This is what all matter is made of — particles far too small to see.
What are atoms?
This subatomic particle carries a negative charge.
What is an electron?
On a periodic table square, this number tells you how many protons an atom has.
What is the atomic number?
Rows on the periodic table go across and are called this.
What is a period?
A substance made of only ONE kind of atom is called this.
What is an element?
In H2O, this is the total number of atoms.
What is 3?
Anything that has mass and takes up space.
What is matter?
A vertical column on the periodic table, also called a family.
What is a group?
Rutherford aimed particles at thin gold foil. Most went straight through, but a few came straight back. This is what those few told him was at the center of the atom.
What is a small, dense, positively charged nucleus?
Protons and neutrons both live here.
What is the nucleus?
Look at this square. Give the number of protons in a neutral sulfur atom.
What is 16?
The pink column on this table is Group 18. Name this family.
What are the noble gases?
This diagram shows two different elements bonded together.
What is a compound?
In 3CO2, this is the number of atoms.
What is 9?
The positive particle in the nucleus — the one that decides which element an atom is.
What is a proton?
An element that is dull, brittle, and a poor conductor.
What is a nonmetal?
Scientists changed the atomic model many times over 2,000 years. This is the reason why — and it is NOT because early scientists were unintelligent.
What is new evidence?
This diagram shows a neutral atom. Name the element. (Hint: You'll need to look at the periodic table most likely unless you remember).
What is sodium (Na)?
Using this same square, give the number of neutrons. Remember to round first.
What is 16? (32 − 16)
Elements in the same group act alike. This is the reason why.
What is they have the same number of outer electrons?
This diagram shows particles that are NOT bonded to each other
What is a mixture?
In Ca(OH)2, this is the total number of atoms.
What is 5?
The tiny particles that live in the electron cloud.
What are the electrons?
Two or more atoms bonded together — they can be the same element or different ones.
What is a molecule?
Nobody has ever seen a single atom the way you see a chair. This is the kind of evidence scientists used instead.
What is indirect evidence?
An atom has 12 protons, 12 neutrons, and 12 electrons. This is its overall charge — and neutrons are not the reason.
What is neutral (zero)?
The atomic mass on the table almost always has a decimal in it. This is why.
What is it is an average of atoms with different numbers of neutrons?
On this diagram, the gold squares, between the green and peach colors, are this kind of element.
What are metalloids?
O₂ is a molecule, but it is NOT one of these — and here is the reason.
What is a compound (both atoms are the same element)?
In 2Fe2O3, this is the total number of atoms.
What is 10?
The space outside the nucleus where electrons move.
What is the electron cloud?
The small number written AFTER a symbol that counts only that one atom.
What is a subscript?
Before Rutherford, scientists pictured the atom as solid all the way through. His experiment showed the atom is mostly this instead.
What is empty space?
Almost all of an atom's mass sits in the nucleus. This is why the electrons barely count.
What is because electrons have almost no mass?
An atom has 17 protons. Name the element — and the periodic table is your friend here.
What is chlorine?
Hydrogen sits above Group 1 with the alkali metals, but hydrogen is actually one of these.
What is a nonmetal?
This is the one question you ask to tell an element from a compound.
What is: is there more than one KIND of atom bonded together?
In 3Ca(NO3)2, this is the total number of atoms.
What is 27?
The average mass of an element's atoms, measured in amu.
What is atomic mass?
One single thing — either an element or a compound, with nothing mixed in.
What is a pure substance?