CH1001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Electron Configuration, Atomic Number, Emission Spectrum
Document Summary
Characteristics of atoms: atoms, possess mass, contain positive nuclei, contain electrons, occupy volume, have various properties, attract one another, can combine with one another. Characteristics of light: the most useful tool for studying the structure of atoms is electromagnetic radiation, light is one form of this radiation. Described in terms of waves: characterised by wavelength (l) and frequency (n) wavelength. = distance between two adjacent identical points of the wave frequency. Albert einstein postulated that light comes in packets" or bundles" called photons. Each photon has an energy that is directly proportional to its frequency. The proportionality constant between energy and frequency is known as planck"s constant = 6. 626 x 10-34 j s. Atomic spectra: atoms absorb specific and characteristic frequencies of light, the absorption spectrum of a gaseous element can be measured. A similar experiment can measure the energies of the photons emitted by atoms in excited states.