MCAT General Chemistry Review - Alexander Stone Macnow, MD 2019-2020

Atomic Structure
Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve made it through the first chapter! Now that we have covered topics related to the most fundamental unit of matter—the atom—you’re set to advance your understanding of the physical world in more complex ways. This chapter described the characteristics and behavior of the three subatomic particles: the proton, neutron, and electron. In addition, it compared and contrasted two models of the atom. The Bohr model is adequate for describing the structure of one-electron systems, such as the hydrogen atom or the helium ion, but fails to adequately describe the structure of more complex atoms. The quantum mechanical model theorizes that electrons are found not in discrete orbits, but in “clouds of probability,” or orbitals, by which we can predict the likelihood of finding electrons within given regions of space surrounding the nucleus. Both theories tell us that the energy levels available to electrons are not infinite but discrete and that the energy difference between levels is a precise amount called a quantum. The four quantum numbers completely describe the location and energy of any electron within a given atom. Finally, we learned two simple recall methods for the order in which electrons fill the shells and subshells of an atom and that the valence electrons are the reactive electrons in an atom. In the next chapter, we’ll take a look at how the elements are organized on the periodic table and will then turn our attention to their bonding behavior—based on valence electrons—in Chapter 3 of MCAT General Chemistry Review.