Blog Post 2, Activity 2

Activity 2:

Helium (He):

    

Oxygen (O):

 

Neon (Ne):

 

1.    What is the atomic number for each of your models?

Helium (He): 2

Oxygen (O): 8

Neon (Ne): 10 

2.    What is the atomic mass number for each of your models?

Helium (He): 4.0026

Oxygen (O): 15.999

Neon (Ne): 20.180

3. In your models, which two subatomic particles are equal in number?

The protons and neutrons are equal in number. If it has more protons the atom is positively charged, and if it has more neutrons it is negatively charged. When this happens they are both considered ions.

4. How would you make an isotope for one of your models? What would change with the model?

To make an isotope for helium I would add 1 neutron. This would mean I would have 2 protons and 3 neutrons total. With my model I would add 1 blue bead to the nucleus.

 

5. Considering the overall volume of your element models, what makes up most of the volume of an atom?

Electrons make up most of the volume of an atom. Neutrons and protons make up the nucleus, which makes up most of the mass, but not the volume of an atom.

6. For one of your models, show with another image what happens when energy excites an electron.

Helium (He) model with excited electron:

                        

7. Once the electron is excited, what do we typically observe when the electron returns to the ground-state?

When an electron is excited and then returns to the ground-state we typically see a photon, or wavelet, of light.

8. Why are some elements different colors when they are excited?

Some elements are different colors when they are excited because they all have a different amount of electrons. The color depends on the amount of energy that is released from the electron.

 

9. With the Fourth of July coming up quickly, explain how the colors of fireworks arise.

There are different colors of fireworks because every firework is made up of different elements. When you burn fireworks the type of metal salts that are in each firework produces the color of the firework.

10. Explain the overall organizational structure of the periodic table.

The periodic table is a chart that arranges chemical elements. This table is used by scientists and is a way for them to easily organize the elements in a way that is understandable to other people. The table is organized based on the elements’ atomic numbers, electron configurations, and chemical properties. They are placed in order by increasing atomic number, left to right, or in other words, by their number of protons. It is designed as 18-columns by 7-rows of elements, with a double row of elements below. The columns are called groups and the rows are called periods. The table can also be split into four rectangular blocks; the s-block to the left, the p-block to the right, the d-block in the middle, and the f-block below that. Each element has its own individual square that includes information about that particular element. The information includes the element’s atomic number, atomic symbol, and atomic mass. The table is also color coded to illustrate whether each element is a solid, liquid, or gas.
 

11. List two example elements for each of these groups or classes:
    Alkali Metals: Francium & Sodium
    Alkaline Earth: Strontium & Barium
    Halogens: Fluorine & Bromine
    Noble Gases: Krypton & Argon
    Transition Metals: Chromium & Zinc
    Non-Metals: Phosphorus & Sulfur
    Metalloids: Boron & Silicon