12.10.

2021

The nuclear atom

Monika Marcinkowska
monika.marcinkowska@2lopoznan.pl

Atom:
• is the smallest particle of an element;
• atoms of a given element are chemically
identical to each other, but chemically
different from the atoms of
every other element.

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Atoms:
• contain a positively charged dense nucleus
composed of protons and neutrons (nucleons);
• the central core is nucleus;
• negatively charged electrons
occupy the space outside
the nucleus.

Electron:
• tiny, negatively charged particles;
• move rapidly around the nucleus of an atom
forming a cloud, dense in some
spots, thin in others.

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Nucleus:
• is the central core of the atom;
• it is built of protons and neutrons (nucleons)

Proton:
• is 1836 times heavier than electron;
• has a positive charge that exactly cancels an
electron’s negative charge.

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Neutron:
• has almost the same mass as a proton;
• is electrically neutral;
• makes the nucleus stable and
hold it together.

Sub-atomic particle Relative charge Relative mass [amu] Location in the atom

Proton p+ +1 1 nucleus

Neutron n0 0 1 nucleus

𝟏 shells around the

Electron e- -1 ≈ nucleus
𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟎

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ATOMIC NUMBER (Z)

+
= numer of protons p
-
= numer of electrons e

Each iron atom contains:

+
= 26 protons p
-
= 26 electrons e
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MASS NUMBER (A)

= nucleon number
+ 0
(p + n )

Each iron atom

contains:
+ 0
56 nucleons (p + n )

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The subtraction of the mass

number and the atomic
number gives the number of
neutrons:
0
(A-Z) = n

Each iron atom

contains:
(56-26) = 30 neutrons

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+
number of protons (p ) = 3
-
number of electrons (e ) = 3
number of nucleons = 7
0
number of neutrons (n ) = 4

+
number of protons (p ) = 9
-
number of electrons (e ) = 9
number of nucleons = 19
0
number of neutrons (n ) = 10

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The atomic number Z and

mass number A in a nuclide
representation (nuclear
symbol):
A
ZFe
56 Nuclide – is a collection of
26Fe atoms with the same nucleus
composition

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7
3Li

19
9F

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Formation of ions:

• the atom losing an electron or electrons

becomes a positively charged ion (cation);

• the atom gaining an electron or electrons

becomes a negatively charged ion (anion).
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Atom or ion p+ e- n0 nucleons

B 5 5 6 11
Si 14 14 14 28
Br- 35 36 45 80
Se2- 34 36 45 79
Cu+ 29 28 35 64
Fe3+ 26 23 30 56
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