What are "Atoms" and do they REALLY exist?
Atoms are real - and they can be manipulated one-by-one to make new "designer" molecules and materials.
Scientists at the IBM Almaden laboratory in California teamed up with artists to create images by moving individual atoms on flat metallic surfaces - much like pointallism, the painting technique in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image.
For example, the image at left is of the Kanji characters for "atom" constructed with iron (Fe) atoms individually deposited on a copper (Cu) surface. The literal translation is something like "original child."
Scientists at the IBM Almaden laboratory in California teamed up with artists to create images by moving individual atoms on flat metallic surfaces - much like pointallism, the painting technique in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image.
For example, the image at left is of the Kanji characters for "atom" constructed with iron (Fe) atoms individually deposited on a copper (Cu) surface. The literal translation is something like "original child."
Assignment(s) CHM1045: Due Tuesday - Week 4
At-Home Assignments
You should:
Read and review the following individual lessons in Calculations in Chemistry:
These lessons will prepare you to study the basic "building block" of matter - the atom.
You should then complete any PRETEST exercises in Chapter 6 - Atoms, Ions, and Periodicity in Calculations in Chemistry. Based upon your performance (score perfectly on ALL questions!) you should:
Read and study (and re-read if necessary) all of Chapter 6 - Atoms, Ions, and Periodicity until your understanding of the structure and properties of atoms, elements, and the periodic table are is flawless - - - yes, I mean "flawless" - including your review of all Chapter 6 flashcards - since your performance in chemistry depends on your ability to recognize and apply properties of atoms to solving just about every kind of chemistry problems possible.
You must complete all TRY IT, PRACTICE, and FLASHCARD exercises and remember to Hand Copy or Paraphrase in your own words the Chapter 6 Summary given on pages 118 - 119.
You can download Calculations in Chemistry Chapters 5 - 7 here !!
If you have not yet obtained a copy of Calculations in Chemistry - please download an outdated pdf copy of Chapters 5 - 7 here ... These sections contain the material in the text but not in the same layout. REMEMBER - GET THE BOOK ... ASAP !!
Instructional videos and additional resources will be posted to this page next week - for now, study Chapter 6 in Calculations and Chemistry and get comfortable with the concept of the atom!
At-Home Assignments
You should:
Read and review the following individual lessons in Calculations in Chemistry:
- Lesson 1.4: Special Project - The Atoms (Part 1), p. 18
- Lesson 3.4: The Atoms (Part 2), p. 55
- Lesson 4.6; The Atoms (Part 3), p. 74
These lessons will prepare you to study the basic "building block" of matter - the atom.
You should then complete any PRETEST exercises in Chapter 6 - Atoms, Ions, and Periodicity in Calculations in Chemistry. Based upon your performance (score perfectly on ALL questions!) you should:
Read and study (and re-read if necessary) all of Chapter 6 - Atoms, Ions, and Periodicity until your understanding of the structure and properties of atoms, elements, and the periodic table are is flawless - - - yes, I mean "flawless" - including your review of all Chapter 6 flashcards - since your performance in chemistry depends on your ability to recognize and apply properties of atoms to solving just about every kind of chemistry problems possible.
You must complete all TRY IT, PRACTICE, and FLASHCARD exercises and remember to Hand Copy or Paraphrase in your own words the Chapter 6 Summary given on pages 118 - 119.
You can download Calculations in Chemistry Chapters 5 - 7 here !!
If you have not yet obtained a copy of Calculations in Chemistry - please download an outdated pdf copy of Chapters 5 - 7 here ... These sections contain the material in the text but not in the same layout. REMEMBER - GET THE BOOK ... ASAP !!
Instructional videos and additional resources will be posted to this page next week - for now, study Chapter 6 in Calculations and Chemistry and get comfortable with the concept of the atom!
The Atom
Watch Me: Instructional Videos
Basic Atomic Structure: A Look Inside the Atom by Tyler DeWitt [7:44] What does the inside of an atom look like? Here, we'll look at the subatomic particles ( protons, neutrons, and electrons) that make up the atom. We'll see how the electrons orbit the nucleus, and talk about the masses of protons, neutrons, and electrons in amu, or atomic mass unit.
What's the Difference between an Atom and a Molecule? by Tyler DeWitt [5:16]
Never be confused by this concept again! In this video, we talk about the difference between an atom and molecule, and discuss the nucleus, energy levels, protons and neutrons, compounds, covalent bonding, sharing electrons, and lego blocks.
Atomic Number, Mass Number, and Net Charge by Tyler DeWitt [6:26]
How do you calculate and determine atomic number, mass number, and net charge? Atomic number is the number of protons in an atom. Mass number is the number of neutrons in an atom, and net charge describes how the protons and electrons balance out.
What's an Ion? by Tyler DeWitt [6:52]
Confused about ions? We'll learn the difference between an atom and an ion. Ions are formed because of a net charge on an atom, because the number of protons and electrons do not balance. This means that the atom is no longer electrically neutral, but is a cation or an anion. We also talk about polyatomic ions.
