Matter

• Matter can be defined as anything that has

mass and has volume and is the substance of
which physical objects are composed.
• Mass is the amount of matter in a given
object. Typically, the more matter there is in
an object the more mass it will have.
• The four categories or states are: solids,
liquids, gases, and plasma.
 Element
• An element is a substance that cannot be broken
down into simpler components by any non-
nuclear chemical reaction.
• An element is uniquely determined by the
number of protons in the nuclei of its atoms.
• The number of protons in the nucleus of the
atom of an element is known as the atomic
number of that element.
• Iron, gold, silver, copper, and oxygen are
examples of elements.
 Compound
• A compound is a chemical combination of two
or more elements.
• Water is one of the most common
compounds and is made up of two hydrogen
atoms and one oxygen atom.
 Molecule
• A molecule is the smallest particle in a
chemical element or compound that has the
chemical properties of that element or
compound.
• Molecules are made up of atom s that are held
together by chemical bonds.
• These bonds form as a result of the sharing or
exchange of electron s among atoms.
• The smallest particle of matter that can exist and
still retain its identity, such as water (H2O.
A water molecule
 Atom
• An atom is a particle of matter that uniquely
defines a chemical element.
• An atom consists of a central nucleus that is
usually surrounded by one or more electrons.
• Each electron is negatively charged.
• The nucleus is positively charged, and contains
one or more relatively heavy particles known
as protons and neutrons.
• There are over a 100 known elements in the
periodic table, and they are categorized according
to their properties on that table.
Oxygen atom
 Electron
• An electron is a negatively charged subatomic
particle.
• It can be either free (not attached to any
atom), or bound to the nucleus of an atom.
• Electrons in atoms exist in spherical shells of
various radii, representing energy levels.
• The larger the spherical shell, the higher the
energy contained in the electron.
 Proton
• A proton is a subatomic particle found in the
nucleus of every atom.
• The particle has a positive electrical charge,
equal and opposite to that of the electron.
• If isolated, a single proton would have a mass
of only 1.673 ? 10-27 kilogram, just slightly less
than the mass of a neutron.
• The proton’s mass is approximately 1,837
times greater than the electron.
• The number of protons in an element's
nucleus is called the atomic number.
• This number gives each element its unique
identity.
• In the atoms of any particular element, the
number of protons in the nuclei is always the
same.
 Neutron
• A neutron is a subatomic particle found in the
nucleus of every atom except that of simple
hydrogen.
• The particle derives its name from the fact
that it has no electrical charge; it is neutral.
• Neutrons are extremely dense.
• If isolated, a single neutron would have a mass
of only 1.675 ? 10-27 kilogram.
 Electron Shells and Energy Levels
• Electrons require a certain amount of energy to stay in
an orbit. This particular quantity is called the electron’s
energy level.
• An electron shell is the outside part of an atom around
the atomic nucleus.
• It is a group of atomic orbitals with the same value of
the principal quantum number n.
• Electron shells have one or more electron subshells, or
sublevels.
• The maximum number of electrons that can be
contained in any shell or sub-shell is the same for all
atoms and is defined as Electron Capacity = 2n2.
Electron shell
 Valence Electrons
• An electron of an atom, located in the outermost
shell (valence shell)of the atom, that can be
transferred to or shared with another atom.
• a valence electron is an electron that is
associated with an atom, and that can participate
in the formation of a chemical bond; in a single
covalent bond, both atoms in the bond
contribute one valence electron in order to form
a shared pair.
 Ions
• An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of
electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving
the atom or molecule a net positive or negative electrical
charge. Ions can be created, by either chemical or physical
means, via ionization.
• Ionization is the process by which an atom loses or gains
electrons.
• Net positively charged atom is called a positive ion or a
cation.
• An atom that has gained an extra number of electrons is
negatively charged and is called a negative ion or an anion.
• When atoms are neutral, the positively charged proton and
the negatively charged electron are equal.
 Free Electrons
• Any electron that is not attached to an ion, at
om, or molecule and is free to move under the
influence of applied electric or magnetic field.
• Outermost electrons are called free electrons
because they can be easily dislodged from the
positive attraction of the protons in the
nucleus.
 Conductors
• An electrical conductor is a substance in which
electrical charge carriers, usually electrons, move
easily from atom to atom with the application
of voltage.
• Conductivity, in general, is the capacity to
transmit something, such as electricity or heat.
• Elements such as gold, copper and silver possess
many free electrons and make good conductors.
 Insulators
• These are materials that do not conduct
electrical current very well or not at all. Good
examples of these are: glass, ceramic, and
plastic.
• The absence of the free electrons means that
electrical current cannot be conducted
through the material.
 Semiconductors
• This material falls in between the
characteristics of conductors and insulators, in
that they are not good at conducting or
insulating.
• Silicon and germanium are the most widely
used semiconductor materials.
 Types of Electricity
• Electricity is often described as being either
static or dynamic.
• The difference between the two is based
simply on whether the electrons are at rest
(static) or in motion (dynamic).
 Static Electricity
• An electrical charge that accumulates on an obj
ect when it is rubbed against another object.
• For example, when combing one's hair or taking o
ff a sweater. Sudden releases of built-
up static electricity can take the form of an
electric arc.
• It is considered “static” due to the fact that there
is no current flowing as in AC or DC electricity.
 Dynamic Electricity
• Dynamic electricity is the flow of electric
charges through a conductor; in other words,
an electric current.
 Attractive and Repulsive Forces
• One of the most fundamental laws of static electricity,
as well as magnetics, deals with attraction and
repulsion.
• Like charges repel each other and unlike charges attract
each other.
• All electrons possess a negative charge and as such will
repel each other.
• Similarly, all protons possess a positive charge and as
such will repel each other.
• Electrons (negative) and protons (positive) are opposite
in their charge and will attract each other.
 Electrostatic Field
• A field of force exists around a charged body.
This field is an electrostatic field (sometimes
called a dielectric field) and is represented by
lines extending in all directions
• from the charged body and terminating where
• there is an equal and opposite charge.