Science 20 – Unit 1 Chemistry

Lesson 1 - The Structure of Matter

Review:

 Element - a pure substance that can’t be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means
E.g. Na, Cl, H, O ….

 Atom - the smallest part of an element that has all the properties of that element

The Atom:
Basic Unit of Matter

 All atoms are made up of three major particles:

1. Proton - positively charged, located in the nucleus of an atom, has

a large mass

2. Neutron - neutral particle, located in the nucleus of an atom, has

a large mass

3. Electron - negatively charged, very little mass, surrounds the

nucleus of an atom to produce an electron cloud due to rapid
movement of the electrons

Opposites Attract…

 Since oppositely charged particles are attracted to each other, negatively charged electrons are attracted to
positively charged protons

 This explains why one atom will bond with another

 In a neutral atom, the number of protons & electrons are equal, balancing all charges

Terms (Very Important)

 Atomic number - the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom

 Atomic mass - the average mass of the atoms of an element

 Mass number - the total number of protons & neutrons in an atom

 mass number = # of protons + # of neutrons

Sketching Atoms:

Bohr Diagram

 3 steps to follow:

1. Use the atomic # and atomic mass from periodic table to determine the # of protons, neutrons, and electrons
(PEN) that make up the atom

2. Draw the nucleus of the atom with the appropriate # of protons & neutrons

3. Use dots to represent the electrons in each energy level that surrounds the nucleus

** Remember**

 the 1st energy level can only hold 2 electrons & the 2nd energy level can hold eight electrons (refer to periodic
table)

 Fill the energy level closest to the nucleus first

Example :

Sketch a Bohr diagram for the most common form of chlorine:

Chlorine has 17 electrons. The first energy level can hold 2 electrons leaving 15 more to place. The second energy level
can hold 8 electrons, leaving 7 more to place. The final 7 will fit on the third energy level.

PRACTICE p. 8 #2-4, p. 9 #5
Lewis Dot Diagrams (LDD)
 a more efficient way to represent the inner electrons & the nucleus, where only the valence electrons are shown

3 steps to follow:

1. Write the chemical symbol – this will represent the inner electrons & the
nucleus.

2. Determine the # of electrons in the outer most energy level.

3. Use a dot to represent each electron in the outer energy level ( to be placed on
the north, south, east, or west sides of the symbol. Each position has room for
2 electrons. Double up on electrons only after all other positions contain at
least one electron.

Lewis Dot Diagrams of Noble Gases

 Each of the noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, & Rn) has a full outer energy level making them very stable atoms.

 These atoms rarely form bonds as a result of their filled outer energy levels.

 Having their outer energy levels filled with the maximum # of electrons makes noble gases unreactive.

Atoms can obtain a configuration to become more like a noble gas in 1 of 3 ways: by gaining electrons, by losing
electrons, or by sharing electrons

PRACTICE p.10 #6

Atomic Bonding

 When two atoms come closer to each other, their electrons are attracted to both nuclei

 Valence electrons are electrons found in the outermost energy level and are the most significant electrons in
atomic bonding

 Valence electrons indicate the bonding properties of an atom

• •

Li Na --- each atom has one valence

Lithium Sodium electron & as a result, both

have similar bonding properties

 As two atoms approach each other….

…each nucleus begins to attract the electrons of the other atom

Gaining Electrons – REDUCTION (GER)

 An atom can gain electrons to fill empty spaces in the outermost energy level

 Result --> the atom has more electrons than protons & the net charge changes to a negative charge

 This charged atom is called an ion

 Anion - a negatively charged ion

 Non-metallic atoms have a tendency to become negatively charged ions or anions

By gaining an electron, the chloride ion now has 1 more than it has protons so it has a charge of 1-

Losing Electrons (OXIDATION) - LEO

 An atom can lose electrons from its outer energy level to produce a positively charged ion called a cation.

 Metallic atoms have a tendency to form cations

By losing an electron, the sodium ion now has one more proton than it has electrons so it has a charge of 1+

Na -------------------> Na+ + 1e-

Sodium Sodium

atom ion
Sharing Electrons

 An atom can share electrons with their atoms to produce a covalent bond

 Two or more non-metallic atoms tend to share electrons to complete their outer energy levels

 Both chlorine atoms require 1 electron to fill their outer energy level. They can share their electrons to
produce a covalent bond.

PRACTICE p.13 #7-8

Summary

 All atoms that make up different elements are made from the same basic parts: protons, neutrons, and
electrons.

 Elements contained in the same vertical column on the periodic table (groups or families) have the same
number of valence electrons and similar properties.

 An atom is most stable when its outer energy level if filled with electrons and all atoms can gain, lose or
share electrons to obtain a full outer energy level.

ASSIGNMENT: Read pg. 6-13 Questions pg. 14 #1-10