to alter the mass
of the atom and properties which depend on it.

Some atoms of certain isotopes are unstable because of the extra number of neutrons, and therefore
they are radioactive. Such atoms include those of uranium and carbon.

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Leanne Bonnici Chemistry O’level Notes

Element Symbol Particles present

Hydrogen 1 e, 1p , 0n
Deuterium 2H1

Tritium 1 e, 1p, 2n
Carbon 12C6
13C6
14C6

Oxygen 16O8
17O8 8e, 8p, 9n
18O8

Relative atomic mass.

The average mass of a large number of atoms of an element is called its relative atomic mass
(symbol Ar). The standard used for the Ar scale was carbon-12. An atom of carbon -12 was
taken to have a mass of 12 amu. The relative atomic mass is now defined as the average mass
of its isotopes compared with one-twelfth the mass of one atom of carbon-12:

Ar = average mass of isotopes of the element

1/12 x mass of 1 atom of carbon -12.

1/12 of the mass of one carbon-12 atom = 1 amu.

35Cl17 37Cl17

% abundance 75 25

1) Average mass of chlorine atom would be:

(75 x 35) + (25 x 37) =35.5

100
2) Ar = 35.5 = 35.5 amu
1

B) Given that the percentage abundance of 20Ne10 is 90% and that of 22Ne10 is 10 %, calculate
the Ar of neon.

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Leanne Bonnici Chemistry O’level Notes

The arrangement of electrons in atoms

Electrons move fast in electron energy levels very much like planets orbit the sun. it is not
possible to given the exact position of an electron in an energy level. However we can say that
electrons can only occupy certain, definite energy levels and that they cannot exist between
them. Each of the electron energy levels can hold only a certain number of electrons.

Energy level Number of electrons

1st Up to 2
2nd Up to 8
3rd Up to 18

The 3rd energy level can take up to 18, however when 8 electrons are present, a certain
degree of stability is impaired to the atom and the next 2 electrons are given to the next
energy level. Then the remaining ten electrons go to the third energy level.

Electrons fill energy levels starting from the energy level nearest to the nucleus which has the
lowest energy. When this is full (with 2 electrons) the next electron goes in the next energy
level. When this is full (with 8 electrons) the next electrons go to the third energy levels.

Consider oxygen with an atomic number of 8. Draw the arrangement of electrons.

C) Draw the electronic arrangement of

1) Hydrogen
2) Lithium
3) Sodium
4) Argon
5) Potassium.

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Leanne Bonnici Chemistry O’level Notes

The way in which the electrons are distributed is called the electron structure or the electron
configuration.

Element Symbol Atomic number Number of Electron

electrons structure
Hydrogen H 1 1 1
Helium He 2 2 2
Lithium Li 3 3
Berylium Be 4 2,2
Boron B 5 5
Carbon C 6
Nitrogen N 7 7
Oxygen O 2,6
Fluorine F 9 9
Neon Ne 10 10 2,8
Sodium Na 11
Magnesium Mg 12
Aluminium Al 13
Silicon Si
Phosphorus P 15
Sulphur S 2,8,6
Chlorine Cl 17
Argon Ar 18
Potassium K 19
Calcium Ca 20

Questions.

a. How many electrons may be accommodated in the first three energy levels?

b. What is the same about the electron structures of:

• Lithium, sodium, potassium?
• Beryllium, magnesium and calcium?

c. An atom X has an atomic number of 19 and relative atomic mass of 39,

• How many electrons, protons and neutrons are there in atom X?
• How many electrons will there be in the outer energy level?
• Write down the symbol of the ion formed by atom X.
• Which group of the periodic table would X be?

d. Three members of halogens are 35.5Cl17, 80Br35 and 127I53;

• Why is the relative atomic mass of chloridne not a whole number?
• Write down the electron configuration of all three atoms.
• How many protons are there in an atom of bromine?
• How many neutrons are there in an atom of iodine?