BMB 207 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Atomic Number, Fluorine
14 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Atoms of the same that have different masses are called isotopes. The isotopes have the same number of protons but different number of neurons. ^1h ^2h ^3h are three isotopes of hydrogen. Electrons are arranged in electron shells or energy levels. Each shell has a limit to the number of electrons it can hold, an amount that increases as distance from the nucleus increases. Electrons prefer to occupy the innermost shells since there are more strongly attracted to the positively charged nucleus. The ability of an element to form compounds and the composition of those compound are determined by the number of electrons in the outermost occupied shell of that element (valence shells) These are really statistical constructs based on the rules of quantum mechanical. No one has ever actually seen an electron but the concept is consistent with the periodic table and explains most the chemistry observed. Select the element of which electrons are required.
