5.1 Study Guide

Question 1

Isotope definition

Answer 1

a form of a chemical element that has the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons in its atoms

Question 2

Proton position, mass, charge, and function

Answer 2

position: Nucleus
mass: 1 amu
charge: Positive
function: Determines the element’s identity.

Question 3

Neutron position, mass, charge, and function

Answer 3

position: Nucleus
mass: 1 amu
charge: Neutral
function: Contributes to the atom’s mass; variants of an element are called isotopes.

Question 4

Electron position, mass, charge, and function

Answer 4

position: outside of Nucleus
mass: about 0
charge: Negative
function: Balances the positive charge of protons to create a neutral atom; involved in chemical bonding and reactions.

Question 5

Which charges attract or repel?

Answer 5

Opposite charges attract, while like charges repel

Question 6

What is the relationship between coulombic attraction and amount of charge?

Answer 6

• Direct Proportionality: The force is directly proportional to the product of the charges (q1) and (q2).

Question 7

The relationship between coulombic attraction and distance?

Answer 7

• Inverse Proportionality: The force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance (r^2). This means as the distance between the charges increases, the force of attraction decreases significantly.

Question 8

electronegativity

Answer 8

the measure of an atom’s ability to attract shared electrons to itself within a chemical bond

Question 9

How do you determine the atomic mass, element, and ion charge of an atom based on # of protons, electrons, and neutrons?

Answer 9

The element is determined by the number of protons (atomic number), the atomic mass is the sum of protons and neutrons, and the ion charge is the number of protons minus the number of electrons.

Question 10

How do you determine the # of protons, electrons, and neutrons when given the element, atomic mass, and ion charge?

Answer 10

Protons are equal to the atomic number, neutrons are the mass number minus the atomic number, and electrons are the atomic number minus the charge.

Question 11

Pick which atom has a stronger or weaker attraction for valence electrons and explain why

Answer 11

An atom has a stronger attraction for valence electrons if it is more electronegative, while weaker attraction occurs for less electronegative atoms. This is determined by two main factors: a greater number of protons in the nucleus (which increases the pull) and a smaller distance between the nucleus and valence electrons (which decreases shielding and increases the pull)

Question 11

Explain why isotopes can be useful in scientific research

Answer 11

Isotopes are useful in scientific research because they act as tracers to track the movement of substances, help date ancient materials, and provide insights into biological processes and environmental cycles. (For example, radioactive isotopes can track pollutants in ecosystems, stable isotopes can reveal how organisms consume nutrients, and their distinct nuclear properties allow for dating fossils)

Question 12

Pick which atom has a higher electronegativity and explain why

Answer 12

An atom’s electronegativity is higher based on its position in the periodic table and its properties. For example, fluorine has the highest electronegativity because it has a high nuclear charge and a small atomic size, allowing it to pull bonding electrons closer to its nucleus