Activity #2-Brandon Hulke

Periodic Table Reference 

Starting Materials 

The Key

Hydrogen

1 electron, 1 proton, 0 neutrons

Helium

2 electrons, 2 protons, 2 neutrons

Lithium 

3 electrons, 3 protons, 3 neutrons

Questions:

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

Hydrogen: 1

Helium: 2

Lithium: 3

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

Hydrogen: 1.008

Helium: 4.002602

Lithium: 6.94

3. In your models, which two subatomic particles are equal in number?

Protons and Neutrons were the same in everyone.

4. How would you make an isotope for one of your models? What would change with the model?

I could have and should have changed my models, I wish I would have used darker markers, to make it more visible. I also would have changed the number of neutrons to make an isotope for one of the models. If the neutrons get changed, the atomic mass number would also change, however the atomic number would have remained the same. If I would have done this I believe I could have been more credible.

5. Considering the overall volume of your element models, what makes up most of the volume of an atom?

After observing my models, I noticed that the central nucleus makes up the most volume, by protons and neutrons along with the surrounding electrons.

6. For one of your models, show with another image what happens when energy excites an electron.

I couldn't think of a way to present the information of an excited electron all in on picture so I just found and posted one from online. 

7. Once the electron is excited, what do we typically observe when the electron returns to the ground-state?

When an electron is excited a photon is released.

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.

When an element is excited, the electrons are in a high energy state.  When the electrons stabilize, energy is released in the form of light.  The color emitted is dependent on the amount of energy that is released from it.

9. With the Fourth of July coming up quickly, explain how the colors of fireworks arise.

Fireworks are brought up from reactive materials.  White is produced from elements such as magnesium or aluminum.  Colorful fireworks are produced from metal salts such as sodium chloride must be burned.  When a metal salt is heated, the individual metal atoms absorb the heat by moving an electron farther away from the positively charged nucleus of the atom, forming an excited state. 

10. Explain the overall organizational structure of the periodic table.

The periodic table is organized into rows and columns, groups and periods. The rows go from left to right according to the atomic number in increasing order. Then the table is organized by groups or families which are the vertical columns. The groups contain elements with similar chemical properties. The periods are organized in horizontal rows. The periodic table is then organized by blocks: s-blocks, p-block, d-block and the f-block.