CSEC Physics - The Atom
CSEC Physics - The Atom
CSEC Physics - The Atom
Now recall from the p.c.m., when 2 objects A and B collide, if the
mass of A = mass of B then for A travelling at speed 'v' and B
initially stationary, then after the collision B moves off with
speed 'v' and A is stationary.
Since the rays of no charge did not pass through the paraffin
but rather knocked out protons at the same speed as the rays,
Chadwick concluded that there must exist a particle within the
nucleus of no charge he called the neutron
• Charges
○ Robert Millikan determined that
▪ Charge of an e- is approximately -1.6 * 10-19C
○ The simplest atom, H, has 1e-, 1p+ and 1n
▪ Atom is neutral
▪ Charge of proton is therefore 1.6 * 10-19C
○ This is known as the elementary charge
○ The charge Q on any object is given as Q ± ne
▪ N is a whole number
Particle Charge
e- -e
p+ +e
n 0
• Masses
○ Charge to mass ratio (e/m) from Thomson's experiment:
▪ 2 * 1011 CKg-1
▪ Accepted value today is 1.76 * 1011 CKg-1
○ Accepted mass values of 3 subatomic particles are given
Stability of Nucleus
• In hydrogen atom, nucleus consists of 1 proton
○ Electron orbits
• Next simplest atom is He
• Has 2 protons
○ Have alike charges and would repel
○ Neutrons prevent from flying apart
○ Hold the protons together
• Force keeping particles together called strong nuclear force
• Acts only within the nucleus
• Nucleus of different elements made up of different amounts
of protons and neutrons
• Proton number, Z, is called atomic number
• Number of neutrons, N, can be the same in different
elements
• An equal number of protons and neutrons results in stable
nuclei
• Mass number or nucleon number, A = Z+N
Isotopes
• Elements with the same atomic number but different mass
numbers
○ i.e. different numbers of neutrons
• Some elements are indistinguishable from their isotopes
• Some elements have several isotopes
• Nuclides of some are radioactive
• Nuclei of carbon-14 give off beta particles
• Carbon-12 atoms are stable