Science Starter: Black Boxes

Groups of 2: Manipulate the box so the marble moves around the fixed object inside of the box.

DO NOT OPEN THE BOXDiscuss what the object in the box might look like.On the science starter page, sketch the object in the box, showing its size, shape and location within the box.

Time for Activity: 10 minutes

Thomson’s Atomic Model

Thomson: electrons were like plums embedded in a positively charged “pudding”

• the “plum pudding” model

J. J. Thomson

Ernest Rutherford’sGold Foil Experiment - 1911

Alpha particles (helium nuclei) were fired at a thin sheet of gold foil Particles that hit on the detecting screen (film) are recorded

Rutherford’s Findings

a) The nucleus is smallb) It is densec) It is positively charged

Most of the particles passed right through A few particles were deflected VERY FEW were greatly deflected

“Like howitzer shells bouncing off of tissue paper!”

Conclusions:

The Rutherford Atomic Model• Based on his experimental evidence:

–The atom is mostly empty space–All the positive charge, and almost all

the mass, is in the center• “nucleus”

–The nucleus is composed of protons and neutrons

–The electrons are distributed around the nucleus and occupy most of the volume• “nuclear model”

Section 4.3Distinguishing Among Atoms

Atomic Number• Atoms are composed of identical

protons, neutrons, and electrons• Elements are different because they

contain different numbers of PROTONS• The “atomic number” of an element is

the number of protons in the nucleus

• # protons in an atom = # electrons

Element # of protons Atomic # (Z)

Carbon 6 6

Phosphorus 15 15

Gold 79 79

Look at the periodic table to confirm these numbers

Mass NumberMass number is the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an isotope: Mass # = p+ + n0

Nuclide p+ n0 e- Mass #

Oxygen - 10

- 33 42

- 31 15

8 8 1818

Arsenic 75 33 75

Phosphorus 15 3116

This mass # may not match the mass # on the periodic table

Complete Symbols

• Include the symbol of the element, the mass number and the atomic number.

X Massnumber

Atomicnumber

Subscript →

Superscript →

Symbols Find each of these:

a) number of protons

b) number of neutrons

c) number of electrons

d) Atomic number

e) Mass Number

Br80 35