<div class="note visit">
<h2 class="title">Summary and Key Concepts</h2>
<ul>
<li>
The smallest unit of matter is the atom. Atoms can combine to form compounds.
</li>
<li>
A compound is a <a data-lesson="chemical-properties-of-the-groups" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="classification-of-matter" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/classification-of-matter/chemical-properties-of-the-groups">group</a> of two or more different atoms that are attracted to each other by relatively strong <a data-lesson="physical-properties-and-intermolecular-forces" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="organic-molecules" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/organic-molecules/physical-properties-and-intermolecular-forces">forces</a> or bonds. The atoms are combined in definite proportions.
</li>
<li>
In a compound, atoms are held together by chemical bonds. Covalent bonds, <a data-lesson="ionic-solids" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="liquids-and-solids" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/liquids-and-solids/ionic-solids">ionic</a> bonds and metallic bonds are examples of chemical bonds.
</li>
<li>
A covalent bond exists between non-metal atoms. An ionic bond exists between non-metal and <a data-lesson="acid-and-metal-oxide" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="acid-base-redox-reactions" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/acid-base-redox-reactions/acid-and-metal-oxide">metal</a> atoms and a metallic bond exists between metal atoms.
</li>
<li>
Covalent molecular structures interact and exist as separate molecules.
</li>
<li>
Network structures exist as giant repeating lattices. Network structures can consist of covalent, ionic or metallic compounds.
</li>
<li>
A chemical <a data-lesson="representing-molecules" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="chemistry-essential-ideas" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/chemistry-essential-ideas/representing-molecules">formula</a> is an abbreviated (shortened) way of describing a compound.
</li>
<li>
The molecular formula is a concise way of expressing information about the atoms that make up a particular covalent molecular compound. The molecular formula gives the exact <a data-lesson="atomic-and-atomic-mass-number" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="chemistry-essential-ideas" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/chemistry-essential-ideas/atomic-and-atomic-mass-number">number</a> of each type of atom in the molecule.
</li>
<li>
The empirical formula is a way of expressing the relative number of each type of atom in a chemical compound. The <a data-lesson="derivation-molecular-formulas" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="composition-of-substances" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/composition-of-substances/derivation-molecular-formulas">empirical formula</a> does not show the exact number of atoms, but rather the simplest ratio of the atoms in the compound.
</li>
<li>
The structure of a compound can be represented by stick, ball-and-stick or space-filling models.
</li>
<li>
A stick <a data-lesson="discussion-on-atomic-models" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="chemistry-essential-ideas" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/chemistry-essential-ideas/discussion-on-atomic-models">model</a> use coloured sticks to represent compounds.
</li>
<li>
A ball-and-stick model is a 3-dimensional molecular model that uses “balls” to represent atoms and “sticks” to represent the bonds between them.
</li>
<li>
A space-filling model is also a 3-dimensional molecular model. The atoms are represented by spheres.
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<section>
<ul>
<li>
Some of the scientists who have contributed to the theory of the atom include J.J. Thomson (discovery of the electron, which led to the Plum Pudding Model of the atom), Marie and Pierre Curie (work on radiation), Ernest Rutherford (discovery that positive charge is concentrated in the centre of the atom) and Niels Bohr (the arrangement of electrons around the nucleus in energy levels).
</li>
<li>
Because of the very small mass of atoms, their mass is measured in atomic mass units (\(\text{u}\)). \(\text{1}\) \(\text{u}\) = \(\text{1.67} \times \text{10}^{-\text{24}}\) \(\text{g}\).
</li>
<li>
The relative atomic mass of an element is the average mass of all the naturally occurring <a data-lesson="isotopes" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="chemistry-essential-ideas" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/chemistry-essential-ideas/isotopes">isotopes</a> of that element. The units for relative <a data-lesson="atomic-mass" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="atoms-molecules-ions" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/atoms-molecules-ions/atomic-mass">atomic mass</a> are atomic mass units. The relative atomic mass is written under the elements' symbol on the <a data-lesson="arrangement-of-the-elements" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="classification-of-matter" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/classification-of-matter/arrangement-of-the-elements">periodic</a> table.
</li>
<li>
An atom is made up of a central nucleus (containing protons and neutrons), surrounded by electrons. Most of the atom is empty space.
</li>
<li>
The atomic number (Z) is the number of protons in an atom.
</li>
<li>
The atomic mass number (A) is the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.
</li>
<li>
The standard notation that is used to write an element, is \(_{Z}^{A}\text{X}\), where X is the element symbol, A is the atomic mass number and Z is the atomic number.
</li>
<li>
The isotope of a particular element is made up of atoms which have the same number of protons as the atoms in the original element, but a different number of neutrons. This means that not all atoms of an element will have the same atomic mass.
</li>
<li>
Within each energy level, an electron may move within a particular shape of orbital. An orbital defines the space in which an electron is most likely to be found.
</li>
<li>
The electron configuration is the arrangement of electrons in an atom, molecule or other <a data-lesson="physical-chemical-properties" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="chemistry-essential-ideas" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/chemistry-essential-ideas/physical-chemical-properties">physical</a> structure.
</li>
<li>
Energy diagrams such as Aufbau diagrams are used to show the electron configuration of atoms.
</li>
<li>
The electron configuration of an atom can be given using spectroscopic notation.
</li>
<li>
Different orbitals have different shapes: s orbitals are spherically shaped and <a data-lesson="hybrid-atomic-orbitals" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="covalent-bonding-continued" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/covalent-bonding-continued/hybrid-atomic-orbitals">p orbitals</a> are dumbbell shaped.
</li>
<li>
The electrons in the outermost energy level are called valence electrons.
</li>
<li>
The electrons in an atom that are not <a data-lesson="orbital-shapes-and-valence-electrons" data-subject="chemistry" data-tutorial="chemistry-essential-ideas" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/chemistry/chemistry-essential-ideas/orbital-shapes-and-valence-electrons">valence electrons</a> are called core electrons.
</li>
<li>
Atoms whose outermost energy level is full, are less chemically reactive and therefore more stable, than those atoms whose outermost energy level is not full.
</li>
</ul>
</section>

1da7dde6-444c-4cfc-9055-98f781c809ca

Chemistry Essential Ideas Summary

Chemistry generally explores the substances of which matter is composed, the investigation of their properties and reactions, and the use of such reactions to form new substances. 

Chemistry

Explore the essential ideas in chemistry, including the scientific method, laboratory skills and safety, states of matter, measurement uncertainty, models of the atom, electronic configurations, and more.


Chemistry Essential Ideas Summary

Track Your Learning Progress