Introductory Chemistry: Electrons and the Periodic Table

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary related to the nature of light, atomic structure, electron configurations, and periodic trends as presented in Chapter 2 of the Introductory Chemistry course.

Wavelength (λ)

The distance between identical points on successive waves.

Frequency (ν)

The number of waves that pass through a particular point in one second.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The arrangement of all types of electromagnetic radiation.

Emission Spectrum

The discrete lines emitted by elements that can identify the element.

Photon

Tiny, discrete packets of light.

Ground State

The lowest possible energy level of an electron in an atom (n = 1).

Excited State

Higher energy levels that an electron can occupy (n > 1).

Atomic Orbital

A region of space where electrons are most likely to be found.

Subshells

Energy sublevels containing one or more orbitals (s, p, d, f).

Valence Electrons

The outermost electrons in an atom, those with the highest principal quantum number.

Ionization Energy

The energy required to remove an electron from an atom.

Cation

An atom that has lost one or more electrons, becoming positively charged.

Anion

An atom that has gained one or more electrons, becoming negatively charged.

Isoelectronic

Having the same electron configuration as a noble gas.

Lewis Dot Symbol

A representation that shows the valence electrons of an atom as dots around its symbol.

Pauli Exclusion Principle

No two electrons can occupy the same orbital with the same spin.

Hund’s Rule

Electrons will occupy degenerate orbitals singly before pairing up.

Atomic Size

The size of an atom, which increases from top to bottom and decreases from left to right on the periodic table.

Metallic Character

The tendency of an element to lose electrons, which increases from right to left and top to bottom on the periodic table.

Electron Affinity

The ability of an atom to gain an electron.

Electron Configuration

The arrangement of electrons in the orbitals of an atom.

Core Electrons

Electrons that are not in the outermost shell and do not participate in bonding.