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Atoms and Molecules Lecture Notes

Jul 27, 2024

Lecture Notes: Atoms and Molecules

Introduction

  • Teacher: Sanya Nair
  • Subject: Chemistry
  • Focus: One-shot lecture on the chapter "Atoms and Molecules".

Historical Background

  • Maharishi Kanada - Indian philosopher who proposed the concept of 'Parmanu' (the smallest indivisible particle).
    • He believed matter can be divided but ultimately finds an indivisible particle.
  • Pakudha Katyayana - Another philosopher who stated that these particles typically exist in a combined form.
  • Democritus and Leucippus - Greek philosophers who echoed the idea of indivisible particles (atoms).
    • They concluded that if matter is divided continuously, a point will be reached where it cannot be divided further: this is an atom.

Laws of Chemical Combination

  1. Law of Conservation of Mass

    • Proposed by Lavoisier in 1774.
    • States that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.
    • Example provided with hydrogen and oxygen forming water.
    • Reactants' mass equals products' mass.
  2. Law of Constant Proportions

    • Proposed by Proust in 1779.
    • Every compound contains the same elements in the same proportions.
    • Example: Water (H2O) always has a ratio of 2 hydrogen to 1 oxygen.

Dalton's Atomic Theory

  • All matter consists of tiny particles called atoms.
  • Atoms are indivisible and cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction.
  • Atoms of different elements have different masses and chemical properties.
  • Atoms combine in whole number ratios to form compounds.
  • Emphasized that relative number and types of atoms in a compound are constant.

Atoms and Molecules

  • Atoms - Building blocks of matter.
  • Molecules of Elements - Formed when the same type of atoms combine (e.g., O2, H2).
  • Molecules of Compounds - Formed when different types of atoms combine (e.g., H2O).
  • Atomicity: Number of atoms present in a molecule.
    • Monoatomic: 1 atom (e.g., He), Diatomic: 2 atoms (e.g., O2), Triatomic: 3 atoms (e.g., H2O), and so forth.

Molecular Mass and Calculation

  • Molecular Mass: Sum of the atomic masses of all atoms in a molecule.
  • To calculate: Add the atomic masses of all atoms (e.g., H2O = 2(1) + 16 = 18 g/mol).
  • For ions, we refer to formula unit mass (e.g., NaCl, CaCO3).

Ions

  • Formed by either gaining or losing electrons.
    • Cations: Positively charged ions (formed by loss of electrons).
    • Anions: Negatively charged ions (formed by gain of electrons).
  • Simple Ions: Formed from a single atom (e.g., Na+, Cl-).
  • Polyatomic Ions: Formed from a group of atoms (e.g., SO4^2-).

Why Do Atoms Combine?

  • Atoms combine to achieve stability via losing, gaining, or sharing electrons.
  • Valency: Refers to the number of electrons lost, gained, or shared by an atom.

Writing Chemical Formulas

  • Chemical formulas are written based on the charges of the elements.
    • Example: Sodium Chloride (NaCl).
  • To find the formula, switch the charges and simplify.

Mole Concept

  • One Mole = 6.022 x 10^23 particles (Avogadro's number).
  • Grams: 1 mole of a substance also equals its molar mass in grams (for example, 1 mole of hydrogen = 1 gram).
  • Mass-Basics: Moles = Given Mass / Molar Mass.
  • Number-Based: Moles = Given Particles / Avogadro's Number.

Practice Problems

  1. Calculate moles from mass.
  2. Calculate number of atoms from moles.
  3. Apply mole concept in various examples.

Conclusion

  • Atoms and molecules are fundamental concepts in chemistry that govern the composition of all substances. Understanding their properties, laws, and concepts like molar mass is essential for mastering chemistry.