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Atom: The smallest particle of an element that retains its identity in a chemical reaction
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atomic mass: weighted average mass of the atoms in a naturally occurring sample of an element
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atomic mass unit (amu): 1/12th of the mass of a carbon 12 atom
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atomic number: the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom
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atomic orbitals: a region in space around the nucleus of an atoms where an electron is likely to be moving
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Cathode ray: a stream of electrons produced at the negative electrode (cathode) of a tube containing a gas at low pressure
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Democritus: Greek philosopher who was among the first to suggest the existence of atoms
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Electrons: negatively charged particles found outside the nucleus
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energy level: the regions around the nucleus within which the electrons have the highest probability of being found
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group: a vertical column of elements in the periodic table
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isotopes: atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons
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John Dalton: english chemist and schoolteacher who formulated a theory to describe the structure and chemical reactivity of matter in terms of atoms
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mass number: the sum of the numbers of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom
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Neutrons: subatomic particles with no charge
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nucleus: the center of the atom which contains the protons and neutrons
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period: a horizontal row of the periodic table
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periodic table: an arrangement of elements according to similarities in their properties
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Protons: positively charged particles located in the nucleus
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quantum: the amount of energy needed to move an electron from one energy level to another
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quantum mechanical model: the modern description of the behavior of electrons in atoms
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scanning tunneling microscope: an instrument used to generate images of individual atoms