Practice Problems: Net Charge, Mass Number, Atomic Number by Tyler DeWitt [4:56]
Practice and example problems to help you learn how to determine and calculate the net charge, mass number, and atomic number of atoms. Also we'll look at how to determine the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom.
What are Isotopes? by Tyler DeWitt [7:56]
We'll learn about what isotopes are and how to write atomic number and mass number in isotope notation. We talk about a simple analogy with cars to explain this tutorial. Isotopes are versions of an atom or an element that have the same number of protons, but different numbers of neutrons. Isotopes and isotope notation are particularly important in nuclear chemistry.
Isotope Notation by Tyler DeWitt [7:56]Learn how to write atoms in isotope notation! In isotope notation, you can quickly show how many protons, neutrons, and electrons are in an atom. You put the atomic number, mass number, and net charge around the chemical element symbol. Isotope notation is particularly important in nuclear chemistry, because if you're doing fission, fusion, alpha decay, beta decay, positron emission, or electron capture, you want to be able to tell how many neutrons and protons are in the nucleus.
Isotopes and Elements Practice Problems by Tyler DeWitt [12:49]In this video we'll look at how to determine, calculate and solve for atomic number, mass number, isotopes, net charge, protons, neutrons, and electrons. We'll determine what element an atom is by using the periodic table.
What is a Weighted Average? by Tyler DeWitt [12:49]
What is a weighted average? How do you calculate a weighed average? It is a type of average based on the abundance of what you are measuring. Weighted averages are used for atomic mass and atomic weight, based on the mass numbers of various isotopes.
Atomic Mass: Introduction by Tyler DeWitt [8:56]
What is atomic mass? It is a weighed average of the different isotopes of an element. It is sometimes referred to as atomic weight, relative atomic mass, or average atomic mass. We look at how to calculate and determine the weighed average of elements using atomic mass units.
What's the Difference between Mass Number and Atomic Mass? by Tyler DeWitt [8:56]
What's the difference between mass number and atomic mass? Mass number is the number of protons and neutrons in an atom, and it tells us about the mass of the atom in amu, or atomic mass units. Atomic mass is the average mass of all the isotopes of a certain type. It is a weighted average that takes into account the abundances of all of the different isotopes.
How to Calculate Atomic Mass Practice Problems by Tyler DeWitt [6:10]
How do you calculate atomic mass? You have to multiply the atomic weight of an atom (in amu, or atomic mass units) by the percent abundance expressed as a decimal. Then you add these together for all the isotopes of an atom.
Atomic Mass Calculations: Extra Help and Explanation by Tyler DeWitt [2:12]
Check out this video if you need more help with how to determine and calculate isotope abundance and atomic mass. There is extra help and a good analogy.
Atomic Mass: How to Calculate Isotope Abundance by Tyler DeWitt [11:48]
How do you determine and calculate isotope abundance when you know the relative atomic mass (also known as atomic weight), as measured in amu or atomic mass numbers? Here we will go through the algebra and reasoning to figure out the amount of abundances of the isotopes, in percentages and in decimals.
Discovery of the Nucleus: Rutherford's Gold Foil Experiment by Tyler DeWitt [15:58]
In 1911, Ernest Rutherford and his colleagues discovered the nucleus of the atom using their famous gold foil experiment. They shot alpha particles at a sheet of gold foil, and noticed that most went through, but some bounced back. This showed that atoms have a nucleus, and it disproved Thompson's plum pudding model of the atom.
Watch Me: Instructional Videos
Basic Atomic Structure: A Look Inside the Atom by Tyler DeWitt [7:44] What does the inside of an atom look like? Here, we'll look at the subatomic particles ( protons, neutrons, and electrons) that make up the atom. We'll see how the electrons orbit the nucleus, and talk about the masses of protons, neutrons, and electrons in amu, or atomic mass unit.
What's the Difference between an Atom and a Molecule? by Tyler DeWitt [5:16]
Never be confused by this concept again! In this video, we talk about the difference between an atom and molecule, and discuss the nucleus, energy levels, protons and neutrons, compounds, covalent bonding, sharing electrons, and lego blocks.
Atomic Number, Mass Number, and Net Charge by Tyler DeWitt [6:26]
How do you calculate and determine atomic number, mass number, and net charge? Atomic number is the number of protons in an atom. Mass number is the number of neutrons in an atom, and net charge describes how the protons and electrons balance out.
What's an Ion? by Tyler DeWitt [6:52]
Confused about ions? We'll learn the difference between an atom and an ion. Ions are formed because of a net charge on an atom, because the number of protons and electrons do not balance. This means that the atom is no longer electrically neutral, but is a cation or an anion. We also talk about polyatomic ions.
Practice Problems: Net Charge, Mass Number, Atomic Number by Tyler DeWitt [4:56]
Practice and example problems to help you learn how to determine and calculate the net charge, mass number, and atomic number of atoms. Also we'll look at how to determine the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom.
What are Isotopes? by Tyler DeWitt [7:56]
We'll learn about what isotopes are and how to write atomic number and mass number in isotope notation. We talk about a simple analogy with cars to explain this tutorial. Isotopes are versions of an atom or an element that have the same number of protons, but different numbers of neutrons. Isotopes and isotope notation are particularly important in nuclear chemistry.
