ATOMIC STRUCTURE

An ATOM is the smallest indivisible particle of an element.

Example:
Sodium (Na) has sodium atoms which builds up a sodium element, and
the number of these sodium atoms in ONE mole of sodium element is
6.022x 1023.
An ELEMENT is a substance that is made up of similar atoms.
It is also defined as a substance which cannot be broken down into any
simpler substances by ordinary chemical means.
A COMPOUND is a substance made up of two or more elements
chemically joined/combined.
Examples:
Sodium chloride (NaCl)
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) etc
A MIXTURE is a substance made up of two or more substances
physically combined.
Examples:
- Petroleum is a mixture of hydrocarbons/fuels
- Sea water is a mixture of water and different kinds of salts
- Air is mixture of different gases (nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide
and nobles gases).
Differences between mixtures and compounds
Mixtures
Do not have a fixed
composition by mass
Its properties are similar to
its components/elements.
Eg iron filings in the
mixture retain their colour,
texture and magnetic
property
Can be easily separated
into its components by
physical methods like
filtration, evaporation,
distillation or using a
magnet.
Usually no heat or light is
produced when the
mixture is formed. No
chemical change has taken
place
compounds
Have a fixed composition by
mass
Has different properties from
its original elements. Eg iron
II sulfide does not look like
its original elements and has
no magnetic properties
Cannot be separated into its
original
components/elements by
physical methods; a chemical
reaction is necessary to
separate the elements
Gives out heat and light due
to chemical change
SUB-ATOMIC PARTICLES
An atom has 3 subatomic particles, which are:
- Protons
- Electrons
- Neutrons
The protons and neutrons are found in the nucleus of an atom, and the
electrons surrounding the nucleus in electronic shells/orbitals/energy
levels.
NB: Electrons are negatively charged (e), protons are positively charged
(p) and neutrons are neutrally charged, ie have no charge.
Subatomic Relative
particle position mass charge symbol
(amu)
Proton
electron
neutron

ATOMIC NUMBER/PROTON NUMBER

This is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. Eg aluminium
atom has 13 protons therefore its atomic number is 13.
NB: Atomic number is also called PROTON NUMBER
Symbol; Z
MASS NUMBER/RELATIVE ATOMIC MASS
This is the total number (sum) of the protons and neutrons found in the
nucleus of an atom. The MASS number is also called the NUCLEON
NUMBER
Symbol; A
NB: In an atom the number of protons is always equal to the number
of electrons.
Atomic symbol (symbol of an atom)

NB: the number of neutrons in an atom is obtained by subtracting the

atomic number from the mass number.

ARRANGEMENT OF ELECTRONS IN ELECTRONIC SHELLS

This arrangement is applicable for the first 20 elements (from hydrogen
to calcium)
# the first electronic shell can accommodate/carry a maximum number
of only 2 electrons.
# the second, third and the fourth electronic shell can accommodate a
maximum of 8 electrons each.

NB: All atoms have a neutral charge. This is because the number of
protons (positively charged) is equal to the number of electrons
(negatively charged).
Electronic configuration: this is the arrangement of electrons in shells.
Electronic structures/ dots and cross diagrams

Examples:
Draw the dot or cross diagrams showing arrangement of electrons in
the following atoms and give their Electronic configuration
1. Sodium
2. Boron
3. Nitrogen
Exercise
Draw the dot or cross diagrams (electronic diagrams) showing
arrangement of electrons for element 1 to 20 and give their Electronic
configuration
element Number Number Electronic Electronic Number
of of diagram configuration of
protons electrons neutrons

VALENCY
This is the combining power of atoms.
Valency is the number of electrons that atoms can lose or gain in order
to attain A NOBLE GAS configuration.
NOBLE GAS CONFIGURATION is the electron arrangement in which the
outermost/last shell is full of electrons, ie outermost shell having
maximum number of electrons a shell can accommodate.
Eg He
NB: For groups 1,2,3 and 4 valency= group number
For groups 5,6,7 and 8 valency= 8-group number
element Group Valency
number
sodium
Calcium
oxygen
fluorine
chlorine
aluminium
argon

Valence electrons
This is the total number of electrons found in the outermost shell of an
atom.
These are the electrons that are involved in chemical reactions, (this
happens when atoms either gain or lose electrons or share electrons)
DIAGRAM
ISOTOPES
Isotopes are atoms of the same element with the same number of
protons but different number of neutrons.
OR
These are atoms of the same element that have the same atomic
number but different mass numbers.
Examples
1. Isotopes of hydrogen
Isotope Isotope Number Number Number Mass Atomic
Name symbol of of of number number
protons electrons neutrons

Hydrogen

Deuterium

Tritium

2. Isotopes of carbon
 Isotope Isotope Number Number Number Mass Atomic
Name symbol of of of number number
protons electrons neutrons

Carbon-12

Carbon-13

Carbon-14

3. Isotopes of chlorine

Isotope Isotope Number Number Number Mass Atomic

Name symbol of of of number number
protons electrons neutrons

Chlorine-35

Chlorine-37

NB: isotopes of chlorine are found to differ in relative percentage

abundance in nature.

Example
It is found out that there is 75% of chlorine-35 and 25% of
chlorine-37. We can use these values to calculate the average
mass of chlorine atom.