Table of Contents
What are examples of stable atoms?
Most atoms are stable; a carbon-12 atom for example remains a carbon-12 atom forever, and an oxygen-16 atom remains an oxygen-16 atom forever, but certain atoms eventually disintegrate into a totally new atom. These atoms are said to be ‘unstable’ or ‘radioactive’.
What group of atoms is stable?
Helium (He), neon (Ne), and argon (Ar), as group 18 elements, have outer electron shells that are full or satisfy the octet rule. This makes them highly stable as single atoms. Because of their non-reactivity, they are called the inert gases or noble gases.
What are 2 types of atoms?
Different Kinds of Atoms
- Description. Atoms are made of tiny particles called protons, neutrons and electrons.
- Stable. Most atoms are stable.
- Isotopes. Every atom is a chemical element, like hydrogen, iron or chlorine.
- Radioactive. Some atoms have too many neutrons in the nucleus, which makes them unstable.
- Ions.
- Antimatter.
What are the 2 main ways that atoms can become stable?
Some atoms become more stable by gaining or losing an entire electron (or several electrons). When they do so, atoms form ions, or charged particles. Electron gain or loss can give an atom a filled outermost electron shell and make it energetically more stable.
Is h2 stable or unstable?
For H2, bond order = 1/2 (2-0) = 1, which means H2has only one bond. The antibonding orbital is empty. Thus, H2 is a stable molecule. Again, in the MO, there is no unpaired electron, so H2 is diamagnetic.
What is the difference between a stable and unstable atom?
Atoms found in nature are either stable or unstable. An atom is stable if the forces among the particles that makeup the nucleus are balanced. An atom is unstable (radioactive) if these forces are unbalanced; if the nucleus has an excess of internal energy.
What it means for an atom to be stable?
An atom is stable if the forces among the particles that makeup the nucleus are balanced. An atom is unstable (radioactive) if these forces are unbalanced; if the nucleus has an excess of internal energy. Instability of an atom’s nucleus may result from an excess of either neutrons or protons.
What are the conditions for an atom to be stable?
Firstly, the valence electrons should have 2 or 8, forming a strong octet or duplet electron arrangement. This can be understood by paired electrons are stable and the second orbital (p orbital) has lower energy. Secondly, for the nucleus of the atom to be stable, the number of protons and neutrons should be roughly equal.
What is a stable element in chemistry?
A stable element by definition is a chemical element (found on the Periodic Table) that has at least one stable, naturally occurring isotope. For example, Helium has 9 isotopes, but since two of them are stable (He-3 and He-4), Helium is considered to be a stable element. Get around town and save on gas.
What is an unstable atom with 7 electrons in its shell?
Example of an unstable atom with 7 electrons in its outer-most shell. A stable element by definition is a chemical element (found on the Periodic Table) that has at least one stable, naturally occurring isotope. For example, Helium has 9 isotopes, but since two of them are stable (He-3 and He-4), Helium is considered to be a stable element.
How do elements combine to form stable compounds?
Two processes by which elements can combine to form stable compounds are transferring electrons from one atom to another (ionic compounds) or by sharing electrons (covalent compounds). Ionic bonding results in a charged atom. Compare the formation of NaCl from sodium and chlorine to the formation of CO2 from carbon and oxygen.