Atomic Structure & Properties

Historical Understandings of the Atom

Be able to explain how experimental observations and inferences contributed to the development of the nuclear and planetary models of the atom

Dalton's model of the atom

What is the nature of the atom?

What is he missing?

Why do we still talk about Dalton? What did he contribute to our current understanding of the atom?

Thomson's model of the atom

What was his major contribution to atomic theory/what did he discover?

What did his model of the atom look like?

What is missing from his model?

Why do we still talk about Thomson? What did he contribute to our current understanding of the atom?

Rutherford's model of the atom

Describe Rutherford's gold foil experiment, including what he predicted would happen, and what actually happened

What did the outcome of the gold foil experiment tell Rutherford about the structure of the atom?

What did scientists identify as the 2 major issues associated with Rutherford's model?

Bohr's model of the atom

How did Bohr address/explain the issues associated with Rutherford's model

What are the main postulates of Bohr's atomic theory?

What does it mean that electrons are quantized?

Describe what needs to happen for electrons to move between energy levels

How does light energy play a role?

What is a photon?

What do some photons have more energy than others?

Connect the movement of electrons between energy levels to the formation of a discrete line spectrum

What is a discrete vs. continuous line spectrum?

What does a discrete line spectrum tell us about the nature of the atom?

Apply the relationship between the energy, frequency and wavelength of light to the emission spectrum

Identify the shortcomings of Bohr's theory/model

Schrodinger's model of the atom

Why was a new model needed?

What couldn't Bohr's explain?

What new discovery was made?

Where did Schrödinger & de Broglie come up with the idea that electrons behave as standing waves?

What experiment did they conduct?

What are the key ideas of the new quantum mechanical model? (HINT: there are 2)

What are we still keeping from Bohr's model?

What is the difference between Bohr's 'orbit' & the quantum 'orbital'?

Why can't we know an electrons exact location?

What principle describes this phenomenon?

What does solving Schrödinger's wave equation tell us?

Quantum Model of the Atom

Be able to describe and write electron configurations

4 Quantum Numbers

How do they relate to Schrödinger's wave equation?

What do they tell us about the electron?

What are these 4 numbers?

What does each describe?

What letter are they represented by?

What are their allowed values?

Write an electron configuration for any element on the periodic table

Write the shorthand/noble gas configuration as well

Define and apply the Aufbau principle, Hund's rule & the Pauli exclusion principle

Identify exceptions to the Aufbau principle

Draw box orbital diagrams according to energy level

Again, be able to apply the Aufbau principle, Hund's rule and the Pauli exclusion principle

Be able to state the 4 quantum numbers for a particular electron of a particular element

What are its n, l, ml and ms values?

Can you easily obtain this information off of the periodic table?

Bonding & VESPR Theory

Be able to use VESPR theory to predict and draw the shapes of simple molecules

Types of bonds

Describe metallic, ionic and covalent bonds

Describe their formation

List their main properties

Covalent bonds

Polar vs non polar

Use EN values to predict polarity of bond

Lewis Structures

For ionic and covalent compounds

Covalent: incomplete & expanded octet, polyatomic ions

Use Lewis structures to predict VSEPR shape

Bond angles?

Hybridization?

Properties of Molecules

Be able to predict molecular polarity (and hence physical properties)

Be able to identify and explain the types of inter- and intra-molecular forces present in and between molecules

What are the 3 main types?

Relative strengths?

When are they present?

Be able to predict properties of solids based on bonds & IMFs

Metallic, molecular, ionic, covalent networks