2 Atomic Structure

Properties of subatomic particles

Name Relative Relative Location
charge mass(amu)

Proton +1 1 nucleus

Neutron 0 1 nucleus

Electron -1 0 Outside
nucleus
 Terminology for the Atom
• Atomic no (Z): no of protons
• Mass No (A): no of protons + no of neutrons
• Isoptopes: atoms of the same number of protons (the
same element) but different numbers of neutrons
• Atomic mass unit: 1/12 the mass of a carbon-12 atom.
The mass of a carbon-12 atom is defined as exactly 12
atomic mass units
• Atomic mass: the average of the masses of an elements
naturally occurring isotopes weighted to their
abundances
 Isotope Calculations
• Boron has 2 isotopes 10B and 11B. They are
present in naturally occurring boron
respectively at 18.7% and 81.3%.
Calculate the relative atomic mass of
boron.
Ar = (18.7 x 10) + (81.3 x 11)
100

= 10.8
• The element copper has relative atomic
mass 63.55 and contains atoms with mass
numbers 63 and 65. What is the
percentage composition of a normal
isotope of copper?
65x + ((100-x) x 63) = 63.55
100

65x + 6300 – 63x = 6355

2x = 6355-6300
x = 27.5%
100 – x = 72.5%
% composition = 27.5% 65Cu 72.5% 63Cu
• The element lithium has relative atomic
mass 6.926 and contains atoms with mass
numbers 6 and 7. What is the percentage
composition of a normal isotope of lithium?
6.926 = (X x 6) + ((100-x) x 7)
100

692.6 = 6x + 700 – 7x

692.6 – 700 = 6x – 7x

7.4 = x

100 – 7.4 = 92.6

% composition = 7.4% 6Li and 92.6% 7Li

 Things to Do

OpenStax Text Book Section  2.3

Read page 83-85 Isotopes
Do examples q’s16-19 and 20, 22-24
Video on isotope calculations:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CfSyGd5Ry4
 Bonding Terminology
• Ionic compounds: form when an atom of one element
transfers electrons to an atom of another element
• Covalent compounds: form when two atoms share
electrons
• Ion: a charged particle
• Cation: a positively charged particle
• Anion: a negatively charged particle
• Monoatomic ion: an ion composed of a single atom
• Polyatomic ion: two or more atoms bonded covalently
and having net positive or negative charge e.g. NH4+,
SO42-
 Electronic Configuration
• Electrons are present in shells around the
nucleus
• The first shell can hold 2 electrons, the
second 8 and the third 18
• The no of outer shell electrons is the same
as the group no
Find the electronic configuration of sodium
Na atomic no = 11  there are 11 protons and 11
electrons
Electronic Configuration is 2,8,1

Find the electronic configuration of chlorine

Cl atomic no = 17  there are 17 protons and 17

electrons
Electronic configuration is 2,8,7
 Compounds
• Ionic compounds are formed between a
metal and a non metal e.g. magnesium
chloride
• Covalent compounds are formed between
two or more non-metals e.g ammonia
(NH3)
 Formation of Covalent Bonds
Drawing dot and cross diagrams

• Only outer shell electrons are shown

• Dots and crosses used to distinguish
electrons from different atoms
 Formation of HCl
o o

o
x o o

o o
H Cl

o o

x o
o o

o o
HCl
• Draw dot and cross diagrams for methane
(CH4), ammonia (NH3) and nitrogen N2 and
carbon dioxide (CO2)
 Formation of ionic bonds
• Elements in Group 1 form unipositive cations
e.g. Na+
• Elements in Group 2 form dipositive cations e.g.
Mg2+
• Elements in Group 3 form tripositive cations e.g.
Al 3+
• Elements in Group 7 form uninegative anions
e.g. Cl-1
• Elements in Group 6 form dinegative anions e.g.
O2-
Dot and Cross diagrams for the formation of ionic compounds

oo
x o
Na o Cl o
oo

Na+ + Cl-

NaCl
 xx oo
Mg F o
o o
oo

oo
o
oF o
oo

Mg2+ + 2F- MgF2

• Draw diagrams to represent the ionic
bonding for aluminium iodide and sodium
oxide
 Properties of Ionic Compounds
• High mp/bp
• Conduct electricity when molten or in
aqueous solution
• Dissolve in polar solvents (eg water)
• Hard and brittle
• React readily with each other in solution
Structure of Sodium Chloride - an Ionic Compound
 Covalent Compounds
& Structures
• Covalent compounds may be classed as
simple e.g water, ammonia, chlorine,
sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide

• or as giant e.g. silicon dioxide (sand)

diamond, graphite
• Simple covalent compounds are small
molecules held together by Van der Waals
forces only or by Van der Waals forces
plus hydrogen bonds in some simple
covalent compounds e.g. water an
ammonia

• Giant covalent structures are giant lattices

where every atom is covalently bonded to
many atoms
Diamond Structure - Giant Covalent
 UCI-led team designs carbon nanostructure stronger than diamonds
Novel plate-cell architecture reaches theoretical limit of performance

Irvine, Calif., April 13, 2020 – Researchers at the University of California,

Irvine and other institutions have architecturally designed plate-nanolattices –
nanometer-sized carbon structures – that are stronger than diamonds as a ratio
of strength to density.

https://news.uci.edu/2020/04/13/uci-led-team-designs-carbon-nanostruct
ure-stronger-than-diamonds/
 Properties of Simple Covalent
Compounds
• Low mp/bp
• Non conducting
• Soluble in non-polar solvents
• Solids are soft
 Properties of Giant Covalent
Structures
• High mp/bp
• Non-conducting (except graphite and
some semiconductors e.g. silicon dioxide)
• Non-soluble
• Hard (except graphite)
Compound A has the following properties:

Melting Point: 500oC

Non-conducting
Hard

Compound B has the following properties:

Melting Point: -150oC
Non-conducting
Soft

What type of compounds are A and B?

Ionic, simple covalent or giant covalent

compounds?
 Things to Do

OpenStax Text Book 

Read sections 2.1-2.3