CC3 Atomic Structure

Question 1

State the three subatomic particles

Answer 1

Protons, neutrons, electrons

Question 2

State the masses of the subatomic particles

Answer 2

Protons: 1, neutrons: 1, electrons: 0

Question 3

State the relative charges of the subatomic particles

Answer 3

Protons: +1, neutrons: 0, electrons: -1

Question 4

What does ‘charge’ mean in chemistry?

Answer 4

How positive or negative a particle is.
Opposite charges attract and like charges repel.

Question 5

How are the subatomic particles arranged in an atom?

Answer 5

Protons and neutrons in the nucleus, electrons orbiting in shells

Question 6

How do you use the periodic table to calculate the number of protons, neutrons and electrons in an atom?

Answer 6

Protons = atomic number (bottom)
Neutrons = Mass number - atomic number
Electrons = atomic number (bottom) (same as protons)

Question 7

What is the mass and charge of a neutron?

Answer 7

Mass = 1 Charge =0

Question 8

Why do atoms have no overall charge?

Answer 8

Because they have the same number of electrons as protons which are oppositely charged

Question 9

Calcium has 20 electrons. What is the electronic configuration of calcium?

Answer 9

2.8.8.2

Question 10

Chlorine has 17 electrons. What is the electronic configuration of chlorine?

Answer 10

2.8.7

Question 11

Sodium has a mass number of 23, and an atomic number of 11. How many electrons, protons and neutrons?

Answer 11

11 protons,
12 neutrons,
11 electrons

Question 12

Aluminium has a mass number of 27, and an atomic number of 13. How many electrons, protons and neutrons?

Answer 12

13 protons,
14 neutrons,
13 electrons

Question 13

What is an ion?

Answer 13

An ion is a charged particle

Question 14

How do ions form?

Answer 14

They gain or lose electrons so the number of electrons and protons are different

Question 15

How does the size of the nucleus compare to the size of the atom?

Answer 15

Nucleus is very, very small

Question 16

What are isotopes?

Answer 16

Atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons

Question 17

How can you calculate relative atomic mass given isotopes masses and percentages?

Answer 17

(mass 1 x percentage) + (mass2 x perentage) / 100

Question 18

Why are some of the values for relative atomic mass not whole numbers?

Answer 18

Relative atomic mass is the average mass of an atom of that element. If there are several isotopes of different masses then average is not a whole number.

Question 19

What makes an atom a particular type of atom?

Answer 19

The number of protons it has.

ANY atom with 8 protons is oxygen (no matter how many electrons or neutrons)

Question 20

How do you work out the mass number of an element?

Answer 20

number of protons + number of neutrons

Question 21

Neon has a mass number of 20, and an atomic number of 10. How many electrons, protons and neutrons?

Answer 21

10 protons,
10 electrons,
10 neutrons

Question 22

Nitrogen has a mass number of 14, and an atomic number of 7. How many electrons, protons and neutrons?

Answer 22

7 protons,
7 electrons,
7 neutrons