Isotope Notation by Tyler DeWitt [7:56]Learn how to write atoms in isotope notation! In isotope notation, you can quickly show how many protons, neutrons, and electrons are in an atom. You put the atomic number, mass number, and net charge around the chemical element symbol. Isotope notation is particularly important in nuclear chemistry, because if you're doing fission, fusion, alpha decay, beta decay, positron emission, or electron capture, you want to be able to tell how many neutrons and protons are in the nucleus.
Isotopes and Elements Practice Problems by Tyler DeWitt [12:49]In this video we'll look at how to determine, calculate and solve for atomic number, mass number, isotopes, net charge, protons, neutrons, and electrons. We'll determine what element an atom is by using the periodic table.
What is a Weighted Average? by Tyler DeWitt [12:49]
What is a weighted average? How do you calculate a weighed average? It is a type of average based on the abundance of what you are measuring. Weighted averages are used for atomic mass and atomic weight, based on the mass numbers of various isotopes.
Atomic Mass: Introduction by Tyler DeWitt [8:56]
What is atomic mass? It is a weighed average of the different isotopes of an element. It is sometimes referred to as atomic weight, relative atomic mass, or average atomic mass. We look at how to calculate and determine the weighed average of elements using atomic mass units.
What's the Difference between Mass Number and Atomic Mass? by Tyler DeWitt [8:56]
What's the difference between mass number and atomic mass? Mass number is the number of protons and neutrons in an atom, and it tells us about the mass of the atom in amu, or atomic mass units. Atomic mass is the average mass of all the isotopes of a certain type. It is a weighted average that takes into account the abundances of all of the different isotopes.
How to Calculate Atomic Mass Practice Problems by Tyler DeWitt [6:10]
How do you calculate atomic mass? You have to multiply the atomic weight of an atom (in amu, or atomic mass units) by the percent abundance expressed as a decimal. Then you add these together for all the isotopes of an atom.
Atomic Mass Calculations: Extra Help and Explanation by Tyler DeWitt [2:12]
Check out this video if you need more help with how to determine and calculate isotope abundance and atomic mass. There is extra help and a good analogy.
Atomic Mass: How to Calculate Isotope Abundance by Tyler DeWitt [11:48]
How do you determine and calculate isotope abundance when you know the relative atomic mass (also known as atomic weight), as measured in amu or atomic mass numbers? Here we will go through the algebra and reasoning to figure out the amount of abundances of the isotopes, in percentages and in decimals.
Discovery of the Nucleus: Rutherford's Gold Foil Experiment by Tyler DeWitt [15:58]
In 1911, Ernest Rutherford and his colleagues discovered the nucleus of the atom using their famous gold foil experiment. They shot alpha particles at a sheet of gold foil, and noticed that most went through, but some bounced back. This showed that atoms have a nucleus, and it disproved Thompson's plum pudding model of the atom.
The Atom
Read Me/Try Me - Topic Review
Gen Chem Level
The Idea of the Atom Chem1 General Chemistry Virtual Textbook by Stephen Lower
Answers the question "Atoms and elements: what's the difference?"
Atoms Become Real Chem1 General Chemistry Virtual Textbook
How evidence of the atom was interpreted and how we can now "see" individual atoms!
The Nuclear Atom Chem1 General Chemistry Virtual Textbook
A small, dense nucleus and an much larger "electron cloud" make up the modern concept of the nuclear atom. Atomic number, mass number, isotopes, and atomic weights are explained. Be sure to read and review the concepts through the bottom of the page. The Nuclear Atom Concept Map may be of help in organizing your knowledge of the topics.
Introductory Level
The Nuclear Model of the Atom by CK-12
Topics include:
Isotopes and Atomic Mass by CK-12
Topics include the concepts of atomic number, mass number, how isotopes differ from one another, and determining the average atomic mass of an element.
Read Me/Try Me - Topic Review
Gen Chem Level
The Idea of the Atom Chem1 General Chemistry Virtual Textbook by Stephen Lower
Answers the question "Atoms and elements: what's the difference?"
Atoms Become Real Chem1 General Chemistry Virtual Textbook
How evidence of the atom was interpreted and how we can now "see" individual atoms!
The Nuclear Atom Chem1 General Chemistry Virtual Textbook
A small, dense nucleus and an much larger "electron cloud" make up the modern concept of the nuclear atom. Atomic number, mass number, isotopes, and atomic weights are explained. Be sure to read and review the concepts through the bottom of the page. The Nuclear Atom Concept Map may be of help in organizing your knowledge of the topics.
Introductory Level
The Nuclear Model of the Atom by CK-12
Topics include:
- The three main subatomic particles - electron, proton, and neutron
- The contributions of J. J. Thomson, Robert Millikan, and Ernest Rutherford to atomic theory
- The structure of the nuclear atom
Isotopes and Atomic Mass by CK-12
Topics include the concepts of atomic number, mass number, how isotopes differ from one another, and determining the average atomic mass of an element.