Section 1 (Atoms)

Section 1
Atoms
All matter is made of particles. At one time, it was thought that the tiniest particle was the atom;
the word comes from the Greek word meaning ‘indivisible’.
We now know that atoms can be split and that there are smaller particles than atoms, the so-
called sub-atomic particles, electrons, protons and neutrons. You will need to know something
about these particles which make up the different kinds of atoms.
However, you must understand that chemistry is all about rearrangements of atoms that do not
themselves change.
Atoms are very small. The hydrogen atom, the smallest and lightest of all atoms, has a diameter
of about 108 mm. 1 g of hydrogen atoms contains about 6 x 1023 atoms. It is very difficult to
‘see’ an individual atom and to find its mass.
An atom is the smallest, electrically neutral, particle of an element that can take part in a
chemical change.
A molecule is the smallest, electrically neutral, particle of an element or compound that
can exist on its own.
An ion is an atom, or group of atoms, which carries an electric charge.
You need to know these definitions by heart, but you also need to be able to recognise the
formulae of atoms and molecules when you see them. Li, O, Cl, C are all formulae which
represent atoms. Some of these can exist on their own, but not all of them. Oxygen, for example,
always exists as oxygen molecules, O2, which contain two atoms, unless it is combined with
something else. Water contains only one atom of oxygen but here it is combined with two
hydrogen atoms.
Make sure that you really understand these ideas:
• a single oxygen atom, O, cannot exist on its own
• a single oxygen atom can exist when it is combined with something else, but then it is part
of a molecule
• an oxygen molecule has two oxygen atoms, O2
• a few elements exist as single atoms: for these elements, an atom is the same as a molecule.
UA008883 – Workbook for GCE students – Moles, Formulae and Equations 1

Edexcel Advanced GCE in Chemistry (9080)
Edexcel Advanced GCE in Chemistry (Nuffield) (9086) – Issue 3 – October 2004
Structure of the atom
The atom is composed of electrons, neutrons and protons. You have to remember the relative
mass of, and the electric charge on, each.
Particle Relative mass Relative charge (on scale

(Carbon -12 scale) electron charge = -1 unit)
Proton 1 +1
Electron 1/1840 –1
Neutron 1 0
The atom is mostly empty space. It has a solid core or nucleus, the centre that contains the
protons and neutrons. The electrons circulate round the nucleus in specific orbits or shells.
We can picture the hydrogen atom - the simplest of all atoms with one electron, and one proton
in the nucleus - by considering a pea placed in the centre of a football pitch, to represent the
nucleus with its proton. On this scale the electron will revolve in a circular orbit round the goal
posts. Between the electron and the nucleus is empty space.
Atoms are the particles whose symbols are found in the periodic table given in all your
examination papers and also on page 113 of this book. You can see there are only about 100 of
them. The middle part of the atom, the nucleus, contains one or more protons. It is the number
of protons that make the atom what it is. An atom with one proton is always a hydrogen atom;
one with two protons is a helium atom and so on.
There are more substances in the world than the 100 or so different kinds of atom. The other
substances are made by combining atoms in various ways to make molecules.
When a chemical reaction takes place the atoms are rearranged to make different molecules but
no atoms can be made or destroyed. To show this you have to be able to find a method of
counting the atoms that take part in a reaction and its products.
The mass of an individual atom is very small and it is much more convenient to measure atomic
masses as relative masses.
The definition of relative atomic mass Ar is:
The mass of a single atom on a scale on which the mass of an atom of carbon — 12 has a
mass of 12 atomic mass units. The relative atomic mass does not have units.
The definition of Relative Molecular Mass Mr (also referred to as Molar Mass) is
The mass of a single molecule on a scale on which the mass of an atom of carbon — 12 has
a mass of 12 atomic mass units.
Relative Molecular Mass of a molecule is calculated by adding together the relative atomic
masses of the atoms in the chemical formulae.
Relative formula mass: in many ways this is more accurate than Relative Molecular Mass. Many
salts, even in the solid state, exist as ions rather than molecules. Although the formula of sodium
chloride is normally given as NaCl, it is not a simple molecule but a giant lattice and it is more
accurately written as (Na+Cl–)n. Since this compound does not have molecules, it cannot have
relative ‘molecular’ mass. However, the principle is the same: add the relative atomic masses of
sodium (23) and chlorine (35.5) to give 58.5, the relative formula mass of NaCl.
Remember: relative atomic mass, molecular mass and formula mass have no units.
2 UA008883 – Workbook for GCE students – Moles, Formulae and Equations

