Chapter 2

 

Chemistry Review

 

Outline

•     Matter

–  Elements and compounds

•     Atoms and Molecules

–  Atomic structure

–  Electron configurations and chemical properties

•     Molecules

–  Chemical bonds

–  Shape and function

–  Chemical reactions

 

Matter

•     Matter: has mass and occupies space

–   All matter is composed of atoms

•   Fundamental unit of Chemistry

•     An element is a substance that cannot be broken down to other substances by chemical reactions.

–   A “kind” of atom.

–   92 elements occur in nature.

–   Each element has a one or two letter symbol.

•     A compound is  a substance made of two or more lements combind in a fixed ration

–   Ex. Sodium chloride (NaCl).

 

 

Figure 2.2  The emergent properties of a compound

 

 

 Elements essential to life

•      25 of the 92 natural elements are essntial to life.

•      Four of these,  carbon (C), oxygen (O), hydrogen (H), and nitrogen (N) – make up 96% of living matter. 

–   These make up the macromolecules that are the building block of life.

•      Phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), and potassium (K), account for most of the remaining 4%.

•      Trace elements are required in minute quantities.

–   Iron (Fe) is required for hemoglobin, and some enzymes.

–   Iodine (I) is required to produce thyroid hormone,

–   Mg, Mn, Zn & Cu help enzymes to function.

 

Figure 2.4  Goiter

 

Figure 2.3  Nitrogen deficiency

 


Atomic Structure

•     An atom consists of an atomic nucleus circle by an orbiting cloud of electrons.

•     Atomic nucleus consists of protons and neutrons.

•     Protons carry a positive charge

•     Neutrons are uncharged

•     Electrons carry a negative charge

•     The number of protons determine the chemical properties of an atom because it determines the number of electrons available for chemical activity.

 

 

Figure 2.5  Two simplified models of a helium (He) atom

 

 

Atomic Mass and Number

•     The atomic mass of an atom is the sum of the masses of its protons and neutrons.

–  Naturally occurring atoms contain from 1 – 92 protons and up to 146 neutrons.

•     The number of protons is referred to as the “atomic number”.

–   Atoms with the same number of protons (or same atomic number) have the same chemical properties, and belong to the same element.

 

Units of Atomic Mass

•    Atomic mass is measure in daltons (6.02 x 1023 daltons per gram)

•    A proton weighs 1.009 daltons (~ 1)

•    A neutron weighs 1.007 daltons (~ 1)

•    An electron weighs 0.0005 daltons (~ 0)

 

Isotopes

•    Atoms of an element that posses different number of neutrons are isotopes of that element.

•    In nature, elements may exist as a mixture of elements.

•    Carbon contains 6 protons, and has three isotopes in nature . . .

 

 

Radioactive Isotopes

•    Radioactive isotopes have unstable nuclei that emit energy in the form of subatomic particles.

•    Ex. 14C with 6 protons and 8 neutrons.

•    Each isotope has a constant rate of decay.

•    Rate of decay is expressed as the ‘half-life’ or the time it takes for ½ the atoms in a sample to decay.

 

 

Example of half-life

•    14C has a half-life of 5600 years.

•    A sample contain 1 gram of 14C today would contain

–  0.5 gram after 5600 years

–  0.25 gram after 11,200 years

–  0.125 gram after 16,800 years,

–  Etc.

 

 

Uses of Radioactive Isotopes

•    Radiometric dating of biological samples, rocks, etc.

•    Used in basic research to “follow” molecules through biological processes.

•    Used in medicine to selectively destroy cells.

 

 

Figure 2.6  Using radioactive isotopes to study cell chemistry

 

Figure 2.7  A PET scan, a medical use for radioactive isotopes

 

 

Dangers of Radioactive Isotopes

•    Energetic subatomic particle emitted by radioactive substance can mutate genes and severely damage or kill living cells.

 

Figure 2.8  The Tokaimura nuclear accident

 

 

Electron configurations

•     Electrons determine the chemical behavior of atoms.

•     Electrons do not simply “circle” the atomic nucleus, but can be anywhere at a given instant.

•     The areas where atoms are more likely to be are called “orbitals” that have a variety of shapes, depending on the distance from the nucleus.

•     However, simplified models of the atomic energy levels  allow us to predict how atoms will interact.

•     Only electrons are directly involved in chemical reactions between atoms.

 

 

Figure 2.11  Electron orbitals

 

Energy

•    Energy:  the capacity to do work.

•    Potential energy:  Energy that can be used for work.

–  Stored energy.

–  Ex. ball on the top of a slide

 

 

Figure 2.9  Energy levels of an atom’s electrons

 

 

Energy in Atoms

•    Atoms can store in release energy that is held in their electrons.

•    Energy absorbed by an atom causes electrons to move further from the nucleus.

•    If energy is released from an atom, the electron falls closer to the nucleus.

