GEOL 11042 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Silicate Minerals, Terrigenous Sediment, Facies
8 Nov 2020
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Document Summary
Focus questions: how can we measure the numerical age of rock layers, how are past environments recorded in sedimentary rocks, a word about atoms . The nucleus of an atom contains the protons (+ charge) and neutrons (0 charge). The electrons (- charge) are outside the nucleus, and circle in clouds or shells . Chemical reactions involve the electrons of an atom, not the nucleus. The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom is the atomic number, and identifies the element: examples: an atom with 8 protons is an atom of oxygen. An atom with 7 protons is an atom of nitrogen. The number of protons plus the number of neutrons is the atomic mass. They are all carbon, but differ in their number of neutrons. If they are unstable, we say they are. Radioactive isotopes spontaneously decay to atoms of other elements.
