Atomic structure and properties

This chapter focuses on atoms, which are of fundamental importance in chemistry as all matter is made up from atoms and ions that are derived from them. Understanding the structure of the atom is key to appreciating how bonds are formed, as much of chemistry is concerned with the making and breaking of bonds. The chapter describes experiments that helped determine the structure of the atom and the charge on the electron and experiments that have helped show wave–particle duality of photons and electrons. The chapter illustrates how to interconvert frequency and wavelength for electromagnetic radiation, and calculate the energy associated with photons from their frequency and the frequencies of the lines in the atomic spectrum of hydrogen. It also explains the concept of quantization, the origins of emission spectra and absorption spectra, and the calculation of the wavelength of an object based on its mass and velocity.