It has been established that each chemical element found in nature is a mixture of isotopes (hence they have fractional atomic masses). To understand how isotopes differ from one another, it is necessary to consider in detail the structure of the atom. The atom forms a nucleus and an electron cloud. The mass of an atom is influenced by electrons moving at a staggering speed in orbitals in an electron cloud, neutrons and protons that make up the nucleus.

What are isotopes

Isotopes Is a kind of atoms of a chemical element. There are always equal numbers of electrons and protons in any atom.

Since they have opposite charges (electrons are negative, and protons are positive), the atom is always neutral (this elementary particle does not carry a charge, it is equal to zero). When an electron is lost or captured, the atom loses its neutrality, becoming either a negative or a positive ion.

Neutrons have no charge, but their number in the atomic nucleus of the same element may be different. This does not in any way affect the neutrality of the atom, but it does affect its mass and properties.

For example, in any isotope of the hydrogen atom there is one electron and one proton. And the number of neutrons is different. Protium has only 1 neutron, deuterium has 2 neutrons, and tritium has 3 neutrons. These three isotopes differ markedly from each other in properties.

Comparison of isotopes

How are isotopes different?

They have a different number of neutrons, different masses and different properties. Isotopes have identical electron shell structures. This means that they are quite similar in chemical properties. Therefore, they are assigned one place in the periodic system.

In nature, stable and radioactive (unstable) isotopes have been found. The atomic nuclei of radioactive isotopes are capable of spontaneously transforming into other nuclei. In the process of radioactive decay, they emit various particles.

Most of the elements have over two dozen radioactive isotopes. In addition, radioactive isotopes are artificially synthesized for absolutely all elements. In a natural mixture of isotopes, their content varies slightly.

The existence of isotopes made it possible to understand why, in some cases, elements with a lower atomic mass have a higher ordinal number than elements with a higher atomic mass.

For example, in an argon-potassium pair, argon contains heavy isotopes and potassium contains light isotopes. Therefore, the mass of argon is greater than that of potassium.

The difference between isotopes from each other is as follows:

1. They have a different number of neutrons.
2. Isotopes have different masses of atoms.
3. The value of the mass of ion atoms affects their total energy and properties.

The ancient Greeks knew that all substances are composed of particles. Around 420 BC e. the philosopher Democritus put forward the assumption that matter consists of tiny, indivisible particles, which are called atoms. All substances are made up of atoms and molecules. Both the atom and the molecule were initially considered indivisible, and only later it was proved that this was not so. How an atom differs from a molecule.

Atoms Are the smallest particles that make up matter.
Molecules Are also elementary particles that make up any substance.

Comparison of atom and molecule

What is the difference between an atom and a molecule?
An atom is an elementary particle of matter. It has its own mass and size and is responsible for the properties of this substance as a chemical element. An atom consists of a nucleus and electrons, which move in their orbits around the nucleus. It is the structure of the atom that determines the chemical properties of a substance. Atoms do not occur in a free state. They bind to each other and form molecules, thanks to the electrical charges of the particles of which they are made.
A molecule is what a substance is made of. The composition of the molecules can include two or more atoms, which are interconnected by interatomic bonds. More precisely, we can say that the molecule consists of atomic nuclei and internal electrons that move in their orbits, as well as external valence electrons. Different molecules have a different number of atoms of a certain type and a different amount. The molecule has a complex architectural structure, where each atom has its own place and its own well-defined neighbors. The properties of a molecule are determined by how many atoms it contains. These properties are influenced by the order and configuration of the joining of atoms. The atomic structure that forms the molecule may be rigid, but not in all cases. Each atom is in continuous motion, it oscillates about its equilibrium position. In this case, a free molecule in the process of its thermal motion has different configurations. A molecule is electrically neutral. It is the smallest particle of a substance that has its chemical properties. In the case of monatomic molecules such as inert gases, the properties of the molecule and the atom are the same. The atoms in a molecule are linked by chemical bonds. Such a bond can be created by one or more pairs of electrons, which are jointly owned by two atoms. The molecule can exist on its own.

How an atom differs from a molecule

Atoms form a molecule. The atom consists of a nucleus and electrons, which move in their orbits around the nucleus.
Molecules are made up of atoms.
An atom has an electrical charge and a molecule is neutral.
Only a molecule can exist on its own.

Atom and ion are elementary particles of chemical elements. These particles are carriers of the properties of the elements. They differ in charges: the atom is neutral, and the ion is positively or negatively charged.

Definition

Atom- an electrically neutral microscopic particle of a chemical element that determines its properties. The center of an atom is a positively charged nucleus surrounded by an electron cloud, along which electrons move in orbitals. Atoms, adding or donating electrons, turn into ions.

Jonah - microscopic electrically charged, monoatomic or polyatomic and chemically active particles. They have a positive (cations) or negative (anions) charge. Ions are formed from atoms or groups of atoms that acquire electrons or, conversely, lose them.

