ATOMS

Atom is the building block of all substances. Different types of atom are called
elements. An atom is made up of a nucleus which is surrounded by electrons. Inside
the nucleus is the proton and neutron.

STRUCTURE OF ATOM

1. PROTONS
Protons are positively charged particles. An element is defined by the
number of protons in an atom. The behavior of the element depends on the
number of protons present. The atomic number (proton number) of an
element is the number of protons in an atom.
Protons are made up of other particles called quarks. There are three
quarks in each proton - two up quarks and one down quark which are
held together by other particles called gluons. One proton weighs more than
1,800 electrons.
2. NEUTRONS
Neutrons have no charge. The neutrality of neutrons yields the
positively charged nucleus of the atom. Neutrons are also made up of quarks
one up quark and two down quark. A neutron mass is slightly larger
than that of a proton.
The mass number (nucleon number) is the total number of protons
and neutrons in an atom.
3. ELECTRON
Electrons are negatively charged and are electrically attracted to the
protons. Electrons surround the atomic nucleus in pathways called orbital. An
atom's electron configuration is the orbital description of the locations of the

electrons in an unexcited atom. Using the electron configuration and

principles of physics, chemists can predict an atom's properties, such as
stability, boiling point and conductivity.

ISOTOPES
Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons hence
different mass numbers are called isotopes of that element. The addition of a
proton to an atom makes a new element while the addition of a neutron
makes an isotope or a heavier version of that atom.
Examples:

The chemical symbol for carbon

The full chemical symbol for an element shows its mass number at the top and atomic number at
the bottom. Here is the full symbol for an isotope of carbon, carbon-12 or 12C:
The carbon atom has:

Six protons (because its proton number, at the bottom, is 6)

Six electrons (because the number of protons and electrons in an atom is the same)

The symbol also tells us that the total number of protons and neutrons in a carbon atom is 12.
Note that you can work out the number of neutrons from the mass number and atomic number. In
this example, it is 12 - 6 = 6 neutrons.
Isotopes of hydrogen

Most hydrogen atoms consist of just one proton and one electron, but some also have one or two
neutrons.
Isotope
1

Protons
1

Electrons

Neutrons
1-1=0

2-1=1

3-1=2

Isotopes of chlorine

Chlorine atoms contain 17 protons and 17 electrons. About 75 per cent of chlorine atoms have 18
neutrons, while about 25 per cent have 20 neutrons.
Isotope

Protons

Electrons

17

17

Neutrons
35 - 17 = 18

17

17

37 - 17 = 20

ENERGY SHELLS
The electrons surrounding the nucleus are arranged in different orbits
(shells). The innermost shell is always filled first. Each shell can only hold a
certain number of electrons.
Maximum capacity of the first three shells

Energy shell
First
Second
Third

Maximum number of electrons

2
8
8

Examples:
Lithium
Lithium has three electrons. Two electrons are in the first energy shell and one in
the second.

Carbon
The carbon has six electrons. Two in the first energy
shell and four in the second energy shell.

ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
Electronic structure describes the arrangement of electrons.
Electronic structures of elements
Element
Numeric
Electrons
format
F 2.7
Fluorine atoms have nine electrons. Two of these
fit into the first energy shell. The remaining seven
fit into the second energy shell.

Periodic
table group
Group 7

Ne 2.8

Neon atoms have ten electrons. Two of these fit

into the first energy shell. The remaining eight
electrons fit into the second energy shell. Because
its highest occupied energy shell is full, neon is
stable and unreactive.

Group 0 that is, the

eighth group

Na 2.8.1

Sodium atoms have 11 electrons. Two of these fit

into the first energy shell, eight into the second
energy shell. The last one fits into the third energy
shell.

Group 1

Ca 2.8.8.2

Calcium atoms have 20 electrons. Two of these fit

into the first energy shell, eight into the second
energy shell, another eight into the third energy
shell. The last two fit into the fourth energy shell.