Chapter 5 Electrons in Atoms

Section 5.1 Light and Quantized Energy At this point in history, we are in the early 1900’s. Electrons were the 1st subatomic particle to be discovered. Chemists have a Rutherford Model of the atom. There is a small, dense, positively charged center of the atom called a nucleus. Electrons move around outside the nucleus.

The Atom and Unanswered Questions In Rutherford's model, the atom’s mass is concentrated in the nucleus and electrons move around it. The model doesn’t explain how the electrons were arranged around the nucleus. The model doesn’t explain why negatively charged electrons aren’t pulled into the positively charged nucleus.

In the early 1900s, scientists observed certain elements emitted visible light when heated in a flame. Analysis of the emitted light revealed that an element’s chemical behavior is related to the arrangement of the electrons in its atoms.

The Wave Nature of Light Visible light is a type of electromagnetic radiation, a form of energy that exhibits wave-like behavior as it travels through space. All waves can be described by several characteristics.

The wavelength (λ) is the shortest distance between equivalent points on a wave. The frequency (ν) is the number of waves that pass a given point per second. The amplitude is the wave’s height from the origin to a crest.

What relationship do you see between λ, v, and c?

What relationship do you see between The speed of light (3.00  108 m/s) is the product of it’s wavelength and frequency. c = λν What relationship do you see between λ and ν?

Sunlight, or visible light, contains a continuous range of wavelengths and frequencies. A prism separates sunlight into a continuous spectrum of colors – pg. 138. The separation of white light by a prism The electromagnetic spectrum includes all forms of electromagnetic radiation – pg. 139.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Visible Light … Note the trends: Blue light has shorter λ, higher v, and more energy. Red light has longer λ, lower v, and less energy. Brain Pop - The EM Spectrum

The wave model of light cannot explain all of light’s characteristics. An example is the photoelectric effect , when electrons are emitted from a metal’s surface when light of a certain frequency shines on it (how solar calculators work). Photoelectric Effect Simulation

Albert Einstein proposed in 1905 that light has a dual nature. Einstein suggested a beam of light has wavelike and particlelike properties. A photon is a particle of electromagnetic radiation with no mass that carries a quantum of energy. Ephoton = h Ephoton represents energy, h is Planck's constant (6.626 x 10-34 J-s), &  represents frequency.

Atomic Emission Spectra Light in a neon sign is produced when electricity is passed through a tube filled with neon gas and excites the neon atoms. The excited atoms emit light to release energy.

Emission Spectrum for Hydrogen

The atomic emission spectrum of an element is the set of frequencies of the electromagnetic waves emitted by the atoms of the element. Each element’s atomic emission spectrum is unique – they have their own fingerprints!