Questions tagged [atoms]
Smallest particle still characterizing a chemical element. It consists of a small nucleus charged positively, carrying almost all of the atom's mass, with electrons surrounding it. This tag should be applied to questions that specifically concern atoms or their properties. For the charged particles, please use [ions] instead. If your question is specifically about [protons], [neutrons], or [electrons], use those tags instead.
496
questions
-4
votes
2
answers
122
views
How does the same electron orbit both atoms in covalent bond? [closed]
During elementary school chemistry, when they teach about the covalent bond, they say that both atoms need the electron but they can't lose or gain them so they share it.
And for instance they show us ...
-1
votes
3
answers
146
views
What are the differences between an alpha-particle and a helium 2+ ion?
What are the differences between the alpha particle and helium 2+ ion? Or are they the same? Do differences arise because of the process by which they are formed?
- 37
2
votes
2
answers
167
views
Measurement of the number of electrons, protons and neutrons inside an atom
How do we measure the number of protons, electrons, and neutrons inside an atom? What experiments can be conducted to determine, for example, that an iron atom contains 26 protons?
- 57
1
vote
3
answers
112
views
Comparing Succesive Ionisation Energies
I am trying to understand successive ionisation energies. In particular, an explanation for why the second ionisation energy is greater than the first ionisation energy. I'm looking for a clear and ...
7
votes
1
answer
103
views
Confusion about the number of microstates for orbitals
I am very confused about the microstates for a specific orbital.
Let's suppose I have an electronic configuration
$$
\ce{[\dots] 2p^5}
$$
Considering the symmetry of the orbitals and the "...
- 79
-4
votes
2
answers
88
views
Mechanism of S2Cl2 and NaHSO3 [closed]
I learned that NaHSO3 reacts with S2Cl2 to give Na2S4O6 as product. After looking up the structure of Na2S4O6, it confuses me that four sulfur atoms connect together. I couldn't figure out the exact ...
- 35
-4
votes
1
answer
155
views
why chemical bond between Na and Cl happens [closed]
We know that if Cl and Na get too close, they produce ionic bonding.
Cl has 17 proton and 17 electrons and is considered stable.
Na has 11 protons and 11 electrons and is considered stable.
I ...
- 119
-1
votes
1
answer
54
views
when would copper material have free electrons [closed]
If you imagine a wire of copper(note that I am not talking about electricity at all). Just only a wire of copper or copper metal or whatever full of copper atoms.
We know that each copper atom has 1 ...
- 119
-4
votes
1
answer
55
views
what happens to electron after beta minus decay [closed]
In the beta minus decay, electron is emitted from the nucleus. It depends on the previous nuclei(that was before beta decay) how much energy emitted electron will have.
After this event, Internal ...
- 111
-4
votes
1
answer
66
views
Energy levels for H atom [closed]
Problem Statement:
The number of orbitals (for H-atom) which have greater energy than $3p_y$ orbitals: $3s, 3p_z,3d_{z^{2}},3d_{x^{2}-y^{2}},2p_y, 4d_{z^2}, 4p_{y}$
The solution says that energies ...
-5
votes
1
answer
58
views
Are elements made out of many atoms? [closed]
So im reading a chemistry book right now, and always thought an element is made out of ONE atom, with special properties that make it this element.
Amount of Protons, neutrons and electrons.
But this ...
- 1
1
vote
2
answers
353
views
Does effective nuclear charge decrease down the group?
I've read that the effective nuclear charge increases down the group.
This seems incorrect. As we go down the group the number of protons increases and the shielding constant also increases. We can ...
- 221
0
votes
0
answers
59
views
Can someone elaborate what it means when its said that electron shells do not exist in multi electron systems?
I'm an undergraduate student in chemistry. I'm trying to grapple with all the new stuff we're learning and making sense of it. Now I want to know if electron shells really "exist" in multi ...
- 29
-3
votes
2
answers
115
views
Why does atomic radius decrease across periods? [closed]
My textbook says that this happens because the number of protons, and thus the total positive charge, increases - a greater attractive force acts on each electron. The book says that this is despite ...
- 21
-3
votes
1
answer
148
views
Have we ever managed to "add" a proton to a nucleus? [closed]
Have chemists or physicists ever managed to "add" a proton to an atom in order to create a new element? For instance, a hydrogen atom has one proton; has anyone managed to give a proton to a ...
- 249
0
votes
0
answers
54
views
The first electron affinity of an atom
I've read that the first electron affinity is always negative, meaning that energy is always released upon the addition of this first electron. However, I don't think this will apply to noble gases. ...
0
votes
1
answer
43
views
Masses of atoms and molecules [duplicate]
This is my understanding so far:
Average atomic mass is the mass of an element considering isotopes and is measured in atomic mass units. However relative atomic mass is the average mass of an atom ( ...
