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The Structure of the Atom: The Foundation of Matter

The fundamental building blocks of matter, atoms, are composed of a nucleus with protons and neutrons, surrounded by electrons. Understanding their size, interaction with light, and the forces that hold them together, such as electromagnetic and strong nuclear forces, is crucial. This knowledge explains atomic mass, charge, ion formation, and the role of chemical bonds in forming diverse materials.

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1

Smallest unit of matter retaining element properties?

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Atom - retains chemical properties of an element.

2

Components of an atom's nucleus?

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Protons (positive charge) and neutrons (neutral).

3

Electron cloud significance?

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Surrounds nucleus, contains negatively charged electrons.

4

An atom's size is roughly ______ picometers, which is equivalent to one ten-billionth of a meter.

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100

5

A single human hair, which measures about ______ nanometers in thickness, could accommodate approximately a million carbon atoms in a row.

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one hundred thousand

6

The principles of ______ are applied to study the characteristics and actions of atoms, as they operate at atomic and subatomic levels.

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quantum mechanics

7

Atom mass concentration

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Atom's mass mainly in nucleus, due to protons and neutrons.

8

Proton vs Electron charge

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Protons are positively charged, electrons negatively charged.

9

Condition for atom's electrical neutrality

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Atom is neutral when number of protons equals number of electrons.

10

Atoms remain intact because of two main forces: the ______ force and the ______ nuclear force.

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electromagnetic strong

11

The ______ force causes electrons to be drawn towards the protons within an atom's nucleus.

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electromagnetic

12

Protons and neutrons are held together in the nucleus by the ______ nuclear force.

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strong

13

The nucleus of an atom stays stable despite proton repulsion due to the ______ nuclear force.

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strong

14

In certain isotopes with a high number of protons, an imbalance of forces can cause the nucleus to undergo ______, leading to radioactive decay.

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fission

15

Ionic Bonds: Formation Process

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Formed when electrons are transferred from one atom to another, creating ions that attract each other.

16

Covalent Bonds: Electron Interaction

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Result from the sharing of electron pairs between atoms, leading to molecule formation.

17

Metallic Bonds: Characteristic Feature

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Involve a 'sea of electrons' that are free to move, giving metals their conductivity and malleability.

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The Structure of the Atom: The Foundation of Matter

Atoms are the smallest units of matter that retain the properties of an element. Each atom is composed of a dense nucleus containing positively charged protons and neutral neutrons, surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The number of protons, known as the atomic number, defines the type of element; for example, an atom with 11 protons is sodium, and one with 29 protons is copper. Isotopes are variants of the same element with different numbers of neutrons, which can affect the atom's stability and radioactivity but not its chemical behavior.
Transparent crystalline structure with shades of blue and pink, reflections of light highlight the precise geometries and sharp faces.

The Minuscule World of Atoms and Their Interaction with Light

Atoms are exceedingly small, typically about 100 picometers in diameter, which is a hundredth of a nanometer or one ten-billionth of a meter. This is so small that a human hair, which is about one hundred thousand nanometers thick, could fit about a million carbon atoms side by side. Atoms are smaller than the wavelengths of visible light, which prevents them from being seen by conventional optical microscopes. Instead, their behavior and properties are studied using quantum mechanics, a branch of physics that explains the behavior of matter and energy at atomic and subatomic scales.

Atomic Mass, Electrical Charge, and Ion Formation

The mass of an atom is primarily concentrated in its nucleus, with protons and neutrons accounting for nearly all of an atom's mass. Protons possess a positive electrical charge, while electrons are negatively charged, and neutrons have no charge. Atoms are electrically neutral when they have an equal number of protons and electrons. An atom becomes an ion when it gains or loses electrons, resulting in a net charge. Anions are negatively charged due to an excess of electrons, and cations are positively charged due to a deficit of electrons.

Fundamental Forces and Atomic Stability

Atoms are held together by two primary forces: the electromagnetic force and the strong nuclear force. The electromagnetic force causes opposite charges to attract, thus electrons are attracted to the protons in the nucleus. The strong nuclear force, which is much stronger than the electromagnetic force at very short distances, binds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus. Despite the repulsion between like-charged protons, the nucleus remains stable due to the strong nuclear force. However, when the balance between these forces is disrupted, as in certain isotopes with large numbers of protons, the nucleus can undergo fission, leading to radioactive decay and the transmutation of elements.

The Role of Chemical Bonds in Matter

Atoms interact with each other to form chemical bonds, which are the forces that hold atoms together in molecules and other forms of chemical compounds. These bonds result from the sharing or transferring of electrons between atoms and can be classified into types such as ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds. The ability of atoms to form bonds and create a vast diversity of materials is fundamental to the field of chemistry, which investigates the composition, structure, properties, and changes of matter.