Atoms and Isotopes

1. Describe where the subatomic particles of an atom are located. Protons and neutrons are found
in the nucleus of the atoms, electrons are found orbiting around the nucleus

2. List the contribution the following scientists made to the atomic model.
a. Thompson: Discovered the electron (Cathode Ray experiment)
b. Rutherford: Discovered the atoms is mostly empty space, positive charged nucleus (Gold
Foil Experiment)
c. Bohr: Discovered electron orbitals
d. Chadwick: Discovered the neutron

3. How are the isotopes of a given element the same? Same number of protons

4. How are the isotopes of a given element different? Different number of neutrons

Calculating Average Atomic Mass

1. Find the average atomic mass for calcium if 96.94% of Ca atoms have a mass number of 40
a.m.u and 3.06% have a mass number of 44 a.m.u. (Note, final answer will differ slightly from
standard atomic mass).
(40 0.9694) + (44 0.0306) = 40.12

2. Find the average atomic mass for boron if 19.9% of B atoms are 105 and 80.1% are 115.

(10 0.199) + (11 0.801) = 10.80

3. Find the average atomic mass for magnesium if 78.99% of Mg atoms are Magnesium-24, 10.00%
are Magnesium-25, and 11.01% are Magnesium-26

(24 0.7899) + (25 0.100) + (26 0.1101) = 24.32

Challenge! There are two isotopes of copper that occur naturally; 63 65

29 and 29 . Knowing that the
average atomic mass for copper is 63.55 a.m.u, what are the percentages of the two naturally occurring
isotopes?
(63 ) + (65 (1 )) = 63.55
63 + 65 65 = 63.55
2 = 1.45
= 0.725
Therefore Copper-63 is 72.5% prevalent
Copper-65s prevalence is (1 ) = (1 0.72.5) = 0.275, making the prevalence of Copper 65 as
27.5%