ChemistryEleven: ... Quantum Mechanics, Isotopes and Atoms, Trends on the Periodic Table, Electron Structure and Naming Compunds

Before i begin, i just want to say i am really sorry that we aren't up to date with this blog. Now to put a whole lot of info into one post.

Quantum Mechanics

Today, we learned about Quantum Mechanics. How this connects with Bohr's Theory is that the electron is a particle that must be in an orbital in the atom. What is an orbital? Its an area in 3D space where electons are presumably placed. Now there are 4 different types of orbitals. There are 'S' orbitals, 'P' orbitals, 'D' orbitals and 'F' orbitals. 'S' orbitals are sphered shape and can hold 2 electrons. 'P' orbitals are 'dumbbell shaped' and contain what are known as sub-orbitals, there are 3 of them in the 'P' orbitals and each of them can hold 2. So the maximum number of electrons a 'P' orbital can hold is 6. 'D' orbitals have 5 sub-orbitals, so the max. number the 'D' orbital can hold is 10. Lastly, the 'F' orbital has 7 sub-orbitals, so the max number of electrons the 'F' orbital can hold is 14. Refer to the image to the right for a visual view of these orbitals.

The way we can put this to use is by finding out how many and what type of electrons are certain atom has. For example, we want to know how many and what type of electrons are in a Carbon Atom. The answer would be 1s², 2s², 2p². Why? Well because the 'S' orbitals can hold 2 electrons, and since there are 2, that is already 4 electrons. But since our 'S' orbital is full, we go to the next available orbital, which is the 'P' orbital. We place 2 electrons there, and we have our answer.

Isotopes and Atoms
Before we get into Isotopes, we need to somewhat review something, the Atomic Number. Found on the top left on each 'chemical card', the Atomic Number gives us the number of protons and electrons in the atom. To find the number of Neutrons, we simply take the atomic mass (p+n) minus the atomic number (p) to get the number of neutrons (n). Now with isotopes, what they simply are are elements with the atomic number but a different mass. For example, there are 3 different types of Hydrogen Atoms: ¹H, ²H, and ³H. Take a look below for another example: