Chemistry IGCSE Atoms and Bonding
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Al- Zahraa Mohamed IGCSE
Chemistry IGCSE Atoms and Bonding
An atom is the smallest possible particle of an element that can
exist and share in reaction without being change.
Atom consists
of
Nucleus Electrons
First: the Nucleus
Its description:
➢ -It is found at the center of the atom.
➢ -It contains two types of particles which are.
A- protons: positively charged particles.
B –Neutrons: electrically neutral particles.
➢ The mass of atom is concentrated in it.
➢ The nucleus is positively charged because it contains positively protons
and neutral neutrons.
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Al- Zahraa Mohamed IGCSE
Chemistry IGCSE Atoms and Bonding
Second: Electrons
They are negatively charged particles which revolve around the
nucleus in shells (the energy levels).
- The electrons are fast moving
- Each shell can only contain a fixed number of electrons. Once a shell is full,
any remaining electrons must go into the next shell.
Note ▪ The atom is electrically neutral in ordinary state.
➢ Because the number of negative electrons which revolve around
the nucleus are equal to the number of positive protons in the
nucleus
Subatomic Relative mass Charge Position
Particle
Proton 1unit +1 Positively charged particle inside the
nucleus.
Neutron 1unit 0 Neutral particle inside the nucleus.
Electron 1/1840 -1 Negatively charged particle
surrounding the nucleus.
Atomic (proton) number:
It is the number of protons in one atom of the element.
Mass (nucleon) number:
• The total number of nucleons, which is the sum of protons and neutrons in one
atom of the element.
• The number of neutrons = the mass number – the atomic number.
Number of protons = 11
Number of electrons = 11
Number of neutrons = 23 – 11= 12
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Al- Zahraa Mohamed IGCSE
Chemistry IGCSE Atoms and Bonding
Arrangement of Electrons:
(Electronic configuration / electronic structure)
• Electrons are arranged around the nucleus in energy levels or shells or orbits.
• Each level can hold a limited number of electrons.
- The 1st energy level (nearest to the nucleus) can hold a maximum of two electrons.
- The 2nd and 3rd energy levels can hold eight electrons.
• Electrons always occupy the lowest available energy level. When an energy level is
full, further electrons occupy the next energy level until this is filled and so on.
Examples:
Carbon has electronic configuration: 2, 4 Sodium has electronic configuration: 2,
8, and 1
Calcium has electronic configuration: 2 ,8,8,2
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Al- Zahraa Mohamed IGCSE
Chemistry Cambridge IGCSE Topic 2: Atoms and Bonding
2017
They are atoms of the same element having the same atomic number
but different mass number due to the difference in the number of
neutrons.
▪ Isotopes of an element have the same chemical properties. They differ in few
physical properties such as density.
▪ Some isotopes have unstable nuclei; they are radioactive isotopes and emit various
forms of radiation.
Example:
- Uranium 235 and Uranium 238
All three atoms belong to the element hydrogen, because they all have 1 proton and
different neutron number. They are called isotopes of hydrogen.
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Al- Zahraa Mohamed IGCSE
Chemistry Cambridge IGCSE Topic 2: Atoms and Bonding
2017
• An element is a substance that consists of only ONE type, of atoms .It can’t
be broken down into anything simpler. e.g aluminium.
• A compound is a substance which consists of two or more elements
chemically combined together. e.g water
• A mixture consists of 2 or more elements or compounds NOT chemically
combined. e.g water and alcohol.
Elements can be divided into metals, non-metals and Nobel (inert)
gases.
Physical Differences between metals and non-metals
Properties of METALS Properties of NON-METALS
- Good conductors of heat - Poor conductors of heat.
- Good conductors of electricity - Poor conductors of electricity.
- Shiny - Dull
- Malleable (easily shaped by - Brittle (broken when
hammering without cracking) hammered)
- High melting point - Low melting point
- Ductile (drawn into wires) - They are solids and gases
- They are usually solids at except bromine which is liquid
room temperature except at room temperature.
mercury. - Not sonorous
- Sonorous
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Al- Zahraa Mohamed IGCSE
