Hi,

 

We've got this project in science class where we have to make these cards about periodic table of elements and I am doing the part - or the how-to - find out about the structre of atoms out of the periodic table of elements.

 

Now, since these are cards, it needs to be kept simple, but as complete as possible (with images and all)...My question simply is, what is the step-by-step procedure (like, what to look at first), to tell the maximum about the atom's structre on any element of the table.

 

Thanks in advance.

You can get a pretty good idea what each element looks like just by looking at the atomic number of each element which is the top number in each box in the periodic table. Remember, atomic # is how many protons are in the nucleus. There will be an equal number of electrons unless we are looking at an element in ionic form. Now look at the atomic mass number of each element, at the bottom of each box. Take that number and subtract the atomic number and this will tell you how many neutrons there are. Then look at the Group number at the top of each column. Not 1-18 but the numbers that range from 1 to 8, probably roman numerals. This indicates how many electrons are in the valence (outer) electron shell. There's other info out there that will tell you how many electrons are in each "shell" somewhere.

 

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong. My memory can be a bit rusty at times but I believe what I posted is all good (although I didn't proofread it.)

You can know about the electron orbitals....

 

What do you mean by structure?

 

The orbitals, the composition of the nucleus, the shells of the nucleus?

The atom have a dense nucleus surrounded by layers of electron orbitals. There are many types of orbitals such as S,P,D,F, with each having a different shape. The S can hold two electrons. The P can hold up to 6, etc. The S is spherical, the P looks like 3 dumbbells on a 3-D axis, etc. You can google orbital shapes to see them.

 

For example, helium is surrounded by a sphere of electron density, where 2 electrons fill in the entire volume of the S orbital sphere. As we build atoms from there the next electrons begin to fill in the dumbbells of the P orbital, which can take up to six electrons. After that is done, another S orbital sphere is built with up to 2 electrons. Then we start adding more electrons to another P orbital, etc. If you google electron configuration it tells you all the electrons and the ordering of the orbital layers. It is only the outer most electrons in the final layer that interact in chemistry.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron_configuration

 

http://library.thinkquest.org/3659/structures/shapes.html

The atom have a dense nucleus surrounded by layers of electron orbitals. There are many types of orbitals such as S,P,D,F, with each having a different shape. The S can hold two electrons. The P can hold up to 6, etc. The S is spherical, the P looks like 3 dumbbells on a 3-D axis, etc. You can google orbital shapes to see them.

 

For example, helium is surrounded by a sphere of electron density, where 2 electrons fill in the entire volume of the S orbital sphere. As we build atoms from there the next electrons begin to fill in the dumbbells of the P orbital, which can take up to six electrons. After that is done, another S orbital sphere is built with up to 2 electrons. Then we start adding more electrons to another P orbital, etc. If you google electron configuration it tells you all the electrons and the ordering of the orbital layers. It is only the outer most electrons in the final layer that interact in chemistry.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron_configuration

 

http://library.thinkquest.org/3659/structures/shapes.html

 

Nuclei also have shells

 

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Nuclear/shell.html