Electronic Structure and Bonding

Flashcards about Electronic Structure and Bonding

Frequency (f)

Number of waves that pass a fixed point in a given amount of time

Wavelength (λ)

The distance between successive crests of a wave.

Speed of light (c)

The distance light travels through a given unit of time.

Electromagnetic Radiation

A form of energy that travels as waves and has both electrical and magnetic field components.

Principal quantum numbers (n)

Numbers that represent the energy levels or shells within an atom, where electrons reside.

Atomic Orbitals

Areas of space around the nucleus where there is a high probability of finding an electron of a given energy.

Subshell

A grouping of orbitals of the same type (s, p, d, f) within an electron shell.

Electron Spin

A property of electrons that causes them to have an intrinsic angular momentum, which is quantized and can be either spin up or spin down.

Photon

A quantum of energy or a particle of electromagnetic radiation.

Planck's Constant (h)

A fundamental constant that relates the energy of a photon to its frequency.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation.

Absorption Spectra

A spectrum of electromagnetic radiation transmitted through a substance, showing dark lines or bands where specific wavelengths have been absorbed.

Emission Spectra

A spectrum of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a substance, showing bright lines at specific wavelengths.

Ionisation

The process of removing electrons from an atom.

Electronic Configuration

The arrangement of electrons in the different energy levels or shells within an atom.

Convergence Limit

The point in a spectral series where the lines get closer together until they form a continuous band.