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The Nuclear Atom - Chemistry

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These notes cover the main fundamental aspects of the atom. Topics covered include atomic models, parts of an atom, the atomic mass unit, atoms vs. ions, and isotopes. Useful for IB Chemistry, GCSE and AP classes. Comprehensive and simplified with diagrams included.

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THE NUCLEAR ATOM ' ~ ;

The Basics:
• Matter consists of small indivisible particles called atoms. (Democritus, c.460
BC-370 BC)
• Molecules consist of particles with fixed masses (aka atoms)
• Law of Multiple Proportions by John Dalton (1803): States that if 2 elements
can combine to form more than one compound, the masses of one element that
combine with a fixed mass of the other element are always In the ratio of small
whole numbers.


The Atomic Models:
1. Plum Pudding Model by J.J. Thompson (1897)
• "Sea" of positive charge ~
• Electrons are spread out evenly like raisins in a pudding.
• There is no central core and no space inside (no nucleus). oTo
• Discovered that atoms have negatively charged electrons (with mass much less than an
atom)

2. Rutherford Model by Ernest Rutherford (1911) /
~ '
• An atom's positive charge is concentrated in a small nucleus. I
/
~ '\
I ~ I
• An atom is mostly empty space.
I .,I Cl -I I
• Tiny negative electrons move around the nucleus,
similar to planets orbiting the sun. Nudrus
I
\

'
~
.. /
/
I




~
/

3. Bohr Model by Niels Bohr (1913)
• Further refined the Rutherford model by stating that
electrons orbit the nucleus at specific distances.
• Each orbit has a fixed amount of energy.


4. The Schrodinger/Electron Cloud Model by Erwin Schrodinger (1926)
• The Schr6dinger equation describes the distribution
of electrons around the nucleus as waves.
• You cannot measure an electron's exact position and
exact speed at the same moment.

The Atom:
The Atom consists of: (In the Nucleus)





0 Proton
N
Neutron
0
Electron

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