STRUCTURE

ATOMIC STRUCTURE
Atoms are made up of three major types of particles, called protons, neutrons and electrons.
Protons and, for most kinds of atoms, one or more neutrons are contained in the center part of the
atom, called the nucleus. Electrons are thought of as circling around the nucleus in orbits, similar
to the way planets circle around the sun.
The familiar model of an atom is that of a small nucleus composed of protons and neutrons
surrounded by rapidly moving electrons (Bohr model). Typically, the atomic diameter is on the
order of l0–10 m while that of the nucleus is on the order of 10 –15 m. Protons and neutrons have
about the same mass (1.00728 and 1.00867 AMU respectively) and each is about 1800 times as
heavy as an electron. A neutron is electrically neutral, but a proton has a positive charge (+1.6 x
10–19 coulomb*) which is exactly the opposite of the negative charge of an electron. In a neutral
atom, the number of electrons around the nucleus equals the number of protons in the nucleus.
The number of protons in the nucleus (the “atomic number”, Z) characterizes a chemical
element.
The atomic mass number of an atom, A, is given by A = Z + N, where N is the number of

neutrons in the nucleus. Subspecies of chemical elements with the same Z but differing N and A
are called isotopes.
FIGURE 1 Bohr model of hydrogen and helium atoms, (a) Hydrogen atom, (b) Helium atom.
You can determine the approximate number of neutrons in the nucleus of a particular type of
atom by subtracting the number of protons from the atomic weight.
What do you think is holding the electron in place?
The gravitational force between electrons and the nucleus, however, is too small to hold the
electrons in their orbits. Electrons are held in their orbits by an electric force. Since electrons
each have a negative charge and the protons in the nucleus each have a positive charge, the
electrical attraction between them holds the electrons in orbits. Because the electrons are
moving, the electric force of attraction pulls them into orbits, rather than pulling them directly
into the nucleus.
ELECTRON SHELL AND ARRANGEMENT
Table 1 shows the distribution of the electrons in shells for the first 50 types of atoms, or
elements. As you can see in the table, the major shells are identified with the letters K, L, M, N,
and O. The K shell, closest to the nucleus, can hold a maximum of two electrons, and the L
shell can hold a maximum of eight. For the elements shown in Table 1-1, the M shell and the N
shell each hold a maximum of 18 electrons. As you go up in atomic number, the shells usually
fill from the innermost shell outward, just like filling a hotel from the ground floor as more
guests sign in. Using Table 1-1, you should be able to determine that oxygen atoms, for example,
have eight protons in their nucleus, two electrons in their K shell, and six electrons in their L
shell. Atoms which have the same number of electrons and protons are electrically neutral, but
some types of atoms aren't very "happy." or stable, that way. Most atoms like to have a full outer
shell of electrons. To get in that state, they will donate electrons to some other type of atom,
share electrons with some other type of atom, or accept donated electrons from some other type
of atom—whichever they can most easily do. Here's an example of how this works.
Hydrogen has one electron in its outer shell, so it would like to get one more electron to
complete its outer shell. To combine with an oxygen atom, a hydrogen atom has to share a pair
of electrons, as shown in Figure l-2b. Since oxygen needs two additional electrons, it effectively
fills its outer shell by sharing a pair of electrons with each of two hydrogen atoms. The resulting
compound then contains two hydrogen atoms for each oxygen atom. We might call this
compound di-hydrogen oxide, but usually we just call it water, or H2O.
Note the following:
It takes work or energy to separate two bodies which attract each other.
The work put into separating the bodies will remain stored in the bodies as potential energy until
they are allowed to come together again.
When the bodies are allowed to come together again, the potential energy will be released in
some form, such as heat, light, sound, mechanical motion, etc.
FIGURE 2 Formation of chemical compounds. (a) Sodium chloride, (b) Water.

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ATOMIC STRUCTURE

The atomic mass number of an atom, A, is given by A = Z + N, where N is the number of

ELECTRON SHELL AND ARRANGEMENT

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