Activity 2

Pictures

helium

lithium

beryllium

(electrons=cheerios, protons=pink marshmallows, neutrons=green berries)

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

• Helium: 2
• Lithium: 3
• Beryllium:4

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

• Helium: 4.0026
• Lithium: 6.94
• Beryllium: 9.0121

3. In your models, which two subatomic particles are equal in number?
The protons and electrons are equal in number.
4. How would you make an isotope for one of your models?  What would change with the model?
I would take away or add a neutron. The mass number would change.
5. Considering the overall volume of your element models, what makes up most of the volume of an atom?
The electron cloud makes up most of the volume of an atom.
6. For one of your models, show with another image what happens when energy excites an electron.

 

Excited Helium

 

When an electron gets excited in helium, the electron moves up an energy level.
7. Once the electron is excited, what do we typically observe when the electron returns to the ground-state?
The electron emits a photon of energy, which we typically observe as light.
8. Why are some elements different colors when they are excited? Hint: when electrons are excited (by something like heat from an explosive) they move up to another orbital and when they fall back they release the energy in the form of light.
The color depends on how many electrons are losing energy within different elements. Different elements give off different lights when excited, which is why fireworks can be so colorful.
9. With the Fourth of July coming up quickly, explain how the colors of fireworks arise.
When a flame is absorbed be the electrons, they become excited and when they return to a lower energy state, a photon of energy is emitted and is shown as light. Different elements give different colors to a flame.
10.  Explain the overall organizational structure of the periodic table.
The overall organizational structure of the periodic table is that the groups or families are the vertical columns and they contain elements with similar chemical properties. The periods are the horizontal rows that range from metallic on the left to non-metallic on the right.
11. List two example elements for each of these groups or classes: Alkali Metals, Alkaline Earth, Halogens, Noble Gases, Transition Metals, Non-Metals, and Metalloids
Alkali Metals:

• Lithium
• Sodium

Alkaline Earth:

• Beryllium
• Magnesium

Halogens:

• Fluorine
• Chlorine

Noble Gases:

• Helium
• Neon

Transition Metals:

• Scandium
• Titanium

Non-Metals:

• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus

Metalloids:

• Boron
• Arsenic