C1: Atomic Structure

and the Periodic Table

Key Concepts
Definitions:
Element: a pure substance in which all of the atoms are the same.

Compound: two or more elements chemically bonded.

Mixture: two or more elements or compounds mixed together but not

chemically combined.

Molecule: two or more atoms covalently bonded together to form

The smallest unit of an element or compound.
The atom

nucleus electron

neutron proton
Mass and electrical charge
There are two properties of protons, neutrons and
electrons that are especially important:
 mass
 electrical charge.

Particle Mass Charge

proton 1 +1

neutron 1 0

electron almost 0 -1

The atoms of an element contain equal numbers of

protons and electrons and so have no overall charge.
How are electrons arranged?
The arrangement of electrons in these shells is often
called the electron configuration.
1st shell holds
1st shell a maximum of
2 electrons.

2nd shell holds

2nd shell a maximum of
8 electrons.

3rd shell
3rd shell holds
a maximum of
8 electrons.
What is an isotope?
Although atoms of the same element always have the same number of
protons, they may have different numbers of neutrons.

Atoms that differ in this way are called

isotopes. Examples include, Carbon and Chlorine.

mass number
is different

atomic number
is the same
Trends in Chemical Reactivity

Reactivity increases down the group.

Li

Reactivity Increases
Reactions all involve the loss of the
Na
outermost electron which changes the
metal atom into a metal 1+ ion.
Losing this electron seems to get K
easier as we go down the group.
Rb

Cs
Alkali Nob
metals gas

Ha
lo
ge
ns
Reactivity and Electron Structures
1. The outer electron (-) gets further
from the nucleus (+) as you go
down the group. This reduces the
force of attraction.

Reactivity Increases
2. The inner shells ‘shield’ the
outermost electron from the
attraction from the nucleus.

Both factors make it easier to lose

the outer electron as you go down
the group.
Patterns: reactivity
Reactivity increases up the group.

F The reactivity increases up the group as the

halogens have seven electrons in their outer
Cl shell. As you go up the group the elements

Increasing Reactivity
have a likely chance of accepting an electron
Br as the nucleus is a higher chance of accepting
the electron in the outer shell.
I

At

How will Astatine react?

Electron Structure and Reactivity
All the elements in this group
He 2 have fully occupied outer shells.

They are the least chemically

reactive elements. The stable
Ne 2,8 arrangement means that the
noble gases do not form
chemical bonds with each other
or other elements.

They are monatomic which

Ar 2,8,8 means they exist as individual
atoms.