Unit 3 - Electrons

Electromagnetic Radiation

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

Wavelength

unit of distance for measuring waves

Frequency

number of waves that pass a given point at a given time

Emission Spectrum

spectrum of light released from excited atoms of an element

Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

It is impossible to know the position or velocity of an electron or other particle simultaneously

Octet Rule

tendency of atoms to prefer to have 8 valence electrons

Quantum Theory

mathematical description of wave behavior of electrons and other particles

Orbital

3D region around nucleus

Coulomb’s law

atomic number increases, nuclear attraction increases, thus pulling electrons more tightly to nucleus

Reactivity

measure of how readily an atom will react

Electronegativity

measure of the ability of an atom in a bond to attract electrons

Ionization energy

energy required to remove an electron from a neutral atom

Aufbau Principle

electrons fill the lowest energy orbital first

Hund’s Rule

orbitals of equal energy each get one electron before any orbital gets a second pair