Chemistry Eighth Edition Chapter 5: Periodicity and the Electronic Structure of Atoms

A collection of 40 vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from Chapter 5 of the Chemistry Eighth Edition, focused on periodicity and the electronic structure of atoms.

Atomic radius

The distance from the nucleus of an atom to the outermost shell of electrons.

Electromagnetic spectrum

The range of all types of electromagnetic radiation.

Wavelength

The distance between successive crests of a wave, typically measured in meters.

Frequency

The number of waves that pass a given point per second, measured in hertz (Hz).

Amplitude

The height of a wave's crest from its equilibrium position.

Speed of light (c)

The speed at which light travels in a vacuum, approximately 3.00 x 10^8 m/s.

Photoelectric effect

The emission of electrons from a material when it is exposed to light.

Threshold frequency

The minimum frequency of light required to eject electrons from a metal surface.

Planck's constant (h)

A constant used to describe the sizes of quanta in quantum mechanics, approximately 6.626 x 10^-34 J•s.

Diffraction

The bending of waves around obstacles or openings.

Interference

The process where two or more waves superpose to form a resultant wave.

Line spectrum

A spectrum that contains discrete lines indicative of specific wavelengths of light emitted.

Quantum theory

A theory in physics that describes the nature and behavior of matter and energy at the quantum level.

Quantum numbers

Numbers that describe the quantized states of electrons in atoms.

Principal quantum number (n)

A quantum number that indicates the energy level of an electron in an atom.

Angular momentum quantum number (l)

A quantum number that determines the shape of an electron's orbital.

Magnetic quantum number (ml)

A quantum number that describes the orientation of an orbital in space.

Spin quantum number (ms)

A quantum number that describes the intrinsic spin of an electron, which can be either +1/2 or -1/2.

Heisenberg's uncertainty principle

A principle stating that it is impossible to know both the position and momentum of an electron simultaneously.

Orbital

A region in space where there is a high probability of finding an electron.

Degenerate orbitals

Orbitals that have the same energy level.

Hund's rule

A rule stating that electrons will occupy degenerate orbitals singly first before pairing up.

Aufbau principle

An approach for determining the electron configuration of an atom, filling lower energy levels first.

Electron configuration

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

Niels Bohr

A physicist who developed a model of the hydrogen atom emphasizing quantized orbitals.

Rydberg formula

An equation that relates the wavelength of light emitted from hydrogen to the energy levels of the atom.

Energy of photons

The energy carried by a single photon, calculated as E = hν.

Quantum mechanical model

A model of the atom based on quantum theory, integrating wave and particle behaviors.

Electron shielding

The phenomenon where inner electrons partially block outer electrons from the full effect of the nucleus's positive charge.

Effective nuclear charge (Z_eff)

The net positive charge experienced by an electron in a multi-electron atom.

S orbitals

Spherical orbitals that can hold a maximum of two electrons.

P orbitals

Dumbbell-shaped orbitals that can hold a maximum of six electrons.

D orbitals

Orbitals that can hold a maximum of ten electrons, characterized by more complex shapes.

F orbitals

Orbitals that can hold a maximum of fourteen electrons, with complicated shapes.

Electrons

Negatively charged subatomic particles found in orbitals around the nucleus of an atom.

Periodic table

A tabular arrangement of chemical elements organized by atomic number and electron configuration.

Multielectron atoms

Atoms that contain more than one electron.

Radial probability plot

A plot showing the probability of finding an electron at varying distances from the nucleus.

Quantum mechanics

The branch of physics dealing with the behavior of matter and light on the atomic and subatomic scale.

Energy levels

The fixed energies an electron can have in an atom.

Electron density

The probability of finding an electron in a particular region of space.

Approximation in quantum mechanics

Estimates used to solve the Schrödinger equation for complex systems.

Subshell notation

A method of denoting the shape and energy of orbitals in an atom.

Orbital overlap

The phenomenon when the wave functions of two or more orbitals combine to form new orbitals.

Valence electrons

Electrons in the outermost shell of an atom that participate in bonding.