Electronic Structure of Atoms and Periodic Trends

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to the electronic structure of atoms and periodic trends, providing definitions for important concepts from the lecture notes.

Wavelength

The distance between adjacent crests or troughs in a wave.

Frequency (n)

The number of times the crests of a wave pass a point in one second.

Photon

A packet of energy that has both particle and wave characteristics.

Atomic Spectrum

A series of lines specific for each element produced by photons emitted by electrons dropping to lower energy levels.

Ionization Energy

The energy needed to remove the least tightly bound electron from the outermost energy level of an atom.

Valence Electrons

Electrons in the highest energy level of an atom that participate in chemical bonding.

Metallic Character

A measure of how easily an element loses a valence electron.

Principal Quantum Number (n)

The number assigned to an energy level in an atom.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The arrangement of types of radiation from long wavelengths to short wavelengths.

Sublevel

A group of orbitals of equal energy within energy levels.

Orbital Diagram

A diagram that shows the distribution of electrons in the orbitals of the energy levels.

Electron Configuration

A list of the number of electrons in each sublevel within an atom, arranged by increasing energy.

Continuous Spectrum

A spectrum that contains all wavelengths of light without interruption.

Atomic Size

The distance between the outermost electrons and the nucleus.