0
votes
0
answers
271
views
If the effective nuclear charge of Beryllium(Be) is less than Sodium's(Na), how is the ionization energy of Be higher than Na?
According to Slater's rules the effective nuclear charge of Beryllium and Sodium is 1.95 and 2.20 respectively.
That means that the outermost electron of Na feels a stronger attraction from the ...
3
votes
1
answer
781
views
How many carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus atoms are there in the observable universe?
If I could somehow reliably count all the carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, and phosphorus atoms in the observable universe, what number would I come up with?
- 153
2
votes
0
answers
38
views
Is determination of nuclidic mass by nuclear reaction currently state of the art for any nuclides?
In Section 4.9 of Linus Pauling's General Chemistry Book (Dover 1988 edition, a copy of the WH Freeman and Company 1970 edition) he describes the principle behind the determination of nuclidic mass by ...
- 20.8k
-2
votes
1
answer
57
views
If you give an electron in a subshell more energy, does it simply "jump" to the next energy level?
Suppose you have an electron in the $\ce{2s}$ subshell of an atom. If energy is given to it, does it simply jump to the next energy level (into the $\ce{3s}$ subshell), or does it move into $\ce{2p}$?
- 193
-3
votes
1
answer
89
views
Can it be said that an electron transfer between two neutral atoms comes from the neutral atomic electric field? [closed]
Let us consider the example of Na and Cl. Both atoms are called "neutral" simply because they have the same total number of protons as electrons, yet they have a very weak electric field ...
- 329
-4
votes
2
answers
117
views
Relative atomic mass calculation [closed]
In my textbook it states that relative atomic mass of an element Y is equal to the average mass off one atom of element Y multiplied by 12 divided by the mass of one atom of carbon 12.
What is the ...
-1
votes
3
answers
639
views
How are the number of neutrons changed in an atom? [closed]
I'm studying isotopes in high school and I don't understand how it works.
From my understanding, when neutrons are added or removed, an isotope is created.
To calculate the number of neutrons, the ...
- 27
9
votes
1
answer
712
views
Why does the same electron transition release photons of different frequencies for some elements?
Question: For elements in the same period with different numbers of valance electrons, why does the same electron transition release photons of different frequencies?
Example: For valance electrons ...
- 103
-2
votes
1
answer
111
views
How can Planck’s equation and the wave equation simultaneously coexist with contradicting each other? [closed]
The equations:
E=hf (Planck’s equation, where E is the energy, h is the Planck’s constant and f is the frequency) and
V=fλ (where v is the speed (in a vacuum), f is frequency and λ is the wavelength) ...
- 352
2
votes
1
answer
142
views
Why are ions in a mass spectrometer accelerated through electric plates? [closed]
I was reading an article on the AP Chemistry course in Khan Academy about mass spectrometry, which had this:
... ions are then accelerated through electric plates and subsequently deflected by a ...
- 153
-2
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Can an element be a single atom or a molecule made up of atoms of the same element?
Some online websites and some books as well suggest that elements are either atoms (e.g. Ne) or molecules (e.g. $\ce{H2}$, $\ce{O2}$).
Original source: Tro, Chemistry: A Molecular Approach (2008)
...
- 23
-5
votes
1
answer
68
views
What is the energy difference between inner subshells?
For exemple, in silver the energy difference between the 4d 5s subshells is ≈ 4 eV (in the ultraviolet region, that's why it has no color, etc.), but what is the energy difference between some of its ...
-5
votes
1
answer
60
views
How do I calculate q/m? [closed]
My chemistry book (Mortimer in German) has the following question:
Calculate the value q/m for the following Ions:
("mit Masse" meaning "with mass")
How do I calculate q/m?
Thanks ...
- 7
6
votes
1
answer
180
views
where could I find the standard atomic orbital energy of all elements?
I am trying to find the standard atomic orbital energy of all elements.
Here is the data I found in some old books:
I am looking for some more modernized data, I tried to look for the data in the CRC ...
- 73
-3
votes
1
answer
344
views
What does it mean when we say an atom has infinite energy levels/shells? [closed]
My chemistry teacher told that an atom has infinite energy shells according to Bohr model , where electron reside according to its angular momentum and energy.
But in lower classes/ grades I have ...
-2
votes
3
answers
221
views
Why do atoms make bonds? [duplicate]
I have been studying chemistry for a long time in school till now, but, what I recently realised I do not understand is why do atoms really make bonds, why do they want to gain or lose electrons or ...