Examples: Calculation of Molar Mass from Relative Atomic Mass data
Before you start any of these questions make sure you read the Section 4 of this booklet
(The mole on page 27).
When you carry out experiments you will weigh chemicals in grams. Molar mass has the same
numerical value as the Relative Molecular Mass; it is calculated by adding together the relative
atomic masses of the elements in the molecule. The total is expressed in units of grams per mol
or g mol-1.
Example 1
Calculate the Molar Mass of sulphuric acid H2SO4
This molecule contains
2 atoms of hydrogen each of mass 1 = 2x 1 = 2 g mol–1

1 atom of sulphur of mass 32 = 1 x 32 = 32 g mol–1
4 atoms of oxygen of mass 16 = 4 x 16 = 64 g mol–1
Total mass = 98 g mol–1
Example 2
Calculate the Molar Mass of lead nitrate Pb(NO3)2
Care! This molecule contains TWO nitrate groups
1 atom of lead of mass 207 = 1 x 207 = 207 g mol–1

2 atoms of nitrogen of mass 14 = 2 x 14 = 28 g mol–1
Total mass = 331 g mol–1
Example 3
Calculate the Molar Mass of CuSO4.5H2O
Care! This molecule has 5 molecules of water attached to each molecule of copper sulphate.
Many students make the mistake of thinking that there are 10 hydrogens and only 1 oxygen.
In CuSO4 1 atom of copper of mass 63.5 = 1 x 63.5 = 63.5 g mol–1

1 atom of sulphur of mass 32 = 1 x 32 = 32 g mol–1
In 5H2O 5 x 2 atoms of hydrogen of mass 1 = 10 x 1 = 10 g mol–1
5 x 1 atoms of oxygen of mass 16 = 5 x 16 = 80 g mol–1
Total mass = 249.5 g mol–1
Calculations of this type are generally written as follows

CuSO4.5H2O = [ 63.5 + 32 + (4 x 16) + 5{(2x1) + 16} ] = 249.5 g mol–1

Exercise 1
Calculation of the Molar Mass of compounds
Calculate the Molar Mass of the following. You will find data concerning Relative Atomic
Masses on the periodic table (on page 113). When you have finished this set of calculations
keep the answers for reference. You will find them useful in some of the other questions in this
workbook.
1 H2O
2 CO2
3 NH3
4 C2H5OH
5 C2H4
6 SO2
7 SO3
8 HBr
9 H2SO4
10 HNO3
11 NaCl
12 NaNO3
13 Na2CO3
14 NaOH
15 Na2SO4
16 KMnO4
17 K2CrO4
18 KHCO3
19 KI
20 CsNO3
21 CaCl2

22 Ca(NO3)2
23 Ca(OH)2
24 CaSO4
25 BaCl2
26 AlCl3
27 Al(NO3)3
28 Al2(SO4)3
29 FeSO4
30 FeCl2
31 FeCl3
32 Fe2(SO4)3
33 PbO
34 PbO2
35 Pb3O4
36 Pb(NO3)2
37 PbCl2
38 PbSO4
39 CuCl
40 CuCl2
41 CuSO4
42 ZnCl2
43 AgNO3
44 NH4Cl
45 (NH4)2SO4
46 NH4VO3
47 KClO3
48 KIO3

49 NaClO
50 NaNO2
51 CuSO4.5H2O
52 FeSO4.7H2O
53 (NH4)2SO4.Fe2(SO4)3.24H2O
54 Na2S2O3.5H2O
55 (COOH)2.2H2O
56 MgSO4.7H2O
57 Cu(NH3)4SO4.2H2O
58 CH3CO2H
59 CH3COCH3
60 C6H5CO2H


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Section 1

UA008883 – Workbook for GCE students – Moles, Formulae and Equations 1

Particle Relative mass Relative charge (on scale

2 UA008883 – Workbook for GCE students – Moles, Formulae and Equations

2 atoms of hydrogen each of mass 1 = 2x 1 = 2 g mol–1

1 atom of lead of mass 207 = 1 x 207 = 207 g mol–1

In CuSO4 1 atom of copper of mass 63.5 = 1 x 63.5 = 63.5 g mol–1

Calculations of this type are generally written as follows

UA008883 – Workbook for GCE students – Moles, Formulae and Equations 3

Calculation of the Molar Mass of compounds

UA008883 – Workbook for GCE students – Moles, Formulae and Equations 5

6 UA008883 – Workbook for GCE students – Moles, Formulae and Equations

UA008883 – Workbook for GCE students – Moles, Formulae and Equations 7

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