SLO 1.1 - Atoms

Key Concepts and Skills

• Basic Structure of Atom: Explain the structure of an atom including the properties (mass and charge) of electrons, protons, and neutrons as well as the relationship of atomic number to atom type.
• Isotopes: Relate the identity of an isotope to the number of protons/neutrons it contains, the mass number, and identify an isotope by its nuclear symbol.
• Atomic Mass: Determine the atomic mass of atoms in grams and amu and explain the relationship between mass and subatomic particles including conceptualizing the relationship between weighted averages in atomic mass.
• Identify Ions: Determine the number of electrons/neutrons given a particular ion and determine the ion given a particular number of electrons/neutrons. Classify ions as cations or anions.
• Conversions Atoms/Mass: Utilize the periodic table and Avogadro’s number to convert between quantities of molar mass <-> moles of an element <-> number of atoms.

Reading

• From the textbook:
  • 1.1: Atoms and Molecules
  • 1.3: The Classification of Matter
  • 2.3 Modern Atomic Theory and the Laws that Led to It
  • 2.4: The Discovery of the Electron
  • 2.5: The Structure of the Atom
  • 2.6: Subatomic Particles: Protons, Neutrons, and Electrons in Atoms
  • 2.8: Atomic Mass: The Average Mass of an Element’s Atoms
  • 2.9: Molar Mass: Counting Atoms by Weighing Them
• POGIL Activities
  • CA-1: What Makes an Atom?
  • CA-A: How Much Do You Have?
• Other:
  • Chapter 3: The Structure of Matter and the Chemical Elements (from An Introduction to Chemistry)
  • Chapter 9: Chemical Calculations & Chemical Formulas (from An Introduction to Chemistry)
  • Isotope Notation
  • Isotopes
  • Atoms, Elements, and the Nucleus
  • Periodic Table
  • Mole Calculations
  • Avogadro’s number and the mole

Important Terms

Sample Assessment Questions

Dr. Thompson Videos

• Mass \(\rightarrow\) moles \(\rightarrow\) atoms

• amu (atomic mass units), grams, and moles

• Converting between moles and number of atoms

• Average atomic masses and isotopic abundance

• Molar mass - comparing two different elements

External Videos, Tutorials, Simulations

• Atomic Structure
  • Flash player needed
• Crash Course Chemistry: Subatomic Structure
• Mole Concept
• Size of an Atom
• PHET: Building an Atom
• PHET: Isotopes and Atomic Mass

Practice Problems

• From the textbook:
  • 2.41, 2.43, 2.47-49, 2.52-2.53, 2.58-59, 2.74-76, 2.83, 2.86, 2.88, 2.97, 2.104, 2.110, 2.122
• From other external sources:
  • Protons, Electrons, & Neutrons
  • Mass & Mole conversions
• From Dr. Thompson (links and embedded versions below):
  • Mass, Units, and Conversions

Back to CHEM 1340