Cheat Sheet: Key Chemistry Concepts
Theories in the Development of Atomic Models
1. Dalton's Atomic Theory (1803):
- Atoms are indivisible particles.
- Atoms of the same element are identical; different elements have different atoms.
- Compounds are formed by the combination of atoms in fixed ratios.
- Chemical reactions involve rearrangement of atoms.
2. Thomson's Model (1897):
- Proposed the 'Plum Pudding Model': electrons embedded in a positively charged sphere.
- Discovered electrons via cathode ray experiments.
3. Rutherford's Model (1911):
- Gold foil experiment showed a dense, positively charged nucleus.
- Most of the atom is empty space.
4. Bohr's Model (1913):
- Electrons orbit the nucleus in fixed energy levels.
- Energy is absorbed/emitted as electrons jump between levels.
5. Quantum Mechanical Model:
- Modern model based on probability distributions (orbitals).
- Electrons have wave-particle duality.
- Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle: position and momentum cannot both be precisely
known.
Isotopes
Definition:
Isotopes are atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different
numbers of neutrons.
Example:
- Carbon-12 (12C): 6 protons, 6 neutrons.
- Carbon-14 (14C): 6 protons, 8 neutrons.
Relative Abundance, Percent Abundance, & Average Atomic Mass
Definitions:
- Relative Abundance: Fraction of a particular isotope in a sample.
- Percent Abundance: Relative abundance expressed as a percentage.
- Average Atomic Mass: Weighted average of all isotopes of an element.
Formula for Average Atomic Mass:
- (Relative abundance of isotope 1 × mass of isotope 1) + ...
Example:
- Chlorine: 75% Cl-35 (34.97 amu) and 25% Cl-37 (36.97 amu).
- Average atomic mass = (0.75 × 34.97) + (0.25 × 36.97) = 35.45 amu.
Ions
Definitions:
- Monatomic Ion: Single atom with a charge (e.g., Na⁺, Cl⁻).
- Polyatomic Ion: Group of covalently bonded atoms with an overall charge (e.g., NO₃⁻,
SO₄²⁻).
- Cation: Positively charged ion (e.g., Na⁺, Ca²⁺).
- Anion: Negatively charged ion (e.g., Cl⁻, NO₃⁻).
Naming Ionic Compounds
Steps:
1. Write the name of the cation (metal or polyatomic ion).
2. Write the name of the anion (nonmetal with '-ide' suffix or polyatomic ion).
Examples:
- NaCl: Sodium chloride.
- Ca(NO₃)₂: Calcium nitrate.
Empirical and Molecular Formula of Chemical Compounds
Definitions:
- Empirical Formula: Simplest whole-number ratio of elements in a compound (e.g., CH₂O).
- Molecular Formula: Actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule (e.g.,
C₆H₁₂O₆).
Steps to Determine Empirical Formula:
1. Convert percentages to grams.
2. Convert grams to moles using molar mass.
3. Divide all mole values by the smallest mole value.
4. Round to the nearest whole number (or multiply to clear fractions).
Steps to Determine Molecular Formula:
1. Calculate the molar mass of the empirical formula.
2. Divide the compound's molar mass by the empirical formula molar mass.
3. Multiply subscripts in the empirical formula by the resulting ratio.
