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Atom Structure

- Atoms consist of electrons surrounding a nucleus that contains protons and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge while electrons have a negative charge. - The nucleus is at the center of the atom and contains protons and neutrons. Electrons orbit around the nucleus in different energy levels. - The number of protons determines the element and is called the atomic number. The number of electrons is equal to the number of protons, making the overall charge neutral.

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50 views3 pages

Atom Structure

- Atoms consist of electrons surrounding a nucleus that contains protons and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge while electrons have a negative charge. - The nucleus is at the center of the atom and contains protons and neutrons. Electrons orbit around the nucleus in different energy levels. - The number of protons determines the element and is called the atomic number. The number of electrons is equal to the number of protons, making the overall charge neutral.

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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Atom structure

Atoms consist of electrons surrounding a nucleus that contains protons andneutrons. Neutrons are neutral, but protons and electrons are electrically charged. Protons have a relative charge of +1, while electrons have a relative charge of -1. The number of protons in an atom is called its atomic number. In the periodic table atoms are arranged in atomic number order. Electrons are arranged in energy levels or shells, and different energy levels can hold different numbers of electrons. The electronic structure of an atom is a description of how the electrons are arranged, which can be shown in a diagram or by numbers. There is a link between the position of an element in the periodic table and its electronic structure.

The structure of an atom


Although the word 'atom' comes from the Greek for indivisible, we now know that atoms are not the smallest particles of matter. Atoms are made from smallersubatomic particles.

At the centre of an atom is a nucleuscontaining protons and neutrons.Electrons are arranged around the nucleus in energy levels or shells. Make sure you can label a simple diagram of an atom like this one. Both protons and electrons have an electrical charge. Both have the same size of electrical charge, but the proton is positive and the electron negative. The neutron is neutral. The electrical charge of particles particle relative charge proton neutron electron +1 0 -1

The total number of electrons in an atom is always the same as the number of protons in the nucleus. This means atoms have no overall electrical charge.

The number of protons in an atom is called its atomic number - also called the proton number. Atoms are arranged in the periodic table in order of increasing atomic number. You may need to re-visit the section in AQA GCSE Science on the periodic table to check you recall it.

Energy levels and shells


Electrons are arranged in different shells around the nucleus. The innermost shell - or lowest energy level - is filled first. Each succeeding shell can only hold a certain number of electrons before it becomes full. The innermost shell can hold a maximum of two electrons, the second shell a maximum of eight, and so on. The table gives the maximum capacity of the first three shells. Maximum capacity of the first three shells energy level or shell first second third maximum number of electrons 2 8 8

A lithium atom, for example, has three electrons. Two are in the first energy level, and one in the second. A carbon atom has six electrons. Two are in the first energy level, and four in the second energy level.

Arrangement of electrons in a lithium atom

Arrangement of electrons in a carbon atom

Electronic structure 1
The electronic structure of an atom is a description of how the electrons are arranged. For your exam, you need to be able to describe the electronic structure of the first 20 elements in the periodic table. You may need to re-visit the section in AQA GCSE Science on the periodic table for this. The first 20 elements in the periodic table run from hydrogen to calcium. Their electronic structures can be shown either as diagrams or numbers. You need to know how to do both. Take lithium, for example. The drawing shows each energy level as a circle around the nucleus, with each electron represented by a dot. In the exam, do not worry about colouring in the electrons. Just make them clear and ensure they are in the right place. Sometimes you will be asked to use a cross rather than a dot. The numerical method is to write the chemical symbol (Li ) followed by the number of electrons in each energy level, innermost first, Li 2,1. Electronic structure of lithium Element Numeric format Li 2,1 Electrons Lithium atoms have three electrons. Two of these fit into the first energy level, with the third in the second energy level. Periodic table group Group 1

By: Emad Abdullah Class:9/8

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