Ch.2 - Atoms, Molecules, and Ions

Brown - Chemistry: The Central Science 14th Edition

Brown14th EditionChemistry: The Central ScienceISBN: 9780134414232Not the one you use?Change textbook

Brown 14th Edition

Ch.2 - Atoms, Molecules, and Ions

Problem 20a1

Chapter 2, Problem 20a1

The radius of an atom of copper (Cu) is about 140 pm. (a) Express this distance in angstroms 1A 2.

Verified step by step guidance

Understand the conversion relationship: 1 angstrom (\(\text{Å}\)) is equal to 100 picometers (\(\text{pm}\)).

Identify the given value: The radius of a copper atom is 140 pm.

Set up the conversion: To convert picometers to angstroms, divide the number of picometers by 100.

Perform the division: Divide 140 pm by 100 to convert to angstroms.

Express the result: The radius of the copper atom in angstroms is the result of the division.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Unit Conversion

Unit conversion is the process of converting a quantity expressed in one unit to another unit. In this case, we need to convert picometers (pm) to angstroms (Å). Knowing that 1 Å is equal to 100 pm allows us to perform this conversion by dividing the number of picometers by 100.

Atomic Radius

The atomic radius is a measure of the size of an atom, typically defined as the distance from the nucleus to the outer boundary of the surrounding cloud of electrons. For copper, the atomic radius is approximately 140 pm, which provides insight into its size relative to other elements and its behavior in chemical bonding.

Picometer and Angstrom

Picometer (pm) and angstrom (Å) are both units of length used to measure atomic and molecular dimensions. A picometer is one trillionth of a meter (10^-12 m), while an angstrom is one ten-billionth of a meter (10^-10 m). Understanding these units is essential for accurately expressing and comparing atomic sizes.

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Millikan determined the charge on the electron by studying the static charges on oil drops falling in an electric field (Figure 2.5). A student carried out this experiment using several oil drops for her measurements and calculated the charges on the drops. She obtained the following data: Droplet Calculated Charge (C) A 1.60 * 10-19 B 3.15 * 10-19 C 4.81 * 10-19 D 6.31 * 10-19 (b) What conclusion can the student draw from these data regarding the charge of the electron?

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Determine whether each of the following statements is true or false. If false, correct the statement to make it true: (a) The nucleus has most of the mass and comprises most of the volume of an atom.

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Determine whether each of the following statements is true or false. If false, correct the statement to make it true: (b) Every atom of a given element has the same number of protons.

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Textbook Question

An unknown particle is caused to move between two electrically charged plates, as illustrated in Figure 2.7. You hypothesize that the particle is a proton. (b) Would it be deflected by a smaller or larger amount than the b rays?

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Textbook Question

Millikan determined the charge on the electron by studying the static charges on oil drops falling in an electric field (Figure 2.5). A student carried out this experiment using several oil drops for her measurements and calculated the charges on the drops. She obtained the following data: Droplet Calculated Charge (C) A 1.60 * 10-19 B 3.15 * 10-19 C 4.81 * 10-19 D 6.31 * 10-19 (c) What value (and to how many significant figures) should she report for the electronic charge?

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Textbook Question

The radius of an atom of copper (Cu) is about 140 pm. (b) How many Cu atoms would have to be placed side by side to span a distance of 5.0 mm?