•    The different state of potential energy that electron have in an atom are called energy levels, or electron shells.

 

 

 


Atomic Energy Levels (shells)

•    An electron can only move to discrete energy levels

•    and an atom can only store and release discrete amounts of energy.

 

 

 

Potential Energy in Atoms

•    Electrons that are further from the nucleus have greater potential energy.

 

Electron Configurations and Chemical Properties

•     The chemical behavior of an atom is determined by its electron configuration.

–   The electron configuration is the distribution of electrons in each of the shells.

–   The first shell contains up to two electrons. Subsequent shells contain up to eight electrons. Shells are filled in order.

•     The chemical behavior of an atom depends mostly on the number of electrons in its outermost shell.

–   Valence electrons.

 

 

Figure 2.10  Electron configurations of the first 18 elements

 

 

The Periodic Table

•    92 naturally occurring elements

•    1 – 92 protons

•    Electron arranged according to protons

•    Elements have a periodicity of eight in regard to their chemical properties.

•    Dmitri Mendeleev discovered this and developed the periodic table.

 

 

The Periodic Table, con’t

•    The outer ‘shell’ of electrons are known the valence electrons.

•    Elements with 8 electron in the outer level are inert.

–  Ex. He, Ne, AR, Kr, Xe, Rn

•    Those with unfilled outer shells are reactive.

–  Ex. F, Cl, Br, I have 7 in outer shell and are highly reactive.

 

 

Forming Molecules

•    Molecule:  a group of 2 more more atoms held together in a stable association. 

–  Has particular chemical properties.

–  Ex. O2, C6H12O6.

 

Types of chemical bonds that form molecules:

 

•    Ionic Bonds

•    Covalent Bonds


Covalent Bonds

•    Very strong – form stable molecules.

•    Form when two atoms share one or more pairs of valence electrons.

•    Ex. H2.

 

 

Figure 2.12  Covalent bonding in four molecules

 

 

Why are Covalent Bonds Stable?

•    No net charge

•    Octet rule is satisfied

•    No free electrons

Types of Covalent Bonds

•    Number of shared electron pairs

–  Single bond share 1 electron pair.

–  Double bonds share 2 electron pairs.

–  Triple bonds share 3 electron pairs.

 

•    Non-polar and Polar Covalent bonds

 

Polar Covalent Bonds

•     Non-polar covalent bond involve equal sharing of electrons.

–   Bonds between carbon atoms, and between carbon and hydrogen are non-polar covalent bonds.

•     Polar Covalent bonds involve sharing electrons between an atom with a high degree of electronegativity, such as oxygen or nitrogen, and hydrogen.

–   An electronegative atom pulls electrons toward itself.

–   Electrons are not equally shared.

–   The is a partial distribution of charge.

 

 

Figure 2.12x  Methane

 

Figure 2.13  Polar covalent bonds in a water molecule

 

 

Ions and Ionic Bonds

•    Ion

–  An atom that has gain or lost an electron

–  Has a net charge

–  Ex, Na +, Cl -

 

•    An ionic compound forms by the electrostatic attraction of oppositely charge ions, ex. NaCl.

 

Figure 2.14  Electron transfer and ionic bonding

 

Figure 2.15  A sodium chloride crystal

 


Ionic Bonds in Biology

•    Ionic bonds in solids are very strong and form crystals.

–  Ex. NaCl crystals

•    The cell is an aqueous environment.  Ions dissociate and form weak attractions.

–  Ex. Na+ and Cl - ions.

•    These weaker attractions are very important in cell biology.

 

 

Weak Chemical Bonds play important roles in the chemistry of life.

•    When two molecule make contact, they may temporarily adhere.

–  Cell signaling

–  Turning on genes

•    These weaker attractions are very important in cell biology.

 

 

 Hydrogen Bonding

•      A hydrogen atom covalently bonded to one electronegative atom is also attracted to another electronegative atom.

 

 

Figure 2.16  A hydrogen bond

 

 

Chemical Formulae

•    Structural formulas

–  One line represents a shared pair of electrons:

–  H-H; 0=0

•    Molecular formulas

–  The number of each type of atom is indicated in subscript;

–    H2; O2; C6H12O6.

 

 

Shape

•    A molecule has a characteristic size and shape.

•    The precise shape of a molecule is usually very important to its function in the cell.

 

 

Figure 2.18  Molecular shape and brain chemistry

 

Figure 2.19  A molecular mimic

 

 

Chemical Reactions

•    The formation and breaking of chemical bonds to rearrange atoms into different types of  molecules.

–  Reactants Products

–  A-B + C-D → A-C + B + D

 

Unnumbered Figure (Page 38)  Chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen

 

Figure 2.20  Photosynthesis: a solar-powered rearrangement of matter

 

Factors Influencing Chemical Reactions

•    Temperature

•    Concentration of reactants and products

•    Catalysts

 

The End