Ions are independent particles found in any state of aggregation. They are found in gases (in the atmosphere), in crystals, in liquids (both solutions and melts) and in plasma (interstellar space.)

Ions in chemical reactions are able to interact with each other, with molecules and atoms. In solutions, these active particles are formed during electrolytic dissociation and determine the properties of electrolytes.

Comparison

An atom is always electrically neutral, an ion, on the contrary, is a charged particle. For atoms, the outer energy levels are, as a rule, incomplete (the exception is the group of noble gases). For ions, the outer levels are completed.

The ion, in contrast to the atom, is not capable of possessing the properties of a simple substance. For example, metallic potassium enters into a violent reaction with water, the products of which are hydrogen and alkali. And the potassium ions present in the composition of potassium salts do not have similar properties. Chlorine is a yellow-green poisonous gas, and its ions are non-toxic and colorless.

The color of copper is red, and its ions in solutions acquire a blue color. Iodine crystals are gray, vapors are violet, an alcohol solution is red-brown in color, mixed with starch, it gives a blue coloration. Iodine ions cannot change the color of starch, they are colorless.

Conclusions site

1. Atoms and ions of one chemical element have a different number of electrons.
2. The charge of atoms is zero, for ions it can be positive or negative.
3. Ions and atoms have different redox properties.

In translation, "atom" means indivisible. It is named so because for a long time it was considered the smallest part of the substance. But the further development of science has shown that this is not so. So, let's figure out what an atom consists of and how the atoms of different elements differ.

Atom structure

To date, science knows 126 types of chemical elements. The general plan of the structure of their atoms is the same. Each of them has a nucleus, consisting of protons and neutrons, around which electrons revolve. Electrons are negatively charged particles. When they rotate around the nucleus, an electron cloud is formed.

Protons are positively charged particles. At rest, an atom contains the same number of protons and electrons, therefore such a chemical element has no electric charge. However, in the process of reactions, it can give an electron to other elements, turning into a positively charged particle, or take them away, becoming a negatively charged particle. Neutrons do not carry any charge, but they affect the mass of the element. A unifying name was invented for protons and neutrons - nucleons.

Atoms of various elements

The atoms of various elements differ from each other in the number of protons in the nucleus. The number of electrons can change, but the number of protons never. How many protons are in the nucleus, you can find out by the ordinal number of the element in the periodic table of Mendeleev. Hydrogen (No. 1) has 1 electron and 1 proton at rest, lithium
(No. 3) has 3 electrons and 3 protons, carbon (No. 6) has 6 electrons and 6 protons.

Since the number of protons in different atoms is different, their masses also differ. The mass of an element is mainly formed by protons and neutrons, because the weight of electrons is negligible. But even atoms of the same element may have different weights due to the different number of neutrons in the nucleus. Atoms in which the number of neutrons differs from the number of protons are called isotopes. For example, in nature there are carbon atoms C12 (6 protons and 6 neutrons), C13 (6 protons and 7 neutrons) and other varieties with a neutron content of 2 to 16.

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How do atoms differ?

In translation, "atom" means indivisible. It is named so because for a long time it was considered the smallest part of the substance. But the further development of science has shown that this is not so. So, let's figure out what an atom consists of and how the atoms of different elements differ.

Atom structure

To date, science knows 126 types of chemical elements. The general plan of the structure of their atoms is the same. Each of them has a nucleus, consisting of protons and neutrons, around which electrons revolve. Electrons are negatively charged particles. When they rotate around the nucleus, an electron cloud is formed.

Protons are positively charged particles. At rest, an atom contains the same number of protons and electrons, therefore such a chemical element has no electric charge. However, in the process of reactions, it can give an electron to other elements, turning into a positively charged particle, or take them away, becoming a negatively charged particle. Neutrons do not carry any charge, but they affect the mass of the element. A unifying name was invented for protons and neutrons - nucleons.

Atoms of various elements

The atoms of various elements differ from each other in the number of protons in the nucleus. The number of electrons can change, but the number of protons never. How many protons are in the nucleus, you can find out by the ordinal number of the element in the periodic table of Mendeleev. Hydrogen (No. 1) has 1 electron and 1 proton at rest, lithium
(No. 3) has 3 electrons and 3 protons, carbon (No. 6) has 6 electrons and 6 protons.

Since the number of protons in different atoms is different, their masses also differ. The mass of an element is mainly formed by protons and neutrons, because the weight of electrons is negligible. But even atoms of the same element may have different weights due to the different number of neutrons in the nucleus. Atoms in which the number of neutrons differs from the number of protons are called isotopes. For example, in nature there are carbon atoms C12 (6 protons and 6 neutrons), C13 (6 protons and 7 neutrons) and other varieties with a neutron content of 2 to 16.