1.
amplitude: the height of a wave from the origin to a crest or from the origin to a trough.
2.
atomic emission spectrum: the set of frequencies of the electromagnetic waves emitted by atoms of the element.
3.
atomic orbital: a three-dimensional region around the nucleus that describes the probable location of the electron.
4.
aufbau principle: each electron occupies the lowest energy orbital available.
5.
de broglie equation: λ=h/mv. the variable λ is wavelength, the variable h is plancks constant, the variable m is a particle of mass and the variable v is velocity.
6.
electromagnetic radiation: a form of energy that exhibits wavelike behavior as it travels through space. examples are visible light, visible light from the sun, microwaves, x-rays and radio waves.
7.
electromagnetic spectrum: also called the em spectrum. encompasses all forms of electromagnetic radiation, with the only differences in the types of radiation being their frequencies and wavelengths.
8.
electron configuration: the arrangement of electrons in an atom.
9.
electron-dot structure: the symbol of the electron, which represents the atomic nucleus and inner-level electrons, surrounded by dots representing the valance electrons of the atom.
10.
em wave relationship: c=λv
11.
energy change of an electron: ΔE=E(higher-energy orbit) subtract E(lower energy orbit). ΔE=E(photon)=hv.
12.
energy of a photon: E(photon)=hv
13.
energy of a quantum: E(quantum)=hv
14.
energy sublevels: principal energy level one consists of a single sublevel, principal energy level two consists of two sublevels and so on.
15.
frequency: represented by v, the greek letter nu. the number of waves that pass a given point per second. one hertz equals on wave per second.
16.
ground state: the lowest allowable energy state of an atom.
17.
ground-state electron configuration: the most stable, lowest-energy arrangement of the electrons in atoms of each element.
18.
heisenberg uncertainty principle: it is fundamentally impossible to know precisely both the velocity and position of a particle at the same time.
19.
hunds rule: single electrons with the same spin must occupy each equal-energy orbital before additional electrons with opposite spins can occupy the same orbitals.
20.
max planck: the german physicist who demonstrated mathematically that the energy of a quantum is related to the frequency of the emitted radiation by the equation E(quantum)=hv.
21.
pauli exclusion principle: a maximum of two electrons may occupy a single atomic orbital, but only if the electrons have opposite spins.
22.
photoelectric cells: photoelectric cells convert the energy of incident light into electrical energy.
23.
photoelectric effect: electrons, called photoelectrons, are emitted from the surface of a metal when light of a certain frequency shines on the surface.
24.
photon: a particle of electromagnetic radiation with no mass that carries a quantum of energy.
25.
photon energy equation: E(photon)=hv. the variable e is energy, the variable h is plancks constant and the variable v is frequency.
26.
plancks constant: relates to the planck equation, E(quantum)=hv. the variable e is energy, the variable h is plancks constant and the variable v is frequency. plancks constant is measured in joules.
27.
principal energy levels: the major energy levels of atoms. the lowest principal energy level is assigned a principal quantum number of one.
28.
principal quantum numbers: numbers that indicate the relative sizes and energies of atomic orbitals.
29.
quantum: the minimum amount of energy that can be gained or lost by an atom.
30.
quantum mechanical model of the atom: the atomic model in which electrons are treated as waves. also called the wave mechanical model of the atom.
31.
valence electrons: electrons in the outermost orbitals of an atom, generally those orbitals associated with the highest principal energy level of an atom.
32.
wavelength: represented by λ, the greek letter lambda. the shortest distance between equivalent points on a continuous wave. the wavelength is measured from crest to crest or from trough to trough. usually expressed in meters, centimeters or nanometers.
