)‫الـشـارقـة (فرع البنين‬، ‫مدرسـتنـا الثـانـويـة اإلنـجليـزية‬

OUR OWN ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL,

SHARJAH (BOYS’ BRANCH)

SCIENCE
ATOMIC STRUCTURE
Class: 8 Subject: Chemistry
Sec: Date: 04/02/2022

Dalton’s Atomic Theory

In 1808, a British scientist, John Dalton, first put together the ideas and gave the famous theory
known as Dalton’s atomic theory. The important features of the Dalton’s atomic theory are:
1) Matter is made up of small indivisible particles or atoms, which can neither be created nor
destroyed.
2) The atoms of a particular element are exactly alike in every way and are different from the
atoms of every other element.
3) Chemical combinations take place between small whole numbers of atoms, that is, atoms do
not split up during such reactions.

Thomson’s atomic model

In 1897, an English scientist, J.J. Thomson, proposed a model of the atom called ‘The plum
pudding model’. Atoms were made of a positively charged sphere with negatively charged
electrons scattered or embedded, like the raisins in a pudding.
Thomson’s atomic model
(i) An atom consist of a positive sphere and the electrons are embedded in it.
(ii) The negative and positive charges are equal in magnitude. So the atom as a whole is
electrically neutral.
This model could explain that atoms are electrically neutral, but failed to explain the stability of the
atom.

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Rutherford’s gold foil experiment
In 1911, Lord Ernest Rutherford, a scientist from New Zealand performed the famous alpha scattering
experiment which gave an insight about the relative positions of electrons and protons in an atom. He
allowed a narrow beam of tiny positively charged alpha particles (helium nuclei) from a radioactive
source to strike at an extremely thin gold foil. The emergent beam of α-particles was then allowed to
fall on a screen coated with zinc sulphide, placed behind the gold foil.

Observations from the experiment

1. Most of the alpha particles passed through the gold foil undeflected.
2. Few of the particles were deflected from their path by small angles.
3. A very few particles (one out of 12000) bounced right back.

Conclusions from the observations

1. Most of the space in an atom is empty.
2. An atom consists of a small, dense, positively charged centre called nucleus.
3. The space occupied by the nucleus is small as compared to the total volume of the atom.

Rutherford’s nuclear model of atom

1. An atom consists of two parts. These are nucleus and extra nuclear portion. Nucleus is present
in the center of the atom. Outside the nucleus, electrons move around.
2. The mass of an atom is concentrated in the nucleus.
3. The size of the nucleus is very small as compared to that of the atom.
4. The electrons revolve around the nucleus in circular orbits, just like
the planets move around the sun.
5. The positive charge of nucleus is exactly equal to the negative charge
of the electrons of the atom. Hence the atom as a whole is electrically
neutral.

Drawbacks of Rutherford’s model of the atom

This atomic model could not explain the stability of an atom. When electrons revolve in circular
orbits, due to acceleration, the charged particle would radiate energy and by losing energy they finally
fall into the nucleus and atom would become unstable and matter would not exist in the form we
know.

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Bohr’s model of the atom
In 1923, a Danish scientist, Neils Bohr, proposed some changes to Rutherford’s model.
The postulates are

(i) Electrons revolve in special orbits called Energy level / shell /orbit and every shell has a
definite amount of energy
(ii) While revolving in this Energy shells the electron do not radiate energy.

Distribution of electrons in different orbits (energy levels/shells)

The distribution of electrons in the various orbits of the atom of an element is known as electronic
configuration of the element. It is based on the rules given by Bohr and Bury. This is known as the
Bohr-Bury scheme.
1. The maximum number of electrons which can be accommodated in a particular energy level of an
atom is given by 2n2. Here ‘n’ is the number of the energy level.
a) In first energy level or K-shell (n=1)
Maximum no. of electrons = 2n2 = 2 x (1)2 = 2
b) In second energy level or L-shell (n=2)
Maximum no. of electrons = 2n2 = 2 x (2)2 = 8
c) In third energy level or M-shell (n=3) Maximum
no. of electrons = 2n2 = 2 x (3)2 =18

Starting from the nucleus of the atom, the order of energy of these energy levels/shells is
K<L<M<N<O…. i.e., the K shell is having the least energy since it is very near to the nucleus.

2. The maximum number of electrons that can be accommodated in the outermost orbit is 8. Shells are
filled in a step-wise manner. Electrons are not accommodated in a given shell, unless the
inner shells are filled.
Any atom that has 8 electrons (octet) in its outermost shell is found to be stable and inert. It does
not take part in chemical reactions.

BERYLLIUM SODIUM

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 VALENCY
The number of electrons that one atom of an element can donate or accept from its outermost shell
during a chemical reaction is termed as Valency.
Only the valence electrons or electrons in the outermost shell are involved in a chemical reaction.
Thus, it is the electrons which determine the chemical behaviour of an element.

Here are some more examples of the same kind of combination between different elements.
Sodium (Atm no. 11) Chlorine (Atm no. 17)
Electronic configuration 2, 8, 1 Electronic configuration 2, 8, 7
Donates one electron Accepts one electron
The compound formed is Sodium chloride, NaCl.

