Unit 3: Atomic Structure Atomic Number, Mass Number, and Isotopes
After today, you will be able to… Find the atomic mass, atomic number, and symbols of elements off of the Periodic Table Calculate the number of neutrons in a particular atom Explain what an isotope is
Atomic Number The number of protons in the element. Always a whole number Example: Oxygen’s atomic number is 8, so there are 8 protons in Oxygen’s nucleus
Atomic Number For neutral elements (no charge) the # of p + = # of e - The number of protons will never change for an element It is like our social security number, it identifies them.
Atomic Mass Read right off the Periodic Table. The number will have a decimal. It is the average (weighted) of all the elements isotopes.
Atomic Number vs. Atomic Mass 8 O Oxygen Atomic number Atomic mass
Mass Number Number of protons & neutrons combined Always a whole number
Finding the Number of Neutrons Neutrons = mass # - atomic # Example: Oxygen’s mass number is 16 and its atomic number is 8. The number of neutrons will be 16-8 = 8.
Isotopes Atoms with the same number of protons, but different number of neutrons. They are chemically alike Have different mass numbers Written like this: Element–Mass Number
Examples: Neutral hydrogen isotopes Hydrogen-1 Hydrogen-2Hydrogen-3 1 proton 1 proton 1 proton 1 electron 1 electron 1 electron 0 neutrons1 neutron2 neutrons
Summary Atomic # = protons = electrons (neutral atoms) Mass # = protons + neutrons = rounded atomic mass Neutrons = mass # - atomic #
Practice makes perfect… Element Symbol Atomic Number Mass Number # of Protons # of Neutrons # of electrons S N Cl Ca