 Determine the number of protons, neutrons,

and electrons in a particular atom;

 All elements are composed of particles called
atoms
 All atoms of the same element are identical
 Atoms of different elements combine to form
compounds
 Atoms of one element can never be changed into
another element
 Democritus (Greek 460-370 BC)
• 1st to use the word atom
• Believed that atoms were
indivisible & indestructible
• No scientific support

 Aristotle (Greek 384-322 BC)

• Rejected the theory of atoms
• Believed in 4 core elements
fire, air, water, earth
 Antoine Lavoisier (French 1743-1794)
• Law of Conservation of Matter –
Matter is not created or destroyed
during a chemical reaction
 Joseph Proust (French 1754-1826)
• Law of Definite Proportions -
A compound is always composed of
the same elements, in the same proportion
by mass
 John Dalton (English 1766-1844)
• Studied the ratio in which elements combine
• Quantitative data – mass
• Law of Multiple Proportions -
When 2 elements form more than one
compound, they do so in a ratio of whole
numbers
1. All elements are composed of indivisible
‘solid sphere’ atoms.
2. All atoms of a given element are identical.
3. Atoms of different elements differ in their
masses.
4. Different atoms combine in simple whole
number ratios to form compounds.
 Today… Dalton’s Atomic Theory has one
important change
 Atoms are divisible…
 3 types of subatomic particles
• Protons
• Neutrons
• Electrons
 J.J. Thomson (English 1897) –
• Identified the 1st subatomic particle
• Cathode-ray tube
 Named electrons
 Symbol: e-
 Charge: (-1)
 Mass: ~ 0 amu
 Plum Pudding/
Chocolate Chip Cookie
 Protons
• Symbol: p+
• Charge: (+1)
• Mass: 1 amu

 Neutons
• Symbol: n0
• Charge: (0) neutral
• Mass: 1 amu
 Ernest Rutherford (English 1911) -
• Discovered the ‘structure’ of the atom
• Gold foil experiment

Rutherford’s Gold Foil Experiment

 # of protons
 Atomic number = # of protons
 Usually written as a subscript
Mg12 or 12 Mg

What element has 11 protons?

How many protons does potassium have?
 Atomic mass (Mass number) = # protons +
# neutrons
 Usually written as a superscript
12
C or C12 or C -12

 # of neutrons is the difference between the

atomic mass & the atomic number

# of neutrons = atomic mass - atomic #

What is the atomic mass of helium?
4.0026… round to 4
What element has an atomic mass of 27?

Aluminum
How many protons does this element
contain?

How many neutrons does13this element

contain?

27 – 13 = 14
 # electrons = # of protons
 Why?
• Atoms are electrically neutral

How many electrons does sulfur contain?

16
Which element contains 10 electrons?

Neon
 How many protons, neutrons and electrons
are in each atom?

Beryllium (Be) - 4, 5, 4
Fluorine (F) -
9, 10, 9
Hydrogen (H) -
1, 0, 1
 How many neutrons are in each atom?

8O 16
16 – 8 = 8

Ag 108
108 – 47 = 61
47

82 Pb 207

207 – 82 = 125
 Express the composition of each atom in
shorthand form.

Nitrogen -14
p+ = 7, n0 = 7, e- = 7
Sodium - 23
p+ = 11, n0 = 12, e- = 11
Phosphorus -31
p+ = 15 , n0 = 16, e- = 15
 Atoms that contain the same number of
protons but have different numbers of
neutrons
 Different atomic masses
 Does not change the atom’s identity
 Are naturally occurring
 Symbols:

11 Na 23
or 11 Na 24

6C12
or 6 C13
or 6 C14
 Atomic mass # is an average of atom’s
naturally occurring isotopes

Copper has 2 isotopes Cu-63 and Cu-65

Which isotope is most abundant?
63
There are 3 isotopes of Silicon with mass
numbers of 28, 29, and 30.
Which is more abundant?
Si -28
 An atom with an electrical charge
 Occurs 2 ways:
• Oxidation – loss of an e-
results in a (+) charge
• Reduction – gain of an e-
results in a (-) charge
Mnemonic: ‘Leo says Ger’
Loss of electrons = oxidation
Gain of electrons = reduction
 An anion may be defined as an atom or
molecule that is negatively charged. 
 A cation may be defined as an atom or
molecule that is positively charged.
H+ Lost 1e-
Cl- Gained 1e-
As3- Gained 3e-
Mg2+ Lost 2e-
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