P
P R E P A R I N G
One of the most important things we can do to learn chemistry is identify misconceptions. Think of Fish is
Fish – I don’t want you to leave here thinking a cow looks like a fish with spots, scary seaweed in its
mouth, and a big pink bag hanging off of it! The first step to correcting misconceptions is to think about
what you know. In your laboratory notebook:
1. Answer: If there are only three isotopes of hydrogen (with 0, 1, or 2 neutrons each with one
proton), why isn’t the atomic mass simply 2.000?
2. Answer: If protons are positive and neutrons neutral, why does the nucleus stay together if “like
charges” repel?
3. Write the objectives for doing this activity:
• Identify the composition of atoms and their isotopes in terms of the numbers of protons,
neutrons, and electrons.
• Use atomic symbols to represent different atoms and their isotopes.
• Calculate atomic masses with isotope data
The isotopic notation for an atom includes the following information: symbol of the element, the element’s
atomic number (Z) which specifies the number of protons in the nucleus, and the mass number (A) which
indicates the number of protons plus neutrons in the nucleus. [The number of electrons in a neutral atom
is equal to the number of protons in the nucleus of the atom. The mass contributed by the electrons in an
atom is very small, so it is not included when calculating the mass number.]
A Mass Number
X Atomic Symbol
Z Atomic Number
Relative
Particle Symbol Charge Absolute Mass Relative Mass
Electron e- -1 9.109 X 10-31 Kg 0
Proton p+ +1 1.673 X 10-27 Kg 1
Neutron n0 0 1.675 X 10-27 Kg 1
7 7
34
16S 18
1 0
1 3
12 24
12 25
238 92
84
36Kr 84 36
Part B: Beanium
You will now use beans to represent atoms of the same element. The objective here is to gain a better
understanding of how knowing how the mass numbers which appear on the periodic table are calculated.
1. Please note that we are only studying one element here: Beanium (Bg). Each different type of
bean represents a different isotope of beanium. Determine the number of isotopes of beanium
based upon the appearance (size, color, etc.). Draw a quick picture of each isotope in the
observations half of your entry.
2. Sort the beanium atoms into groups based on appearance. Each group represents a different
isotope. Count the total number of atoms of each isotope and record the result in your
observations half. Add those numbers to get the total number of atoms in your sample. Record
the total.
3. Determine the abundance of each isotope using the formula below:
n
abundance =
N
The quantity n equals the number of atoms of each isotope; N equals the total number of atoms.
Record the results in your observation half of your entry.
electron-neutron
proton-proton
proton-neutron
neutron-proton
9. If the nucleus were too large, the protons on one side of the nucleus are too far away to attract
the protons on the other side of the nucleus. The protons can still repel one another since the
coulomb electrostatic force is long-range. The repulsive electrostatic force wins and the nucleus
won’t form. A large nucleus will break apart when the electrostatic repulsion between the protons
is too great.
The repulsion pushes the fragments of the nucleus apart, releasing a great amount of energy.
This process of splitting an atom into smaller atoms is called fission. It occurs in uranium when
an additional neutron is added and causes instability.
One example of the fission process can be represented as follows:
→
235 1 94 139 1
92U + 0n 36Kr + 56Ba + 3 0n + energy
a. Is the mass number conserved on both sides of the reaction? What is the total mass
number on each side? (Answer each question in the observations half of your notebook –
summarize the question in the experimenting half of your entry.)
b. Is the atomic number conserved on both sides of the reaction? What is the total atomic
number on each side?
c. Why does the neutron have a mass number of one (1)?
d. Why is the atomic number of a neutron equal to zero (0)?
10. Small nuclei can also combine to form a larger nucleus and release energy. This process is
called fusion.
RE ADING • QUESTIONS
Read ChemTalk on pages 82 – 88 in Active Chemistry. Use the Chem Words and Checking Up boxes
to guide your reading.
15. Radon is a threat to the well-being of people in their homes because it emits radioactive particles
at a significant rate. Complete the following radioactive decay equation:
→
222 218
86Rn 84Po + ________
How do I know?
Making specific reference to your data in part B, what do we need to know to determine the average
atomic mass of an element?
Why do I believe?
How does this connect to the data collected in Activity 3: Atoms and their Masses? How can we take
the data from Atoms and their Masses to determine the atomic mass of copper or aluminum?
Why do I care?
Understanding how the modern periodic table is organized is very important in successfully
completing the challenge. The periodic table is ordered by atomic number, which corresponds to the
number of protons in the element. How do you know that it should not be ordered by the atomic
mass? What evidence from this lab and from the periodic table itself indicates this was not the way to
organize the periodic table?