Magnesium (Atm no. 12) Chlorine (Atm no. 17)

Electronic configuration 2, 8, 2 Electronic configuration 2, 8, 7
Donates two electrons Accepts one electron
The two electrons donated by magnesium are taken up, one each, by two chlorine atoms to form Magnesium
chloride, MgCl2.

Sub-Atomic particles
The three main sub-atomic particles are electron, proton and neutron. The nucleus is the central core
of the atom. It occupies a very small space, but it accounts for 99.9% of the mass of the atom. Protons
and neutrons are found in the nucleus.

• Protons, which are positively charged particles found in the nucleus. A proton has a mass of one
atomic mass unit or 1 amu. All protons are identical, no matter which element they are found in.
Protons and nucleus were discovered by E. Rutherford.
• Neutrons, which are not charged or neutral. All neutrons are identical. Although the mass of a
neutron is slightly more than a proton, its mass is still considered to be 1 amu. Neutrons were
discovered by J. Chadwick.
• Electrons are negatively charged particles arranged in energy levels around the nucleus. They have
a mass of 1/1836 amu. Each energy level / shell within an atom can hold a limited number of
electrons. The chemical properties of any atom depend on the number of electrons in its valence shell
(outermost shell).
Electrons can move from one energy level to another. When they gain/absorb energy it moves to the
next higher level, it is said to be excited. Similarly, when they lose energy, they move to the lower energy
level.
The number of protons in an atom is equal to the number of electrons, and the whole atom is neutral.

Atomic number (Z)

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of an element is called the atomic number of an
element. The atomic number of an element never changes.
Atomic number (Z) = Number of protons / Number of electrons

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Mass number (A)
The sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom is called the mass number of
an element.
Mass number (A) = Number of protons + Number of neutrons
Number of neutrons = Mass number (A) - Atomic number (Z)
An atom is written by its symbol for the element and the mass numbers and atomic numbers are indicated
as upper and lower subscripts, respectively, on the left side of the symbol as shown below in case of
sodium.
Mass number → 23

Atomic number → 11

Formation of ions
An atom is electrically neutral, i.e., it has the same number of electrons and protons. But when an atom
donates an electron to another atom, it has excess of protons, or it becomes positively charged ion
(Cation). On the other hand, when an atom gains an electron from another atom, it has excess of electrons,
or it becomes negatively charged ion (Anion).
Ions

An atom which becomes charged by losing or gaining electrons is called an ion.

A positively charged ion is called a cation and a negatively charged ion is called an anion. Metals generally
form cations and non- metals generally form anions.
If the number of electrons in the valence shell of an atom of an element is 1 to 3, they form cations by
losing electrons. Hence these elements are generally metals.
If the number of electrons in the valence shell of an atom of an element is 5 to 7, they form anions by
gaining electrons. Hence these elements are generally non- metals.

ATOMIC STRUCTURE

Element Numbe Number Number Mass Electronic

(neutral atom) Symbol r of of of Numbe configuration Valenc
Proton Neutron Electron r [A] y
s [Z] s s K L M
HYDROGEN H 1 0 1 1 1 1
HELIUM He 2 2 2 4 2 0
LITHIUM Li 3 4 3 7 2 1 1
BERYLLIUM Be 4 5 4 9 2 2 2

BORON B 5 6 5 11 2 3 3

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CARBON C 6 6 6 12 2 4 4
NITROGEN N 7 7 7 14 2 5 3
OXYGEN O 8 8 8 16 2 6 2
FLUORINE F 9 10 9 19 2 7 1
NEON Ne 10 10 10 20 2 8 0
SODIUM Na 11 12 11 23 2 8 1 1
MAGNESIUM Mg 12 12 12 24 2 8 2 2
ALUMINIUM Al 13 14 13 27 2 8 3 3
SILICON Si 14 14 14 28 2 8 4 4
PHOSPHORU P 15 16 15 31 2 8 5 3,5
S
SULPHUR S 16 16 16 32 2 8 6 2
CHLORINE Cl 17 18 17 35 2 8 7 1
ARGON Ar 18 22 18 40 2 8 8 0

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 QUESTIONS
1. What is the relation between the atomic number, mass number and number of neutrons of an
atom?
2. Which electrons in an atom are called the valence electrons?
3. How would you define the valency of an element in terms of electrons?
4. How did Thomson visualize the atom? What is this model of atom called?
5. What is an ion? What are cations and anions? Give an example of each.
6. Mention the postulates of Dalton’s atomic theory.
7. How did Rutherford come to the conclusion that the entire positive charge in an atom
concentrated in a small area called the nucleus?
8. Write briefly about the energy levels in Bohr’s model of an atom.
9. The atomic number of an element is 8. Is it a metal or a non metal?
10. Draw the atomic structure of sodium atom and sodium ion. Which is more stable and
why? Atomic no. of Na = 11 and mass no. = 12.
11. Why is an atom electrically neutral?
12. Why do elements helium, neon and argon have zero valency?
13. An element has 5 electrons in M shell. Predict its valency.
14. An ion M2+ contains 10 electrons and 12 neutrons. What is the atomic number and
mass number of the element, M? Identify the element.
15. Out of L and M shells, which has more energy?

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