E.1- Structure of the atom

Created by

Megan Butler

Cards (34)

What is a nucleon? 
Subatomic particle found in the nucleus (protons + neutrons)
What does the nucleon number (A) represent? 
Number of protons + neutrons in the nucleus
How is an isotope defined? 
Atom of the same element with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons
What is a nuclide? 
Version of a nucleus with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons
What are the isotopes of hydrogen?
H¹: Hydrogen
H²: Deuterium
H³: Tritium
Who were the key figures in the history of the atom?
Democritos
Dalton
Thomson
Rutherford
Bohr
Modern scientists
What was the main observation from Rutherford's experiment?
Most alpha particles passed through, some were slightly deflected, and a few were completely deflected/rebounded
What conclusion did Rutherford draw about the atom's structure?
The atom is mostly empty space with a dense positive mass in the center
What does the variable 'k' represent in the electrical potential energy formula?
Coulomb's constant
What does the strong nuclear force do?
It overcomes the electromagnetic force of repulsion and acts on nucleons
What is the relationship between nuclear radius and nucleon number?
Radius increases with the number of nucleons
How is the volume of a nucleus related to its nucleon number?
Volume is proportional to the nucleon number (V α A)
What is the significance of the Fermi radius?
It is a measure of nuclear size
How does the strong nuclear force compare to electromagnetic force?
Strong nuclear force is greater than electrostatic repulsion
What are the characteristics of the strong nuclear force?
Overcomes electromagnetic repulsion
Acts on nucleons
Responsible for holding the nucleus together
What is the minimum amount of charge something can have called? 
Electron volt
What does the equation $E =$ $hf$ calculate? 
It calculates the energy of a photon.
What does it mean when something is described as quantised? 
It can only take certain discrete values.
What is the principle quantum number denoted by?
n
What is the ground state of an atom? 
It is the lowest energy level of an atom.
What happens in an excited state of an atom? 
One or more electrons gain energy and move to an outer shell.
What is the relationship between energy levels and electron energy in an atom?
Lower energy levels have less energy compared to outer shells.
The outermost electron is at 0 energy as it is at the surface of the atom.
What does the equation $hf =$ $E_1 - E_2$ represent? 
It represents the energy difference between two energy levels.
What is the Barmer Series in hydrogen spectra?
It occurs when an electron de-excites to n=2 and releases a photon in the visible spectrum.
What is spectroscopy used for?
Study of absorption and emission of EM radiation by matter.
Tool for studying the structure of atoms.
What happens when a gas is heated or a current is passed through it?
It emits light that can be analyzed through a spectroscope.
What does an emission spectrum tell us?
It provides information about specific wavelengths emitted by the gas.
What does it mean for electrons to be in stationary states?
It means they are at fixed values of energy states.
What is the significance of stationary waves in the context of electrons?
They indicate that particles have wave-like properties.
How is the orbital circumference related to De Broglie's wavelengths?
It must match an integer number of De Broglie's wavelengths to form a stationary wave.
What does the term "stationary wave" refer to in the context of electrons?
It refers to a wave that does not change in time, indicating fixed energy states.
How do the properties of electrons challenge classical physics?
Electrons exhibit both particle and wave-like properties, which classical physics cannot fully explain.
What is Bohr's assumption relating to angular momentum?
That angular momentum is quantised and equal to nh over 2π
State one aspect of the spectrum of atomic hydrogen that Bohr’s model did not explain.
The relative intensity of the spectral lines