Unit 3: EM Spectrum and Electrons

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from Unit 3: EM Spectrum and Electrons.

Electromagnetic Radiation

A form of energy that travels through space and can include types like radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays.

Wavelength

The distance between successive crests of a wave, typically measured in nanometers for light.

Frequency

The number of waves that pass a fixed point in unit time, usually measured in hertz (Hz).

Energy Levels

The fixed energy that electrons can have when they are in an atom.

Bohr Model

A model of atomic structure that depicts electrons orbiting the nucleus in defined paths.

Emission Spectra

The spectrum of light released from excited atoms, used to identify the presence of specific elements.

Rydberg Formula

An equation used to calculate the wavelengths of spectral lines in many chemical elements.

Aufbau Principle

The principle that electrons fill orbitals starting from the lowest available energy levels before filling higher levels.

Pauli Exclusion Principle

The principle stating that no two electrons in an atom can have the same set of quantum numbers.

Hund’s Rule

The rule that states electrons will occupy degenerate orbitals singly before pairing up.

Electron Configuration

The distribution of electrons among the various orbitals of an atom.

Valence Electrons

Electrons in the outermost shell of an atom that are involved in chemical bonding.

Planck’s Constant

A constant used to describe the sizes of quanta, valued at approximately 6.626x10^-34 Js.

Speed of Light

The speed at which light travels in a vacuum, approximately 3.00x10^8 m/s.

Core Electrons

Electrons in an atom that are not involved in bonding and are found in the inner shells.

Orbital Diagram

A visual representation of the distribution of electrons in an atom's orbitals.

Sublevel

The division of principal energy levels into levels that represent different orbital shapes (s, p, d, f).