Atoms and the Periodic Table

Atoms (Review and NEW information)

• Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

• Subatomic Particles (TEST!!!)

  • Protons (positive charge) are in the nucleus.

    • Changes the identity of the element.

  • Neutrons (neutral charge) are in the nucleus.

    • Adds mass to the nucleus

    • Creates isotopes (example: C-12 and C-14)

  • Electrons (negative charge) orbit outside the nucleus.

• Atomic number is defined as the number of protons found in the nucleus of an atom, which determines the element's identity and its position on the periodic table.

  • Protons are ALWAYS equal to the atomic number

    • Examples

      • Lithium: Atomic # 3 = 3 protons

      • Palladium: Atomic #46 = 46 protons

      • Helium: Atomic #2 = 2 protons

• Atomic mass is the weighted average mass of an element's isotopes, measured in atomic mass units (amu).

• You can find the atomic number, element name, element symbol, and atomic mass on the periodic table.

Isotopes (TEST!!!)

• Isotopes are atoms of the same element with a different number of NEUTRONS.

• Completing Isotope table examples (TEST!!!)

  

Helpful periodic table video: