chem: electrons

electromagnetic radiation

a form of energy that exhibits wavelike behavior as it travels through space

electromagnetic spectrum

All of the frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation

Photon

a quantum of light

Wavelength

The distance between two corresponding parts of a wave

Frequency

How many wave peaks pass a certain point per given time

quantum

the minimum quantity of energy that can be lost or gained by an atom

Bohr Model

a new model of atom that proposed that electrons do not radiate energy as they orbit the nucleus, but exist in states of constant energy

wave-particle duality

states that waves can exhibit particle-like properties while particles can exhibit wave-like properties

quantum mechanical model

the modern description, primarily mathematical, of the behavior of electrons in atoms

emission spectrum

the spectrum of light released from excited atoms of an element

atomic orbital

a mathematical expression describing the probability of finding an electron at various locations; usually represented by the region of space around the nucleus where there is a high probability of finding an electron

electron cloud

the location of the electrons in the quantum mechanical model of the atom

energy level

(AKA electron shells) fixed distances from the nucleus of an atom where electrons may be found

Aufbau principle

in the ground state of an atom or ion electrons fill atomic orbitals of the lowest available energy levels before occupying higher-energy levels

Pauli Exclusion Principle

An atomic orbital may describe at most two electrons, each with opposite spin direction

valence electrons

Electrons on the outermost energy level of an atom

orbital filling diagram

A visual way to represent the arrangement of all the electrons in a particular atom.

electron spin

a quantum mechanical property of electrons that may be thought of as clockwise or counterclockwise

Hund's Rule

electrons occupy orbitals of the same energy in a way that maximizes the number of electrons

electron configurations

describe where an electron is most likely to be using the quantum mechanical model