- 15
0
votes
2
answers
234
views
Proof for equation of radial probability distribution curve
So my textbook says the equation for this is
$$P(r) = 4\pi r^2\Psi^2 $$
It also gives the volume of the shell formula
$$\mathrm{d}V = \frac 43 \pi(r+\mathrm{d}r)^3 - \frac 43 \pi r^3$$
which I ...
- 11
1
vote
2
answers
149
views
Size of Orbitals, Making Intuitive Sense of Quantum Model, Nomenclature of Subshells in the Quantum Model
Alright, so I am doing the Quantum Mechanical (or what some people call the Wave Mechanical model) of an atom. There's this part where we have different zones of the probablity of finding electrons, ...
- 45
0
votes
3
answers
536
views
How do water vapor molecules push other air molecules away?
I've read that when water vapor enters the atmosphere, the vapor molecules push the oxygen and nitrogen molecules out of the way and occupy their space.
But if water vapor molecules are lighter than ...
- 109
0
votes
0
answers
41
views
Restoring potential of atoms in a solid
Above $\pu{0 K}$ the atoms in a solid are vibrating. However, what kind of potential restores each atom in the starting position?
Consider the crystal lattice of NaCl. The potential energy of a $\ce{...
- 193
-5
votes
1
answer
273
views
Why isn't Beryllium a noble gas? [closed]
Somebody answered it before on physics StackExchange, but I couldn't follow the high-level parlance. All I could follow is that it is related to the p subshell. I cannot understand why elements form ...
2
votes
0
answers
30
views
In Lanthanides, Why is electron removed from 4f before 5p? [duplicate]
I've been taught that electrons are removed first from valence shell electrons with highest energy. But In Lanthanides, for example taking configuration- [Xe]4f⁴6s², If we go to +3 Oxidation State, ...
- 21
2
votes
0
answers
40
views
Why doesn't my estimation for the relative mass of a single lithium-7 atom work? [duplicate]
So I tried to calculate the relative mass of a lithium-7 atom. I added up the masses of all the protons, neutrons and electrons, like this:
mass = relative mass of 3 protons + relative mass of 4 ...
0
votes
0
answers
42
views
How did we find relative atomic masses in 18th century or early 19th century? [duplicate]
The atomic masses of atoms or relative atomic masses were known in the 19th century.
But how did they actually calculate that relative atomic mass?
What I think is that if we have a sample of an ...
4
votes
1
answer
458
views
How do the odd proton-number elements originate?
I have a question about the origin of the odd proton-number elements in the periodic table, please.
As it is generally thought that the big bang produces hydrogen first, and then hydrogen combined to ...
user120456
1
vote
1
answer
58
views
What kind of electronic configurations are possible?
Let us take $d^6$ orbital as an example:
A) ↑ | ↑ | ↑ ↓ | ↑ | ↑ |
Now , this one 1 way. My Q is that how is it possible that in the 3rd box , we have a paired electron but not in the 1st one. Like it ...
- 49
2
votes
2
answers
529
views
Why are the relative masses of isotopes not close to whole numbers?
Understandably, the relative atomic masses of isotopes are often not close to whole numbers as they're adjusted for isotope abudandancy eg. $A_r(Cl)\approx35.45$. However, wouldn't one expect the ...
- 181
0
votes
0
answers
138
views
Can an atom bond with any other atom?
I am designing a game for students which has a sandbox for atoms to create molecules like building blocks. I have the valance of each atom mapped and they can bond with other atoms based on their ...
- 139
1
vote
0
answers
61
views
What happens inside the orbital when energy provided to electron is not sufficient for it to change orbitals? [closed]
While studying the chapter called Atomic Structure, we were introduced with Bohr's model of an Atom. Even though not all of his postulates were right, I believe some were. A doubt arose in the ...
- 101
-1
votes
1
answer
231
views
What are the Ionic Properties of Co-ordinate Covalent Bonds? [closed]
In my 10th grade book, it says that
A coordinate bond has properties of both covalent and ionic bonds. Therefore, it is also called dative or co-ionic bonds.
I understand that it has properties of ...
1
vote
0
answers
324
views
Shielding effect is not constant across a period [closed]
Shielding effect stays constant across a period because number of inner electrons stays the same.
Well, that's not true.
It only works for the period =1,2,3
but in period 4, the number of inner ...
0
votes
0
answers
167
views
A better understanding of the screening effect and how it works?
What I am taught-
Inner shell electrons shield the outermost electrons from the attraction of nucleus. More closer the inner shell is to the nucleus, more its shielding effect. thus $n_s > n_p > ...
2
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Which atom is the smallest atom?
Is hydrogen or helium the smallest atom? My teacher said that the smallest atom is the helium atom, but I think that the smallest atom is the hydrogen atom. It has a single electron and a single ...
user100905